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Tag: business

  • ‘Beyond Boardrooms: Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murty Share Their Untold Story’

    ‘Beyond Boardrooms: Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murty Share Their Untold Story’

    Mumbai: CNBC-TV18, India’s business news channel, is gearing up for an double feature on 8 January 2024, at 7 PM showcasing an exclusive interview with Shereen Bhan, managing editor CNBC-TV18 with two of India’s renowned leaders of India Inc NR Narayana Murthy, and Sudha Murty. The inspiring conversation delves into their extraordinary life, unveiling untold stories from their past and their personal sacrifice that fuelled the success of Infosys.

    In the interview, the Murthy’s open up about their journey from the early days of Infosys to personal milestones, offering a comprehensive understanding of their shared values and individual strengths. The conversation transcends business success, delving into the heart of their extraordinary relationship. From Sudha Murty’s choice to spell her surname as ‘Murty’ due to Sanskrit beliefs instead of ‘Murthy’ to NR Narayana Murthy’s commitment to leading by example, the couple provides glimpses into the values that built not only a successful business but also a harmonious family.

    Talking about taking a step back in her journey with Infosys Murty said, “Thinking about managing my family and work I thought of taking a step back, at least that’s what the brain said, but the heart did not accept it. The heart said no; I have to work because I love technology. Also, the idea of working hard for your own company brought a different kind of joy to me. It’s not just about money; the joy of working with your colleagues and creating a product or service is something very special. I always enjoyed that in telecom, and I have to acknowledge that for everything, there is a price.”

    In his latest interaction, Murthy while facing questions about the backlash surrounding his recommendation of a 70-hour work week, addressed the criticism and highlighted the hard work put in by the less privileged section in India, adding that people need to work hard in this country because poor farmers and factory workers work very hard, he said, “I rationalise it this way. When somebody has performed much better than me in their own field, I respect them and ask where they find me wrong in this. But I didn’t find it. A lot of my western friends, NRIs, and good people in India have called me and they are very happy about it. Those of us who received education at a very huge discount, thanks to subsidies from the government, owe it to the less fortunate citizens of India to work harder.”

    As the co-founders of Infosys, NR Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murty reveal the intricate layers of their journey, providing insights into their shared values, individual strengths, and the unconventional choices that have left an indelible mark on India’s corporate landscape. The interview, conducted by CNBC-TV18’s Shereen Bhan, goes beyond business, delving into the heart of their extraordinary relationship and emphasizing the art of sacrifice, resilience, and conviction that paved the way for Infosys. CNBC-TV18 invites viewers to witness the Murthys’ extraordinary story, emphasising the art of sacrifice, resilience, and conviction that paved the way for Infosys.

    Tune in on 8 January 2024, at 7 PM for this exclusive interview.

     

  • IAS announces attention product to unify media quality and eye-tracking

    IAS announces attention product to unify media quality and eye-tracking

    Mumbai: Integral Ad Science (Nasdaq: IAS), a global media measurement and optimisation platform announced the general availability of its Quality Attention™ measurement product –to unify media quality and eye tracking with machine learning. The new offering provides transparent metrics to help global advertisers increase return on investment, drive brand consideration, and boost conversions.

    With Quality Attention, advertisers can capture higher attention to drive campaign performance and unlock proven results. Quality Attention uses advanced machine learning technology, actionable data from Lumen Research’s eye-tracking technology, and a variety of signals obtained as part of IAS’s core technology, including viewability, ad situation, and user interaction, and weighs them into a single attention score. IAS’s attention model is designed to predict if an impression is more likely to lead to a business result including awareness, consideration, and conversion.

    Integral Ad Science chief commercial officer Yannis Dosios said, “Attention measurement must inform actions that drive superior results for advertisers, Integral Ad Science. Our Quality Attention offering is purpose-built to help brands and agencies navigate through media clutter to seamlessly understand how media visibility, the ad environment, and customer interaction impact campaign performance. According to our research, brands that focus on driving higher IAS attention scores achieve up to a 130 per cent lift in conversion rates leading to a better return on their investment.”

    Quality Attention provides global advertisers with:

    1.   An Advanced Machine Learning Model: A singular view of campaigns’ attention performance, trained based on a pool of data consisting of billions of impressions and millions of conversion events.
    2.   Proven Performance and Brand Results: Up to a 130 per cent lift in conversion rates when comparing high attention impressions to low attention impressions, with greater attention scores seeing 91 per cent higher brand consideration and 166 per cent higher purchase intent.
    3.   Unification of Media Quality with Human Attention: IAS is the first company to combine one of the world’s largest consumer attention biometric data sets with media quality metrics to provide the most accurate picture of attention for global advertisers.

    Global healthcare company Sanofi has partnered with IAS as they move beyond traditional ways of measuring media performance. Sanofi CHC Global Digital Media Lead Anna Kechekmadze said, “We know that ad clutter is not only a frustrating consumer experience, but it also correlates with attention and carbon footprint: less ad clutter = more attention and less carbon, Our partnership with IAS on Quality Attention is giving us insight into how attention plays a role in reducing ad fatigue, getting better inventory quality and improving media KPIs.”

    IAS and Lumen Research announced their initial partnership in 2023 to change the way digital advertising impressions are measured for attention-first advertising. Now, IAS customers will have an even more powerful way to accurately track which ad impressions have captured attention and are likely to yield business results.

    Lumen Research CEO Mike Follett said, “We are excited about the evolution of our partnership with IAS and how we are offering advertisers a transparent and more accurate picture of attention, by bringing our cutting-edge eye-tracking data to IAS’s attention model, advertisers have access to the most robust predictive attention models at scale.”

    For more information, visit https://integralads.com/solutions/attention/ or read the recent report, The Attention Payoff.

  • Birlasoft appoints Manjunath Kygonahally as CEO for ROW region

    Birlasoft appoints Manjunath Kygonahally as CEO for ROW region

    Mumbai: Birlasoft Ltd, part of the Rs 2.9 billion diversified C.K. Birla Group, announced the appointment of Manjunath Kygonahally (Manju) as chief executive officer (CEO) for Rest of the World (ROW) region, effective 2 January 2024. He will be based in the UK.

    Manju would be responsible for all business and strategic growth initiatives in the ROW region, comprising all regions outside of the Americas. Manju is a seasoned services industry professional with diversified industry expertise spanning market strategy, business development, service delivery, and operations. With a strong foundation in P&L and client relationship management, Manju has adeptly built high performing teams, demonstrating a proven track record across the United States, United Kingdom & Ireland, and Europe.

    Commenting on Manju’s appointment Birlasoft CEO and managing director Angan Guha said, “On behalf of the board of directors and the entire Birlasoft family, I extend a warm welcome to Manju. He possesses an exceptional leadership record, a unique knack for fostering lasting client relationships, and has successfully guided large-scale digital transformation programs. We are on a positive growth trajectory and well-positioned to continue building on our strong momentum. I am certain that Manju’s addition to our leadership team will further reinforce Birlasoft’s commitment to be bold, agile and ambitious and drive our next phase of growth.”

    In his previous role, Manju was leading the communications, media & entertainment (CMT) business for Cognizant’s Global Growth Markets based out of London. Over his twenty-five-year tenure, he held multiple leadership positions, where he conceptualised and spearheaded numerous strategic programs across various business units.

  • White Rivers Media gears up for the New Year by clocking 25 business accounts in Q4 2023

    White Rivers Media gears up for the New Year by clocking 25 business accounts in Q4 2023

    Mumbai: The last quarter of 2023 saw White Rivers Media do campaigns for Frooti, Dettol, Tata NourishCo, Astral, Crunchyroll India, boat, Pass Pass Pulse, Chingles, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, Zoomcar, Radico Khaitan amongst others. The agency has seen its business grow on the back of generative AI activations, trend-setting influencer-brand integrations, and evocative digital films, delivering a diverse set of strategic and tactical campaigns for brands across categories.

    This year also saw White Rivers Media launch WRM Digital Studios, an agile digital-first production arm. The studio brought to life Astral Foundation’s initiative to support Rajasthan’s eco-feminist Piplantri village, a drought-proof oasis that celebrates the birth of its daughters by planting saplings.

    Another original production, the #DettolProtectsTomorrow digital film, encouraged the nurturing of childhood curiosity and learning, empowering today’s parents to let their children explore without fear of germs, with the protection of Dettol.

    Swiggy Dineout captured hearts in the cluttered Indian festive season with the #TogetherWaliDiwali film. Reliance Jewels adorned their new collections with films that rekindled India’s love for traditional art. All were conceptualised and produced by WRM.WRM in collaboration with the curativity platform created from scratch the identity of ‘Say Never’, the brand-new caffeine-based energy drink from Tata NourishCo.

    The agency is also entrusted with expanding Frooti’s online presence, while tailoring a bespoke short-video content strategy for Zoomcar. In addition, the agency landed big hits in the AI and CGI arena with compelling content envisioned and engineered for DS Group’s Pulse Candy, Zee5 Global, and Universal Pictures India amongst many others.

     

     

    WRM also carved an all-new niche in the localisation of international internet sensations for India. They brought the multicultural international dance group The Quick Style to the country on multiple occasions, with their most viral piece of content coming from the boAt collaboration.

    The agency also collaborated with boAt to bring global YouTube superstar IShowSpeed to India, who thoroughly enjoyed getting caught up in World Cup fever.

    White Rivers Media co-founder & chief creative officer Mitesh Kothari said, “2023 has been a transformative year for us and for advertising as a whole. We made our aspiration of making WRM a nationwide tech-first creative powerhouse a reality. Given that generative AI is fundamentally altering global creative business models, I am grateful to all our clients who recognise our ability to ensure their brands set pace.”

    Reinforcing their leadership status in the entertainment marketing ecosystem, WRM splashed a larger than life Gadar 2 mural on Mumbai’s tapestry for Zee Studios, crafted a unique Oppenheimer experience on WeTransfer for Universal Pictures India, and spearheaded digital promotions for some marquee shows from Sony LIV and Amazon miniTV.

  • LS Digital announces #ChallengeTheNow In:Sights series

    LS Digital announces #ChallengeTheNow In:Sights series

    Mumbai: LS Digital, an independent digital marketing transformation (DMT) company from India announced the launch of its first edition of #ChallengeTheNow In: Sights six-part series. In: Sights which stands for Industry Sightings, is a collation of industry insights and observations, designed for business leaders of all sizes poised to transform how we perceive and execute marketing in the era of digitally-empowered consumers. The series aims at enabling business leaders to take on change and drive their businesses into the future.

    Recognising digital as the pivotal touch point in the consumer journey, brands need to undergo a transformative process to effectively engage this growing audience and remain adaptable in a dynamic business environment. Speaking at the launch LS Digital, CEO & founder Prasad Shejale said, “The In: Sights Papers consolidates our discoveries in key areas of the digital marketing transformation field. Each paper illustrates strategies for brands to connect with consumers at a deeper level.

    #ChallengeTheNow serves as the catalyst for digital leaders to bridge the gap between conventional practices and transformative strategies – remapping and rewiring data, creativity, media, and technology fostering a comprehensive understanding of how to create impactful brand-customer experiences for the present and the future.”

    This first edition of In:Sights series from LS Digital will be periodically released on its LinkedIn platform starting 18 December 2023 till 31 March 2024. Each paper will focus on how stakeholders can harness appropriate tools, systems, and models to achieve objectives such as strategising using AI, acquiring new customers, ensuring a seamless user experience resulting in positive brand customer experiences. These will be across the six-pillar DMT framework:

    1. Technology & Innovations: A new, yet sure-footed imperative is the adoption of Ai to chart new Strategies, this paper intends to serve as a clarion call to help leaders embrace Ai in meaningful and measurable ways – elevate and personalise brand-customer connect.

    2. Media: Businesses must embrace a media optimisation strategy, benchmark competition, and have an SEO strategy to cater to the right audience.

    3. Customer Experience (CX): It is essential to have complete visibility of the consumer journey across all touch points. Businesses should know how to amplify, optimise, and personalise brand stories for positive end-user experiences.

    4. Creative & Communication: This paper will uncover insights on effective brand communication and social media strategy, content strategy, personalisation, and the use of mixed formats to engage with digital audiences.

    5. Data & Insights: Adopting a data-driven approach will allow business leaders to make more accurate and informed decisions. This paper will delve into the need for a data integration strategy, a consolidated view of user data, KPI monitoring, AI/ML evaluation and more.

    6. User Interface/User Experience (UI/UX): This is an important aspect that entails customer journey mapping, a UI/UX audit, along with other strategies that ensure that consumers have a frictionless product experience.

    Today, enterprises are at various stages of marketing and digital maturity, hence it is clear that there is no-one-size-fits-all solution. What enterprises require is a holistic reimagining of marketing transformation leveraging digital as a catalyst to reconfigure its marketing approach and leap ahead with confidence. In:Sights will empower business leaders with the knowledge about the resources required to acquire, engage, and retain consumers in a meaningful way.

  • India excels in Cloud, AI, and ML: 85 per cent of Indian businesses use cloud providers for analytics: Experian Study

    India excels in Cloud, AI, and ML: 85 per cent of Indian businesses use cloud providers for analytics: Experian Study

    Mumbai: India demonstrates remarkable resilience in the face of a challenging global landscape, according to the World Bank. Robust domestic demand, public infrastructure investments and the strengthening of the financial sector collectively contribute to India’s performance. As a testament to this resilience, a staggering 77 per cent of business leaders surveyed maintain a positive outlook for the upcoming year. These findings emerge from a comprehensive study conducted by forrester consulting commissioned by Experian, a global information services leader. The study also explores the profound impact of AI on analytics, risk assessment and customer experience. Notably, India demonstrates impressive AI and Machine Learning (ML), adoption rates, reaching 49 per cent in customer service and 40 per cent in identity verification.

    The study highlights India’s leadership in the EMEA and APAC regions, with 85 per cent of surveyed Indian businesses using external cloud providers for analytics. India’s adoption outpaces countries like Germany (66 per cent), New Zealand (per cent), and Spain (58 per cent), solidifying its position as a front-runner in cloud, AI, and ML utilisation.

    Role of AI in mitigating top risks:

    The report delves into the transformative potential of AI, the biggest risk priorities, and underscores how AI plays a pivotal role in fortifying resilience. Data privacy (59 per cent) and cybersecurity (53 per cent) emerge as the top risk concerns for the upcoming year, followed by ESG risk (47 per cent) and credit risk (41 per cent).

    Effectively mitigating these risks depends on improving the predictiveness of models and unlocking value from a wide variety of data sources. In this regard AI, particularly ML stands out as an instrumental tool with immense potential.

    Data integration and cloud investments drive AI success:

    Achieving AI success requires large volumes of data and the right data infrastructure. Despite an increase in new data sources, the biggest data-related challenge (for 48 per cent of respondents) pertains to the difficulty in effectively sharing data at a large scale while ensuring trust and security. As a result, 86 per cent of business leaders are prioritising investments in new data sources to better understand risk and affordability.

    The research shows that the biggest analytics-related challenge for nearly half of respondents (55 per cent) is the ability to seamlessly connect different data assets in a data warehouse that can adequately support AI/ML use cases. To address this issue, 86 per cent are prioritising investments in cloud technology for seamless data integration with 63 per cent agreeing that externally hosted cloud services are the best way to avoid data silos and aggregate data sources.

    Unlocking AI’s potential: productivity and efficiency enhancements:

    There are multiple ways in which AI can improve productivity, efficiency, and service delivery. Many organisations are actively exploring AI use cases, with a diverse range of possibilities, including enhanced underwriting with ML-based models, proactive and early identification of vulnerable customers, improved fraud prevention and faster customer service. More than half (65 per cent) of those already using AI find that their productivity gains have offset the initial cost – a clear indication of positive ROI from AI adoption.

    Experian managing director Saikrishnan said, “AI is currently leading the way in identifying innovative approaches to unlock the power of data, revolutionising business operations and elevating customer experience. As businesses engage with increasingly intricate decisions, AI plays a pivotal role in optimising the efficiency and effectiveness of business processes. Embracing the enduring role of AI becomes imperative, providing unparalleled insights for precise decision-making, particularly in critical areas such as risk management and fraud prevention. Simultaneously, it ushers in a new era of operational efficiency through automation, ultimately elevating the customer experience to new heights.”

    “AI/ML has increasingly emerged as a pivotal catalyst in combating new fraud challenges, automating credit risk processes, and leverage alternative data. AI is rapidly transitioning from a choice to a necessity, driving improved business performance and fostering inclusive financial growth,” he further added.

    Adding to it, Experian CEO, EMEA & APAC Malin Holmberg said, “While AI is driving innovation and enhancing analytical performance, it is critical to ensure this technology is used in a responsible and ethical way. It is reassuring that 61 per cent of our respondents have a comprehensive AI risk management program in place and are actively addressing unintentional bias through fully transparent and explainable AI. Businesses that embrace this technology will find themselves at an advantage as they unlock new growth opportunities through process efficiency and greater automation,”

  • LEAD announces Anupam Gurani & Manoj Naik elevation at a leadership role

    LEAD announces Anupam Gurani & Manoj Naik elevation at a leadership role

    Mumbai: Homegrown school edtech unicorn, LEAD, has elevated Anupam Gurani to chief business & marketing officer and Manoj Naik to chief finance & operations officer.  In their new positions, Gurani and Naik will further strengthen LEAD’s proposition as an integrated school edtech solutions provider with expertise in operations, classroom management, curriculum, and pedagogy.

    In addition to his marketing responsibilities, Gurani will now also drive customer success and revenue generation at LEAD, with a focus on continually delivering great results for all school stakeholders, and Naik will also lead supply chain and procurement excellence, in addition to leading financial operations at edtech.

    LEAD co-founder and CEO Sumeet Mehta said, “Gurani and Naik are leading our mission of bringing excellent education to every child. With their deep expertise and experience, I am sure they’ll continue to contribute to the lead in their elevated roles.” 

    “The opportunity to build on our current momentum for growth and student confidence-building through school edtech is tremendous, and I am excited to take on this new role. I look forward to working with our teams to drive further success for LEAD as we continue to make excellent learning accessible and affordable for students across India,” said Anupam Gurani. An accomplished sales, marketing, and strategy professional with over 18 years of experience, Gurani has previously led teams in leading multinational organisations across India and Southeast Asia, including Disney+, Hotstar, Vodafone, Google, and Reckitt.

    “I am thrilled to be a part of LEAD at this important juncture in its journey of impact and growth. As we continue to shape the future of learning outcomes in India’s schools, I am excited about the opportunity to strengthen operational excellence with an incredible, values-driven team,” added Manoj Naik. With over 30 years of experience, Naik has led finance, commercial and technology operations in leading companies such as GE Capital, ManipalCigna Health Insurance and Fullerton Securities, among others across India and the UAE.

  • Wunderman Thompson India ropes in Rakesh Varma & Abhay Godbole, bolsters its Mumbai leadership team

    Wunderman Thompson India ropes in Rakesh Varma & Abhay Godbole, bolsters its Mumbai leadership team

    Mumbai: Wunderman Thompson India has announced the appointment of two senior hires for its Mumbai office. Rakesh Varma has joined as vice president & executive business director, and Abhay Godbole as vice president & client service director.

    Both Rakesh and Abhay will report to Wunderman Thompson Mumbai managing partner Anurag Tandon.

    Rakesh has over 15 years of advertising experience, having worked on a wide range of brands, with a particular fondness for automobiles and auto accessories, with brands like Volkswagen, TVS Motorcycles, Ashok Leyland & Gulf Oil. He has been associated with leading brands like Hotstar, Radio City, FBB, Gelusil & Tata AIA, amongst others. He has in-depth understanding and experience in brand strategy, campaign planning, and leading integrated marketing efforts.

    Having previously worked with Wunderman Thompson Mumbai, Abhay Godbole returns to the agency for a second innings. During his previous stint with the agency, Abhay was instrumental in leading the much lauded “Mutual Funds Sahi Hai” for AMFI. He has close to two decades of experience in marketing communications, working across categories like FMCG, automobiles, and BFSI. Passionate about advertising and creativity, Abhay believes any marketing challenge can be addressed through compelling creative solutions.

    Commenting on the new appointments, Wunderman Thompson Mumbai managing partner Anurag Tandon said, “As we continue to diversify our client roster and grow our talent base, it is critical for us to have the right hands on deck. Rakesh and Abhay bring with them extensive experience and domain knowledge that will propel us to drive growth in key industry domains and deliver the best outcomes for our clients. Both our senior hires have an impressive track record of building strong consumer brands, and I am looking forward to scaling new heights with our client partners.”

    On taking up his new role at Wunderman Thompson, India, Rakesh Varma, commented, “At Wunderman Thompson, we’re building a future that’s as exciting as its legacy. And I consider myself extremely fortunate to be a part of this transformation. With its diverse brand portfolio, integrated service approach, and promising growth vision, WT is all set to thrive. I’m looking forward to nurturing some of the long-standing client relationships and creating new ones.”

    Abhay Godbole added, “I am delighted to be back at Wunderman Thompson, one of India’s finest agencies that has nurtured and built multiple brands in the country. Wunderman Thompson is in a unique position to create the agency of the future; an agency that is capable of delivering the best of both mainline and data-led digital communications. I look forward to being a part of this exciting and transformational journey.”

  • First India and Bharat24 honour entrepreneurs from Gujarat with Shikhar Samman

    First India and Bharat24 honour entrepreneurs from Gujarat with Shikhar Samman

    Mumbai: First India News and Bharat24 celebrated the contribution of entrepreneurs and businesses towards the development of Gujarat with Shikhar Samman in a glittering ceremony.

    Gujarat chief minister Bhupendrabhai Patel and home minister Harshbhai Sanghvi are the chief guest and guest of honour, respectively. They gave the prestigious “Gujarat Shikhar Samman – Pride of Gujarat” awards to the winners across various categories. The event was attended by business luminaries, leading journalists, and elite members of civil society.

    The initiative not only reinforced the significant role of entrepreneurs towards the state’s economy but also marked panel discussions on key developmental issues, including “Rising Gujarat, Badta Bharat” and “Swastha Gujarat,” a healthcare development in Gujarat that hosted esteemed panellists who addressed the issues and deliberated upon way forward strategies.

  • 9X Media’s Bhupendra Makhi starts his new innings as CEO

    9X Media’s Bhupendra Makhi starts his new innings as CEO

    Mumbai: The largest music broadcaster, 9X Media has elevated Bhupendra Makhi to the position of chief executive officer (CEO). The new role allows him to spearhead strategic business developments for the company. His vivid experience will facilitate strengthening the company’s objectives and focus on areas to build business for the long term. Having a proven track record of producing excellent results, he will focus to embark on a new journey and take 9X Media to a higher level of growth by engaging audiences through its disruptive content.

    Bhupendra brings extensive knowledge of the financial sector as well as an impressive track record in the media & entertainment industry.

    During his long tenure with 9X, Bhupendra was also the company’s chief financial officer (CFO), having risen through the ranks from vice-president of finance. He has been with the company since 2007.

    Commenting on his elevation as CEO, Bhupendra Makhi said, “I am grateful to our investors and the board for entrusting me with this role. 9X Media has reached an important stage, having met significant milestones, and achieving positive performance. We remain highly encouraged and I look forward to continuing to work closely with all the teams for the benefit of the company and creating value for our stakeholders.”