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MeitY Startup Hub Appoints P.S. Madanagopal as New CEO

The MeitY Startup Hub has announced the appointment of Panneerselvam Madanagopal as its new Chief Executive Officer. Known for his remarkable contributions to innovation and entrepreneurial growth, Madanagopal brings a wealth of experience to his new role, poised to further strengthen the organization’s mission of fostering a thriving tech startup ecosystem in India.

Madanagopal’s leadership is expected to propel MeitY Startup Hub to new heights, aligning with India’s ambition of becoming a global leader in technology and innovation.

With over two decades of experience, Madanagopal has an extensive understanding of consumer and market dynamics, honed through key roles in notable organizations. Before this appointment, he spent over seven years at T-Hub and served as Head of Strategy & Growth (Group CMO) at Almond House. Throughout his career, he has worked with industry giants like Axis Bank, Titan, HP, Tata Steel, Tata Global Beverages, and Unilever.

His expertise spans B2B and B2C markets, marketing strategy development, branding, product innovation, and consumer behavior analysis. Madanagopal has also excelled in designing and implementing strategic sales, distribution, and customer loyalty frameworks, while fostering cohesive teams to achieve measurable results.

Under his leadership, MeitY Startup Hub is set to achieve significant milestones in empowering India’s startup ecosystem.

Global Talent at Your Fingertips: How Technology Is Revolutionizing Hiring Practices

The digital age has redefined what it means to source, evaluate, and hire talent. Today, employers are no longer confined to local job markets, but instead have access to a global pool of skilled professionals. Technology, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI) and advanced data analytics is enabling organizations to access the right talent swiftly and with higher precision. This move is not just about convenience—it is about building diverse, capable teams that drive business success.

Challenges in Recruitment

Recruiting talent is not without its hurdles, and the numbers reflect these challenges. According to a recent report from ManpowerGroup, 75% of employers are currently struggling to fill job vacancies. This shortage has only intensified since 2015, when just 38% of employers faced hiring difficulties. Given this increasing demand for skilled labor, the focus has turned toward leveraging technology to optimize recruitment processes.

Organizations are adopting AI-powered recruitment technologies at an unprecedented rate. This market, currently valued at $661.5 million in 2024, is expected to grow to $1.1 billion by 2030, according to Maximize Market Research. AI-driven solutions not only address the growing labour shortage but also bring efficiency and accuracy to each stage of the hiring process.

AI-Powered Screening and Selection

One of the most time-consuming tasks in recruitment is screening resumes—a responsibility that AI has made significantly easier. A study by Talent Board and Phenom highlights that AI-powered tools can reduce the time spent on résumé review by up to 75%. This technology eliminates repetitive tasks and allows recruiters to focus on more strategic aspects of hiring, like candidate engagement and cultural fit. By reducing manual processes, companies gain speed without compromising the quality of hires.

AI’s impact extends beyond screening to interview scheduling. A separate study by Phenom found that companies using AI to schedule interviews saved 36% of their time compared to those relying on manual processes. As such, AI-powered scheduling has helped streamline recruitment efforts, especially in fast-paced hiring environments. These efficiencies translate to cost savings and faster time-to-hire, allowing companies to remain competitive in an increasingly dynamic market.

Bridging Geographical Gaps

With advances in technology, companies now have a wider reach, enabling them to recruit talent from virtually any corner of the globe. The pandemic accelerated remote work adoption, and now, global hiring is a key part of business strategies. AI-based platforms are designed to navigate different languages, cultural nuances, and regional hiring practices, making cross-border recruitment seamless. This shift allows businesses to hire the best talent, regardless of where they are located, and to diversify their workforce in meaningful ways.

Diversity, particularly at executive levels, has been shown to benefit companies financially. According to McKinsey research, companies with strong gender diversity on their executive teams are 25% more likely to achieve above-average profitability than their less-diverse peers. The use of technology in recruitment is a driving force in ensuring that companies can attract and retain diverse talent, ultimately leading to greater business success.

Data-Driven Insights for Hiring Accuracy and Retention

One of the most transformative aspects of AI in recruitment is the use of people analytics, which gives recruiters and HR teams data-backed insights to make better decisions. McKinsey’s research reveals that organizations leveraging people analytics experience an 80% increase in recruiting efficiency, a 25% rise in business productivity, and a 50% reduction in attrition rates. People analytics enables a deep understanding of which hiring methods work best, which candidate profiles tend to succeed, and how recruitment processes can be continually improved.

Predictive analytics can identify candidates likely to stay with an organization long-term, helping companies avoid costly hiring mistakes. Additionally, AI-based sentiment analysis tools evaluate a candidate’s enthusiasm and fit, providing recruiters with an additional layer of understanding. These insights help create a more objective, reliable recruitment process, reducing biases that may otherwise impact hiring decisions.

Role of Generative AI

Despite its benefits, generative AI remains underutilized in recruitment. According to LinkedIn’s Future of Recruiting survey for 2024, 62% of talent acquisition professionals express optimism about AI’s potential, yet only 27% are currently experimenting with generative AI. Generative AI could potentially transform hiring by creating customized resumes, generating job descriptions, and providing candidate insights tailored to specific roles. By automating these tasks, recruitment teams can spend more time building relationships with candidates and fostering a positive hiring experience.

Generative AI tools also improve candidate engagement by enabling personalized interactions and timely follow-ups. In a competitive job market, candidates are more likely to choose organizations that provide a smooth, personalized application process. AI can also help simulate real-world scenarios during interviews, allowing recruiters to assess a candidate’s problem-solving abilities in ways that go beyond traditional question-and-answer formats.

Conclusion

As recruitment evolves, it is clear that AI and data-driven strategies are crucial for meeting today’s talent demands. By reducing inefficiencies and offering global access to talent, technology-driven recruitment tools empower companies to build teams that are not only skilled but also diverse and resilient.

Author: Siddhartha Chandurkar, Founder and CEO, talentanywhere.ai by ShepHertz

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of ObserveNow Media. The author is solely responsible for ensuring the accuracy, completeness, and validity of the information presented, encouraging readers to independently verify and seek professional advice if needed.

Moksha Group Acquires Strategic Assets of Retail Tech Startup Arzooo in Distress Sale

Mumbai-based Moksha Group has acquired key assets from retail technology startup Arzooo. Sources indicate that the acquisition is part of a distress sale, as Arzooo faced significant financial difficulties, including the risk of closure, mass layoffs, and salary delays.

Moksha Group aims to leverage these assets to empower small retailers by offering advanced digital tools and integrated fintech solutions. Through innovations like credit access and low-cost EMIs, the group plans to enhance the competitiveness of smaller players in a rapidly evolving retail landscape.

In a significant leadership move, Moksha has appointed e-commerce veteran Rehan Shaikh as its co-founder and CEO to drive its next phase of growth.

Arzooo, founded by former Flipkart executives Khushnud Khan and Rishi Raj Rathore, had recently launched gostor.com, a platform designed to bring offline partner stores online. The company reportedly served 30,000 retailers across 250 cities in India and raised approximately $85 million in funding, including a $70 million Series B round in 2022. Despite these achievements, the startup struggled to maintain operations, leading to this acquisition by Moksha Group.

RBI to Pilot Local Cloud Platform for Financial Firms in 2025

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is set to launch a pilot program for a domestic cloud services platform in 2025, aiming to offer cost-effective data storage solutions tailored for smaller banks and financial firms. The initiative seeks to reduce reliance on global cloud giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google.

The RBI’s platform will leverage local IT companies to cater to smaller financial institutions often burdened by the high costs of existing cloud services. The rollout will occur in phases, with gradual expansion to address the specific needs of these firms.

India’s cloud market, valued at $8.3 billion in 2023, is projected to triple to $24.2 billion by 2028. Despite this growth, foreign players currently dominate the sector. Through its foray into cloud services, the RBI aims to provide a competitive and secure local alternative.

This initiative builds on RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das’s earlier announcement about creating a public cloud for the financial sector, underscoring the central bank’s commitment to enhancing data security while supporting domestic businesses.

Autodesk Partners with IIT Bombay to Boost Skills Education for Future Engineers and Designers

Autodesk and the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT Bombay), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance skills education for aspiring engineers, designers, and innovators, preparing them for thriving careers in the design and manufacturing sectors. The partnership will combine Autodesk’s industrial expertise with IIT Bombay’s strengths in education, research, and innovation to nurture top-tier talent and support India’s technological and scientific growth.

As part of its global commitment, Autodesk aims to expand access to cutting-edge software and training for future industry professionals. The company offers free software solutions across infrastructure, construction, manufacturing, water management, and entertainment industries to over 100 million students and educators at 160,000 educational institutions worldwide.

The MoU was signed by Autodesk Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Steve Blum and Professor Ravindra Gudi, Dean of Alumni and Corporate Relations at IIT Bombay. The collaboration underscores Autodesk’s dedication to equipping students with the skills needed to excel in the workforce.

With the Design and Make sectors expected to employ 300 million individuals and generate $30 trillion in global value by 2027, Autodesk is playing a crucial role in skill development. In India alone, approximately 5 million students across 14,500 schools and colleges use Autodesk software to prepare for future opportunities.

Autodesk’s influence also extends to national and global skill competitions, including WorldSkills and IndiaSkills 2024, where over 900 participants showcased their talents in 61 skill areas. As a global partner of WorldSkills, Autodesk trained participants on its software, further solidifying its leadership in skills education.

F5 Launches AI Gateway to Transform Enterprise AI with Enhanced Security, Optimization, and Cost Efficiency

F5 has announced early access to its F5 AI Gateway, a containerized solution designed to streamline interactions between applications, APIs, and large language models (LLMs). The gateway aims to enhance performance, observability, and security, enabling enterprises to reduce costs while improving data quality and user experience. By integrating seamlessly with F5’s existing portfolio, the AI Gateway offers security and operations teams a robust pathway to adopt and manage AI services.

The move comes as enterprises increasingly embrace AI technologies. According to F5’s State of AI Application Strategy Report, 75% of enterprises are implementing AI-driven strategies. These applications often rely on APIs for delivery and consumption, but scaling and securing AI services remain significant challenges. Enterprises must address GPU compute costs, system responsiveness, and evolving regulatory compliance demands.

“LLMs are unlocking new levels of productivity and enhanced user experiences for customers, but they also require oversight, deep inspection at inference-time, and defense against new types of threats,” explained Kunal Anand, Chief Innovation Officer at F5. “By addressing these new requirements and integrating with F5’s trusted solutions for API traffic management, we’re enabling customers to confidently and efficiently deploy AI-powered applications in a massively larger threat landscape.”

Real-world AI deployments hinge on optimizing interactions across entire data ecosystems. The AI Gateway observes, secures, and optimizes variables to mitigate threats, ensure compliance, and cut costs. Designed for deployment across any cloud or data center, it natively integrates with NGINX and BIG-IP platforms, leveraging F5’s expertise in app security and delivery across traditional, multicloud, or edge environments.

The AI Gateway’s open extensibility empowers organizations to customize security and control protocols dynamically, enabling real-time adherence to security and compliance requirements. This flexibility supports businesses at any stage of their AI adoption journey.

“AI-powered applications will become a cornerstone for nearly every business and organization in the coming years,” said Shari Lava, Senior Director of AI and Automation at IDC. “F5’s introduction of an AI gateway enhances flexibility in AI application structures while maintaining robust protection and model optimization.”

Austin Geraci, CTO of WorldTech IT, emphasized the impact of the technology, stating, “With F5 AI Gateway, semantic caching and intelligent traffic routing alone represent significant cost savings, and the unification of F5 services will save customers hundreds of hours of integration work.

Tags: AI GatewayF5

SiyanoAV: Redefining Cybersecurity with a Proactive Shield for India’s Digital Future

Siyano Labs Pvt Ltd., a promising new player in India’s cybersecurity landscape, has launched SiyanoAV, an antivirus solution poised to set new standards for digital safety. Established in 2024, the company has made its debut in a market increasingly aware of cyber risks, presenting a solution designed to shield users from a spectrum of online vulnerabilities, from malware to identity theft.

SiyanoAV is uniquely tailored to India’s rapidly evolving digital environment. With advanced encryption, real-time scanning, and dark web monitoring, it offers a multi-layered defense that empowers users to navigate cyberspace with confidence. “We created SiyanoAV to go beyond what conventional antivirus software can do,” shared a Siyano Labs spokesperson. “Our product is designed to protect users in an era where digital behavior can sometimes lead to real-world consequences.”

Innovative Features for Comprehensive Protection

SiyanoAV integrates several features that cater to today’s complex cybersecurity challenges:

1. Real-Time Scanning and Threat Detection: Instantly identifies and neutralizes malware, ransomware, and other threats without compromising system performance.
2. Dark Web Monitoring: Alerts users if their sensitive data appears on the dark web, enabling immediate action to prevent identity theft.
3. Advanced Encryption: Protects data in transit and at rest, ensuring robust privacy.
4. Performance Optimization: Operates seamlessly in the background, maintaining device speed and efficiency.

Despite its recent launch, SiyanoAV has garnered positive feedback from users for its intuitive interface, high detection accuracy, and minimal system impact. Early adopters have lauded its ability to adapt swiftly to emerging threats, making it a reliable tool for individuals and businesses alike.

Siyano Labs extends its mission beyond software development. Through awareness programs and educational outreach, the company aims to promote responsible online behavior and enhance public understanding of cybersecurity best practices. This approach addresses rising concerns about digital arrests and online legal risks, fostering a safer and more informed digital community.

Swiggy Appoints Supriya Shankar as Vice President of Events and Experience

Bengaluru-based food delivery giant Swiggy has named Supriya Shankar as its Vice President of Events and Experience, marking a strategic step in expanding its lifestyle and experiential offerings.

Shankar, who brings 14 years of leadership experience across Lenskart, OYO, Zomato, and Airtel, will lead Swiggy’s live events platform, SteppinOut, integrating ticketing, curated events, and experiences. Highlighting her vision, Shankar said, “I look forward to fostering creativity and scaling purposeful initiatives, collaborating with teams and partners nationwide.”

Previously, as CEO for Singapore and Senior Vice President of Growth at Lenskart, Shankar showcased her expertise in scaling businesses, excelling in marketing, operations, and P&L management. Her appointment underscores Swiggy’s push to diversify beyond food delivery into lifestyle-oriented ventures, a move that aligns with growing competition from Zomato, which is set to launch its dining-out app, District.

Shankar’s appointment comes as Swiggy undergoes significant restructuring, following its recent IPO debut at ₹420 per share, an 8% premium over its issue price of ₹390. The company has also bolstered its leadership with Shalabh Shrivastava, a former Flipkart executive, joining as Senior Vice President of Driver Organisation, and Hari Kumar G taking over as Chief Business Officer of Instamart, Swiggy’s quick-commerce arm.

These leadership additions are poised to strengthen Swiggy’s core food delivery operations and drive growth in its events and lifestyle services, solidifying its position as a multi-dimensional platform in India’s competitive tech ecosystem.

Meta to Contest ₹213.14-Crore CCI Fine Over WhatsApp Privacy Policy Update

Meta has announced plans to challenge a ₹213.14-crore penalty imposed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for alleged anti-competitive practices linked to WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy policy update, according to a news story.

The CCI ruled that the update allowed WhatsApp to share user data with Meta-owned applications for advertising, which it deemed anti-competitive. Consequently, the regulator has prohibited WhatsApp from sharing such data for five years and directed Meta to address these concerns.

The CCI has mandated that WhatsApp introduce an opt-out option for users in India, including those who accepted the 2021 update. This feature, to be highlighted through in-app notifications, will enable users to refuse data sharing with Meta entities for purposes unrelated to WhatsApp.

Additionally, the CCI has barred WhatsApp from using shared user data for advertising and demanded full transparency in any data sharing for other purposes. WhatsApp must now provide detailed disclosures in its policy, explaining what data is shared, with whom, and for what purpose. The CCI further ruled that using WhatsApp in India should not require data sharing unrelated to the app’s core services.

Meta, however, has expressed disagreement with the CCI’s findings. A spokesperson stated that the 2021 policy was optional and did not affect the privacy of users’ personal messages. They emphasized that no user faced penalties, such as account suspension, for declining the update.

Meta clarified that the policy aimed to introduce optional business features and improve transparency around data usage, arguing that the CCI’s concerns are misplaced.

K Sanjay Murthy Appointed as India’s New Comptroller and Auditor General

K Sanjay Murthy has been named the new Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, succeeding GC Murmu, whose tenure concluded on November 20, 2024. A senior IAS officer from the 1985 batch of the Andhra Pradesh cadre, Murthy brings extensive experience from his roles in both state and central government.

Prior to this appointment, Murthy served as Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), where he spearheaded several key initiatives.

His career trajectory includes notable positions such as Deputy Commissioner in Himachal Pradesh, roles in the Ministry of Environment and Forests, and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology during his central deputation. He also contributed to e-governance reforms at the National Institute for Smart Government (NISG) in Hyderabad.

Murthy’s tenure in Himachal Pradesh saw him take on roles in power generation, education, transport, and urban development. With his background in engineering and civil services, he has been instrumental in policy formulation, governance, and administrative reforms, which are critical for his new role as CAG.

The CAG serves as an independent constitutional authority responsible for auditing public finances and ensuring governmental accountability. Established in 1858, the office has been pivotal in maintaining financial discipline and transparency. As the 14th CAG of India, Murthy’s leadership is expected to bolster the efficiency and integrity of public sector audits.

His expertise in governance and financial management makes him a promising choice to uphold the CAG’s mandate of safeguarding public resources and providing crucial insights into government spending to Parliament and state legislatures.

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