Latest news with #AdityaBirlaGroup
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Speed, Security, and Stakeholders: What CIOs Must Get Right in 2025
At the 7th edition of the ETCIO Annual Conclave 2025, held against the backdrop of surging technological momentum, India's top CIOs gathered not just to trade implementation strategies—but to redraw the contours of their own evolving Manish Gupta, Group CIO at Aditya Birla Group, reflects on the modern CIO's role, he's quick to move past the conventional definitions. 'The job of a CIO is not internal,' he says. 'It must reach out to all stakeholders. Start by mapping them out—a mammoth task to figure out the human dimension.' It's a sentiment that captures the deepening complexity—and pressure—facing technology leaders today. The CIO is no longer a back-office functionary; they are a visible, strategic actor in a landscape shaped by rising customer expectations, accelerating innovation cycles, and ever-tightening security requirements. Today's CIO navigates: Driving innovation at pace, safeguarding trust, and managing human dynamics that make change possible. It's no longer about mastering technology—it's about leading through it. The Three Arcs of Leadership Kirti Patil, Joint President–IT and CTO at Kotak Life Insurance, defines the evolution through 'the three arcs': The visible shift, the invisible layer, and the human thread. Each is necessary; together, they define whether a CIO merely implements change or drives transformation. The visible shift is the front-end—the customer apps, the chatbot, the digital touchpoints that users experience. The invisible layer is the backend—the architecture, APIs, and data integrations that support the experience. But the most challenging layer may be the last. 'Trust in a brand is trust in digital,' Patil explains, underscoring how technology decisions now have reputational stakes. A failed rollout or breach isn't just a technical error—it's a brand issue. This is why Gupta places so much emphasis on education, exposure, and experimentation. 'Experimentation helps multi-level co-creation in the organization involving all the stakeholders a CIO touches,' he notes. It's not enough to deploy a tool; CIOs must create the cultural and structural conditions that allow for innovation to be shared and scaled. From Tech Steward to Strategic Partner One of the most telling observations comes from Anand Srinivasan, Co-founder and CIO at Akasa Air, who captures the changing dynamic in blunt terms: 'Technology is given. In fact, customers expect you to have cutting-edge tech.' The challenge isn't adoption—it's orchestration. Srinivasan sees the mark of a great CIO in their ability to trust and delegate. 'Listen to the wizkids team, sign the cheques and get out of their way,' he says. His view reinforces a common refrain: The CIO as enabler. But that shift isn't just managerial—it's strategic. As customer-facing tech becomes table stakes, differentiation comes from how quickly and responsibly organizations can build and scale new capabilities. And that brings CIOs to a critical balancing act. Innovation Meets the Trust Imperative Few sectors feel the pressure of that balance more than financial services and insurance. Here, technology must do more than work—it must work without violating trust. Sarang Khewale, Deputy CTO and Head Digital Innovation at SBI, talks of the two-pronged approach he undertook, 'Deeply involved design thinking techniques that help protect data by empathizing,' he says. 'With innovation, trust shouldn't be compromised.' The emphasis on empathy is not rhetorical; it's a design principle, and in industries that manage personal information, it's also a regulatory and ethical necessity. For Rohit Kilam, CTO at HDFC Life Insurance, regulatory sandbox provides ground to land. 'We are building things within the regulatory sandboxes.' Innovation, in his view, must also serve those on the margins—'the bottom of the pyramid'—especially the unbanked and underserved segments. Scaling inclusively requires risk, but that risk must be responsibly managed. The Security Reckoning With every digital advancement comes a new frontier for attack. The cybersecurity conversation is no longer siloed—it now shapes every technology investment. 'There's an attack every day,' says Sunit Vakharia, CTO at Reliance Nippon. 'Need to understand the mind of the attacker, without which you'll never be able to defend.' His focus is not just on tools, but on mindset—building a defense that anticipates, not just reacts. At Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, Kanathil Vadakke Dipu, Senior President- Digital Transformation & Innovation, refers to the mock exercises undertaken as 'cyber mahayudh'. The company's effort focused on identifying vulnerabilities and reducing response time. The takeaway: Resilience is no longer a luxury, but a daily operational requirement. Sandeep Khanna, Director at UIDAI, adds a layer. 'The blind spots,' he notes, 'are shadow IT, supply chain risk, and third-party vulnerabilities.' These are threats embedded deep in the ecosystem, not easily visible, but devastating when breached. Looking Ahead The CIO agenda for 2025 is as expansive as it is urgent. Disruption is no longer a question of 'if'—it's a question of preparation and positioning. And as CIOs have been pointing out the writing on the wall for eons now: 'You can't afford to miss disruption.' The modern CIO stands at the intersection of agility and accountability, innovation and integrity. It's a demanding role—but one uniquely positioned to influence the future of business. As Gupta, Patil, and others suggest, the path forward lies not only in systems, but in stakeholders—and in the human capacity to collaborate at scale.
India Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Theatre: The moving story
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated June 2, 2025)Mumbai Star will mark the first time in its seven seasons that Aadyam—the Aditya Birla Group's decade-old initiative to promote theatre—presents a 'dance musical'. Director Nadir Khan says the play, which will be staged at Mumbai's St Andrew's Auditorium on May 24-25 and Delhi's Kamani Auditorium on June 14-15, is unlike 'anything I've ever done before'.advertisementHe says this even though, on paper, the production sounds similar to his last collaboration with Aadyam, 2018's #SingIndiaSing. They both feature and are named after fictional reality TV competition series. However, in Mumbai Star, the contest forms just '10 per cent of the story', which centres on aspiring dancer Dev who shifts from a coastal village to the titular city to follow his dreams. In Mumbai, he grapples with 'the exhilarating highs and crushing lows' of chasing fame. Khan describes the Hindi play as a tale 'of aspiration, hope and overcoming obstacles'.Unlike #SingIndiaSing, which was in English, with live singing, '85-90 per cent' of Mumbai Star is told through 'movement' set to recorded music by composer Dhruv Ghanekar. Because of this, Khan says, it's very much 'a co-creation' with choreographer Avantika Bahl and associate choreographer Surabhi Andrade. 'It wouldn't have existed without us getting onto the same page,' says Notably, there are only two actors, Rajit Kapur and Srishti Shrivastava, who serve as narrators, while the rest of the cast comprises 15 professional dancers who had to be 'multifaceted in terms of their knowledge of dance and mastery of their bodies'. That's because multiple forms are showcased on by Akarsh Khurana and Arghya Lahiri, with lyrics by Ishitta Arun, Mumbai Star was originally conceptualised by actor-producer Devika Shahani's The Dragon Rose Project for the Tokyo-based Min-On Concert Association, an organisation that promotes international performing arts exchanges. The play comes to India after a 20-city tour across Japan, where it was performed for 'more than 50,000 people' in of the reason it translated so well could be that most of the story is conveyed non-verbally. '[The dancers] are acting, but just with their bodies,' says Khan. 'The challenge was for them to make us feel a scene, and not just show beautiful movement.'Subscribe to India Today Magazine
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Business
- India Gazette
US Secy of Commerce Lutnick to deliver keynote address at USISPF's Leadership Summit
Washington, DC [US], May 30 (ANI): US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Second Lady Usha Vance will attend the eighth edition of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) Leadership Summit on Monday. Secretary Lutnick will share his insights on strengthening the U.S.-India strategic and economic partnership to achieve the goal set by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi for USD 500 billion in bilateral trade, according to a release. The Summit will also feature the Second Lady of the United States, Usha Vance, in a fireside chat. As the first Indian American in the role of Second Lady, Ms. Vance's presence symbolizes the deepening partnership between the world's oldest and largest democracies and highlights the robust strength of the people-to-people ties. USISPF will also present the 2025 Global Leadership Awards to three distinguished business leaders - Mr. Arvind Krishna, Chairman, President and CEO, IBM, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group and Toshiaki Higashihara, Executive Chairman, Hitachi, Ltd. for their outstanding contributions in strengthening the US-India-Japan economic partnership, the release added. Under Birla's leadership, the Aditya Birla Group is the largest Indian greenfield investor in the United States, with investments exceeding $15 billion. IBM, led by Arvind Krishna, has accelerated global digital transformation through advancing cutting-edge research in AI, cloud, quantum computing, and blockchain, with India playing a pivotal role in its global R&D and talent ecosystem. Hitachi, under the leadership of Toshiaki Higashihara, continues to expand its investments in infrastructure, mobility, and digital innovation, closely aligning with key U.S.-India-Japan collaboration in energy, transportation, and technology. This will be the first time that QUAD business leaders will be honoured at the USISPF summit, the release added. The summit will also feature conversations with Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra, Ambassador of India to the United States, Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) and Representative Rich McCormick (R-GA-07), Co-Chair, Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, and USISPF Board members. 'USISPF was founded with the single goal of uniting the two most powerful and robust democracies.' said John Chambers, Chairman, USISPF; Founder & CEO, JC2 Ventures. He added 'USISPF's strength and reach reflect with the growth, dynamism and optimism inherent in the U.S.-India strategic partnership'. 'As the most prestigious summit in the U.S.-India corridor, the Leadership Summit brings together key policy and decision makers and private sector leaders to discuss their vision and way forward for bilateral partnership'. 'We are proud to welcome Secretary Lutnick, Second Lady Usha Vance and recognise exemplary business leaders who have strengthened the U.S.-India-Japan corridor,' said Dr. Mukesh Aghi, President & CEO, USISPF. 'These three leading democracies--together representing well over $35 trillion--are united by a shared commitment to strengthening supply chains and upholding a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. With Japan's strength in advanced engineering manufacturing, India's robust economic growth, demographic dividend and engineering talent and the U.S. innovation economy and capital, this trilateral partnership is uniquely positioned to drive progress across critical sectors. This summit celebrates that shared vision and momentum.' The USISPF Leadership Summit is the most prestigious gathering in Washington, DC focused on accentuating US-India ties and convening senior government leaders and officials, diplomats, Members of the U.S. Congress and Senate, USISPF Board members, leading business executives, media, think tanks, and global thought leaders, all working to advance cooperation and celebrate this important partnership, the release added. (ANI)
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Second Lady Usha Vance to Address USISPF Leadership Summit 2025
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to Deliver Keynote Address at the USISPF's Leadership Summit 2025 in Washington, D.C. Second Lady Usha Vance to Participate in a Fireside Chat at the Summit USISPF To Honor Arvind Krishna of IBM, Kumar Mangalam Birla of Aditya Birla Group and Toshiaki Higashihara of Hitachi with the Global Leadership Award Washington, D.C. , May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) will host the eighth edition of its Leadership Summit on Monday, June 2, 2025, in Washington, at the USISPF Leadership Summit 2025 include Howard Lutnick, Usha Vance, Arvind Krishna, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Toshiaki Higashihara, Ambassador Vinay Kwatra, Senator Steve Daines, Representative Rich McCormick, and John are honored to announce US Secretary of Commerce Mr. Howard Lutnick as the Keynote Speaker at the summit. Secretary Lutnick will share his insights on strengthening the U.S.-India strategic and economic partnership to achieve the goal set by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi for $500 billion in bilateral trade. The Summit will also feature the Second Lady of the United States, Ms. Usha Vance in a fireside chat. As the first Indian American in the role of Second Lady, Ms. Vance's presence symbolizes the deepening partnership between the world's oldest and largest democracies, and highlights the robust strength of the people-to-people ties. USISPF will also present the 2025 Global Leadership Awards to three distinguished business leaders – Mr. Arvind Krishna, Chairman, President and CEO, IBM, Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group and Mr. Toshiaki Higashihara, Executive Chairman, Hitachi, Ltd. for their outstanding contributions in strengthening the US-India-Japan economic partnership. Under Mr. Birla's leadership, the Aditya Birla Group is the largest Indian greenfield investor in the United States, with investments exceeding $15 billion. IBM, led by Mr. Arvind Krishna,has accelerated global digital transformation through advancing cutting-edge research in AI, cloud, quantum computing, and blockchain, with India playing a pivotal role in its global R&D and talent ecosystem. Hitachi, under the leadership of Toshiaki Higashihara, continues to expand its investments in infrastructure, mobility, and digital innovation, closely aligning with key U.S.-India -Japan-India collaboration in energy, transportation, and technology. This will be the first time that QUAD business leaders will be honored at the USISPF summit. The summit will also feature conversations with Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra, Ambassador of India to the United States, Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) and Representative Rich McCormick (R-GA-07), Co-Chair, Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, and USISPF Board members. 'USISPF was founded with the single goal of uniting the two most powerful and robustdemocracies.' said John Chambers, Chairman, USISPF; Founder & CEO, JC2 Ventures. He addedUSISPF's strength and reach reflect with the growth, dynamism and optimism inherent in the U.S.-India strategic partnership'. 'As the most prestigious summit in the U.S.-India corridor, the Leadership Summit brings together key policy and decision makers and private sector leaders to discuss their vision and way forward for bilateral partnership'. 'We are proud to welcome Secretary Lutnick, Second Lady Usha Vance and recognize exemplary business leaders who have strengthened the U.S.-India-Japan corridor.' said Dr. Mukesh Aghi, President & CEO, USISPF. 'These three leading democracies—together representing well over $35 trillion—are united by a shared commitment to strengthening supply chains and upholding a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. With Japan's strength in advanced engineering manufacturing, India's robust economic growth, demographic dividend and engineering talent and the U.S. innovation economy and capital, this trilateral partnership is uniquely positioned to drive progress across critical sectors. This summit celebrates that shared vision and momentum.' The USISPF Leadership Summit is the most prestigious gathering in Washington, DC focused on accentuating US-India ties and convening senior government leaders and officials, diplomats, Members of the U.S. Congress and Senate, USISPF Board members, leading business executives, media, think tanks, and global thought leaders, all working to advance cooperation and celebrate this important USISPF The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) is committed to creating the most powerful partnership between the United States and India. As the only independent not-for-profit institution dedicated to strengthening the U.S.-India partnership in Washington, D.C., and in New Delhi, USISPF is the trusted partner for businesses, non-profit organizations, the diaspora, and the governments of India and the United States. Press inquiries USISPF Ankit Jain ajain@ 2244607900 2550 M St NWWashington, DC 20037, USA Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Kumar Mangalam Birla cuddles with daughter Ananya in sweet pic; but it's his luxurious watch that has our attention
On May 24, Ananya Birla shared a photo dump on Instagram with the caption, 'Hiiii okay bye." One photo that caught our eye was a sweet click of the entrepreneur and artist cuddling with her father, the Chairperson of the Aditya Birla Group, Kumar Mangalam Birla, on the couch. However, it was his watch that caught the eye of many horologists online. Scroll down to know its price. Also Read | Deepika Padukone looks 'superior' in a red gown with robe and luxe diamond necklace at Cartier event in Stockholm: Pics According to an Instagram page, TheIndianHorology, known for tracking celebrity watch collections, in the photo, Kumar Mangalam Birla is seen wearing a luxury watch from Vacheron Constantin. Per the page, the businessman is wearing the Historiques American 1921 timepiece. It features an 18-carat rose gold case with a brown alligator leather strap, and is a reinterpretation of a model launched in 1921. Check out his watch below: A post shared by THEINDIANHOROLOGY (@theindianhorology) Per the Instagram page, the watch is worth ₹43,59,000, which is approximately 44,900 Euros. Per the luxury brand's official website, too, the watch comes at the price mentioned below. Meanwhile, apart from Kumar Birla, the luxurious Vacheron Constantin has also been spotted on several other celebrities. Brad Pitt wore a vintage Vacheron Constantin Historiques 222 at Wimbledon this year in January. Kumar Mangalam Birla is the Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group. He is a chartered accountant and holds an MBA degree from the London Business School. He is married to Neerja Birla, a philanthropist and educationist. The couple has three kids: Advaitesha Birla, Ananya Birla, and Aryaman Birla. Ananya, a singer-songwriter and Indian businesswoman, is one of the directors of Aditya Birla Management Corporation Private Ltd (ABMCPL), along with her brother Aryaman Birla. She is a graduate in economics and management from Oxford University.
