Archives March 2025

Sonal’s journey is a powerful testament to how a woman can triumph over numerous challenges to achieve success. From working at Ola and Flipkart to overseeing and optimising Prodigy Finance’s commercial operations on a global scale, strengthening client relationships, and enhancing overall customer experience, she demonstrates that resilience and determination can break the barriers of traditionally male-dominated tech and finance sectors. Sonal is now in a leadership role as the Global Chief Business Officer of Prodigy Finance, but her journey was not an easy one.

Sonal’s path began as many of yours might – a student with a dream too big for her bank account. After completing her Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering, she refused to let the funding dim her vision. With a zeal to succeed, she took the bold leap by enrolling at the Indian School of Business for a Postgraduate Degree in Management, specialising in Marketing. This was the move that would set the stage for everything to come.

To make it work, she took out a student loan, and her father believed in her capabilities; he opted to help her by being a co-signer. This student loan came with its own set of responsibilities, along with opportunities to pursue her career goals. With this, she also had to be careful not to add any extra financial burden on her father. The load of this student loan was something she carried with her every day, fuelling her determination to succeed.

It was not an easy path. Every day while studying, Sonal often felt that she wouldn’t make it in her career and worried about the loan she had taken. She even thought of dropping out of her postgraduate studies to start her own business, but she held on, trusting that her education would pay off and unlock big opportunities for her in the future. All these experiences and the pressure of a student loan had a big impact on her. It gave her a deep understanding of what many students go through while completing their higher education.

After graduating, she worked with big names like Stanton Chase and Ola, broadening her skillset. That experience paved the way for a game-changing role at Flipkart, where she spent eight years and built their fintech ecosystem. During this period, she discovered the power of financial solutions and laid down strategies for funding the businesses.

Now, with over 14 years of experience in fintech, innovation, and product innovation, Sonal is working towards the mission of Prodigy Finance to break down financial barriers for students who want to study a master’s abroad. Prodigy Finance’s new loan option provides students with the flexibility to choose between a co-signer loan or a no co-signer loan, allowing them to select the option that best fits their financial situation.

Sonal’s passion ignites opportunities like scholarships, empowering ambitious women to reach their global goals. The big news is that Prodigy Finance will join hands with Esade to launch the Future Female Leaders Scholarship, specifically designed for women pursuing their aspirations in Esade’s graduate programs. This scholarship offers a significant one-time award of $8,000 to empower your educational journey. More information on this will be announced soon on Prodigy Finance’s website.

“That loan wasn’t just money; it was my promise to my father to succeed.” Sonal Kapoor states, “Signing those loan papers changed everything,” She further added. “The Esade Future Female Leaders Scholarship is a kickstart for women pursuing an Esade graduate program. I didn’t receive scholarship support while I was pursuing my higher education, and I wish I had. I believe this scholarship will be a ticket for women with big dreams to achieve their desired careers.”

Now, as the Global Chief Business Officer at Prodigy Finance, Sonal is working on creating innovative funding options for an international master’s degree. She uses her personal experiences to lift others who are going through similar funding issues.

Sonal’s story is for every student who’s ever worried about financing, doubted themselves, or dreamed of a global career. She is an example of what women can do when given equal opportunities. She has proven that leadership is more than gender – it’s about vision and impact. Her story shows that every dream can be achieved with determination, education, and the right support.

New Delhi, March 6, 2025:The Economic Times Nextech Human Capital Summit 2025, held on February 19-20, 2025, brought together top HR titans, industry experts, and business executives to transform human capital in India and discuss work in the AI era.

With an unparalleled lineup of over 100 speakers, 2000 plus attendees, more than 4 experiential tracks, over 92 partners and 2 days of networking, the summit addressed some of the most talked about challenges in human capital management today, including AI-driven workforce evolution, diversity and inclusion in the digital era, and redefining EVP in the post-pandemic world. This year’s theme, Elevate Work in the AI Age, was a call to action for organizations to embrace AI-driven transformation and implement forward-thinking strategies that redefine workforce development, ensuring agility, innovation, and long-term success in the digital era.

The Summit 2025 brought together speakers from industry giants such as Reliance Industries, Infosys, Titan, BluSmart, Flipkart, PhonePe, Amazon, Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, P&G, SBI, Apollo Tyres, Neemrana Hotels, Jindal Stainless, Ambuja Cements, Bata India, and Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals, among many others.

Among the distinguished speakers was Ray Wang, Founder, Chairman & Principal Analyst at Constellation Research, Alexandra Levit, Founder & CEO of Inspiration At Work, Fermin Diez, Adjunct Professor, National University of Singapore, who provided deep insights into how organizations can harness AI and lead next wave of digital disruption in human capital.

Moreover, Navdeep Singh, Gold Medalist at the Paris Paralympics 2024 and an Arjuna Awardee, discussed his journey that underscored the importance of resilience, inclusion, and determination in achieving excellence. Adding a bold and unconventional perspective to this summit, Ashneer Grover, Former MD & Co-founder of BharatPe, shared some candid insights on leadership and work ethics.

Along with this, there were powerful and thought-provoking sessions on critical workplace transformations. Discussions ranged from how top CXOs are navigating AI at work to building scalable talent ecosystems in BFSI for next-gen excellence. Experts shed light on The World of Work Trends 2025, offering insights into the collective workforce’s evolving dynamics.

The presenting partner at the summit, Naukri Talent Cloud engaged in insightful conversations around the future of work. Dr. Pawan Goyal, Chief Business Officer, Naukri, expressed, “The event underscored the growing importance of technology in shaping the HR landscape and reaffirmed the need for innovation in talent management. As an industry leader Naukri remains committed to elevate recruitment in the AI age by bringing together cutting-edge talent solutions under one roof with Naukri Talent Cloud.”

The event also featured the grand launch of ETHRWorld’s exclusive report, Tech Transformations 2025. This comprehensive report unveils the HR Tech ecosystem in India and reveals groundbreaking information about how the AI-powered tech revolution is shaping workforce efficiency, talent strategies, and human capital investments.

Some of the key revelations of the report include:

• 69 percent of Indian organizations are leveraging technology to automate HR operations, drastically enhancing efficiency.
• AI adoption in HR is accelerating, with 46 percent of companies implementing AI-driven solutions for recruitment, learning, and talent management.
• Budget constraints (41 percent) and challenges in measuring ROI (22 percent) continue to be roadblocks in HR tech adoption, emphasizing the need for strategic investment and leadership alignment.
• Advanced analytics (62 percent), AI-powered decision-making (47 percent), and talent management suites (49 percent) are set to dominate future HR tech investments.

Alongside the summit and report launch, The Economic Times HCA Awards honored and celebrated the most visionary HR leaders who go beyond workforce management to elevate and empower their organizations. Further, the Emerging Leaders League provided a platform to celebrate the rising stars in HR leaders who are shaping the future of talent management and organizational culture.

The summit was proudly supported by industry-leading organizations, such as Naukri Talent Cloud as the Presenting Partner, AdvantageClub.ai as the Co-presenting Partner, and was hosted in association with Deel and Indeed. Additionally, the summit was powered by Infosys and Udemy.

National, March 05th, 2025: In a significant expansion of the pioneering ‘Kota Cares’ initiative, auto rickshaw unions of Kota representing over 10,000 drivers have united to introduce reforms to transportation services for students, further cementing the education hub’s transformation into a model city for student welfare. The announcement comes just weeks after 4,000 hostel owners came together under ‘Kota Cares’ to introduce multiple student-friendly measures, including the elimination of security deposits. Three Auto rickshaw unions presented their proposal to district administration with the help of Kota student’s welfare society.

These unions, representing over 10,000 drivers across the student capital, have committed to a standardized fare structure, behavioural training programs, and enhanced support systems designed specifically for the city’s 1.25 students. The initiative marks the first time in Kota’s history that comprehensive transportation guidelines have been collectively established and displayed on all auto rickshaws operating in the city.

“Transportation is the lifeline of our city and often the first experience students have when arriving in Kota,” said Additional District Collector Anil Singhal, who presided over the meeting where the unions presented their proposals. “When auto drivers charge fair rates and provide good service, it creates a positive impression of our entire city. This unprecedented collaboration demonstrates our commitment to extending the Kota Cares philosophy to every aspect of student life.”

The reforms include several first-of-its-kind measures:

Standardized Fare Structure

• Fixed maximum fare of Rs. 20 per kilometer across all auto rickshaws
• Minimum fare of Rs. 30 for journeys up to one kilometer
• Standardized waiting charges of Rs. 50 per hour
• No additional charges on examination days or for student luggage

Safety and Support Measures

• Mandatory gatekeeper and behavioral training for all auto drivers
• Special focus on women auto drivers providing safe transportation for female students
• Protocol for reporting suspicious activities or student distress situations
• Continuation of emergency medical transportation services

Transparency Initiatives

• Fare charts and student guidelines to be prominently displayed in all 10,000 auto rickshaws with the help of Kota student’s welfare society.
• Information displays at coaching institutes about transportation guidelines
• Clear protocols for passenger belongings and emergency assistance

“We were inspired by what the hostel associations achieved under Kota Cares,” said Bhupendra Saxena, President of Kota Auto Driver Union. “As the first point of contact for most students arriving in our city, we recognize our crucial role in shaping their Kota experience. These self-imposed guidelines reflect our commitment to treating these young aspirants like our own children.”

The auto unions’ representatives, including Deepak Tiwari, President of Hadoti Auto Rickshaw Hitkari Seva Samiti, and Mohammad Shakeel, President of Janseva Autorickshaw Union, collaborated on the proposal, demonstrating unprecedented unity across the transportation sector.

Deputy Superintendent of Traffic Police Ashok Kumar Meena praised the initiative, noting: “Auto rickshaws provide 24-hour service in our city, making them essential to student safety and mobility. This proactive approach by the unions will address multiple challenges at once, and the traffic police stand ready to support both students and drivers in implementing these changes.”

GURUGRAM, India – March 05, 2025: Samsung, India’s largest electronics brand, today announced the commencement of pre-reserve for its new flagship AI PCs – Galaxy Book5 360, Galaxy Book5 Pro, and Galaxy Book5 Pro 360. Delivering strong performance and battery life in an ultra-portable, premium design, the new devices are set to usher a new era of AI PCs in India.

Powered by Intel’s advanced Lunar Lake processors, the Galaxy Book5 series, for the first time, brings together the power of Galaxy AI and Co-pilot+ PC enabling new ways to learn, work, and play. Galaxy Book 5 series will also come with features like ‘AI Select’, which allows users to intuitively search. The ‘Photo Remaster’ feature helps users instantly deliver pro-level image edits with vivid clarity. These new features are poised to redefine productivity and creativity for users.

Staying true to its legacy, Galaxy Book5 series offers next-level performance, an immersive touch-screen display, best-in-class battery, and an enhanced precision touch pad, accompanied with a wide array of ports. With the Galaxy ecosystem, customers can also enable seamless phone-PC connectivity with features like Phone Link, Quick Share, Multi-control, Second Screen with Galaxy smartphone and tablet users, allowing them to work across devices without interruption. Moreover, Samsung Knox ensures a secure and collaborative privacy foundation.

Consumers can pre-reserve the Galaxy Book5 360, Galaxy Book5 Pro, and Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 starting today on Samsung.com and at Samsung India Smart Cafés, select Samsung authorized retail stores and other online portals at no cost. Pre-reserve customers can enjoy early access benefits worth INR 5000. The pre-reserve offers are valid till March 10, 2025.

By-Mr. Garvit Tiwari, Director & Co-Founder, InfraMantra, property consulting firm:

The rise in demand for newly launched projects shows the growing confidence that developers have earned over the past couple of years especially big listed developers. As a result, homebuyers are investing in those properties at a lower price. Also, the operationalisation and strict oversight of RERA has ensured fair practices, transparency and investor confidence in the real estate sector. The emergence of new micro markets across top cities have also tilted the preference of homebuyers towards newly launched projects.

5th March 2025, Ahmedabad: Adani Wilmar Limited (AWL), one of India’s largest Food FMCG companies, renowned for its household brand ‘Fortune’, today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire G.D. Foods Manufacturing (India) Private Limited (“GD Foods”). The acquisition will be executed in multiple tranches, with 80% of the shares to be acquired in the first tranche, and the remaining 20% to be acquired over the next three years. In FY’24, GD Foods achieved a revenue of INR 386 crores, growing at a 3-year CAGR of 15%, and recorded an EBITDA of INR 32 crores.

Aligned with our vision to cater to the kitchen needs of Indian households, this acquisition offers a strategic advantage by expanding our portfolio with a broad range of value-added food products.

Founded in 1984, GD Foods’ owned brand “Tops” has built a strong reputation as a household brand in North India over the last 40 years, offering high-quality products in categories spanning across tomato ketchup, snack sauce, specialty sauces & culinary sauces, jams, pickles, noodles, instant mixes, corn & choco flakes and cooking essentials such as vinegar, baking powder, cake mix, corn flour. Headquartered in Delhi, the Company’s sales are mainly concentrated in seven states in North India, with a retail presence across more than 150,000 outlets. It also maintains in-house manufacturing facilities at 3 locations.

Commenting on the acquisition, Mr. Angshu Mallick, MD & CEO of Adani Wilmar Limited, said, “As the market evolves, there is a clear need for trusted national food FMCG brands to deliver high-quality, affordable products that fulfill the essential needs of Indian kitchens. Delivering on this requires best-in-class manufacturing operations and a broad distribution reach, both of which are key strengths of AWL. The acquisition of GD Foods aligns with our vision and will significantly enlarge AWL’s offerings to meet the evolving needs of Indian households. With 8 new product categories added to our portfolio, we are laying a strong foundation to build a formidable presence in the value-added products market over time.”

The “Tops” brand is amongst the top 3 players in the tomato ketchup and pickles category. We will further invest in the brand and significantly increase the distribution reach of all its products. This acquisition will lead to the significant addition of the margin-accretive products in our portfolio.

AWL’s strong infrastructure and brand ‘Fortune’ built over last 25 years, along with Wilmar’s deep expertise in the food industry gives us confidence that we can leverage the massive opportunity of serving every Indian household in packaged foods category,”

Mr. Nitin Seth, Vice Chairman of GD Foods commented, “We are delighted to see ‘Tops’ become a part of AWL. For the past 40 years, we have remained committed to understand and meet the needs of Indian households through innovative products. Now, with AWL’s strength behind us, ‘Tops’ products will reach a much larger number of homes. We are confident that AWL will continue to delight customers and unlock the true potential of the brand.”

The acquisition is subject to meeting customary closing conditions, with the first tranche is expected to close in 60 days. The transaction will be funded by internal accruals or IPO proceeds.

PUNE, 5th March 2025, India – Danfoss Power Solutions, a leading global supplier of mobile and industrial hydraulics as well as electric powertrain systems, today broke ground on a seven acres greenfield plant in Talegaon, Pune, marking a significant milestone in its expansion journey in India. This over INR 1,000 crores strategic investment will more than double Danfoss Power Solutions’ manufacturing footprint in India while helping the company meet its sustainability targets.

Danfoss Group has steadily expanded its manufacturing and research and development capabilities in India, playing a significant role in the country’s industrial growth. The Talegaon campus is Danfoss’ seventh manufacturing facility in India, highlighting the company’s continued local investments. Danfoss has additional manufacturing facilities in Chennai, Mumbai, Vadodara, Bengaluru, and two in Pune.

Situated on a 44 acres plot of land, the Talegaon campus will enable Danfoss to:

• Enhance production capacity for existing Danfoss Power Solutions product lines, such as pumps, motors, cylinders, and valves.
• Introduce new product lines to meet growing customer demand.
• Drive sustainability initiatives, contributing to Danfoss’ commitment to decarbonize global operations by 2030.
• Establish an ADC to drive collaborative engineering with local customers, enabling faster research and development cycles.

“Our new state-of-the-art facility in Pune will enable us to better support local customers by enhancing our production capabilities and delivering sustainable solutions,” said Daniel Winter, President, Danfoss Power Solutions. “India is poised for tremendous industrial growth, and our investment will increase Danfoss’ capacity to support such growth. This new facility represents our commitment to India and to providing localized, high-quality solutions that help our customers succeed in a rapidly evolving market.”

As part of Danfoss’ long-term investment strategy in India, the Talegaon facility will strengthen Danfoss’ ability to develop and manufacture in India for India and global markets, positioning the company as a trusted partner to the Indian government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative. The strategic location of this campus ensures faster response times, improved supply chain efficiencies, and enhanced service for customers.

“India is a key growth market for Danfoss, and our investment in Talegaon reflects our long-term commitment to supporting the country’s evolving manufacturing ecosystem,” said Torben Christensen, Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of Global Services, Danfoss. “This facility will not only expand our production footprint but also reinforce our focus on sustainability and innovation.”

As Danfoss India continues to scale its operations, it remains dedicated to delivering sustainable, customer-centric solutions that drive value for industries and communities. This expansion further strengthens Danfoss’ role as a key enabler in India’s manufacturing and technological transformation, solidifying its position as a trusted global partner in innovation and sustainability.

Bangalore, 5 March 2025 – 2025 is a critical year for the cybersecurity industry, marked by a rise in AI-powered threats, AI skills shortages, and an increasingly complex regulatory landscape. With major breaches and new regulations like the NIS2 Directive and the EU Artificial Intelligence Act reshaping the industry, organizations must be proactive in adapting to emerging challenges.

 ISACA, a global professional association championing the digital trust workforce, has identified five key trends that will dominate cybersecurity in 2025:
1. AI-Powered Threats: Attackers will leverage AI to craft highly sophisticated cyber threats, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish malicious activity from legitimate behavior. Small and medium-sized businesses, in particular, will be vulnerable to AI-driven cyberattacks.
2. Tight Job Market: ISACA’s recent State of Cybersecurity survey report found that cybersecurity hiring has slowed. This makes it even more imperative that cyber-related professionals take ownership of their career and pursue professional development opportunities that align with their goals – whether it be increasing their knowledge, gaining skills in areas such as AI or pursuing a new credential—like the new Certified Cybersecurity Operations Analyst (CCOA).
3. Increased Regulatory Requirements: As regulations like the EU’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) take effect, organizations will face greater compliance pressures, especially in industries such as finance. The evolving regulatory environment will require companies stay informed, be agile, and not succumb to a checklist mentality.
4. Complex Geopolitical Landscape—As adversaries leverage AI and misinformation, supply chain security concerns persist, and nation state attacks continue to rise, cybersecurity professionals are increasingly under pressure to deal with these external factors while facing internal constraints – notably increased regulatory requirements and fewer resources.
5. Supply Chain Vulnerabilities: The reliance on third-party vendors amplifies risk. Organizations must increase the resilience of supply chains and align with partners who adhere to strong security practices to minimize the likelihood of cascading cyber incidents.

 “2025 will bring both significant challenges and transformative opportunities for cybersecurity professionals,” says Chris Dimitriadis, ISACA Chief Global Strategy Officer. “Organizations must embrace agility, make sound investments both in cybersecurity talent and solutions, and leverage emerging technologies towards innovating.”

  To help cybersecurity professionals navigate the shifting landscape, ISACA offers expert insights in the latest ISACA Now blog posts from Niel Harper and Megan Hall, covering AI’s impact on cybersecurity and strategies for strengthening digital defenses. Additionally, the association offers AI training and globally recognized information security credentials, including the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and CCOA.

A dam’s surface might appear calm and unyielding. But looks can be deceiving.

That’s why governments around the world require dams to be inspected periodically. It’s a complex process that looks for tiny shifts in the earth around the dam, the appearance of hairline cracks or other evidence that the structure is under stress.

Many of the world’s 70,000 dams, however, are located in remote areas that make regular inspections difficult.

That’s why, increasingly, the data for dam inspections is being captured from the sky, where drones and satellites keep a watchful eye.

“Drones and satellites have revolutionized dam inspection by providing access to previously unreachable areas and offering new, more affordable ways to monitor the entire structure,” said Raul Colcher, IEEE Life Senior Member.

Emerging Threats to Dams

While rare, dams do occasionally fail. The International Commission on Large Dams, which tracks the largest dams in the world, said that about 300 of the 36,000 dams in its database have ever failed. These incidents have caused major loss of life and property damage. The commission points out that though the failure rate has historically stood at around 1%, the rate has dropped dramatically in recent years.

“Generally speaking, the main causes are natural — like erosion, extreme weather or seismic activity, and human factors —bad projects, execution errors, inadequate maintenance and aging,” Colcher said.

Some experts see climate change as emerging threats to dams, because it increases the likelihood of massive rain events.

“Climate change is resulting in increased water behind dams, which in turn results in increased pressure on the structure,” said IEEE Senior Member Paul Kostek. “This highlights the need for increased inspections and the use of technology to expand the reach of inspectors.”

Emergence of SAR
In recent years, the most valuable satellite-based inspection tool has emerged: SAR, or synthetic aperture radar. This tool uses microwave pulses to map the ground, collecting the reflection of those pulses as they are bounced back from Earth. One advantage of SAR technology is that it can peer through clouds as it creates highly detailed three-dimensional models of objects on Earth.

Over the years, a number of SAR satellites have been launched, and these satellites take continuous measurements of the planet. One constellation of SAR satellites passes over the same location on Earth once every 12 days. That continuous measurement has led to another capability, known as InSAR or Inferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar, which compares two SAR images to detect tiny changes, as small as one millimeter, in a dam’s surface, from space.

SAR systems can also be mounted on drones, Kostek said, allowing for other perspectives.

“Using unmanned aerial vehicles or satellites allows inspections to be done without travel and when needed, prioritizing those dams that need a visit,” Kostek said.

March 5, 2025; Mumbai, India: Rezolv, a unified debt resolution platform, that went live with its first two NBFC clients in January 2025, has secured a $3.5 million seed round led by 3one4 Capital.

Karan Mehta and Sonali Jindal, co-founders of digital lending platform Kissht, have stepped down from their respective roles as Chief Technology Officer and Chief Operating Officer to launch Rezolv, an AI-powered debt resolution platform for banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs).

Rezolv’s approach simplifies collections by centralizing data, optimizing workflows, and leveraging AI-driven analytics to improve recovery rates. The platform integrates digital communications, intelligent allocation, and real-time decision-making to ensure the most effective collection strategies. Additionally, Rezolv helps lenders augment collections decision-making through a strategy builder that enables the creation of micro strategies.

The funding will support product innovation, expansion, and deeper integration with financial institutions, helping lenders transition from fragmented processes to a seamless, intelligent, and AI-powered collections ecosystem.

Speaking on the investment in Rezolv, Akshay Sharma, VP, Investments, 3one4 Capital, said, “At 3one4 Capital, we see Rezolv leading the transformation of debt collection platforms for Financial Institutions on the back of tailwinds such as tackling rising collection costs for FIs, the limitations of legacy solutions, and the growing demand for comprehensive, full-stack platforms. Sonali and Karan’s sharp execution and deep understanding of the space make them the ideal team to drive this transformation, and we’re excited to partner with them as they scale Rezolv.”

Speaking on transforming collections from a brute-force-led business to a data and analytics first business process, Sonali Jindal, Founder, Rezolv, said, “Debt collections relies heavily on behavioral science. Every interaction is a signal, and the right response depends on full context. Rezolv unifies collections, ensuring every nudge and action is tailored to each customer—helping lenders drive smarter, more effective collections. We make this possible by infusing analytics, AI, and automation into workflows, making strategies intelligent and adaptive.”

Karan Mehta, Founder, Rezolv, further added, “Lenders want agentic workflows, but the journey starts with a centralized, data-driven foundation. Once in place, AI and automation can modernize the entire stack and infuse intelligence into every process. This is exactly what Rezolv delivers.”