11, Jul 2025
Creators Wanted: YouTube’s 2025 Rules Reward Originality — And Big Money
By-Anubhav Pandey, Chief Strategy Officer, Consortium Gifts
The digital landscape is transforming rapidly, and YouTube stands at the forefront as a dynamic wealth-building platform in July 2025. No longer just a video-sharing hub, YouTube has evolved into a robust ecosystem for creators and businesses to generate sustainable income. With new monetization policies and stricter guidelines emphasizing authenticity, the platform is reshaping how creators earn money while ensuring originality remains at its core. Here’s how to navigate these changes and thrive in 2025.
The Evolving YouTube Partner Program (YPP) in 2025
YouTube’s Partner Program continues to democratize monetization, making it accessible to creators at various stages while prioritizing authentic content. As of 2025, YPP offers two tiers:
- Full Monetization Access
Creators can unlock full monetization, including ad revenue from long-form videos and Shorts, by meeting one of these thresholds:- 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months, or
- 10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days.
- Early Access & Fan-Funding Tier
New creators can access fan-funding tools with lower requirements:- 500 subscribers,
- 3 public uploads in the past 90 days, and
- Either 3,000 valid public watch hours (long-form) or 3 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days.
This tier unlocks features like Channel Memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, Super Thanks, and YouTube Shopping, enabling creators to earn revenue before reaching full monetization.
New YPP Guidelines: Authenticity Takes Center Stage
Starting this 15th July, 2025, YouTube is rolling out some significant updates to its Partner Program (YPP) guidelines, and let’s be real, they’re putting authenticity front and center. This isn’t just a minor tweak; it’s a big shift designed to ensure that the content you’re pouring your heart into truly stands out and gets rewarded.
What’s Changing and Why It Matters to You
YouTube is cracking down on mass-produced, low-effort content that lacks originality. Channels relying heavily on AI-generated narrations, repetitive compilations, or generic formats without a personal or creative touch will no longer qualify for monetization. Instead, the platform now demands genuine value, whether that’s through insightful commentary, educational transformation of third-party material, or uniquely creative storytelling. The review process is also becoming more rigorous, with a hybrid system of AI and human evaluators, making authenticity a key requirement to retain YouTube Partner Program (YPP) eligibility.
While the new rules raise the bar, they also create exciting opportunities for creators who prioritize quality and originality. By focusing on authentic content, creators can build stronger relationships with their audience and attract more premium partnerships. Smaller creators benefit too, with earlier access to fan-funding and shopping tools, easing reliance on ad revenue. These updates signal a clear push for innovation, encouraging creators to carve out unique voices and formats in a more level and rewarding creator economy.
Diversified Monetization Strategies for 2025
To maximize revenue in 2025, creators should focus on authentic brand partnerships that align with your niche and values, using YouTube Analytics to showcase audience insights and engagement potential. They should embrace affiliate marketing by promoting genuinely used products, embedding links in tutorials or reviews, and targeting high-commission digital offerings. They need to build deeper audience connections by selling their own products and services, including digital products, coaching, or via YouTube Shopping. They need to leverage YouTube Shorts monetization with its 45% ad revenue share by creating engaging, bite-sized content that boosts reach and funnels traffic to long-form videos, products, or memberships.
Strategic Pillars for Success in 2025
To succeed under YouTube’s new guidelines, creators should sharpen their niche focus to attract loyal viewers and premium brand deals, prioritize quality over quantity with polished, consistent content, make data-driven decisions using YouTube Analytics to tailor videos to audience preferences, leverage AI for scripting, editing, SEO, and thumbnails to boost efficiency without losing originality, and expand their cross-platform presence on Instagram, X, or personal websites to maximize reach and revenue.
The Future: Authenticity Fuels Wealth
YouTube’s 2025 monetization landscape rewards creators who prioritize originality, engagement, and diversification. The stricter guidelines eliminate low-effort content, paving the way for authentic creators to shine. By mastering the expanded YPP, building genuine audience connections, securing strategic partnerships, and creating their own products, creators can transform their channels into sustainable digital businesses. The potential for wealth-building is limitless for those who innovate, stay true to their voice, and treat YouTube as a multifaceted platform for growth.
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- By Neel Achary
11, Jul 2025
Vegas Mall Strengthens Premium Brand Portfolio with the Launch of Adidas Originals Store
Delhi, 11th July 2025: Vegas Mall, one of Delhi-NCR’s most celebrated lifestyle and shopping destinations, continues to elevate its premium brand portfolio with the launch of the globally renowned streetwear label Adidas Originals. Strategically located in the heart of Dwarka, Vegas Mall has become a preferred hub for luxury, fashion, and experiential retail, attracting trend-conscious consumers and redefining urban shopping experiences.
In line with its expansion strategy and commitment to bringing global lifestyle brands closer to the Indian consumer, Adidas Originals has now opened its doors on the Ground Floor of Vegas Mall. Spanning 1500 sq. ft. of carpet area, the newly launched store embodies the brand’s heritage of creativity, individuality, and bold expression, offering its iconic range of sneakers, streetwear, apparel, and accessories for the new generation of style-forward shoppers.
Speaking on the launch, Mr. Ravinder Choudhary, Vice President, Vegas Mall, said, “We are thrilled to welcome Adidas Originals to the Vegas Mall family. As a brand that resonates with youth culture and global fashion trends, its presence further strengthens our commitment to offering the best of international retail to our patrons. This launch reaffirms our positioning as a dynamic destination that combines lifestyle, luxury, and everyday convenience under one roof.”
With this addition, Vegas Mall continues to build on its vision of curating a diverse and aspirational brand mix, offering shoppers not just a product, but a complete cultural and fashion experience.
11, Jul 2025
Pearson Enhances PTE Academic to Strengthen Role in India’s English Testing Landscape
Pearson announces global enhancements to PTE Academic, reinforcing its role in India’s evolving English assessment landscape
India, 11th July, 2025: Pearson , the world’s lifelong learning company, today announced key enhancements to Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic, strengthening its value for Indian students pursuing international education and migration opportunities. These updates reinforce Pearson’s commitment to providing secure, AI-powered English proficiency assessments that reflect the real-world communication skills needed for academic and professional success globally.
Starting in August 2025, PTE Academic will include two new speaking tasks, namely, “Respond to a Situation” and “Summarize a Group Discussion”. These tasks will evaluate test takers’ ability to communicate in real-world academic and professional scenarios. Simultaneously, Pearson is enhancing its AI-driven scoring system to better detect copied or unoriginal responses, ensuring fairer and more accurate assessments for all test takers.
Pearson is also providing updated preparation materials, including scored practice tests, expert-designed courseware, webinars, and instructional videos to support Indian candidates with these changes, while maintaining the test’s core strengths of speed, security, and global recognition.
Prabhul Ravindran, Director of English Language Learning at Pearson India, said:
“The enhancements to PTE Academic are designed to align with the changing needs of today’s learners in India, while ensuring that institutions and governments can continue to rely on it for fair and effective assessment. By introducing real-world speaking tasks and improving scoring safeguards, the test aims to support better preparation while maintaining the trust of decision-makers.”
In line with global expansion, Pearson’s secure test centre network has grown to over 500 locations worldwide, with new centres launched across South East Asia this year to improve access and testing capacity in key cities.
The core strengths of PTE Academic remain unchanged. It continues to be a fully computer-based test, primarily AI-scored, with results typically delivered within 48 hours. PTE is recognised by more than 3,500 institutions globally and accepted by the governments of Australia, Canada, the UK and New Zealand. It remains one of the most trusted English tests among Indian aspirants pursuing international study and work opportunities.
11, Jul 2025
She Matters 2.0: OFSI and Katradi Empower Marginalized Women Through Arts-Based Leadership
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 11 July 2025: Omega Forum for Social Impact (OFSI), the CSR arm of Omega Healthcare, in association with Katradi, an initiative of Wind Dancers Trust (India), successfully concluded She Matters 2.0, a Radical Immersion Leadership Camp that brought together women from marginalised communities at Mannmuqi Village. Using immersive traditional arts such as storytelling, theatre, dance, and other forms of creative expression as powerful tools for self-discovery, the three-day programme helped participants develop sensitivity towards caste and gender-based barriers, build financial literacy, and reclaim their voices as grassroots leaders.
This year, 50 participants were trained as leaders equipped to initiate conversations and facilitate workshops on gender-based violence, gender stereotypes, reproductive health, and basic financial literacy, including managing income and expenses. Each woman is also prepared to mentor others, ensuring a ripple effect of community-led change. This cohort marks a powerful shift where women who are not just finding their voice, but empowering by example like leading, uplifting, and transforming their communities from within.
Speaking about the initiative, Sunanda Rangarajan, CEO, OFSI said, “True empowerment begins when women rediscover their strength and lead with purpose. She Matters 2.0 reflects our belief that leadership is not reserved for a few, but must be nurtured at the grassroots, especially among women who have long been denied space, voice, and opportunity.By creating immersive experiences rooted in empathy, we’re not just building individual confidence but also investing in sustainable, community-led change that grows stronger with each woman who dares to lead.”
The camp organised storytelling, theatre, and traditional dance as a creative expression of collective empowerment. Through various activities the participants engaged in confronting and dismantling deeply ingrained societal barriers tied to caste, patriarchy, and class. Additionally, the camp served as a platform for participants to come together and confront gender-based violence, break free from stereotypes, embrace the importance of financial independence, and reclaim leadership through shared stories, joy, movement, and deep connection.
Sangeeta Isvaran, Founding Trustee, Katradi, added, “The arts give us the empathy and courage to question generational injustice. In She Matters 2.0, we saw how creativity becomes a tool for truth-telling, connection, and collective healing. These women were not just taught leadership skills but also trained to execute it at grassroot level. Through shared stories, movement, and reflection, they broke silences carried for generations. At Katradi, we believe transformation begins not with answers, but with the freedom to ask difficult questions and that is what this camp gave them.”
Hosted amid the serene paddy fields of Mannmuqi Village, the retreat provided space for reflection and connection. Participants, many of whom had never travelled alone, worn a watch, or spoken publicly were left equipped to mentor peers on gender-based violence, reproductive health, and economic independence, creating a ripple effect of community-led change.
Sujatha Natarajan, Co-promoter of Mannmuqi Village, shared, “The program aligned deeply with our belief in creating spaces that nourish both body and spirit. These women spend their lives caring for others, often without access to rest or reflection. It was a privilege to offer them a space where they could feel safe, seen, and supported. Through quiet surroundings, wholesome food, and shared connection, we hoped to help them reconnect with themselves—and we look forward to continuing to hold space for journeys like these.”
The ‘She Matters 2.0’ camp is a testament to the meaningful collaboration between the Omega Forum for Social Impact (OFSI) and Katradi. OFSI has a long-standing commitment to uplifting underserved communities through integrated healthcare, education, and livelihood development initiatives. Katradi leverages the transformative power of the arts to foster empathy and address critical social issues, including gender-based violence and mental wellness, across over 35 countries.
11, Jul 2025
Kult Introduces ‘Kult Kash’—A Powerful New Loyalty Program
Gurgaon, 11th July 2025 — Kult, one of India’s fastest-growing beauty platforms, has launched Kult Kash, a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that promises to transform the way users shop for beauty and skincare products. With Kult Kash, the brand is introducing an entirely new approach to customer rewards—one that begins even before the first purchase.
Unlike conventional loyalty programs where points are earned only after spending, Kult Kash offers ₹1000 worth of instant credit to every new user at signup. This unique feature gives users a sense of walking into Kult’s store with a full wallet from day one.
Direct, Transparent, and Rewarding Kult Kash is designed to offer simplicity and real value: – One Kult Kash equals one rupee, offering clear and straightforward benefits. – Users can pay up to 20% of their cart value using Kult Kash. – Post-purchase, Kult further rewards shoppers with Kult Kash equivalent to 20% of their cart value.
With this structure, Kult positions Kult Kash not just as a discount mechanism, but as a dependable companion that consistently contributes to users’ beauty shopping.
Seamless Engagement with the Kult Widget
To further elevate user experience and engagement, Kult has launched an innovative home screen widget. By simply adding this widget, users are instantly credited with ₹300 Kult Kash. The widget provides daily beauty and skincare content, and users can earn up to ₹50 Kult Kash every day by interacting with it.
Unlike many apps that rely on frequent push notifications—often leading to user fatigue and uninstalls—Kult’s widget offers a seamless, non-intrusive engagement channel.
A Strategic Move for Growth
Kult Kash is expected to significantly improve user retention while reducing marketing spends. By creating a rewarding ecosystem that keeps users coming back, Kult is positioning itself as a frontrunner in customer-centric innovation in the beauty and skincare industry.
“With Kult Kash, we wanted our users to feel like they’re shopping with a wallet that’s already full,” said Karishma Singh, CEO of Kult. “It’s not just a loyalty program—it’s a simple, rewarding way to make beauty shopping more exciting.”
As Kult continues to expand its offerings, Kult Kash is set to become a key differentiator, setting new benchmarks for customer engagement and loyalty in India’s booming beauty market.
10, Jul 2025
Hyperpigmentation, Who? Nykaa’s Top Picked Serums Are All About Brightening Things Up
Five hard-hitters that fade marks, even tone, and bring back your skin’s bounce
Mumbai, July 2025: Dark spots that just won’t budge? Acne scars overstaying their welcome? Uneven skin tone killing your glow vibe? You’re not imagining it, hyperpigmentation is one of the most stubborn skin concerns. But good news: Nykaa’s lineup of serums is designed to take it head-on, with science-backed actives and skin-loving textures that actually deliver.
Whether you’re looking for a gentle K-beauty formula or a derm-grade vitamin C powerhouse, here are five game-changing serums for your targeted concerns:
1. Anua Niacinamide 10 TXA 4 Serum (Exclusively at Nykaa)
Gentle. Effective. Glass skin, incoming.
One of K-beauty’s best-kept secrets is out and flying off shelves. This lightweight formula pairs 10% niacinamide with 4% tranexamic acid to fade dark spots, calm redness, and lift dullness. The result? Brighter, balanced, and super-smooth skin that glows from within.
2. Uriage Depiderm Anti-Dark Spot Intensive Cream
French pharmacy magic meets pigment control.
If your skin craves hydration and repair while you fade pigmentation, this multitasker delivers. With 20% vitamin C complex, niacinamide, and Uriage’s own Mela Technology, it targets everything from post-acne marks to sun spots and it’s gentle enough for everyday use.
3. Murad Vita-C Glycolic Serum
Brighten. Resurface. Repeat.
This clinical-grade pick combines gold-stabilized vitamin C with glycolic acid for real results you can see (and feel). It exfoliates dead skin cells while supercharging your skin’s radiance. Two weeks in, and your glow-up is very visible.
4. Obagi Professional-C Serum
Luxury skincare that works overtime.
This serum is a must for anyone serious about results. Loaded with potent Vitamin C Serum with L-Ascorbic Acid, it penetrates deeply to reduce pigmentation, even tone, and strengthen skin’s antioxidant defenses, while improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Yes, it’s an investment but your skin will thank you.
5. SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Tone Brightening Capsule Serum
Calm skin. Bright tone. Happy you.
Ideal for sensitive skin types, this serum brings together soothing Centella Asiatica, niacinamide, and brightening capsules that seep deep into the skin. It’s feather-light, hydrating, and makes your skin tone look more even with every drop.
Hyperpigmentation doesn’t stand a chance! not when you’ve got the right formulas in your corner. Add one (or two!) to your AM or PM routine and let your skin do the talking.
10, Jul 2025
Swiggy’s Bolt, Subway Team Up for 10-Minute Sub Deliveries
July 10, 2025: Swiggy , India’s pioneering on-demand convenience platform, has announced a strategic partnership between Bolt by Swiggy, its quick food delivery service, and Subway, the globally loved quick-service restaurant brand known for its fresh and customizable subs. Customers across the country can now enjoy Subway’s complete menu, including all signature products like Hot and Cheesy Subs, Sub Cravers value range, Breakfast Specials, delivered in 10 minutes through Swiggy Bolt’s seamless ordering experience. The partnership is live across 125 cities in the country.
The partnership covers majority of Subway outlets across India. With this integration, customers have access to Subway’s popular offerings, ranging from signature subs, salads, wraps to sides and beverages, delivered in 10 minutes. Customers can explore the full range of Subway items by visiting the Bolt-Subway page within the Swiggy app.
Subway features prominently within the Bolt section of the app, with a dedicated Bolt tag inside the menu, allowing customers to easily browse and order their favorites with minimal wait time. With a focus on ready-to-pack and low-preparation-time items, Bolt ensures a hassle-free checkout, real-time tracking, and reliable speed, making it the ideal platform for quick-service partners like Subway. It helps in catering to the consumer’s needs as per their requirement from early morning breakfast to meals, snacks and late night cravings.
Sidharth Bhakoo, Chief Business Officer, Swiggy Food Marketplace, said: “Bolt on Swiggy continues to redefine food delivery with speed and convenience at its core. We are thrilled to welcome Subway to the Bolt family, enabling customers across India to enjoy their favorite subs fresh, delivered to their doorstep in 10 minutes. This collaboration underscores our ongoing efforts to partner with iconic brands and enhance customer experience through innovation and operational excellence.”
Tarun Bhasin, CEO, Culinary Brands, said: “As a QSR brand committed to freshness and taste, the emergence of quick commerce has been both timely and transformative. With Bolt, we’re now able to deliver on our core promise of fresh & delicious subs made just the way customers like it, with the added benefit of speed. This partnership with Swiggy has helped us not only improve delivery timelines but also helped in raising the bar on freshness and customer satisfaction. At Subway, we remain committed to delighting customers with innovative products and exceptional experiences.
Bolt on Swiggy features a diverse mix of fast-moving cuisine types like snacks, burgers, bakery items, ice creams, sweets, breakfast staples, and biryani.
10, Jul 2025
Tufts University’s India Visit Forges New Academic Alliances
Delhi, July 10, 2025: In a significant step towards strengthening Indo-US academic ties, Tufts University, a globally recognized U.S. educational institution, has announced a landmark partnership with Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. The announcement was made on June 23 during a visit by the Tufts leadership team to India.
Both institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance global scientific collaboration through this strategic partnership. The MoU was signed in the presence of Mr. Sunil Kumar, the 14th President of Tufts University and a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Prof. Govindan Rangarajan, Director of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).
President Kumar was joined by Professor Christina Economos, Dean of the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Under her leadership, the two institutions have created the Interdisciplinary Centre for Nutrition Science and Medicine (ICNSM). This Centre will be housed at IISc and provide nutrition education and research opportunities to medical students and faculty at both institutions. These efforts will address a wide range of diet-related concerns in India, the U.S., and around the world – including but not limited to anaemia, malnutrition, hypertension, diabetes, and metabolic disorders, among others.
“It is widely recognized that food choices and nutrition play a critical role in preventing, managing, and treating diseases, and continuous research and discovery optimizes care,” added Dean Economos.
The newly signed MoU and the establishment of ICNSM stand as a testament to the shared commitment of Tufts and IISc to advancing knowledge, addressing global challenges collaboratively, and driving constructive societal transformation. ‘’Our work on nutrition is the first of what we envision as a range of possible initiatives that our two institutions hope to pursue together,’’ said President Kumar.
The Tufts delegation also included Dr. Bernard Arulanandam, Professor at the School of Medicine, Vice Provost for Research, Dr. Kyongbum Lee, Dean of the School of Engineering, Dr. Erin Hennessy, Professor at the Friedman School, and Dr. Matt Panzer, Professor at the School of Engineering. Drs. Kumar and Economos engaged in extensive discussions with academic and business leaders in India, sharing valuable insights, bringing diverse perspectives to help shape the future of the global education landscape, and exploring impactful partnerships. The team also engaged with Tufts alumni and parents, strengthening personal connections.
Since its inception, Tufts University has earned a distinctive reputation for promoting interdisciplinary and student-focused learning to nurture visionaries and change agents. The university is committed to global engagement and inclusive research across its campuses.
10, Jul 2025
NETSCOUT, Inspira & Cloud.in Champion AI Skills on World Youth Skills Day
On July 15, 2025, the world marks the 10th anniversary of World Youth Skills Day. This year’s theme, “Youth Empowerment through AI and Digital Skills,” highlights the urgent need to equip young people with future-ready capabilities—from artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to cloud computing and virtual collaboration. In India, where more than 65% of the population is under 35, bridging the skills gap is not just a development priority—it’s a national imperative.
Vinay Sharma, Regional Director, India and SAARC, NETSCOUT
NETSCOUT has a long history of bridging the digital divide and empowering the next generation with Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) skillset development by reaching out to communities that are often underrepresented in technology. As we celebrate World Youth Skills Day, we believe it is crucial to empower our youth with AI and digital skill sets in an increasingly digital world. NETSCOUT supports these efforts because it is the right thing to do and part of our caring culture and pride in being Guardians of the Connected World.
Lalith Sharma, President and Chief Human Resource Officer at Inspira Enterprise
In today’s digital-first world, digital proficiency, especially in AI, is a catalyst for career growth across industries and functions, including cybersecurity. AI literacy goes beyond writing complex algorithms, well into understanding the implications of AI on cybersecurity, the working of AI systems and techniques in building resilient systems, and securing generative AI (GenAI). On this World Youth Skills Day, we are committed to providing skills to teams on navigating the convergence of AI and cybersecurity. AI has significantly redefined cybersecurity and continues to offer immense potential for deeper, more proactive defense capabilities. However, the shortage of skilled security professionals for implementing and managing AI systems is still a challenge and has to be addressed through targeted training programs. Besides, AI-driven security solutions can also help in closing the skills gap with self-service security models. Such advancements are compelling organizations to reevaluate the skills and capabilities they value in the workforce.
Rahul S Kurkure, Founder and Director of Cloud.in
As GenAI and digital technologies become core enablers of innovation, businesses are increasingly turning to Cloud and AI Solution Providers not just for operational support, but for strategic transformation. This evolution calls for a new breed of professionals – cloud-certified talent with deep expertise in AI, automation, and data-driven decision-making. At Cloud.in & Hostin Services, we are proactively addressing this demand by upskilling and reskilling our teams with future-ready digital capabilities. Through initiatives like HostinAcademy.com and Evalix.AI, we’re nurturing talent from the ground up – offering hands-on training and intelligent assessments in cloud and AI technologies. As we commemorate World Youth Skills Day, we reaffirm our belief that the future lies in empowering youth through strong industry-academia collaboration, fostering an AI-literate generation ready to shape the digital economy.”
10, Jul 2025
Staqu’s JARVIS Boosts Retail Experience and Sales for Salt Attire
Gurugram, India, 10th July, 2025: Staqu Technologies, India’s leading AI-powered video analytics company, has announced the successful deployment of its flagship platform JARVIS at Salt Attire, a women’s workwear-focused retail brand. With this strategic collaboration, Salt Attire is using real-time analytics to better understand female shopper behavior, optimize store performance, and drive higher conversion rates.
By deploying JARVIS, Salt Attire now tracks female footfall-to-sales ratios, conversion trends, and customer dwell time across its stores. These insights are enabling the brand to take a data-driven approach to staffing decisions, improve in-store layouts, and ensure prompt customer assistance — resulting in a more seamless and engaging shopping experience.
Atul Rai, Co-founder & CEO, Staqu Technologies, said: “Retail is no longer just about product placement, it’s about precision, timing, and experience. Our partnership with Salt Attire demonstrates the power of AI in decoding customer journeys and optimizing every touchpoint. By leveraging JARVIS, Salt Attire is setting a new benchmark for how tech can personalize retail in niche categories like women’s workwear.”
Salt Attire is also using JARVIS to monitor how quickly staff can assist shoppers after they enter the store and how store design can be adjusted to increase customer engagement and dwell time.
Dipti Tolani, Founder & CEO, Salt Attire, added: “As a customer-first brand, we want every woman walking into our store to have a smooth, efficient, and personalized experience. With JARVIS, we’re able to track what’s working — from how long customers stay to whether they’re getting help when they need it. This level of visibility helps us continuously evolve our in-store journey to better serve the modern working woman.”
With this deployment, Staqu continues to strengthen its position as a partner of choice for forward-thinking retail brands looking to infuse intelligence into every layer of store operations.



