CXO Lanes

Rekha Warriar has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Board at IIFL Capital Services Limited, effective March 22, 2025. With a distinguished career spanning over three decades at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), she has extensive experience across key areas such as Foreign Exchange, Financial Stability, Internal Debt Management, and Rural Development. Warriar has also served as a faculty member at RBI’s training colleges and as an Associate Professor at the National Institute of Banking Management, Pune. Her leadership is expected to enhance governance standards at IIFL Capital Services Limited while ensuring a clear separation between the roles of Chairperson and Managing Director. Holding a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics from the University Of Bombay and another in Public Policy from Princeton University, Warriar retired as the Regional Director for West Bengal and Sikkim at the RBI in 2017. Her vast experience in financial policy and regulation makes her well-equipped to guide IIFL Capital Services Limited in strategic decision-making. Her appointment aligns with the company’s efforts to strengthen leadership at the board level while adhering to corporate governance best practices. #RekhaWarriar #IIFLCapitalServices #Leadership #CorporateGovernance #RBI #FinancialStability #WomenInFinance #BoardLeadership #PublicPolicy #InvestmentBanking #FinanceIndustry #StrategicLeadership

Mr Nemkumar H has taken on the role of Chief Growth Officer at IIFL Capital Services Limited, effective March 22, 2025. Previously serving as the Managing Director and a Board Member, his transition to this senior management position highlights IIFL's commitment to accelerating business expansion and strategic growth. As Chief Growth Officer, Nemkumar will leverage his extensive expertise in institutional equities, investment banking, and financial strategy to drive innovation and strengthen the company’s market position. His leadership has been instrumental in scaling IIFL Securities into one of the industry’s top firms, and his new role will further enhance the organization’s long-term vision. A rank-holding Chartered Accountant, Nemkumar has been a key pillar of IIFL’s success since joining in 2007. With a career spanning over three decades, including leadership roles at CLSA as Head of India Research and Head of the India office, as well as early experience at Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited in corporate treasury and pricing, he brings a wealth of knowledge to his new position. His appointment as Chief Growth Officer reflects IIFL Capital Services Limited’s focus on driving strategic expansion, fostering innovation, and strengthening leadership for sustained growth in the financial sector. #NemkumarH #IIFLCapitalServices #ChiefGrowthOfficer #Leadership #StrategicGrowth #InvestmentBanking #InstitutionalEquities #FinancialLeadership #BusinessExpansion #CapitalMarkets #CorporateStrategy #InnovationInFinance

IndusInd Bank has engaged Grant Thornton (US) to conduct a forensic review of the ₹1,580 crore discrepancy in its derivatives portfolio. The firm will assess potential fraud, internal misstatements, and accountability for the lapses. Since the disclosure on March 10, the bank’s shares have plummeted by 23.4%. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had reportedly urged the CEO and deputy to step down, though IndusInd Bank denied these claims. The forensic review will also evaluate the accounting treatment of derivative contracts and compliance with prevailing standards. Despite the controversy, IndusInd Bank remains financially stable, with the RBI reassuring investors of its capital strength. The discrepancy comes shortly after the RBI approved the reappointment of CEO Sumant Kathpalia for one year instead of the board-requested three years. The potential impact of the discrepancy, around ₹1,530 crore, surpasses the bank’s ₹1,401.3 crore net profit in Q3 FY25. Meanwhile, the bank’s total net worth stood at ₹65,102 crore as of December 31, 2024. #IndusIndBank #GrantThornton #ForensicAudit #AccountingDiscrepancy #BankingFraud #RBI #FinancialAudit #BankingSector #CorporateGovernance #StockMarket #cxolanes

Cognizant is set to establish a 14-acre Cognizant Immersive Learning Centre (CILC) at its Siruseri campus in Chennai, aiming to train 100,000 individuals annually in AI and GenAI. The facility will feature 14,000 seats, smart classrooms, incubator hubs, and residential accommodations, serving as the central AI training hub for its campuses in Hyderabad, Pune, Kochi, and Coimbatore. Designed to upskill fresh graduates through intensive boot camps, CILC will also foster collaboration between technology partners, academia, and clients. CEO Ravi Kumar S emphasized the center’s role in enabling employees to drive global business impact and advance AI capabilities. This initiative aligns with Cognizant’s broader expansion in India, following the launch of delivery centers in Bhubaneswar and Indore and a techfin hub in GIFT City, Gujarat. The company is also consolidating infrastructure in Chennai, centralizing operations at MEPZ by 2024. Cognizant’s AI push saw 277,000 employees trained in 2024, including 168,000 in GenAI. With $19.736 billion in revenue for 2024, reflecting a 1.98% YoY increase, Cognizant is reinforcing its position as a global AI leader. #Cognizant #AITraining #GenAI #TechEducation #FutureOfWork #Innovation #Upskilling #DigitalTransformation #Technology #Leadership #AIHub #cxolanes

Joseph Anantharaju has been elevated to Co-Chairman and CEO of Happiest Minds Technologies, taking on the responsibility of overseeing all business segments, including Product & Digital Engineering Services (PDES), Infrastructure Management & Security Services (IMSS), and GenAI Business Services (GBS). Having co-founded Happiest Minds in 2011, he has played a key role in scaling the company and establishing it as a leader in digital services. Before this, he served as Vice President and Head of the Microsoft Business Unit at Mindtree, where he contributed to the company’s growth through strategic partnerships. His earlier career includes leadership roles at Aztecsoft, ANZ Grindlays Bank, and Garware Wall Ropes Ltd. The leadership transition at Happiest Minds Technologies comes as part of a larger restructuring, with Chairman Ashok Soota taking on an additional role as Chief Mentor and Venkatraman Narayanan continuing as Managing Director & CFO, overseeing finance, talent acquisition, IT, ESG, CSR, and procurement. Anantharaju and Narayanan will jointly handle M&A and Board matters, reporting directly to Soota. With a strong background in business expansion and digital innovation, Anantharaju’s leadership is expected to drive growth and strengthen the company’s position in the IT services industry. #JosephAnantharaju #HappiestMindsTechnologies #LeadershipChange #ITServices #DigitalTransformation #BusinessGrowth #Mindtree #Microsoft #TechIndustry #Innovation #AI #CorporateLeadership

Oravel Stays Private Ltd, OYO's parent company, is accelerating the expansion of its premium brand, SUNDAY Hotels, targeting 100 properties globally by FY26. Launched in May 2023 through a SoftBank-Oravel JV, SUNDAY Hotels have already debuted in 10 countries, including India, the UK, UAE, and Thailand, catering to the four-star and five-star segment. In India, the brand started in Jaipur and expanded to Vadodara, Chandigarh, and Gurugram, now operating 13 properties. The global expansion began with SUNDAY Holiday International Hotel in Dubai in August 2024, followed by the SUNDAY Lansbury Heritage Hotel in the UK. Oravel cites strong consumer demand and strategic partnerships as key growth drivers. With 30 properties already operational, the company aims to scale aggressively to meet premium hospitality demand. #OYO #SUNDAYHotels #HospitalityGrowth #PremiumHotels #TravelIndustry #GlobalExpansion #LuxuryStay #HotelIndustry #SoftBank #cxolanes

Dr. Sumit D. Chowdhury has been appointed as an Independent Director at Goodyear India Ltd, further strengthening the company’s leadership with his extensive expertise in global consulting, digital transformation, AI technologies, and public policy. With over two decades of experience, he brings valuable insights from his roles as Founder & CEO of GreenEarthX, Founder & Chairman of Gaia Smart Cities Solutions Private Limited, and key leadership positions at Jio, Brookfield Properties, IBM, Reliance Communications, @BearingPoint, KPMG, and Philips India. Beyond corporate leadership, Dr. Chowdhury has been instrumental in shaping industry and academia through his board positions at BARC India and ABM Knowledgeware Ltd. A Ph.D. holder from Carnegie Mellon University and an alumnus of IIT(ISM), Dhanbad, he has contributed significantly to governance, digital infrastructure, and AI-driven automation. His appointment at Goodyear India Ltd marks a strategic move as the company advances its innovation-driven growth in the Indian and global markets. #Leadership #GoodyearIndia #DigitalTransformation #AI #Governance #Technology #PublicPolicy #SmartCities #Innovation #CorporateLeadership #BoardAppointment #IndustryGrowth

Amazon has implemented a ₹49 processing fee for customers availing Instant Bank Discounts (IBD) of ₹500 or more, effectively reducing the net savings from such offers. This charge applies to all users, including Prime members, and remains non-refundable even if the order is canceled or returned. However, transactions with bank discounts below ₹500 are exempt from this fee. Amazon justifies the charge as a cost for managing and processing bank discount offers, a practice already seen on other platforms like Flipkart. This move highlights a growing trend among e-commerce giants to offset operational costs while continuing to provide promotional discounts. #Amazon #ProcessingFee #BankDiscount #EcommerceUpdate #OnlineShopping #PrimeMembers #InstantBankDiscount #DigitalPayments #RetailTrends #cxolanes

Urban Company has entered the quick commerce space with Insta Help, a rapid-response home services offering inspired by the 15-minute economy trend. This move aligns with the rising demand for instant professional services, driven by players like Blinkit and new entrants such as Snabbit. With an upcoming IPO, Urban Company aims to boost revenue and engagement by increasing order volume, though challenges remain, including service quality, professional availability, and a sustainable gig worker model. The company must balance speed, convenience, and quality to ensure long-term success. However, scalability concerns loom large, as Urban Company’s 40,000-strong professional network may not be enough to sustain both standard and instant services. The startup faces key questions: Can it manage job overlaps? Will it create a separate pool of “dark gig workers”? Additionally, ensuring customer satisfaction in subjective services like cleaning and repairs remains crucial, where even minor delays impact user experience. While quick commerce has succeeded, its application to services is still uncertain—Urban Company is taking a high-risk, high-reward gamble in this evolving space. #UrbanCompany #InstaHelp #QuickCommerce #GigEconomy #15MinuteEconomy #Startups #HomeServices #TechInnovation #BusinessGrowth #cxolanes

Amy Coleman has been appointed as Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Microsoft, succeeding Kathleen Hogan, who led the company’s HR division for a decade. With over 25 years at Microsoft, Coleman brings deep expertise in corporate HR strategy, employee engagement, and organizational development. Before this role, she served as Corporate Vice President for Human Resources and Corporate Functions, where she led a global team of 200 HR professionals and played a key role in Microsoft’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, hybrid work evolution, and employee culture transformation. Having held multiple HR leadership positions across engineering, sales, marketing, and business development, Coleman has been instrumental in talent development, workplace inclusivity, and crisis response strategies. She also actively supports educational initiatives and is a campaign executive for the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship program. As Chief People Officer, she will focus on enhancing Microsoft’s talent strategy, fostering an inclusive work culture, and integrating AI-driven workforce solutions, ensuring Microsoft’s HR policies align with global workplace trends. #Microsoft #HumanResources #Leadership #WorkplaceInnovation #EmployeeEngagement #HRStrategy #TalentDevelopment #Inclusion #HybridWork #CorporateCulture #AIinHR #FutureOfWork #cxolanes