Latest news with #Nambiar
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Nasscom to launch US CEO Forum in NY to boost India-US tech, innovation ties
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills Industry body Nasscom on Friday said it is launching the US CEO Forum in New York that would bring together leading Indian technology CEOs and influential US stakeholders to drive strategic dialogue across innovation, enterprise, policy, and talent an era defined by digital disruption, frontier technologies, and global rebalancing, tech collaboration has emerged as a central pillar of bilateral engagement, spanning artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum computing, digital public infrastructure, green energy, and resilient supply chains, the apex association for the IT industry United States and India share one of the world's most strategic and future-facing technology partnerships, it further emphasised."To further deepen this collaboration, Nasscom is launching the US CEO Forum at the Consulate General of India in New York on July 9, 2025. The Forum will bring together leading Indian technology CEOs and influential US stakeholders to drive high-level strategic dialogue across innovation, enterprise, policy, and talent development," according to the and beyond a single event, the Forum will drive ongoing engagements across US tech hubs such as Washington DC, San Francisco, and Texas, building a strong network of champions for Indian tech in the US to foster growth, co-innovation, and policy as a premier leadership platform, the Nasscom US CEO Forum aims to elevate India-US tech collaboration by convening a cross-section of leaders from government, industry, investment, think tanks, academia, and the Indian said that the Forum aligns with the larger vision of bolstering trade and economic ties, reinforcing the USD 500 billion bilateral trade target outlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump and underscores the key role of the tech sector in achieving it."The US CEO Forum will serve as a sustained engagement platform to reinforce the India-US tech corridor as a foundation for global digital transformation and inclusive economic growth," it Nambiar, President of Nasscom, said the launch of the US CEO Forum marks an important step in strengthening 'Brand India' on the global stage. Indian technology companies are not only powering digital transformation across the US but also creating jobs, investing in local communities, and driving innovation that delivers real impact, he noted."This Forum will serve as a strategic platform to deepen partnerships, align with key stakeholders, and position Indian tech as a vital contributor to America's growth story," Nambiar Forum will look to deepen India-US tech partnership from collaboration to co-creation, unleashing the transformative potential of AI, semiconductors, clean tech, and future skills. It will also explore how cross-border partnerships can build resilient, secure, and innovation-led digital ecosystems."With the foundational theme 'India Tech for America's Growth', the Nasscom US CEO Forum positions Indian technology as a strategic partner in shaping the digital century," the release said.
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Volatility is a growth opportunity: Nasscom president
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills Geopolitics, trade tariffs, and rapid tech shifts are creating constant unpredictability but this volatility isn't a threat but a growth opportunity, Nasscom president Rajesh Nambiar said on Tuesday at the industry body's People Summit. He believed India is well-placed to lead through its strengths in GCCs, ER&D, and a rising tech-driven talent opened the Summit with a call to reimagine work and reposition talent for a changing world. In an era defined by uncertainty, he outlined why leadership must evolve, starting with people."We look at the uncertainty as a challenge and then the fact that there is so much opportunity," he said. "This is not going to happen without a significant focus on people and talent becomes the undercurrent for everything. Our business leaders have to be people leaders and our HR leaders will have to be business leaders."He went on to add that culture and engagement will be a driving factor and that hiring should focus on skills, not degrees. Further, he felt that HR tech and AI must be embedded into workflows to stay competitive. Nambiar highlighted that in order to build a hybrid future of humans and AI, learnability should be at the the Summit, Tamil Nadu's minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, P Thiaga Rajan spoke of the intersection of technology, people, policy, and infrastructure. He highlighted the need for AI to touch the lives of citizens at every level of society."The only real long term solution is that it has to be ubiquitous, it has to be comprehensive and it has to be across all levels of interaction," he said. "It can't be only people with smartphones or only people with laptops. It needs to be at every level of society. Technology on the government side and citizens on the other side. It has to be comprehensive."Nasscom also announced the formation of its new Talent Council — a strategic industry-led initiative dedicated to building a future-ready, globally competitive digital workforce . It announced Satish H. C., chief delivery officer at Infosys , as the chair of the Council."With over three decades of experience in global talent strategy, innovation, and digital transformation, Satish will lead the council's efforts to shape a globally competitive, high-trust industry workforce," Nasscom said in a Council will seek to unlock new models for talent mobility, retention, and models, while driving regionally distributed employability programs. Equally, it aims to strengthen data-driven decision-making by enabling access to exclusive research, market intelligence, and global best practices to shape organisational strategies.
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Gold loans turn microfinance companies' best bet amid fears about the unsecured
Kolkata: Gold loans appear to have emerged as the best bet for microfinance companies planning to increase the share of secured portfolio , although the regulator has tightened rules for lenders to the yellow metal. Companies like Arohan Financial Services and Uttrayan Financial Services are among the notable ones which have taken definite steps to explore this market segment. New gold loan norms, to be implemented from April 2026, have been made borrower-friendly, however. Loans against property (LAP) is the other preferred assets class for non-banking finance companies-microfinance institutions ( NBFC-MFI ), which are exploring opportunities outside the realm of microfinance to reduce the concentration risk taking advantage of a recent RBI directive allowing them to reduce the qualifying asset to 60% from 75% earlier. In other words, this new rule means NBFC-MFIs can have a 40% non-microfinance portfolio. Microfinance is unsecured, collateral-free loans offered to low-income households with annual income of less than ₹3 lakh. "We will explore secured assets like gold loans, micro LAP amongst others. This will help secure a better credit rating , portfolio diversity and better security and profitability," Arohan managing director Manoj Kumar Nambiar told ET. Uttrayan , on the other hand, on Wednesday unveiled its first dedicated gold loan branch near Kolkata. Arohan has prepared a concept note on foraying into the gold loan business which will be put up in the next board meeting. "The RBI guideline change on qualifying assets ratio to 60/40 is a welcome change as it helps board will discuss the proposal," said Nambiar, who is the chairman of industry body Microfinance Institutions Network. "People are primarily planning to venture into the gold loan business," said Alok Biswas, managing director at Kolkata-based Janakalyan Financial Services. Gold loans carry minimum risk as these are backed by gold ornaments. However, setting up a gold loan business needs a special eco-system for valuing the gold ornaments to be pledged and also to store them securely. CreditAccess Grameen , the country largest NBFC-MFI, has no plan to get into all these, said Udaya Kumar Hebbar, who superannuated from the company on June 25 and is now a non-executive director on the board.
Mint
09-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
More Retail raises ₹400 crore ahead of 2026 IPO, eyes deeper push into smaller towns
Mumbai: Supermarket chain More Retail has raised around ₹400 crore from existing investors Samara Capital and Amazon, as well as new domestic family offices over the past 12 months, as it gears up for a public listing within the next year, two people aware of the matter said. The capital raise—separate from earlier rounds in previous years—will be used to fund the company's store expansion and operational growth, one of the two people said. More Retail managing director and CEO Vinod Nambiar confirmed the fundraise in an emailed statement, but Samara and Amazon did not respond to Mint's requests for comment. The fresh infusion comes as More Retail prepares to scale up its operations, expand into smaller cities and ramp up its role in powering Amazon's grocery delivery arm, even as losses persist and revenue shrinks. The company is reportedly targeting a ₹2,000 crore initial public offering (IPO) next year, with no secondary share sale planned. Read this | Neobank Jupiter in early talks to raise up to $50 million from existing investors to expand 'We've spent the last few years strengthening our fundamentals and building a robust, profitable, and scalable business model," Nambiar said. 'This consistent performance has reinforced the confidence of our existing and new investors, who continue to support our long-term vision and have invested (approximately) ₹400 crore in the last year." More plans to expand its hybrid retail model to over 2,000 stores by 2030, with a sharper focus on tier-2 and smaller cities, Nambiar said. The company had reportedly raised ₹387 crore from Amazon and Samara in FY24, ₹300 crore in FY23, and ₹400 crore in FY22. However, More clarified that the latest fundraise is distinct from those rounds and includes participation from both existing and new investors. Retail strategy More Retail was set up by the Aditya Birla group in 2006 and acquired in 2019 by Samara Capital and Amazon via Witzig Advisory Services, now More Consumer Brands Pvt. Ltd (MCBPL). Samara owns and controls 51% of MCBPL through its Alternative Investment Fund, while the remaining 49% is held by the Amazon Group. Over the past two years, the company has shuttered loss-making outlets, exited categories such as general merchandise, reduced hypermarket operations, and trimmed corporate headcount. It now operates over 750 stores in 270 towns, with a strong presence in southern and eastern India—down from more than 900 stores in FY22. Read this | Amazon-backed More Retail plans expansion of supermarkets in India The retailer has reduced its footprint in western and central India over FY23 and FY24 to focus on its core markets. In a November 2024 report, India Ratings said More would continue to benefit from its heavy concentration in South India (which accounts for over 70% of its stores), followed by moderate exposure in the north and east. The company has also become a critical part of Amazon's grocery delivery strategy, serving as a fulfilment layer for the Amazon Fresh platform. In India's top 14 cities, Amazon Fresh orders are fulfilled via a mix of warehouses and More stores; in the rest of the country, they are serviced entirely through More locations. As of September 2024, 277 More stores were fulfilling Fresh orders, up from 150 a year earlier—a number that is expected to grow further. According to the India Ratings report, the company faces challenges from increased borrowings and debt servicing obligations as it has been refinancing its existing debt due to weak cash flow generation on account of continued losses. It intends to continue funding its expansion and operational cash losses primarily through equity infusions, with little or no reliance on external debt, the credit rating agency added. Also read | Fast and furious: Early-stage startups tweak supply chain operations as they shift to quick commerce lane In FY24, More Retail reported a revenue of ₹4,148.7 crore, down from ₹4,506.7 crore a year earlier. Its net loss narrowed slightly to ₹532.6 crore from ₹550.3 crore, according to a report by Inc42. More faces tough competition from quick commerce players and traditional retailers such as D-Mart and Reliance Fresh. Platforms offering fast delivery and discounts are increasingly drawing urban customers away from kirana stores and traditional supermarkets.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Combat Army Aviation Training School holds passing out parade for skilled aviators, instructors
The Combat Army Aviation Training School in Nashik conducted a combined passing out parade, inducting officers as skilled aviators and instructors. Lt General Vinod Nambiar presided over the event, emphasizing technology's role and Army Aviation's future as first responders. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The Combat Army Aviation Training School in Nashik on Friday held a 'combined passing out parade ' for the officers who were commissioned as skilled aviators and instructors after completing various aviation and remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) courses. The CAATS, located at Gandhi Nagar airfield on Nashik Road, is a premier flying training institution of the Indian Army which functions under the aegis of Army Training Command, trained student officers, including the ones from Nepal and Nigeria, marched together and were awarded wings/badges. They were formally inducted as Combat Aviators and Aviation Instructors The number of such student officers was not immediately parade was presided over by Lt General Vinod Nambiar, Director General and Colonel Commandant of the Army Aviation Corps "Technology is in the DNA of every aviator. In near future, Army aviation will be the first responder in all operations. I am sanguine that the officers will wear their wings with a great sense of humility and being fully aware of the pious responsibility which they have as Aviators and qualified flying instructors," Lt Gen Nambiar said in his said CAATS, which was raised in 2003 and meant to conduct three courses, is now running 17 training programmes."I see more expansion in the training process in future. We have one simulator operational at present, and one training simulator will be made operational in co-operation with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd ," he highlight of the parade was the presentation of the prestigious Army Aviation Wings to officers from Nepal and Nigeria, as well as a female officer. Two female officers were also presented with the coveted Instructor's the newly commissioned aviators and instructors, Lt Gen Nambiar emphasised the evolving role of Army Aviation in peacetime and combat operations besides reconnaissance, surveillance, operational lift and attack skilled aviators also performed the "Sky Soldier' exercise, while trophies were presented to outstanding officers in recognition of their exemplary official said everybody got an opportunity to view the daring and challenging tasks that the aviators have to perform in their call of duty and the work they do with the help of their machines - LAH Dhruva, Cheetah, Chetak, Rudra and drones.
