All posts by Neel Achary

Fintech and SaaS veteran with more than 30 years of experience to lead company’s technology initiatives

FOLSOM, Calif. — March 11 — One Inc, the leading digital payments network for the insurance industry, today announced the appointment of fintech transformation leader Bryan Thompson as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). With deep payments expertise, Thompson will lead the vision, strategy, and development of One Inc’s technology. He will oversee the company’s global IT roadmap, innovation initiatives, and enterprise security.

Bryan is an expert in fintech and SaaS transformations, with more than 30 years of experience building high-performing organizations focused on innovation and operational excellence. He has a proven track record in technology development, security, and large-scale platform modernization. Across enterprise and startup environments, Thompson has led financial services and SaaS companies through acquisitions, integrations, and major change initiatives. He has also built data and AI platforms that accelerate growth while improving customer experience, efficiency, and reliability.

Prior to joining One Inc, he served as CTO of professional business platform 8am (formerly AffiniPay), where he helped drive rapid SaaS growth and navigated multiple strategic acquisitions. He also served as CTO at Heartland Payment Systems, where he modernized merchant services for businesses across key sectors. Earlier in his career at EDS, Thompson built expertise in high-volume transaction processing—experience that aligns with One Inc’s mission to process complex insurance payments securely, reliably, and at scale.

“We’re pleased to welcome Bryan to our growing team of Onesters as we advance our mission to create a unified digital payments network that connects the insurance ecosystem,” said Ian Drysdale, CEO at One Inc. “Bryan’s track record leading technology development, engineering, security, and infrastructure will be critical as we build new capabilities that allow carriers to operate more efficiently and deliver on the promise of insurance.”

“Through their relentless dedication to the insurance industry, One Inc has built a reputation for delivering revolutionary solutions that enable a traditional industry to meet the rapidly evolving expectations of today’s policyholders,” added Thompson. “I look forward to working with Ian and the entire team at One Inc to build on this momentum, as carriers adopt technologies that improve operational efficiency and deliver modern, seamless experiences for policyholders.”

MELBOURNE and NOIDA, India, Mar 11 —HCLTech, a leading global technology company, today announced a partnership with Hockey Victoria to support the Melbourne Cobras franchise, which will debut in the Hockey One League this year.

The Melbourne Cobras is the eighth franchise to join Australia’s premier domestic hockey competition. As part of Hockey Victoria’s vision to build a globally connected and inclusive franchise, the Melbourne Cobras will bring together Indian international players alongside leading local talent, strengthening the future of the sport in the region while celebrating the diversity of the community.

As part of the partnership, HCLTech will design and develop a digital fan engagement platform for Hockey Victoria and the Melbourne Cobras. Going beyond traditional sponsorship, HCLTech will apply its global experience in building large-scale digital platforms for sports organizations to enhance fan engagement across digital channels.

The platform will feature live match insights, interactive content and personalization, helping fans across Australia and India connect more closely with the team and the sport.

“We are proud to partner with Hockey Victoria to launch the Melbourne Cobras,” said Sonia Eland, Executive Vice President and Country Manager, Australia and New Zealand, HCLTech. “We have helped leading sports organizations around the world build strong, scalable fan platforms and we are excited to bring that experience here to create a more connected fan experience and help grow hockey across Australia and India.”

Andrew Skillern, Chief Executive Officer of Hockey Victoria, said, “The launch of the Melbourne Cobras represents a defining moment for Hockey Victoria and for the future of our sport. From the outset, our vision was to build a team that reflects the diversity of our community while showcasing world-class hockey talent on an international stage. Partnering with HCLTech enables us to offer a truly innovative and inclusive experience for fans.”

San Antonio, TX, March 10, 2026 — Rackspace Technology® (NASDAQ: RXT), a leading hybrid multicloud and AI solutions company, today announced a strategic partnership with Uniphore, the Business AI leader backed by NVIDIA and AMD, to deliver the industry’s first Infrastructure-to-Agents architecture, offered as an outcomes-based service. The partnership reflects a shared ambition to unlock $100 million in enterprise AI deployments as customers move from AI experimentation to production at scale, without sacrificing governance, security, or control. This is especially relevant for regulated industries where choice, security and sovereignty are non-negotiable requirements.

Operationalizing AI in production remains a challenge due to the complexity of choices across the stack. By integrating Uniphore’s Business AI Cloud with Rackspace’s private cloud infrastructure, Rackspace will deliver a full-stack secure and governed AI private cloud that includes: advanced inferencing capable of running on both NVIDIA and AMD compute architectures; Data Preparation-as-a-Service; fine-tuned Small Language Models (SLMs)-as-a-Service; and industry-specific AI agents-as-a-Service.

“For the first time, enterprises in regulated industries do not have to choose between moving fast on AI and maintaining the governance and control their business requires. Rackspace is taking on that accountability,” said Gajen Kandiah, CEO of Rackspace Technology.  “We are not just providing infrastructure, we are committing to outcomes, and that changes the nature of the relationship between a technology partner and an enterprise customer.” For enterprises, the conversation has shifted from choosing between GPUs and CPUs, or open versus proprietary Large Language Models (LLMs), to driving measurable business outcomes.

Through this partnership, Rackspace brings deep expertise operating private clouds and optimizing public environments, backed by forward-deployed engineers. These forward-deployed engineers, embedded directly in customer environments, are trained on the Uniphore platform and accountable for delivering measurable outcomes from day one. The architecture is designed to extend across hybrid and public cloud environments, ensuring that enterprises with mixed deployment models can access the same governed, outcomes-based AI stack without compromise. The result is an end-to-end governed operating model delivering an outcomes-based service with control, accountability and measurable results.

“Business AI Cloud adoption is seeing exponential growth globally due to its sovereign and open architecture and what enterprises are telling us is that they need business outcomes. Rackspace’s adoption of Uniphore’s Business AI Cloud allows our customers to access all five layers of our offering spanning Inferencing, Data, Knowledge, Model, and Agents, on Rackspace’s secure and governed enterprise AI private cloud. For customers looking for sovereign AI solutions, this is a game changer,” said Umesh Sachdev, CEO and Co-founder of Uniphore.

Rackspace has over 20,000 mid-market and enterprise customers spanning industries such as healthcare, financial services, insurance and others. Additionally, Uniphore will move select enterprise inferencing workloads to Rackspace’s private cloud to deliver a Sovereign AI offering.

“This Rackspace–Uniphore deal packs real punch for organizations struggling to get beyond AI pilot mode”, said David Cushman, Executive Research Leader, HFS Research. “It couples Uniphore’s ‘get-you-going-fast’ AI platform with a Forward-Deployed Engineer (FDE)-style delivery model and governed private cloud, that gets you to value fast, but with control. That’s something most mid-market organizations simply don’t have and will be particularly welcome in regulated industries.”

“While the drive to scale AI across enterprise systems is high, many organizations find their progress stalled by the dual challenges of technical complexity and regulatory compliance,” said Brian Jones, Chief Information Officer of Valley Medical Center. “It is a significant milestone to see Rackspace and Uniphore join forces. This partnership can be a game changer for organizations in highly regulated sectors, providing a robust framework to scale AI and extract tangible value from complex data landscapes.”

For customers, this partnership will deliver:

• From AI pilot to production at scale: Most enterprises are stuck running AI experiments that never make it to production. This partnership delivers a unified, governed environment spanning infrastructure all the way to agents, enabling the path from pilot to production to be measured in weeks, rather than years.
• Data that is ready for AI: Most enterprises have data, but not in a form that AI can use. Uniphore’s data agents accelerate modernization, so enterprise data is structured, clean, and ready to power real workflows, without a multi-year transformation program standing in the way.
• Industry-specific AI that teams can easily deploy: Pre-packaged solutions built on SLMs and agentic workflows provide business teams with a faster path to automation, with governance built in from the start.
• The right compute at the right cost: Enterprises no longer have to over-provision or lock into a single architecture. Rackspace optimizes CPU and GPU environments, enabling each workload to run efficiently.

Mr. Takeshi Hirano assumes the role of Deputy Managing Director, Isuzu Motors India (IMI) 

Pune(S.N): Isuzu Motors India (IMI), a subsidiary of Isuzu Motors Limited, Japan, has announced a key change in the top management.Mr.Takeshi Hirano, Isuzu Business Division, Mitsubishi Corporation, Japan, succeeds Mr. Toru Kishimoto as Deputy Managing Director of Isuzu Motors India (IMI).

Mr. Takeshi Hirano brings an experience of over two decades in distribution and marketing across global markets for ISUZU. He comes with a rich experience of working in various capacities overseeing operations in different markets for Isuzu Motors and Mitsubishi Corporation. He also possesses strong familiarity with the Indian market, having previously served at Isuzu Motors India as Vice President– Sales and Marketing, where he played a pivotal role in setting the foundation in the Indian market.

Mr. Toru Kishimoto will assume a new assignment at the parent company in Japan.The change in the management is as per the business plan of the company.

San Francisco, CA – MAR 10, 2026 – Secureframe, the leading AI-powered cybersecurity compliance platform, today announced Secureframe Defense, the only end-to-end solution for CMMC certification. Secureframe Defense delivers the secure infrastructure deployment, AI-built System Security Plans (SSPs), policies, and comprehensive monitoring that Defense Industrial Base (DIB) organizations need to achieve and maintain CMMC certification faster, without unnecessary cost or complexity.

With CMMC enforcement underway, readiness across the DIB remains critically low. The Department of Defense (DoD) estimates nearly 80,000 organizations will ultimately require CMMC Level 2 certification, yet fewer than 800 organizations—less than 1%—have achieved certification as of January 2026. 

Research indicates that most DIB organizations spend over a year and $100K–$300K or more preparing for CMMC Level 2 certification by a Certified Third-Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO). Meanwhile, 47% of contractors have already received flow-down requests from prime contractors requiring proof of certification, making readiness urgent for subcontractors at every tier.

“Secureframe Defense reflects everything we learned going through our own CMMC Level 2 assessment and the feedback we received from our partner C3PAOs about the real problems organizations face,” said Shrav Mehta, Founder and CEO of Secureframe. “Our AI-powered platform can take organizations with zero infrastructure to assessment-ready in less than 8 weeks.”

From Zero to CMMC Ready with Secureframe

Secureframe Defense guides organizations through three critical stages:

Stage 1: Deploy Secure CUI Environments in Minutes

Traditional enclave deployments typically take 8–10 weeks and require significant resources from internal IT teams or consultants. With Secureframe, teams can stand up a CMMC-compliant enclave in under 30 minutes. 

The Secureframe platform automatically configures Google Workspace or Microsoft GCC High with all required CMMC controls, including access control, logging and monitoring, and security event notifications, to isolate CUI. Organizations can then auto-provision secure Azure virtual desktops for CUI access in minutes, or use a FedRAMP Moderate authorized, pre-configured device management solution to enforce CMMC baselines across their fleet of laptops and workstations.

Stage 2: Document and Manage your Cybersecurity Program

Turn the CMMC requirements into an AI-guided implementation workflow with Defense Navigator. After configuring your scope, integrations, and enclave, Secureframe’s AI engine generates SSPs and policies tailored to your exact environment. Built-in modules cover risk assessments, vendor reviews, policy assignments, and security awareness training, with continuous monitoring to flag controls the moment they fall out of compliance.

Stage 3: Get and Stay CMMC Certified

Secureframe’s Audit Module packages documentation and evidence artifacts automatically for efficient C3PAO review, reducing manual evidence collection and long assessment timelines. Organizations also gain access to the Secureframe network of vetted CMMC Registered Practitioners who can provide additional guidance and a network of vetted C3PAO partners experienced with the platform to complete your assessment.

Months Saved, Hundreds of Hours Recovered

Secureframe Defense reduces overall certification timelines from 12-18 months down to 4-8 weeks, cutting readiness time significantly compared to manual processes or point solutions. 

Manufacturing Consulting Company, a defense contractor supporting U.S. Air Force programs, significantly reduced the operational complexity of documenting and monitoring compliance with Secureframe and passed their CMMC Level 2 assessment months before the Phase 1 deadline.

“Using Secureframe to get NIST 800-171 and CMMC compliant saved us at least 500 hours,” said David Hoenisch, Lead Cybersecurity Engineer at Manufacturing Consulting Company. “Having a tool that can come alongside and augment your personnel force is a huge blessing. It was a weight off our shoulders.”

“Everyone in the defense tech space has to be compliant, but many are relying on manual processes. It’s the peace of mind that Secureframe provides, the continuous monitoring, the fact that we have a system as opposed to a person trying to manage and ensure all of this – that’s the value add for us,” said Stephanie Castro, Director of Operations, Adyton.

Federal-Grade Credentials, Proven in the Field

Secureframe has been recognized by industry analysts and notable awards for its cybersecurity compliance excellence, reinforcing its position as a trusted platform for federal customers and other regulated organizations. The company continues to demonstrate its commitment to the federal market and the unique challenges it faces through industry-leading credentials:

• CMMC Level 2 Certified: Among the first 0.5% of the ~80K expected Level 2 organizations to achieve certification in September 2025.

• FedRAMP 20x Low Authorized: Among the first organizations to be FedRAMP® 20x Low Authorized in August 2025 and one of the few organizations selected for the Phase 2 pilot in January 2026.

• 25+ CMMC Registered Practitioners: A CMMC Registered Practitioner Organization listed in the CyberAB Marketplace since March 2025.

Organizations at any stage of the CMMC certification process can explore Secureframe Defense, access cybersecurity compliance resources, and connect with vetted C3PAO partners at secureframe.com/cmmc.

Kozhikode, Mar 10: HiLITE Group has officially announced the development of two major IT complexes at Cyberpark, Kozhikode, with a total investment of ₹570 crore. The projects are being developed in association with Kerala State IT Infrastructure Ltd (KITFRA) and Cyberpark, with the construction of HiLITE Cyber Hub already underway, while formal agreements for HiLITE Cyber Tower have been exchanged with KITFRA and its construction is set to begin in the next phase.

Along with the Group’s World Trade Center development, these projects reflect HiLITE Group’s growing role in strengthening the state’s commercial and IT infrastructure by creating world-class space for multinational corporations, start-ups, innovation labs, and research and development centers.

“We are proud to create opportunities where our talented youth can build their careers. With these new complexes coming up at Cyberpark, we stand with the state’s mission of becoming a premier technology destination,” said HiLITE Group Chairman – P. Sulaiman.

HiLITE Cyber Tower is a massive 28-floor IT structure on 2.5 acres of land within Cyberpark. Spanning 9 lakh square feet with an investment of approximately ₹500 crore, this tower is expected to generate 10,000 employment opportunities. Complementing this is the HiLITE Cyber Hub, a specialized facility covering over 1.56 lakh square feet with a ₹70 crore investment. The construction of HiLITE Cyber Hub has now commenced and it is projected to create an additional 2,500 direct IT jobs for the region.

“Bringing two massive IT towers to Kozhikode is going to supercharge the local economy and put Kerala on the map as a top spot for tech and innovation,” said Ajil Muhammed, CEO of HiLITE Group, emphasizing the profound regional impact of the project.

The event held in Kozhikode was attended by KITFRA Principal Secretary and Managing Director – Dr Santhosh Babu IAS, KITFRA  General Manager- Rahul A Raj KAS, HiLITE Group Chairman – P. Sulaiman, HiLITE Group CEO – Ajil Muhammed, HiLITE Builders CEO – Mohamed Fazeem, Stapati Principal Architect – Tony Joseph, HiLITE Business Park Executive Head – Hanu Shelk, Cyberpark Chief Operating Officer – Vivek Nair, Architect – Harish Mylat, Design Spectrum Chief Consultant – K Santhosh, and CAFIT President – Rifath Rahman.

New Delhi, March 10: 

The Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), in partnership with the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF), on Tuesday formally launched its project report titled “Crypto-Assets in India: Assessing the Case for Regulation” at an event held at The Lalit, New Delhi. The report presents a comprehensive examination of India’s current approach to crypto-assets and outlines a structured framework for regulation aimed at balancing innovation, investor protection and financial stability.

The report underscores that India is at a critical juncture in shaping its regulatory architecture for digital assets. While the government has introduced certain fiscal and compliance measures in recent years—such as the taxation of virtual digital assets and the extension of anti-money laundering obligations to crypto intermediaries—the absence of a dedicated statutory framework continues to create regulatory ambiguity for market participants. The study argues that a coherent and forward-looking regulatory regime is essential to ensure that India remains competitive in the rapidly evolving global Web3 ecosystem. The report puts forth various models of regulation by different existing regulators, along with a new model of self regulation under government oversight till the time a robust regulatory ecosystem is established.

The launch event brought together senior members of the judiciary, leading legal practitioners, policy experts and representatives from the digital asset industry to deliberate on the future trajectory of crypto regulation in India.

The event was attended by Justice Hima Kohli, Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India, who shared her views on the evolving legal and regulatory landscape surrounding digital assets. Other distinguished speakers at the event included Justice M. R. Shah, Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India; Justice Ravi Tripathi, Former Judge of the Gujarat High Court; Dr. Lalit Bhasin, President of the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF); and Prof. (Dr.) S. Shanthakumar, Director of Gujarat National Law University.

Justice Hima Kohli, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India, said, “Crypto assets illustrate the broader challenge that legal systems face when technological innovation evolves faster than legislative processes. Today, with the global crypto market exceeding $2.4 trillion and India emerging as one of the largest markets with millions of users, the policy debate is no longer about whether such technologies should exist but about how they should be regulated. The task before policymakers is to craft a balanced framework that protects financial stability, ensures investor protection and transparency, while allowing innovation in blockchain and digital technologies to continue.”

Justice M. R. Shah, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India, said, “With nearly 12 crore Indians already investing in crypto assets, it is no longer possible to simply ignore this sector. In a globalised digital economy, attempts to stop such technologies are neither practical nor effective. The real need is for a clear regulatory framework that ensures transparency, prevents misuse and protects the interests of investors. The government’s decision to tax income from virtual digital assets is an important first step, but comprehensive regulation will be essential to strengthen confidence in this emerging ecosystem.”

Justice Ravi Tripathi, Former Judge, Gujarat High Court, said, “In an era where technology is rapidly transforming society and the economy, institutions cannot afford to ignore emerging developments such as crypto assets. Academic institutions have an important role to play in studying such complex issues and contributing thoughtful recommendations to policymakers. Initiatives like this report demonstrate how research and informed dialogue can help shape regulatory thinking on technologies that already exist and are increasingly influencing economic activity.”

Prof. (Dr.) S. Shanthakumar, Director, Gujarat National Law University, said, “What began as a classroom discussion on a regulatory grey area eventually evolved into a national research initiative. With nearly 12 crore Indians engaging with crypto assets despite the absence of a comprehensive regulatory framework, we felt it was important for academia to contribute to the policy conversation. Through stakeholder consultations in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi involving developers, exchanges, regulators and legal experts, the university sought to understand the technology and its challenges. The report ultimately presents five possible regulatory models, leaving policymakers with practical options to consider while shaping India’s approach to crypto regulation.”

Drawing on comparative regulatory models and global policy developments, the report highlights that several major economies have moved toward clear regulatory frameworks for crypto-assets. It notes that the absence of a comprehensive domestic framework in India has contributed to regulatory uncertainty, with implications for capital flows, industry development and technological innovation.

The report calls for a calibrated regulatory approach that combines institutional oversight with coordinated participation from relevant regulators. It recommends a framework that strengthens consumer protection, addresses risks relating to financial stability and illicit finance, and simultaneously supports the development of blockchain-based innovation within India.

The project was guided by an eminent advisory board comprising Justice M. R. Shah, Former Judge of the Supreme Court of India; Justice Ravi Tripathi, Former Judge of the Gujarat High Court; Rajkumar, Former Chief Secretary, Government of Gujarat; J. P. Gupta, Former Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Gujarat; Dr. Keshav Kumar, Former DGP and Director, Anti-Corruption Bureau; Senior Advocate N. S. Nappinai; Prof. Vijaya Bhaskar Marisetty, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Chair Professor at IIM Visakhapatnam; Prof. M. K. Bhandari, Founder, ILTES and expert in Blockchain, AI, FinTech and Law; Chittu Nagarajan, Online Dispute Resolution expert; Advocate Mitali Gupta; Kalyanjit Hatibarua, Managing Director, Flugelsoft Group of Companies; and actor Kabir Bedi.

New Delhi, Mar 10: The Authentication Solution Providers’ Association (ASPA), in collaboration with Dr. Keshav Kumar, IPS (Retd.), Ph.D., Forensic Advisor to the Government of Assam and Honorary Member of ASPA, is set to release a white paper addressing the growing challenge of food adulteration and its implications for consumer safety, public health, and industry trust.

The upcoming white paper examines emerging trends in food adulteration and highlights the importance of strengthening enforcement frameworks, authentication technologies, and traceability systems across the food supply chain. Drawing from extensive law enforcement and forensic expertise, the publication aims to encourage stronger collaboration between regulators, industry stakeholders, and technology providers to tackle this complex challenge.

Speaking on the initiative, Ankit Gupta, President, ASPA, noted that “safeguarding the integrity of food products requires a collective effort involving stronger regulatory enforcement, industry accountability, and the adoption of advanced authentication and traceability mechanisms.”

Author of the white paper, Dr. Keshav Kumar, emphasized the role of investigative and forensic approaches in addressing organized adulteration networks and strengthening deterrence within the food ecosystem.

The white paper will be available for free download on the ASPA website, enabling policymakers, enforcement agencies, industry stakeholders, and consumers to access insights aimed at strengthening trust and transparency in India’s food supply chain.