#highlights this evolution

[nickyysharmi]

Bridging Horizons: The Digital Journey Of India's Heartland

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, the empowerment of citizens from small towns in India stands out as a compelling narrative. Spearheaded by initiatives like Digital India and fueled by the visionary leadership of individuals like Abhay Bhutada, Poonawalla Fincorp’s Managing Director, digitalization has emerged as the catalyst for transformation, unlocking new avenues of growth and opportunity for millions across the heartland of India.

The Digital Revolution Unleashed

The journey towards digital empowerment in India has been remarkable, marked by a surge in internet connectivity and smartphone usage. This surge has effectively broken down barriers to accessing and adopting digital technologies. Individuals like Abhay Bhutada from Latur, Maharashtra, epitomize this transformative shift, emphasizing how digitalization has empowered people in small towns, instilling in them a sense of confidence and belief in their ability to contribute to nation-building. This digital revolution has also reshaped the banking landscape, blending traditional banks with innovative fintech startups. Amitabh Chaudhry, Managing Director and CEO of Axis Bank, highlights this evolution, noting how digitalization has fundamentally changed how financial institutions engage with customers.

Also Read: MD Abhay Bhutada Provides Glimpse of Poonawalla’s Co-Branded Card Strategy in Q4

A Paradigm Shift In Banking

Central to this narrative of empowerment is the revolution unfolding within the banking sector. The advent of digital banking has revolutionized the way financial services are accessed and utilized. Mobile applications, online payments, and digital wallets have become ubiquitous, offering individuals seamless and secure channels to manage their finances. This shift has been particularly significant for citizens in small towns, where traditional banking infrastructure may have been limited.

Leading The Global Charge

India's prowess in digital payments is exemplified by its leadership in real-time transactions through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). With over 600 million smartphone users, the country boasts a vibrant digital payments ecosystem, recording billions of transactions each month. Abhay Bhutada's insights resonate strongly here, showcasing how digitalization has transcended geographical barriers, empowering individuals from small towns to participate actively in the digital economy.

Also Read: Abhay Bhutada Shares Insights on Poonawalla Fincorp’s Long-Term Objectives

Empowering Entrepreneurs And Innovators

The democratization of access to financial services has also catalyzed entrepreneurial endeavors across small towns in India. Fintech startups, in particular, have emerged as key enablers of financial inclusion, leveraging technology to address the unique needs of underserved communities. Through innovative solutions and agile business models, these startups are driving economic growth and fostering innovation at the grassroots level.

Navigating The Digital Divide

Despite the remarkable progress, challenges persist in bridging the digital divide. Connectivity issues, digital literacy, and infrastructural constraints remain hurdles that need to be addressed to ensure equitable access to digital services. Abhay Bhutada's vision for an inclusive digital future underscores the importance of concerted efforts to overcome these challenges and extend the benefits of digitalization to every corner of the country.

Also Read: Abhay Bhutada wins a Special Recognition at Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year

Charting A Path Forward

As India continues its journey towards digital empowerment, collaboration and innovation will be key drivers of progress. By harnessing the transformative power of technology and fostering an ecosystem of inclusivity and accessibility, we can unlock the full potential of India's heartland. Abhay Bhutada's leadership serves as a guiding light, inspiring individuals and institutions alike to embrace the opportunities presented by the digital revolution and contribute towards building a brighter, more prosperous future for all.

In conclusion, the digitalization of India's heartland represents a watershed moment in the country's socio-economic trajectory. Empowered by technology and driven by a spirit of resilience and innovation, citizens from small towns are rewriting the narrative of progress and prosperity. With visionary leaders like Abhay Bhutada at the forefront, the digital renaissance unfolding across India's heartland holds the promise of a more inclusive, equitable, and dynamic future for all.

[alligatorrat]

More x-men evolution nightcrawler because I have a problem

I keep drawing him

[soneakyr]

Do we want to talk about the implication of them seeing each other as both ONE and TWO with the Force??!?! If it doesn't scream dyad then I don't know what.

Also them referring to each other as tide and song, or bottomless sea and unending notes, always as a pair for the whole book is such a gorgeous detail that show how much their bond enhanced throught the story, till the point of becoming one during the fight with the Nameless.

[clovencraft]

⬆️ 2021 redesign ⬆️ vs ⬇️ 2009 original ⬇️

I created Talon at 13 years old— a time when my primary source of comfort was reading xenofiction. As I got older I was made to feel ashamed for it (cringe culture, among other things) and largely suppressed my interest in it. Still, it never really went away. In my late 20s I started actively giving myself permission to enjoy the things that made me a weird kid again. Stuff that never hurt anyone in the first place.

So, anyway, here’s my oldest warrior cat oc and her refurbishment, ~12 years apart. I can’t quite remember how I envisioned the original Talon, but it looks like I only ever drew her with a devious little grin. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was a loner or rogue that loved mocking the clan cats. She probably beat a few of them up, too.

When I reimagined Talon I only kept a pinch of that mischief. Now she’s more blunt and gruff, albeit maintaining some humor. She’s also huuuge, not just in fluff, but in stature and muscle as well. Her size alone tends to dissuade would-be attackers. Very helpful for a loner— especially one that doesn’t care for the company of toms. Conversely, she is something of a romantic when it comes to other mollies.

Her redesign is inspired by Norwegian Forest cats and Great Horned Owls. A nice glow-up, I think.

Going forward into more anthro territory, I think she’d make a cool knight. Or maybe a werecat.

[sukimas]

If being a woman is the peak evolution of a youkai for their youkai purposes, do you think yukari accidentally cause that?

early joumon yukari, either way. Weird recently exhuman girl somehow became a more successful horror than any other youkai so they had to follow her example or get dead

They're not really being women in any concrete way. They're taking the form of human women, but to be a woman implies participating in the dance of gender that human society constructs. Which they don't really do; the "role" attached to the word "woman" is not something they participate in (at least in Touhou; some youkai do to an extent in legends, but even they don't fulfill the role entirely. See Kuzunoha and other fox-wives, or the tales of yuki-onna.)

I think you wouldn't really need the influence of Merry being a former human who still took that form in order for youkai to make the connection that "Ah, this form is associated with a nonthreatening and appealing role in human society. We should probably take it if we want to be more successful at preying on humans." Though there are other forms often taken by youkai in legends; salespeople, servants, monks, old women. Touhou characters looking like girls specifically is probably due to the types of legends that persisted into the Meiji era (a subversion of expectations has a tendency to be more interesting the more dramatic it is). And, in a Doylist sense, because all of Gensoukyou is an elaborate bit playing off of Lafcadio Hearn's illusionary Hourai. (Really obviously in early Windows, and still pretty obviously today.)

Basically, as long as people have made up legends about still being preyed on by things much bigger and scarier than the wolves and bears that no longer terrorize them, they've made up legends about those things looking like people. Merry looking like a people initially is convenient for her, but I don't think she was necessarily a trendsetter in that way.

She's definitely a trendsetter in the sense of inspiring youkai to manipulate the truth and spin their own legends, though. Gensoukyou (and its youkai who battle over information control in the human village) is the kind of thing that requires a decidedly human perspective to think up, which is precisely why all the sages are former humans. If you've only ever been a legend, and all the legends around you have too, you'll never think about changing your own destiny. But something that used to have no defined meaning to its existence, that wasn't conceptually anything, yet was part of the species that desires a meaning for its existence... Well, that's going to cause some new ideas to pop up, isn't it?

[mushroom-for-art]

Hi @mewtwoevolution, I am still loving and adoring ur cats, please enjoy these!

I won't lie these were really freaking fun to make because I started to notice shares traits throughout them and like wah! The genetic relations! It was really cool, such as gradients on tails two toned eyes, lots of white/paler colors but honestly I loved making them so much

Silly trivia I was so looking forward to doing Anxiety I accidentally skipped her thinking Sage was next then Annie so I did them the wrong way, I gave Annie her chew necklace because shes been drawn by a stranger she doesn't know and is being so brave about it and deserves a stress toy (and respectfully no I am ignoring her likely now canon scars I ain't doing that to her) and I gave Sage her Dicot because like also being drawn by a strange new person in strange environment deserves comfort plant (and I'm sure she'd tell me exactly why keeping a plant on your head is a terrible idea and horrible plant enrichment and she's right I'm sorry)

I hope Glimmer is alright I kinda had to redraw the pose as giving her a mew base pose felt disrespectful as a humantwo and respectfully no I'm not doing the other eye lmao, also if she should have a second neck I'm so sorry

Gemini and Sam are smaller because I suffer from makes base really big on canvas disease so I wouldn't have been able to fit two on oops, so they got shrunked sorry about that

And I do hope all their colors are okay! I mainly used your header to pick reference colors from for a lot of them but I also searched for other references finding some and what not, I used 9s header icon art to do the face pattern and eye colors ect and compared lineart from comics with their header refs ect for what was accurate, I made Ones chest plate seem a bit smaller and less developed because of that as theirs is drawn like that in most of the comics ect and like fun fact Gemini and Sams tail was originally lifted but since in most depictions it's down and on the floor it's now drooped low which makes sense likely less strain.

Sorry to ramble on I'm just I love these a lot and had loads of fun making them and I just hope that they're accurate enough and that you like them!!

[doctorweebmd]

Bones did togachako so good love wins

[cargopantsprentiss]

a quick drawing because they deserve better

[perenlop]

dhfjkfjdkfkdkfjfjfkkfkdndkfjdjdjdjajdjsjgjdjdjcjsjckalcnsjvjfjrjwnfjakfqkjfnskdkgjwifoakfjsjgjdjkdmwndkajdjenejeskfjskzbafhddfnsjdadhssfjafksgmfahadjaflsfjstndglsjjstjsfjafjafiwtkafkeykrjetletieyekrhkegkdgksgkwgkwgksksgjfwjrqjwrjwfjafkwtksgjafjsgkscnscjfsmeyjafhqrv

[alien-enjoyer]

it is 12:30 midnight and i have finished. my schoolwork for the yesterday

[coconut530]

A WHOLE FREAKING ALBUM?!?!?!??!?!?!

[dental1234]

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[eff-plays]

Ok so I watched the interview with Stephen Rooney, Astarion's writer, and here are some highlights. (I'm an aspiring writer and current game design student who wants to write for games so I'm sorry if some of these insights aren't as interesting to you as they are to me <3)

He calls Astarion his "horrible little vampire boy"

He loves seeing the fandom around Astarion<3

He did write other characters in the game, but mostly NPCs surrounding Astarion or his storyline, so it mostly revolved around Astarion

Astarion is not as connected to other companions/Origins as, for example, Lae'zel and Shadowheart, or Wyll and Karlach are to each other, but he is still reactive to their stories, even if it's just to stand off to the side and laugh when something terrible happens

He had a clear sense of where Astarion's story would start and end, but it got "muddy in the middle", but those are also moments where the best ideas come from

They write from the general idea that every character has one "good" and one "evil" ending, in order to give the player choice. RIP Ascendant apologists :(

According to Stephen, two of the most important aspects of Astarion's character (to keep consistent when bringing him to Idle Champions, at least) is that he enjoys violence, but is also fun about it

"He has a certain appreciation for violence, I guess? A bit of a murdery streak. [...] He's a vampire, he's all about blood, and he's all about, kind of, those darker sides of humanity. [..] But at the same time, he is ... He is really fun, he's really fun to write, he's really fun to have in your party, and it's very important for me that that is also represented."

"He's gonna stab you, but will have a smile on his face as he does it? I mean, I dunno. That's kind of him in a nutshell."

Larian would not have allowed for Astarion to be a typical brooding Dracula type, and there were scenes that were shot down for not being original enough

The main thing about Astarion was trying to get a "sense of fun." It would be easy to write a character that was very unlikable, and they absolutely did not want to do that

Rooney says Astarion is consistently terrible throughout the game and awful in a whole lot of ways, but he also needed to be charming enough that you could tolerate his presence and wanted him around

Rooney also had a lot of input on Astarion's stats (meaning the 10 Charisma is probalby 100% intentional)

He also had input on how certain lines should be delivered, even though the writers didn't directly work with voice actors

The way Astarion moves and poses is "all Neil"

Apparently, Neil Newbon worked on the character for years and Rooney did not speak to him once, though his voice work did influence how Astarion's lines were written and it became a "feedback loop" (Possible context for "ONLY SLIGHTLY, NEIL")

There were no points where a line delivery drastically changed Astarion's writing; rather it was a constant, slow evolution

However, there was one very spoilery moment where Neil gave such emotion to some "basic" lines that it fundamentally changed the scene (WHAT IS IT OMG)

It's difficult to balance approval, as you don't want to straight up write a monster. Every character needs to have some humanity in them. So if it comes to leaving the party, it needed to be the result of something central to said character. They wanted to be mindful of situations that would cause actual rifts between characters. (I assume this is why most generic disapprovals/approvals are +/- 1 or 2, while character-related ones give +/-5 or more)

However, as they don't write straight up horrible people/monsters, it doesn't come up as often as one might think.

The interviewer makes a point about how characters like Astarion and Lae'zel are good examples of how to play "evil" characters, as they are maybe not the best people but are still eager and willing to stick around the other party members

They worked to make sure the characters would work as a group, no matter the configuration of the group. The characters needed to be on the same path, even if they don't always agree or walk that path the same way.

Stephen Rooney is very proud of the "climactic" scene of Astarion's story. (AS HE SHOULD BE.) He even had to step away from the computer and have an emotional moment. Me too, man.

He's also "extremely pleased" that there's a point where you can punch Astarion in the face. "Actually, that one might be my favorite part" A MAN OF THE PEOPLE!!

Stephen Rooney's tip on what specific thing you should try out with Astarion: When he's trying to get a "sneaky nibble" at night, you should "probably" let him bite you. Way ahead of you there, sir.

No discussion about Astarion's romance unfortunately, but that's that!

[touchlikethesun]

the naming of hunger games characters is absolutely masterful. each one could have a whole page written about it, and tho i can't say anything that hasn't already been pointed out a million times, i do want to highlight one generality. most of the names in the districts are one of two things: common words (altered or not) to become names, often in line with their district's culture (Gloss, Thresh), or phonetic shifts of contemporary common names (peeta being derived from peter). this suggests, without changing how the characters speak, the idea of linguistic evolution, which in turn is representative of change and of local cultural. the districts are a people in dialogue and evolution with one another. and now compare this with the names of those in the capitol. off the top of my head i think of Plutarch, Coriolanus, Flavius, fucking Caesar. these are, one, roman names, which further serves to reinforce the comparison between the capitol and rome and all that entails, but these roman names, names that have been etched in stone and unchanged for millennia, are a stark contrast with the alive and dynamic names of the districts. it's just another (not so) subtle way that collins reminds us of the differences and the values of the capitol versus the districts.

[normal-newt]

Hello please consider the chiton. What is chiton?  On surface just looks like isopod/ woodlouse.

Best guy because can be walking along ocean shoreline rocks and just see what looks like isopod just cemented to rock. What is he? Why not moving when hit by strong waves? Where are legs??

Anyway turns out (from internet pictures - haven’t tried to remove from rock) that underneath shell is just big slimy “foot” like snail, surrounded by fuzz. Turns out chiton not isopod, actually mollusc? Related to snails + octopus. And possible older than actual isopods?