Latest news with #CTOs
Entrepreneur
13-07-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Not Just Tech, But Geek-Led Strategy
"The best CEOs are also their CTOs, that's the concept. And this will be true not just for tech companies. It will be true for every industry because every industry will be disrupted and rediscovered by a geek," says R. Srikrishna, CEO & Executive Director, Hexaware Technologies You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. In 2014, R. Srikrishna, fondly known as Keech, took the reins of a modest mid-sized IT firm following a tenure with HCL Technologies. Over the decade, he has seen several things shape up at Hexaware Technologies, including an acquisition by Carlyle, the acquisition of data consulting firm Softcrylic, onboarding Rahul Dravid as 'Cultural Ambassador, and re-listing on the Indian bourses earlier this year. On February 19, it made a comeback on Dalal Street with an INR 8,750 crore IPO, making it India's largest IT public offering to date. "When I joined Hexaware in 2014, we were a much smaller company with strengths in ERP and enterprise applications. At the time, the broader IT industry had grown nearly sixfold, while Hexaware had grown less than threefold. The belief then was that midsize companies could not outpace industry leaders. We set out to challenge that, and we did," shares R. Srikrishna, CEO & Executive Director, Hexaware Technologies. The IT veteran, on being asked the boldest move, recalls one hiring- Vinod Chandran, "Appointing someone who had spent nearly three decades in sales, as our Chief Operating board was turned out to be exactly the kind of bold bet we needed to scale the company responsibly while staying agile." However, for Srikrishna, what made both moves bold was not the idea itself but the belief that change at that scale requires full commitment, across levels, and functions. The IT player is giving wings to talent from smaller cities such as Dehradun, Coimbatore and Ahmedabad. They began executing this strategy full throttle in late 2023. This approach has given it a significant advantage over its competitors. It boasts of being already among the largest IT employers in Dehradun. The IIM-Calcutta and IIM-Madras alumnus quips, "In traditional services firms, "geeks" rarely had a real seat at the table... That mindset—geeks leading from the front—is what produced our current edge, and it is exactly what will sustain it as the market gets noisier." Citing the likes of Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Jack Ma, Keech shares, "The best CEOs are also their CTOs, that's the concept. And this will be true not just for tech companies. It will be true for every industry because every industry will be disrupted and rediscovered by a geek." On the way ahead, the Hexaware CEO notes, "Our most important priority now is profitable growth, with a clear ambition to reach $3 billion in revenue by calendar year 2029. That is faster than we have grown historically." The company closed 2024 with USD 1.4 billion in revenue, up 13.7 per cent YoY and plans to focus on product engineering and expanding into the India and Middle East markets.
The Hindu
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
NGT directs TNPCB to enforce stricter norms for quarries
The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal has directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to adopt stricter standards while granting or renewing Consent to Operate (CTO) for quarrying and mining units across the State. Delivering the judgement in response to a cluster of cases on quarrying and mining violations, the bench, comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satugopal Korlapati, said that no quarrying activity shall be allowed to continue unless all penalties for past environmental violations are fully recovered. In the cases addressed in the verdict, violations included non-compliance with mandated safety distances, absence of proper fencing and greenbelt development, failure to implement dust control measures, and extraction beyond approved limits. The Department of Geology and Mining has imposed penalties ranging from a few lakhs to over ₹33 crore, several of which are currently under appeal. Highlighting the severe environmental and health risks posed by dust emissions from quarrying operations, particularly from activities such as drilling, blasting, excavation, and transportation of materials on unpaved roads, the bench advised TNPCB to impose mandatory conditions such as water sprinkling, greenbelt development, laying of tarred roads, and enclosure of dust-generating equipment before granting any CTO. The order recommended that project proponents begin greenbelt development at the application stage itself to ensure saplings are adequately grown by the time operations commence. In its verdict, the bench made it clear the TNPCB must not grant fresh CTOs or renew existing ones unless full compliance with earlier directions and penalties is ensured. It also directed the authorities to initiate recovery proceedings under the Revenue Recovery Act wherever penalties remain unpaid.
Zawya
30-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
The intersection of IT & business: Making tech decisions that drive growth
In a recent survey, 87% of executives stated that digital transformation is a priority; however, fewer than half believe their current IT investments are delivering measurable value. This disconnect highlights a deeper issue: the increasing need for a closer alignment between technology and business strategy. For many organisations, the days of IT as a back-office function are long gone. Technology now sits at the core of business models, driving customer experience, unlocking new revenue streams, and shaping how companies compete. Yet despite this shift, many still struggle to ensure their tech investments translate into tangible business outcomes. Moving Beyond Operational IT Historically, IT was tasked with maintaining uptime and securing data. But in today's digital economy, this reactive, operational role is no longer enough. CIOs, CTOs, and business leaders must shift their mindset—seeing IT not just as infrastructure, but as a strategic enabler of growth. This requires a collaborative approach where cross-functional teams evaluate technology not in silos, but in terms of its ability to drive innovation, reduce cost, scale operations, or enhance customer value. Each technology decision should map to long-term business value. The most competitive businesses today aren't just using technology—they're using it with precision to solve business problems faster than the competition. Business Goals First, Tech Second One of the most common pitfalls is adopting the latest tool or platform without a clear line of sight to strategic goals. This leads to underutilised software, missed opportunities, and fragmented systems that add complexity rather than value. Instead, businesses should start by defining success: Are you trying to grow market share? Increase speed to market? Improve margins? Once these objectives are clear, you should then map the technology needed to support them. According to McKinsey, organisations that align their tech investment with strategy are 2.4 times more likely to outperform their peers in terms of revenue growth and profitability. This reinforces a simple truth: business strategy must guide technology, not the other way around. A Collaborative Approach to Decision-Making CIOs today operate in a vastly more complex environment. They're expected to balance stakeholder priorities across the C-suite from the CFO's focus on cost efficiency to the CMO's demand for seamless digital experiences, and the CEO's growth mandate. That's why collaboration is no longer optional. IT decisions must emerge from integrated conversations between departments. At the heart of successful digital transformation lies the convergence of business acumen and technical expertise, where a shared understanding leads to more informed and effective outcomes. The best tech decisions aren't made in the server room—they're made in the boardroom, with buy-in from across the business. Balancing Innovation with Governance Yes, innovation is essential, but so is control. Companies that innovate without proper governance often end up with fragmented systems, security gaps, and rising risk. Successful organisations strike a balance: flexible enough to evolve, structured enough to manage complexity. This is where modern IT frameworks come in. By embedding agility into your tech environment—while still prioritising scalability, compliance, and security—you ensure tech becomes a growth enabler, not a bottleneck. From Cost Centre to Value Creator One of the most critical shifts in recent years is reframing IT from a cost centre to a value creator. This doesn't just mean saving money—it means demonstrating how tech investments drive revenue, customer loyalty, and operational efficiency. When business and IT teams are aligned, they unlock measurable returns on investment (ROI). Every system implementation, software upgrade, or infrastructure shift should be able to answer: 'How will this help us grow?' Where Think Tank Software Solutions Comes In At Think Tank Software Solutions, we help our clients navigate this journey. We don't just implement tools, we partner to track performance, measure ROI, and ensure that every tech decision is linked to clear business outcomes. We've seen firsthand how collaboration, strategic thinking, and the right frameworks can transform IT from a back-office function into a driver of real, measurable growth. Looking Ahead The intersection of IT and business is no longer theoretical, and it's where the future is being built. As digital transformation accelerates, businesses that thrive will be those that make tech decisions through a business lens. Smart organisations don't just adopt new tools, and they align every implementation with purpose.
The Independent
04-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
The software that could be putting your cyber-security at risk
Payara is a Business Reporter client As organisations rely more and more on IT ecosystems to support their digital transformation, middleware components have become crucial to effectively support applications, data sharing and transactions. Yet middleware security is often overlooked, leaving many digital ecosystems exposed to multiple threats that could hinder key business operations. How can chief information and technology officers (CIOs and CTOs) identify and address middleware vulnerabilities? Middleware plays a central role in connecting IT systems and applications. Considered 'software glue', it facilitates communications and data exchange between them. It is precisely these key activities performed by middleware that lead it to carry underappreciated cyber-security risks. To minimise these issues and their impact, it is essential for organisations to be aware of the most common vulnerabilities and how they can be addressed. Middleware components are often used without fully considering their lifecycle. One widespread practice is the use of unsupported and/or outdated open-source middleware to support data management and transfer across various applications, including mission-critical software. As a result, crucial applications and business operations may be relying on versions that lack updates, patches or commercial support. Over time, these neglected components accumulate exploitable vulnerabilities. Unsupported and/or legacy middleware software also undermines compliance efforts. Typically, regulatory frameworks not only mandate timely vulnerability remediation but also the use of supported, up-to-date components. This can create a paradox: organisations adopt unsupported open-source solutions to reduce costs, only to risk facing steep penalties and reputational damage when audits reveal non-compliance. Compounding these challenges is the rise of supply chain attacks, which target an organisation through vulnerabilities in its supply chain. These vulnerable areas are usually linked to vendors with poor security practices. Middleware built on unsupported or poorly vetted components can therefore become a conduit for these threats and propagate them across integrated systems within one or multiple organisations. Enterprise-grade solutions: a path forward for middleware security Addressing these risks demands a shift in mindset. CIOs and CTOs must first map their middleware landscape, identifying any outdated or unsupported components, such as application servers, to reveal hidden weak points where vulnerabilities fester. Following this, technical teams can plan suitable strategies to secure their middleware and IT ecosystems. These will typically involve migrations from unsecure unsupported or legacy application servers to a more reliable alternative. While this transition can be more challenging than a generic 'lift-and-shift', it offers long-term benefits in terms of performance, resilience, regulatory compliance and security. This is where a reliable technology partner, such as Payara Services, fills a critical gap. Payara provides a platform of open-source yet stable, supported, up-to-date and production-ready middleware solutions that are built with security and stability in mind. Payara Platform Enterprise combines the flexibility of open-source with advanced security features, such as centralised management and fault tolerance, that mitigate risks inherent in fragmented middleware environments. Crucially, it aligns with regulatory standards, reducing the compliance burden and shielding organisations from the financial and legal fallout of breaches. In addition, unlike unsupported open-source alternatives, Payara Platform Enterprise provides extensive technical assistance as well as long-term software support. These result in the timely, regular delivery of security patches and performance updates as well as round-the-clock expertise if any issue arises. Even more, the middleware technology comes with enhanced monitoring, logging and access control features that help detect anomalies and proactively enforce security policies. Beyond providing secure alternatives, a technology partner such as Payara Services can play a key role in streamlining migration efforts through consulting, tooling, documentation and best practices. This helps make the transition from legacy systems or community solutions smooth while optimising the setup for long-term scalability, compliance and modernisation efforts. Driving robust middleware security strategies Middleware may often operate behind the scenes, but its security implications are front and centre in ensuring enterprise resilience. Unsupported or community-driven open-source middleware, while financially appealing, introduces risks and operational burdens that escalate over time, transforming short-term savings into long-term liabilities. By replacing these software components with an up-to-date alternative such as Payara Platform Enterprise that enforces governance while offering enterprise-grade support, organisations can reduce their exposure and better defend against the evolving threat landscape. Ultimately, it is possible to move beyond reactive firefighting and embrace a proactive security posture that protects data and systems, as well as the trust of customers and partners, while optimising costs.
Associated Press
27-05-2025
- General
- Associated Press
CCHR Seeks End to Mandated Community Psychiatric Programs, Citing Global Alarm
LOS ANGELES, Calif., May 27, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR), a mental health industry watchdog, is calling for an overhaul of psychiatric hospitalization and community treatment laws. With 54% of U.S. psychiatric patients held involuntarily, CCHR warns the system has normalized coercion. Most U.S. states authorize Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) laws that compel individuals in the community to receive psychiatric treatment—typically drug-based—under threat of court orders or rehospitalization. Critics say the laws criminalize noncompliance and medicalize dissent. A Pennsylvania source reported that under AOT, 'noncompliance is pathologized, autonomy is dismissed…Treatment ceases to be chosen; it becomes imposed.'[1] A 2021 NIH-funded study published in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology found that 70% of youth aged 16–27 who were involuntarily hospitalized reported long-lasting distrust of clinicians—even when they remained in therapy. Meanwhile, a Cochrane Review concluded that AOT laws showed no consistent benefit over voluntary care.[2] Many mental health consumers are also forced to accept involuntary treatment in the community by being made subject to community treatment orders (CTOs), under threat that non-compliance can result in them being detained against their will in inpatient facilities and institutions.[3] A broader 2016 systematic review published in The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry analyzed more than 80 studies on CTOs, including three randomized controlled trials and multiple meta-analyses. The result: 'No evidence of patient benefit.' CTOs did not reduce hospitalizations or improve quality of life—but did result in patients spending significantly more time under coercive state psychiatric control.[4] Patients are often forced onto antipsychotic drugs. Bioethicist Carl Elliott says such neuroleptics cause 'tardive dyskinesia, a writhing, twitching motion of the mouth and tongue that can be permanent.' Psychotropic drug side effects can include violent behavior, aggression, paranoia, psychosis, dangerously high body temperatures, irregular heartbeat, and heart conditions, disorientation, delusion, lack of coordination, suicidal tendencies, and numerous physical problems.[5] Jan Eastgate, President of CCHR International says, 'Ironically, the very side effects of antipsychotic drugs—such as agitation and aggression—are the same behaviors often cited to justify forced hospitalization and involuntary treatment in the first place.' Yet, under AOT regimes, complaints about side effects or treatment refusals are used against patients as evidence of illness. The term 'anosognosia'—defined as an inability to recognize one's illness—is routinely invoked to override consent, framing resistance as delusional and justifying further force. As one media source put it: 'It casts resistance as malfunction… Instead of seeing dissent as meaningful or contextual, it reframes it as a symptom of a broken brain. This framing is not just misguided—it's dangerous.'[6] Amalia Gamio, Vice Chair of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, helped open CCHR's Traveling Exhibit, Psychiatry: An Industry of Death in Los Angeles on May 17, denounced global psychiatric coercion: 'Involuntary medication, electroshock, even sterilization — these are inhuman practices. Under international law, they constitute torture. There is an urgent need to ban all coercive and non-consensual measures in psychiatric settings.' Rev. Frederick Shaw, Jr., President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Inglewood-South Bay Branch, condemned how psychiatry disproportionately targets African Americans. 'More than 27% of Black youth—already impacted by racism—are pathologized with labels like 'Oppositional Defiant Disorder,' which has no medical test,' he said. 'This mirrors how Black civil rights leaders in the 1960s were once labeled with 'protest psychosis' to justify drugging them with antipsychotics,' he added. 'Psychiatry didn't just participate in suppressing Black voices—it orchestrated it. And they're still doing it.' Psychiatric diagnoses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) are not discovered through scientific testing but are voted into existence by APA committees. CCHR says despite the absence of objective medical proof for these labels, they can create lifelong patients to be drugged and subjected to involuntary interventions. Forced psychiatric practices have been condemned by the United Nations (UN) and World Health Organization (WHO), which have repeatedly called for an end to forced institutionalization, electroshock, drugging, and community-based coercive measures.[7] In the U.S., over 37% of children and youth in psychiatric facilities are subjected to seclusion or restraint.[8] Some—as young as 7—have died under these conditions. In multiple cases, medical examiners ruled the deaths homicides, yet prosecutions have been rare.[9] 'This is not mental healthcare. This is systemic cruelty and homicide,' adds Eastgate. CCHR and its global network are demanding regulations that prohibit coercive psychiatric treatment. 'These are abuses. Forced treatment is torture passed off as mental health 'care,'' CCHR says. About CCHR: The group was co-founded in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and psychiatrist and author Prof. Thomas Szasz. CCHR has exposed and helped bring accountability for psychiatric abuses globally. Its advocacy now echoes international calls by the UN and WHO to end coercive mental health practices. To learn more, visit: SOURCES: [1] 'Brave New Pittsburgh: Forced Use of Psychotropic Pharmaceuticals is Coming,' Popular Rationalism, 16 May 2025, [2] [3] 'Ensuring compulsory treatment is used as a last resort: a narrative review of the knowledge about Community Treatment Orders,' Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 6 Jan 2025, [4] [5] Susan Perry, 'Recruitment of homeless people for drug trials raises serious ethical issues, U bioethicist says,' MinnPost, 11 Aug. 2014, [6] 'Not Broken, Not Sick: A Rebellion Against the Anosognosia Frame,' Underground Transmissions, 13 May 2025 [7] World Health Organization, 'Guidance on mental health policy and strategic action plans,' Module 1, pp 3-4, 2025 [8] Mohr, W, 'Adverse Effects Associated With Physical Restraint,' The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry—Review Paper, June 2003, [9] Deborah Yetter, '7-year-old died at Kentucky youth treatment center due to suffocation, autopsy finds; 2 workers fired,' USA Today, 19 Sept. 2022, Taylor Johnston, ''He didn't deserve that': Remembering young people who've died from restraint and seclusion,' CT Insider, 31 Oct. 2022, MULTIMEDIA: Image link for media: Image caption: 'Involuntary medication, electroshock, even sterilization — these are inhuman practices. Under international law, they constitute torture. There is an urgent need to ban all coercive and non-consensual measures in psychiatric settings.' – Amalia Gamio, Vice Chair of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. NEWS SOURCE: Citizens Commission on Human Rights Keywords: Religion and Churches, Citizens Commission on Human Rights, CCHR International, CCHR International, Jan Eastgate, coercive psychiatry, LOS ANGELES, Calif. This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Citizens Commission on Human Rights) who is solely responsibile for its accuracy, by Send2Press® Newswire. Information is believed accurate but not guaranteed. Story ID: S2P126451 APNF0325A To view the original version, visit: © 2025 Send2Press® Newswire, a press release distribution service, Calif., USA. RIGHTS GRANTED FOR REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART BY ANY LEGITIMATE MEDIA OUTLET - SUCH AS NEWSPAPER, BROADCAST OR TRADE PERIODICAL. MAY NOT BE USED ON ANY NON-MEDIA WEBSITE PROMOTING PR OR MARKETING SERVICES OR CONTENT DEVELOPMENT. Disclaimer: This press release content was not created by nor issued by the Associated Press (AP). Content below is unrelated to this news story.
