Royal Sundaram Appoints Vedanarayanan Seshadri As The New Managing Director
Royal Sundaram General Insurance Co. Limited is happy to announce the appointment of Mr. Vedanarayanan Seshadri (Veda) as the Managing Director starting 28th May 2025.Veda, brings over 30 years of BFSI sector experience, including 15 years in insurance leadership roles. His expertise includes insurance distribution, driving profitable growth, and digital transformation-enabled customer experience improvements. He holds degrees in engineering, marketing, finance, and an advanced management programme from INSEAD, France.Commenting on the development, Mr Harsha Viji, Executive Vice-Chairman, Sundaram Finance, said, "Veda brings over 30 years of experience in the BFSI sector, including senior roles in life and general insurance. His deep understanding of the insurance market, customer preferences, and leadership skills will benefit him in this new role. Given the evolving insurance landscape and digital advancements, Veda is well-placed to lead Royal Sundaram's growth."Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Vedanarayanan Seshadri stated, "I am honoured to lead Royal Sundaram into its next phase. Royal Sundaram is renowned for its values, professionalism, and customer-centric approach. I am confident that, with the dedicated team and the unwavering support from the board and stakeholders, we will achieve substantial growth while preserving our fundamental principles."About Royal SundaramRoyal Sundaram General Insurance Co. Limited became India's first private sector general insurance company to be licensed by the IRDAI in October 2000. The company is promoted by Sundaram Finance Limited, one of India's most respected Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs). In February 2019, it partnered with Ageas Insurance International N.V., a global insurance group based in Belgium, which acquired a 40% equity stake in Royal Sundaram. Following this transaction, Sundaram Finance holds 50%, Ageas Insurance holds 40%, and the remaining 10% is held by other Indian shareholders.Royal Sundaram offers a comprehensive suite of general insurance solutions across motor, health, personal accident, corporate, and home insurance segments. The company continues to invest in a strong service infrastructure, leveraging both agent-led and digital distribution networks. Today, Royal Sundaram is a truly pan-India, multi-platform "phygital" insurer with a presence across diverse markets, enabled by an extensive distribution ecosystem.At Royal Sundaram, every product and service is built with a deep understanding of the customers' needs, ensuring a seamless, transparent, and hassle-free insurance experience. From easy policy issuance to swift claim settlements, the company remains committed to delivering a customer-first experience, keeping the satisfaction and well-being of its clients at the heart of everything it does.Disclaimer: The material and information contained are for advertorial purposes only. India Today holds no responsibility for the content written on the website as a basis for making any business, legal, or any other decision. Any reliance placed on such material is at your own risk.
advertisement
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
29 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Karnataka HC directs State govt to file status report on Bengaluru stampede by June 10
A day after the celebrations of the IPL victory of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) led to the death of 11 persons and injuries to 47 others following chaos and stampede at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium, most of the injured persons were discharged from hospitals. Except for six persons, who continue to be under treatment in various hospitals, all the others were sent home, doctors said on Thursday. The tragedy unfolded near the gates of the stadium, where over 2 lakh fans had gathered to mark RCB's historic first title win in 18 years. Overcrowding and narrow passageways led to a deadly rush. Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced a compensation of ₹10 lakh each to the families of the deceased and free treatment to the injured persons. The Karnataka High Court, after taking suo motu congnisance of the matter, issued notice to the State, and tasked it to file a detailed status report by June 10. The State government on Thursday admitted before the High Court of Karnataka that it did not prepare to handle such a huge crowd of around 2.5 lakh on June 4 during the event organised at M. Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru to celebrate RCB's victory in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, which witnessed a stampede resulting in death of 11 persons and injuring 56 others. 'Narender surrendered to Adani, China': Congress ups ante with fresh jibe at PM The Congress on Thursday upped the ante with its 'Narender-surrender' jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that he 'surrendered' before billionaire Gautam Adani as well as to China. There was no immediate response from the government or the Adani Group over the Congress's accusations, but the business conglomerate has, in the past, rejected all such allegations against it. Congress leader Ajoy Kumar said the duo of Mr. Adani and Mr. Modi has left behind the Jai-Veeru duo from the film 'Sholay'. 'The process of Narendra Modi's surrender before (U.S. President Donald) Trump has happened after many years of practice,' Mr. Kumar said at a press conference at the Indira Bhawan, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in New Delhi. 'Wherever Narendra Modi goes or whatever Adani wants — he gets the contract.... The diplomatic moves of India's prime minister have helped industrialist Mr A to expand his international business interests in ports, airports, electricity, coal mining and weapons,' the Congress leader claimed and cited examples from various countries. 'Narenderji has hurt his country's relations with her neighbours as well as with other countries by brazenly promoting Mr A's ambitions. The growth of the Mr A Group outside India over the past decade or so has been closely aligned with the diplomatic efforts of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,' he alleged. Many of 'Mr A's' international deals were struck soon after Mr. Modi's official visits to certain countries or after heads of government visited India, Mr. Kumar claimed. Alleging that Mr. Modi had also 'surrendered' before China, he said 'Narender-Surrender' must apologise to the country for his 'clean chit' to the neighbouring country on its invasion of Indian territory in 2020. Mr. Kumar claimed that China has vowed to stand by Pakistan in defending its 'sovereignty' and 'territorial integrity', and called it its 'iron-clad friend'. 'China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, recently gave a statement that his country would continue to stand by Pakistan in upholding its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national independence. China has supplied arms worth over $20 billion to Pakistan,' Mr. Kumar claimed. The Congress had said on Wednesday (June 4, 2025) that it is wrong to think that 'Narendra Modi is India and India is Narendra Modi', as it slammed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its criticism of Rahul Gandhi over his dig at the Prime Minister, and doubled down on the 'Narender-surrender' jibe. Mr. Gandhi had said in Bhopal on Tuesday (June 3, 2025) that 'as soon as Trump signalled from there, picked up the phone and said, 'what are you doing Modiji? Narender, surrender'.... And Modiji obeyed Trump's orders with Ji Huzoor''. Urging people to remember 1971, Mr. Gandhi said that back then, a phone call had not been made, but the United States had sent its 7th Fleet, weapons, and an aircraft carrier. However, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi did not surrender and stated that she would act in the national interest. Referring to the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Mr. Gandhi said they are habituated to writing 'surrender letters' since Independence. The BJP has accused Mr. Gandhi of insulting the armed forces with his 'surrender' barb at Mr. Modi, saying it amounted to undermining the success of Operation Sindoor. Trump announces travel ban affecting dozen countries including Afghanistan and Iran U.S. President Donald Trump is resurrecting the travel ban policy from his first term, signing a proclamation Wednesday (June 5, 2025) night preventing people from a dozen countries from entering the United States. The countries include Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. In addition to the ban, which takes effect at 12.01 a.m. Monday (June 9, 2025), there will be heightened restrictions on visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. 'I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people,' Mr. Trump said in his proclamation. The list results from a January 20 executive order Mr. Trump issued requiring the departments of State and Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence to compile a report on 'hostile attitudes' toward the U.S. and whether entry from certain countries represented a national security risk. During his first term, Mr. Trump issued an executive order in January 2017 banning travel to the U.S. by citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries — Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. It was one of the most chaotic and confusing moments of his young presidency. Travelers from those nations were either barred from getting on their flights to the U.S. or detained at U.S. airports after they landed. They included students and faculty as well as businesspeople, tourists and people visiting friends and family. The order, often referred to as the 'Muslim ban' or the 'travel ban,' was retooled amid legal challenges, until a version was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. The ban affected various categories of travellers and immigrants from Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Libya, plus North Koreans and some Venezuelan government officials and their families. Mr. Trump and others have defended the initial ban on national security grounds, arguing it was aimed at protecting the country and not founded on anti-Muslim bias. However, the president had called for an explicit ban on Muslims during his first campaign for the White House. Odisha police turn Medha Patkar, activists away from Rayagada where resistance against bauxite mining simmering Several activists led by Medha Patkar were stopped by the Odisha Police and turned away after they arrived in Rayagada district to address a public meeting on World Environment Day, early Thursday. District authorities cited potential law and order concerns, stating that the activists' presence could inflame tensions in the region, where local tribals are opposing bauxite mining in the Sijimali Reserve. 'As soon as we got off the train in the early hours of Thursday, a large contingent of police personnel stopped us and said we were not allowed to leave the railway station. We are not criminals. We had come to Rayagada to speak about the importance of protecting the environment,' said Medha Patkar over phone from Rayagada. Within hours, fellow activists Lingaraj and Narendra Mohanty were forced to leave the district. A public meeting had been planned under the banner of Maa Maati Maali Surakshya Manch, Kashipur at Sunger Hatapada, where hundreds of tribals were expected to gather to hear the activists. Sunger Hatapada is located just a few kilometres from the Sijimali Bauxite Deposit, where the Vedanta Group has proposed mining 9 million tonnes of ore annually over an area of 1,549 hectares. Vedanta, one of India's largest aluminium producers, has operated its alumina refinery in Lanjigarh, Kalahandi district, without a captive bauxite mine since 2007. The company has been seeking a steady supply of raw material, making Sijimali a key target. Similar resistance had earlier derailed a mining project in the Niyamgiri hills, where the Dongria Kondh, a particularly vulnerable tribal group, successfully opposed plans to mine bauxite. The Odisha Mining Corporation, a state-run PSU, was to supply the ore to Vedanta. In Rayagada, tensions have been simmering around the Sijimali deposit for the past couple of years. Tribals allege that the district police, under pressure from the company, have been using force to suppress the people's movement against mining. An order signed by the Rayagada District Collector has barred 24 activists from entering the district for two months starting June 4. They have also been prohibited from participating in any protests or sit-ins. The Eastern Ghats hill ranges that cut across Kalahandi, Rayagada, and Koraput districts are rich in bauxite. Apart from Vedanta, private players such as the Adani Group and the Aditya Birla Group are either exploring or have already established infrastructure to mine the mineral. The National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), a Navaratna public sector unit, has a strong presence in Koraput district, where it is already extracting bauxite from the Panchpatmali reserve and is preparing to mine the Pottangi reserve. 'Why is the present Odisha government afraid of environmentalists and nature lovers visiting their beautiful State at the invitation of Adivasis—the true guardians of nature?' asked Ms. Patkar. 'How can we, as citizens of India, be stopped from marking a day dedicated to pledging our commitment to protect the Earth, its green cover, its farms and forests, and honouring those who have preserved them for generations?,' asked Ms. Patkar. In Brief: Assam flood situation grim, 7 lakh affected Assam's flood situation remained grim on Thursday, with nearly seven lakh people affected in 21 districts and the water level of major rivers showing a rising trend, officials said. The death toll in the first wave of the floods and landslides rose to 19, with two deaths reported on Wednesday. One person went missing in the Cachar district. Nine major rivers, including the Brahmaputra at three places, were flowing above the danger level across the state, while River Barak was flowing above the danger mark in the Cachar district, and its tributaries were also showing a rising trend, with some rivers flowing above the red mark. Calcutta High Court grants interim bail to social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli The Calcutta High Court on Thursday granted interim bail to social media influencer Sharmistha Panoli, who was arrested by Kolkata Police for a social media post on Operation Sindoor. The 22-year-old student was arrested in Gurugram and brought to Kolkata on a transit remand. The High Court, while granting interim bail to Ms. Panoli, said 'at this point there is no need of custodial interrogation'. The Calcutta High Court directed Ms. Panoli to furnish a bail bond of ₹10,000. Earlier, Kolkata Police had defended the arrest of social media influencer and law student, stating that the posts made by her amounted to 'hate speech' and should not be conflated with freedom of expression. Ms. Panoli's arrest sparked political outrage, with the Opposition BJP accusing the Mamata Banerjee-led government of 'State-sponsored repression'. North Korea's Kim says he'll 'unconditionally support' Russia's war against Ukraine North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told a visiting top Russian official that his country will 'unconditionally support' Russia's war against Ukraine, the North's state media reported on Thursday, the latest sign of expanding cooperation between the two nations. In April, the two countries officially confirmed North Korean troops' deployment to Russia for the first time, saying that soldiers of the two countries were fighting alongside each other to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk border region. At the time, Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked North Korea's participation in the war and promised not to forget their sacrifices. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow.
Deccan Herald
37 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
Need politics that's not about glitz of events but connected with reality of everyday life: Rahul
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha asserted that the country needs an economy that works for every Indian, not just for a select few capitalists.
News18
44 minutes ago
- News18
‘Global, Yet Affordable': Australia's WACE Curriculum Coming To 100 Indian Schools
In a significant step towards transforming school education, India is set to introduce the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) in 100 schools. In a major step for India's school education system, the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE)—a senior secondary curriculum from the Government of Western Australia—will be introduced in 100 schools across India over the next three years. Already running in countries like Singapore, China, Japan, and Malaysia, WACE is now set to become the first international school board backed by a foreign government to officially launch in India. This comes after the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) recognised WACE as equivalent to Indian school boards. This recognition ensures WACE's equivalence with Indian senior secondary school certificates, providing students access to both national and global higher education pathways. Every student enrolled in the WACE programme will be assigned a unique identification number by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA)—the statutory body overseeing WACE. All certificates will be issued directly by the Government of Western Australia, ensuring authenticity and global recognition. The WACE programme offers a comprehensive K–12 education pathway, spanning from early childhood education to senior secondary level. At present, international boards such as the International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge International Examinations (CIE), and the French Baccalaureate (FB) operate in India, providing both curricula and examination services. Angelique Smith: As WACE enters India, its vision is to act as a complementary partner in advancing the nation's evolving education landscape. In alignment with the NEP 2020, WACE aims to provide a globally benchmarked, government-backed curriculum that promotes critical thinking, creativity, and practical skills. By collaborating with Indian schools, government bodies, and regional stakeholders, WACE aspires to support seamless integration of its curriculum, addressing local educational needs while offering students access to international standards. This strategic partnership aims to strengthen the quality and global relevance of Indian education, preparing students for higher education and careers in a competitive global economy. Q. As the first government-recognised international school curriculum to enter India, how does WACE distinguish itself from existing global curricula? Angelique Smith: WACE is unique as the first government-recognised international curriculum in India, administered by the statutory body of the Government of Western Australia, the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA). Its recognition by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) ensures a smooth pathway for students into Indian higher education institutions. With over 36 years of delivering quality education, WACE combines global academic rigour with robust quality assurance, rooted in public accountability. Its blend of internationally benchmarked standards and local recognition makes it a credible and future-ready alternative, facilitating both national and international academic progression for Indian students. Q. Could you elaborate on how WACE supports competency-based, inquiry-driven, and student-centric learning as outlined in the NEP? Angelique Smith: WACE's curriculum aligns closely with NEP 2020's emphasis on competency-based, inquiry-driven education by focusing on developing critical thinking, problem-solving, and practical skills. It encourages experiential learning through project-based assessments, real-world applications, and interactive classroom strategies that foster curiosity and student engagement. Assessment methods include practical projects, presentations, and moderated grading, reducing rote learning and promoting a holistic understanding of concepts. Such approaches empower Indian students to become active participants in their education, aligning with NEP's goal of fostering student-centric learning environments. Q. Will WACE incorporate Indian cultural, linguistic, and historical perspectives within its curriculum to ensure contextual relevance for Indian students and educators? Angelique Smith: Yes, WACE recognises the importance of maintaining cultural and contextual relevance. Schools implementing WACE in India will continue to teach Indian history, languages, and region-specific content. The curriculum will be flexible enough to incorporate local stories, traditions, and languages, making learning more meaningful and engaging for students from diverse backgrounds. While maintaining its internationally benchmarked pedagogical approach, WACE aims to blend Indian cultural elements seamlessly, supporting NEP 2020's vision of integrating tradition with modernity in education. Q. How does WACE plan to equip Indian educators to deliver the WACE curriculum with the necessary training and pedagogical tools? Angelique Smith: WACE will provide comprehensive professional development programmes tailored to Indian educators' needs. This includes structured in-person training programmes, curriculum mentoring, and ongoing access to resources such as teaching guides, assessment tools, and digital platforms. These programmes will focus on student-centred, inquiry-based teaching methodologies aligned with WACE standards. To ensure scalability and relevance, WACE will also collaborate with local teacher training institutions and leverage government initiatives to empower teachers across regions, fostering confidence and competence in delivering a dynamic, inquiry-driven curriculum. Q. International curricula are often seen as expensive and exclusive. How does WACE plan to remain accessible and equitable across diverse socio-economic backgrounds in India? Angelique Smith: WACE, being a government-backed curriculum, aims to be more accessible than private, fee-based international options. Its strategy involves partnering with a diverse range of schools, including government-aided and affordable private institutions, to expand its reach. Modular implementation options, scalable teacher training, and support programmes will help reduce entry barriers. The goal is to democratise access to global education, enabling students from varying socio-economic backgrounds to benefit from world-class learning opportunities without leaving India. Q. How many schools are you going to onboard? What is the roadmap? Angelique Smith: WACE India aims to onboard 100 schools over the next three years. By engaging with a diverse cohort of schools, ranging from metro-based international institutions to progressive schools in Tier 2 and 3 cities, we aim to build a robust, future-ready learning ecosystem that aligns with both global standards and national education goals. About the Author Archit Gupta Archit Gupta is a Chief Sub-Editor at and a seasoned education journalist specialising in reporting on education and employment. He has covered a variety of education-related stories, including More Stay updated with the latest education! Get real-time updates on board exam results 2025, entrance exams such as JEE Mains, Advanced, NEET, and more. Find out top schools, colleges, courses and more. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : australia Education News Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 05, 2025, 21:22 IST News education-career 'Global, Yet Affordable': Australia's WACE Curriculum Coming To 100 Indian Schools | Interview
