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Tag: public policy

  • CoinDCX appoints Kiran Vivekananda as chief of public policy & government affairs

    CoinDCX appoints Kiran Vivekananda as chief of public policy & government affairs

    MUMBAI: Crypto company CoinDCX has strengthened its senior leadership team by appointing Kiran Vivekananda as chief of public policy and government affairs to lead the company’s public policy and government affairs initiatives. In his new role, Vivekananda will lead CoinDCX’s Public Policy function, working closely with regulators and industry stakeholders and helping drive a positive narrative for the crypto industry in India.

    Vivekananda joins CoinDCX from Dream Sports Inc, where he was the chief policy officer and was responsible for driving advocacy efforts for the online gaming industry. He comes in with the rich experience of over two decades. Earlier, he worked with Uber India, HCL Infosystems, to name a few.

    CoinDCX co-founder & CEO Sumit Gupta said, “We are delighted to have Kiran lead our public policy portfolio. Kiran’s deep expertise in developing public policy strategies will strengthen our efforts to push the Indian crypto industry mandate and represent the industry at relevant forums”.

    Speaking on the appointment, Vivekananda said, “I look forward to working towards supporting a progressive policy and regulatory environment for the crypto industry”. He further added, “The Indian VDA market is the second-largest in the world and I believe that this presents a tremendous opportunity for India to lead the world in the technology-driven digital innovation in the crypto/ Web 3.0 space. I will leverage my experience in addressing concerns of regulators and in driving positive narratives/use cases of the crypto/blockchain technology”.

    According to CoinDCX, it continues to strengthen its talent pool and is hiring across functions as it continues to build innovative products and services for the users. Safety and compliance continue to take centre stage as the company is committed to doubling down its efforts in the Indian market. CoinDCX has been working closely with all stakeholders who can help position crypto in the mainstream of India’s digital economy.

     

  • Twitter India brings in Samiran Gupta as public policy head

    Twitter India brings in Samiran Gupta as public policy head

    Mumbai: Twitter India has announced the appointment of public policy veteran Samiran Gupta as head – public policy and philanthropy, India and South Asia. 

    Gupta is an experienced public policy and stakeholder engagement leader. He has over 30 years of experience, much of which has been spent in assisting corporations set up industrial and services activities. His strengths lie in leadership roles linking business and public affairs skills to corporate strategy.

    Prior to joining Twitter, Gupta was with Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) as head of stakeholder engagement, South Asia.

    Announcing Gupta’s appointment on the microblogging platform, Twitter’s senior director public policy & philanthropy, APAC, Kathleen Reen said, “Pleased to welcome @Samiran01 to @Twitter to lead our public @Policy & philanthropy efforts in India & S Asia. A deeply respected leader in public affairs & tech policy, we’re excited Samiran joins our journey toward an inclusive & open Internet that empowers public conversation.”

    “Thrilled to join Twitter to lead the Public Policy team’s work and engage with govts, NGOs, and partners in India & South Asia. Can’t wait to get started with the incredible Policy team and contribute towards an Internet that is a global force for good,” replied Gupta.

  • CoinSwitch brings in R Venkatesh as SVP of public policy

    CoinSwitch brings in R Venkatesh as SVP of public policy

    Mumbai: Homegrown crypto unicorn CoinSwitch has announced the appointment of R Venkatesh as senior vice president of public policy. 

    Venkatesh will work on policy, regulation, and external affairs to help create a regulatory framework for crypto assets in India, which fosters growth and innovation with consumer protection at the forefront, said the company in a statement.

    “I am delighted to welcome Venkatesh to the CoinSwitch team,” said CoinSwitch founder and CEO Ashish Singhal. “His rich experience across organisations with significant government interfaces will help accelerate our vision towards building a wealth-tech platform that customers and regulators can trust.”

    Venkatesh comes with nearly 25 years of experience in policy and government relations spanning diverse industries, including e-commerce, oil and gas, liquor, banking, and tobacco, with complex policy challenges impacting business operations. Most recently, Venkatesh was associated with MakeMyTrip India as the head of corporate affairs.

    “I am excited to join CoinSwitch on their mission to make money equal for all, keeping customer protection at the forefront,” stated R Venkatesh on his new assignment. “My top priority is to work closely with the industry and the Government to help create a progressive regulatory framework for this emerging but attractive asset class to support more Indians in their financial journey.”

    CoinSwitch, in September 2021, raised $260 million in Series C funding from Coinbase Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) to become India’s most valued crypto unicorn at a valuation of $1.9 billion.

  • upGrad taps Sanjay Kumar to build corporate affairs & public policy vertical

    upGrad taps Sanjay Kumar to build corporate affairs & public policy vertical

    Mumbai: Ed-tech major upGrad on Tuesday announced the appointment of Sanjay Kumar who will spearhead the company’s new vertical of corporate affairs and public policy for India. He will be based out of the company’s Noida office and also lead the scholarship efforts.

    As part of his new role, Kumar will work with the government, industry associations and other relevant stakeholders in the policy space for propelling strategic developments, which in turn, can support the brand in creating an integrated learning ecosystem within the country, said the company in a statement.

    Kumar brings with him over two decades of in-depth knowledge and expertise in running programmes at grassroots levels on government linkages and policy advocacy. Through his past endeavors, he has been associated with Sewa Bharat for 17 years as director and worked on programs that involved livelihood, microfinance, education and skill-building and public health.

    “We are thrilled to have a leader like Sanjay join the upGrad family. He brings with him deep domain expertise of over two decades in the government policies space which will help upGrad with the required support from the government for seamless business growth,” stated upGrad co-founder and MD Mayank Kumar. “The times and policies are evolving rapidly, and it needs continuous reviewing to help us stay in line with the government’s efforts for creating a stronger economy. His appointment is aptly timed, and I am confident that Sanjay will bring a valuable, holistic perspective to drive this new vertical while staying true to our vision and core beliefs.”

    In his last assignment, Kumar worked with the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute, Harvard University as an India country director for five years. During his tenure, he helped build and strengthen Harvard University’s footprint in India. At present, he also serves as the president of the Harvard Club of India.

    “The edtech space is booming with potential and prospects, and it is important now, more than ever, that our stakeholders, employees and customers resonate with the brand’s philosophy,” said Sanjay Kumar. “I am extremely pleased to join the upGrad team to support the company’s leadership and business growth for accelerating global education and the lifelong learning ecosystem for our learners. Being passionate about inclusive education, I am very excited to develop various scholarship programs for upGrad to create a larger social impact through online education.”

    Kumar holds a master’s in public administration and public policy from Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University and has completed his M Phil and PhD on microfinance from JNU, New Delhi.

  • Dream Sports appoints Dhritiman Biswas as VP-public policy & government affairs

    Dream Sports appoints Dhritiman Biswas as VP-public policy & government affairs

    Mumbai: Dream Sports, which owns fantasy sports platform Dream11, has appointed Dhritiman Biswas as vice-president, public policy & government affairs.

    Prior to joining Dream Sports, Biswas was associated with Reliance Foundation as head of corporate affairs for two years.

    Biswas posted a note on LinkedIn on Wednesday announcing his move. “Joining my Dream run. Game on,” he said.

    Biswas is a government relations professional who brings about two decades of demonstrated experience in government affairs, public affairs, public policy, regulatory affairs, communications & crisis communications, grassroots advocacy, and coalition/industry association management. 

    Previously, he has worked with companies like Asian Paints, Abbott, Walmart, Bharti Retail Ltd (Easyday), and Burson Marsteller.

  • Iravati Damle joins Zoom to lead public policy in India

    Iravati Damle joins Zoom to lead public policy in India

    MUMBAI: Zoom has hired Iravati Damle as head of public policy in India. In her new role, she will lead policy strategy, government affairs and advocacy for India.

    Damle will be reporting to Jonathan Kallmer, head of global public policy and government relations at Zoom. She will be based out of India.

    Before joining Zoom, Damle worked with Uber for more than three years as public policy manager (Central US) during which she oversaw regulatory and policy strategy and advocacy for the rideshare app in the Midwest.

    “I am thrilled to be at Zoom at a time when the business and the policy environment it operates in are so dynamic, with so much at stake for the productivity of businesses and the happiness of people,” Damle said in a post on LinkedIn.

    Prior to that, she was head of public policy (West India, East India & Bangladesh) at Uber between November 2018-January 2020. She used to look after secured licences or favourable regulations in five Indian states and in Bangladesh, legitimizing and stabilizing Uber’s business through sustained engagement and negotiation.

    She has also worked as a consultant at the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy. As part of the core team, she contributed in developing research and legislative proposals for the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on network neutrality.

    While working with MP Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda’s office, Damle designed campaign strategy for general elections in Kendrapara, Odisha in 2014. She also led a team producing legislative proposals on themes such as electoral reform and free speech, introduced in Parliament by the MP.

    Zoom had a meteoric rise following the onset of the Covid2019 pandemic, with the service being adopted across sectors for online classes, meetings and remote hosting. However, the videoconferencing service has had a rough few months thanks to concerns surrounding the privacy of its service. In India, Zoom has been the subject of government advisories advising against its use, and a petition was filed in the Supreme Court accusing it of being a risk to national security.

    Recently, Zoom rolled out a major new security upgrade for users: end-to-end encryption. But the extra protection against hackers won’t be offered by default, meaning users will have to take several steps to turn it on.