Latest news with #Jegannathan
TimesLIVE
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Tesla's new sales boss comes from IT, not the showroom
A relatively little-known information technology executive is running Tesla's sales team as the electric carmaker grapples with a drop in sales, according to people familiar with the matter. Raj Jegannathan, a senior executive with a wide purview including several IT and data functions, recently took over the sales role, said the people familiar with the matter. Some inside Tesla have interpreted this to mean Jegannathan has assumed the role of Troy Jones, Tesla's top sales executive in North America until he departed earlier this month after 15 years with the company, said the people. Jegannathan, who has recently grown closer to CEO Elon Musk, has no traditional sales experience, according to two people familiar with the matter and his LinkedIn profile. Reuters could not determine if it is an interim role. Demand for Tesla's cars in Europe and North America has dropped sharply. Last quarter its quarterly sales plunged 13% to the weakest in nearly three years due to a backlash against Musk's politics, Tesla's aging vehicle lineup and increased competition from rivals offering more affordable alternatives. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Tesla's share price, which has fallen 18% so far this year, rose 3% on Friday. Jones, the latest in a string of high-level departures, managed the fallout as Musk's political affiliation with US President Trump prompted left-leaning consumers to shun Tesla. As Tesla's sales were dropping earlier this year, Jones implored managers to work on selling and pushed back against concerns over political headwinds related to Musk, according to a person who heard the comment. Other key figures who recently left include Musk's confidant Omead Afshar, who was in charge of sales and manufacturing operations in North America and Europe. Jegannathan's expanded role has been interpreted as taking over Afshar's responsibilities too, some of the people said. Milan Kovac, head of Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot team, announced he was leaving in June. Other recent departures include top battery executive Vineet Mehta and software chief David Lau. Last year, Tesla faced a wave of high-level departures, including chief battery engineer Drew Baglino and global public policy head Rohan Patel. Jegannathan has spent 13 years at Tesla in technology roles. He joined in 2012 as a senior staff engineer with responsibilities for internet traffic and cloud security, according to his LinkedIn page. More recently he has helped develop Tesla's data centre effort in Texas, two people familiar with the matter said. His duties have expanded rapidly. Earlier this year, he became a vice president for IT/AI infrastructure, apps and information security, according to his LinkedIn page. In recent months he has taken over Tesla's vehicle-service operations, according to a person familiar with the matter and Jegannathan's comments on X. Jegannathan was among the Tesla employees seconded to Twitter after Musk's takeover of the company in 2022, according to a person familiar with the matter and a media report.
New Indian Express
29-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Tamil Nadu govt forms three-member committee to oversee Periyar University operations
COIMBATORE: The state government has constituted a three-member administrative committee to oversee the operations of Periyar University in Salem, following the retirement of Vice-Chancellor Prof Jegannathan. The decision was made after a special meeting of the university's syndicate committee, held in response to the leadership vacuum created by the end of Prof Jegannathan's extended term on May 19. The newly-formed committee is headed by E Sundaravalli, director of Collegiate Education, who will function as the in-charge vice-chancellor. Prof Subramani, director of the Kalaignar Research Centre, and Dr Jayanthi, principal of Shakti Kailash Women's College, are part of the panel. It may be noted that Prof Jegannathan had appointed Dr T Periasamy, head of the Tamil department as the in-charge V-C, without consulting the university syndicate a few days ago.
The Hindu
12-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Poor yield, falling prices hit mango growers in Vedaranyam region
Farmers across the Vedaranyam region are reeling under a double blow this mango season, with both yield and market prices witnessing a steep decline. The downturn has severely impacted small and tenant farmers, many of whom say they could hardly recover their input cost this year. 'This is our perumboga paruvam — the season we usually rely on for profits,' said R. Jegannathan, a mango farmer from Sembodai panchayat. 'But this year, we've been hit from both sides. Last year, despite a dip in yield, prices held steady. This time, there's surplus production in Andhra Pradesh and other parts of Tamil Nadu, and the local markets are flooded with the produce.' Mr. Jegannathan said tenant farmers were the worst affected. 'If someone had taken a mango orchard on lease for ₹1 lakh, they would barely make ₹10,000 this year,' he said and attributed the decline in yield to post-rainfall pest attacks in early summer. After Cyclone Gaja ravaged the district in 2018, the area under mango cultivation shrank from nearly 5,000 hectares to just 2,900 hectares. Although farmers slowly resumed cultivation, this season's setback had dealt a fresh blow to them. Crash in prices Data showed a sharp fall in prices of all varieties. Raw mangoes fetched ₹8 to ₹10 a kg this year, down from ₹10 to ₹15 last year. The price of Romania variety had dropped to ₹20 from ₹40, Imam Pasand to ₹40 from ₹90, Banganapalli to ₹30 from ₹50, and Senthuram to ₹20 from ₹40. S. Parthasarathy, a farmer and trader from Vettaikaraniruppu, said heavy pest infestation and unseasonal rain have worsened the situation. 'We've been using more fertilisers each year, but the pests are becoming increasingly resistant,' he said. 'We get fair price only when our produce reaches Chennai or Kerala. But this year, due to heavy arrivals from Andhra Pradesh and the Theni belt, our mangoes are not moving beyond local markets.' Official sources in the Horticulture department acknowledged the price slump and said a section of affected farmers had been provided with inputs, including fertilizers and pest-control support.
