Latest news with #Saathi
Irish Post
27-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Post
Irish entrepreneur receives international award for work which ‘preserves the planet'
AN IRISH businesswoman has received a global award for her commitment to the planet. Dublin-based Tracy O'Rourke was the only Irish entrepreneur among nine international awardees to be presented with the 2025 Impact Award from the Cartier Women's Initiative. Ms O/Rourke, who is the founder and CEO of Vivid Edge, an Irish climate action impact company, received her award at a prestigious ceremony held at Expo 2025 in Osaka in Japan this week. Tracy O'Rourke received her award at a ceremony held in Osaka 'It's a huge honour for me personally and on behalf of our incredible team at Vivid Edge to have been awarded a 2025 Impact Award by the Cartier Women's Initiative,' she said. 'It is a great privilege to be included among this group of inspirational female entrepreneurs who are driving social and environmental change around the world through their companies.' She added: 'At Vivid Edge we are on a mission to make it easy and financially rewarding for large energy users to decarbonise, bringing energy expertise, delivery capability and capital. 'In terms of impact, we estimate that the projects we have delivered to date for clients have avoided over 36,000 tons of carbon emissions, equivalent to planting over 100,000 trees and saved over 119 GWh of energy. 'Vivid Edge's work is making measurable contributions to global climate goals, and we are proud to be delivering measurable impact contributing to a better future for people and the planet.' Ms O'Rourke received her award in the Preserving the Planet category, alongside Kristin Kagetsu, of Saathi in India and Kresse Wesling, of Elvis & Kresse in the UK, who were awarded in the same category. Each of the nine awardees receive a $100,000 grant to support their ongoing work. See More: Cartier Women's Initiative, Impact Award, Tracy O'Rourke
India.com
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Meet actor once hailed as Bollywood's next big thing, son of a 90s heartthrob, but fans failed to recognise him at his son's comeback premiere.., he is…
Meet actor once hailed as Bollywood's next big thing, son of a 90s heartthrob, but fans failed to recognise him at his son's comeback premiere.., he is… In the glitzy and glamorous world of Bollywood, where fame is always fleeting, nothing is predictable. One star could be winning hearts one day, the next day they might be completely out of the picture, but a few films remain etched in our memories for the long haul. But in this ever-changing industry, a comeback holds a certain charm, especially when it comes after years of silence. While for an actor it could be a revival of their career, for others it could be reclaiming their name, reputation, and aspiration. Once known as Bollywood's promising newcomers, later found himself in the middle of a controversy that pushed his life into the darkest, deepest hole. The actor we are talking about is none other than Sooraj Pancholi. After nearly a decade of an elongated court battle and scrutiny in the controversial Jiah Khan case, Sooraj Pancholi is all set to make his comeback with the action-drama packed film Kesari that is expected to be released on May 23. Besides, Sooral in the supporting role, the film will see Suniel Shetty in the lead role. Sooraj has been away from the industry for years, being embroiled in the controversy. He started his career in 2014 with a hero opposite Athiya Shetty. Besides that, he also worked in films like Time To Dance, Satellite Shankar, and Hawa Singh. Sooraj's comeback is not only about reviving his professional career, but it is deeply emotional since it's about clearing his image and reclaiming his name. Sooraj is all geared up for his return and is excited and grateful to be back on the big screen. But besides Sooraj's comeback, what caught everyone's attention was Aditya Pancholi, father of Sooraj Pancholi's presence at the Kesari premiere. Once ruling the industry in the 90s, Aditya gave many blockbuster hits like Saathi, Yaad Rakhegi Duniya, Aatish, Yes Boss, Jung, etc. As the video from Kesari's premiere resurfaced online, fans were quick to comment on Sooraj's appearance. However, what was surprising was that the fan couldn't recognise the veteran actor Aditya Pancholi. At the premiere of Kesari, actor Aditya Pancholi got emotional while speaking about his son's return. During the Kesari premiere, he shared the amount of hard work Sooraj has put in his role despite his challenges, he also spoke about his faith in god and persistence that gave his family strength to keep moving forward. Aditya added, 'I'm very proud of him'. Sharing the same feelings, Sooraj's mother, Zarina Wahab, also shared her joy, expressing how Sooraj's return was long overdue and the film has done justice to his talent. Sooraj Pancholi's return is not merely a comeback, it's a story of redemption and reclaiming reputation.
India.com
20-05-2025
- Business
- India.com
Who Was Nikhil Somwanshi? Techie Who Died By Suicide As Coworker Points To Toxic Workload
New Delhi: The death of a young employee in India has once again put the spotlight on toxic work culture. Nikhil Somwanshi, a techie who worked for Ola's artificial intelligence (AI) arm Krutrim, died allegedly by suicide on May 8. The recent death of a young tech employee in India has raised fresh concerns about the pressures of toxic work culture. NIkhil Somwashi, who was working with Ola's AI arm, Krutrim, allegedly died by suicide on May 8. This sparked a wider conversation about mental health and workplace stress in the tech industry. A Reddit user, who claimed to be a coworker of Nikhil Somwashi shared that Nikhil took his own life due to 'extreme work pressure.' The user posted under the username 'Kirigawakazuto' after two colleagues quit and most of the workload fell on Nikhil. They also described the work environment as especially tough for freshers and called the experience of working with the manager 'traumatic.' Who was Nikhil Somwanshi? Nikhil Somwanshi was a machine learning engineer at Krutrim, the AI unit of Ola, led by Bhavish Aggarwal. According to his LinkedIn profile, he was a fresher who had been with the company since August 2024. He had recently graduated from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, in July 2024. Nikhil's profile showed that he had two internships before joining Krutrim. In 2023, he spent three months interning at Kotak Mahindra Bank in Bengaluru. Later, from January to June 2024, he worked as a Natural Language Processing Engineer intern at IISc. During his internship at IISc, Nikhil Somwanshi worked on a chatbot called Saathi as part of his Master's thesis. The project was based on large language models (LLM) and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). Saathi was funded by the Melinda Gates Foundation and involved a collaboration between IISc Bangalore, Oxford Brookes University (UK), Kotak Mahindra Bank, and Akaike Technologies. The chatbot focused on helping users navigate 200 government schemes. (Discussions on suicides can be triggering for some. But suicides are preventable. If you are looking for help, some suicide prevention helpline numbers in India are 011-40769002 from Sanjivini (Delhi-based, 10 am - 5.30 pm) and 044-24640050 from Sneha Foundation (Chennai-based, 8 am - 10 pm), +91 9999666555 from Vandrevala Foundation (Mumbai-based, 24x7).
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Business Standard
19-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
After techie's death, police summon Ola Krutrim manager in probe
The police on Monday registered a case of unnatural death following the alleged suicide of a techie working at Krutrim, the artificial intelligence unit of Ola. The death, reportedly linked to work pressure, has triggered scrutiny of the company's work culture. Police have summoned the manager of Ola's AI division for questioning, CNBC reported. The death of Nikhil Somwanshi, a young engineer and recent graduate of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, has drawn public attention after allegations of toxic workplace practices emerged on social media. Somwanshi had joined Krutrim less than a year ago and allegedly died by suicide on 8 May. The case gained traction after an anonymous Reddit post—purportedly written by a colleague—went viral, describing the company's environment as 'traumatic,' especially for freshers. The post alleged that Somwanshi was leading a project with two other teammates despite being a recent hire. After both colleagues resigned, the entire workload reportedly fell on him. The post also claimed that the team's manager was verbally abusive in meetings and worked remotely from the US, while the rest of the team was based in Bengaluru. It further alleged that the company attempted to suppress news of the incident. Also Read: A former Krutrim employee, who had worked closely with the same manager, corroborated the allegations. They said they resigned from the company without another job offer due to the intense pressure and recalled having suicidal thoughts during their tenure. In response, the company stated that Somwanshi was on personal leave at the time of the incident. According to a company spokesperson, he initially reached out to his manager on 8 April, expressing the need for rest, and was granted time off. On 17 April, he informed the team that he was feeling better but requested additional rest, which was granted. 'As a company, we are heartbroken by this loss. Nikhil was a valued team member, and his absence will be deeply felt by all who knew and worked with him,' the spokesperson said. According to Somwanshi's LinkedIn profile, he worked on a large language model (LLM) and a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)-based chatbot called Saathi as part of his master's thesis, which was funded by the Melinda Gates Foundation.
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First Post
19-05-2025
- Business
- First Post
Krutrim techie dies by ‘suicide' in Bengaluru: Is toxic work culture to blame?
Nikhil Somwanshi, a 26-year-old techie, died allegedly by suicide on May 8. A recent graduate, he joined Ola's artificial intelligence (AI) arm, Krutrim, just 10 months ago. His death has brought the alleged toxic work environment at the firm to the limelight after a Reddit post blamed immense work pressure and verbal abuse by his manager for the tragic incident read more The death of a young employee in India has once again put the spotlight on toxic work culture. Nikhil Somwanshi, a techie who worked for Ola's artificial intelligence (AI) arm Krutrim, died allegedly by suicide on May 8. It is being claimed that he was under extreme work pressure. Nikhil's death grabbed headlines after a Reddit post by an anonymous user describing the alleged toxic work environment at Krutim went viral. Let's take a closer look. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Who was Nikhil Somwanshi? Nikhil Somwanshi, 25, was a machine learning engineer at Krutrim, the AI unit of the ride-hailing service Ola. He recently graduated from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. Nikhil had joined Krutrim just ten months ago, according to his LinkedIn profile. For his master's thesis, he worked on large language model (LLM) and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)-based chatbot called Saathi. The project was a collaboration between IISc Bangalore, the UK's Oxford Brookes University, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Akaike Technologies. Nikhil also briefly interned at Kotak Mahindra Bank in Bengaluru and at IISc as a Natural Language Processing Engineer, as per his profile. Did work pressure kill him? Nikhil Somwanshi died allegedly by suicide on May 8. His body was found in Bengaluru's Agara Lake, as per NDTV. A first information report (FIR) has been filed in the matter. After his death, a Reddit post alleging a toxic work culture at Krutim has gained eyeballs. The Reddit user 'Kirgawakutzo' claimed Nikhil, a fresher, faced intense work pressure and verbal abuse at the hands of his US-based manager, Rajkiran Panuganti. According to the post, Nikhil was part of a three-member team which was leading a project. After two of the members resigned, Nikhil was burdened with their work as well. The post blamed Rajkiran for creating a toxic environment for employees, especially freshers. It is alleged that Rajkiran used 'traumatic' language in meetings, particularly for newcomers. The post said the manager 'attends the calls, bashes people left, right and centre and disappears' since he is in the US and most of the workforce is in Bengaluru. 'The words used in meetings, especially against freshers- it's just traumatic,' the post claimed. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD These allegations have been corroborated by former employees of Krutim. One of the ex-employees, who previously worked with Nikhil, told Financial Express, 'Rajkiran has no people management skills. He shouts at employees and disappears. The verbal abuse in meetings was traumatic.' The person added that current employees have been told not to speak with the media or police. 'Post his death, [another senior manager at Krutrim] even told others during a session that no one will talk about the incident and if approached by someone, they should redirect them to Ola's legal team,' the ex-employee claimed. Speaking to Business Standard, a former employee backed the allegations in the viral post, claiming to have quit without another job offer due to intense work pressure and recalled having suicidal thoughts while working at Krutim. Toxic work culture is again in the spotlight in India. AI-generated image Another ex-employee also corroborated the allegations in the Reddit post, calling it a 'nightmare' to work with the team's manager. As per the employee, the team members were frequently abused verbally for asking even basic clarifications or suggesting improvements, Business Standard reported. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Reddit post alleged that even after Nikhil's death, there has been 'no behavioural change' in people at Krutim. It also accused the company of trying to suppress the news of the tragic incident. ALSO READ: More students than farmers are dying by suicide in India. What's behind the alarming rise? Krutim says… A Krutrim spokesperson condoled Nikhil's death, saying the AI firm is 'extending full support' to his family. 'We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of one of our most talented young employees, Nikhil (Somwanshi), on the 8th of May. Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies are with his family, friends, and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. We are extending our full support to Nikhil's family and our employees during this time of grief. We are also in contact with the relevant authorities and will continue to offer our assistance as needed,' the spokesperson told PTI. Krutim said Nikhil was on 'personal leave' at the time of the incident. 'He had reached out to his manager on April 8, expressing that he needed rest, and was promptly granted personal time off. Later, on April 17, he shared that he was feeling better but would benefit from additional rest, and his leave was extended accordingly. We are heartbroken by this loss. Nikhil was a valued team member, and his absence will be deeply felt by all who knew and worked with him,' it added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A former Ola Krutrim employee, told Financial Express on the condition of anonymity that Nikhil stopped going to the office two weeks before his death, citing mental health concerns. Similar cases Nikhil Somwanshi's death has again brought toxic work culture into the limelight in India. Several cases of sudden deaths, including alleged suicides, of employees have been reported in the country in recent years. In April, a 23-year-old techie allegedly jumped to his death in Kerala due to 'extreme work pressure.' He had reportedly sent a video to his mother, underlining his overwhelming workload and pressure. Last October, a 42-year-old worker at Bajaj Finance is alleged to have died by suicide, citing immense work pressure and mental torture by his seniors in his suicide note. He left behind his wife and two children. An HDFC Bank employee, Sadaf Fatima, died at work, reportedly from a heart attack, in Lucknow after collapsing on the ground in September 2024. According to her colleagues, she was under stress due to work pressure. Another similar case surfaced in September last year. Anna Sebastian Perayil , a 26-year-old employee of Ernst and Young (EY) Pune, had died on July 20 while undergoing treatment at a city hospital after feeling uneasy and complaining of exhaustion. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The incident sparked a major backlash and debate on toxic work culture after a letter by Anna's mother to EY's India head, blaming 'work pressure' and long working hours for her daughter's death, went viral. With inputs from agencies A collection of Suicide prevention helpline numbers are available here. Please reach out if you or anyone you know is in need of support. The All-India helpline number is: 022-27546669)
