Tapping India’s dynamic customer base, Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world’s leading lighting company, marks the grand inauguration of three new Philips Smart Light Hubs (SLH) in Bangalore. Launched on a single day, these strategic additions highlight Signify’s commitment to delivering innovative and immersive lighting experiences to consumers, architects, and interior designers across the city.

Mr. C. Arun Kumar, Head of Consumer Business, Signify, Greater India

As consumers increasingly gravitate towards premium, design-led and smart lighting solutions, Bangalore stands out as a pivotal market. As India’s innovation and IT capital, Bangalore has a high concentration of tech-forward customers who are early adopters of smart home automation and place strong value on modern, decorative design. This demographic readiness combined with the thriving real estate landscape makes Bangalore the ideal, high-impact market for our triple launch.

Philips Smart Light Hub, Bangalore

Commenting on the milestone launch, C Arun Kumar, Head of Consumer Business, Signify Greater India said, “Bangalore continues to be a key market for us, driven by consumers who embrace both functionality and innovative design. We have 328 stores across India now, the simultaneous launch of three new Philips Smart Light Hubs, anchored by our largest premium store, is a significant step in our journey. These immersive hubs will allow customers, architects, and interior designers to truly explore the transformative potential of our smart and decorative lighting portfolio, reinforcing our commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions”.

Located across prime locations in Bangalore these stores feature an exclusive experience center including a wide range of smart, connected and decorated lights. These stores are designed to meet the customers’ home lighting requirements, ranging from decorative lights like chandeliers, wall lights, floor lamps and track lights to functional lights like modular COB, downlighters, magnetic tracks,  panels, and spots. The store also features WiZ, our smart lighting solutions and smart services that offer customers connected lighting, so they can enjoy their daily moments with more comfort and ease. Additionally, the store features an exclusive display of Ecolink BLDC Fan Range and Philips iluminAir LED Light with fan, offering energy-efficient and stylish options for modern homes.

• Store 1: Second Floor, Samir Enterprises, Whitefield Main Rd, opposite Swastha Hospital, Palm Meadows, Whitefield, Bangalore, 560066

• Store 2: Home Concepts, Second Floor 1st Main Road, Sundar Nagar, Mathikere, Bangalore Urban – 560054

• Store 3: Ground Floor, Amro Interio (Mamtha Enterprises) 3rd phase, No.235/A, Hosur Rd, next to total LPG Gas Station, Bommasandra Industrial Area, Bangalore – 560099

This momentous occasion promises to showcase innovations in smart lighting technology and reinforce Signify’ s position as a pioneer in the industry.

About Signify  

Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals, consumers, and the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact systems and data-enabled services deliver business value and transform life in homes, buildings and public spaces. In 2024, we had sales of EUR 6.1 billion, approximately 29,000 employees and a presence in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We have been in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index since our IPO for eight consecutive years and have achieved the EcoVadis Platinum rating for five consecutive years, placing Signify in the top one percent of companies assessed. News from Signify can be found in the Newsroom, on X, LinkedIn and Instagram. Information for investors is located on the Investor Relations page.

Hyderabad has officially unveiled its biggest mall, with the inauguration of Lakeshore Mall Hyderabad on December 12, marking a defining moment for the city’s retail and lifestyle landscape. Positioned as India’s biggest mall, Lakeshore Mall is not just another new mall in Hyderabad, it is a development that is expected to reshape how West Hyderabad lives, shops, and invests. As the city watches this massive retail destination come to life, one question naturally follows: what impact will India’s biggest mall have on the surrounding neighbourhoods?

Lakeshore Mall Hyderabad, largest mall in India, located right beside ASBL Landmark at Kukatpally Y-Junction

Located at the highly active Kukatpally Y-Junction and within close reach of the Kukatpally Metro Station, Lakeshore Mall Hyderabad enjoys one of the most strategic and high-footfall locations in the city. The mall’s connectivity places it at the intersection of residential, commercial, and transit corridors, instantly elevating the area into a lifestyle nucleus rather than just a retail stop.

In terms of scale, Lakeshore Mall is already drawing comparisons with established retail landmarks. Early estimates suggest it is expected to be over 30 percent larger than Sarath City Capital Mall and nearly twice the size of Inorbit Mall, positioning it among the most ambitious South India shopping malls developed to date.

This transformation is closely linked to real estate dynamics in the surrounding micro-market. Past examples across Hyderabad show that areas around major malls such as Sarath City Capital Mall and Inorbit Mall have experienced sustained growth in both rental demand and property values. Industry observers expect Lakeshore Mall Hyderabad to follow a similar trajectory, with its size and location accelerating demand for nearby residential developments.

According to Magicbricks price trend data, residential prices in Kondapur grew by about 24% in the five years before the opening of Sarath City Capital Mall in 2018. In contrast, the five years after the mall opened saw prices rise by nearly 58%, showing that price growth in the area almost doubled after the mall became operational. While many factors influence real estate prices, the data clearly shows that the period after Sarath City Capital Mall’s launch coincided with much faster residential growth in the surrounding micro-market. With Lakeshore Mall now opening in Kukatpally, a similar boost in residential demand and price momentum is widely expected in the areas around it.

Among the projects directly benefiting from this shift is ASBL Landmark, a premium residential development located right next to Lakeshore Mall. Spread across 6.6 acres, the project offers well-designed 3 and 3.5 BHK homes that combine lifestyle, comfort, and connectivity in a prime location. ASBL Landmark is just 100 steps from the Balanagar Metro Station Kukatpally, placing it among the most metro-connected residential projects in the city. ASBL Landmark recorded  INR 500 crore sales at the launch day and carries the positioning of being “Built for the People Who Built Kukatpally.” It is also giving up to 1 lakh rupees to its customers every month till March 2027 under rental income offer.

With the mall now open, ASBL Landmark offers residents the rare advantage of immediate access to Hyderabad’s biggest mall, bringing shopping, dining, and entertainment within walking distance. The project is currently available with a limited-period offer, making it particularly relevant for homebuyers and investors looking to enter the area at a moment when the locality itself is being redefined.

The opening of Lakeshore Mall Hyderabad signals more than the launch of a retail destination; it represents a turning point for Kukatpally Y-Junction. As Hyderabad’s biggest mall begins to shape daily life, mobility, and real estate demand, developments in its immediate vicinity are set to gain long-term relevance. In that sense, Lakeshore Mall is not just changing where Hyderabad shops, it is reshaping where the city chooses to live.

For more information, please log on to www.asbl.in.

India’s entertainment habits are shrinking and gaming is no exception. Between metro rides, chai breaks, and quick mental escapes between meetings, Indian players are increasingly choosing games that deliver a full dopamine hit in under five minutes. Welcome to the era of snackable gaming fast, skill-led, mobile-first, and endlessly replayable.
 

Zupee free to play model
 

Zupee Ludo – A Childhood Classic, Reimagined for Speed

India’s most familiar board game has found new life in rapid, competitive formats on Zupee. Unlike traditional Ludo games that can drag on endlessly, Zupee’s skill-based versions are designed for quick outcomes and fast decision-making, making each match feel intense yet compact.
 

Ludo King Quick Mode

Ludo King’s Quick Mode starts with tokens out, requiring one kill and home run to win in 5 minutes max. Tops India charts with over 1 billion downloads and simple, addictive play.
 

Carrom

A rapid-fire digital carrom duel where two players pocket tokens within limited moves; precision, shot selection, and timing drive scoring, keeping games under a few minutes and emphasizing skill. Zupee Carrom Ninja reimagines it with point-pocketing races against timers, emphasizing skill in short free rounds.
 

Snakes & Ladders

One of the simplest childhood favorites, Snakes & Ladders has evolved into colourful, animated app versions with creative themes and online multiplayer. It remains a symbol of destiny versus strategy and a perfect family pick. Zupee Snakes and Ladders Plus adds token-cutting mechanics and 12-second turns for intense free online matches. A faster, points-based take on classic snakes & ladders where each forward move adds points, cutting an opponent’s token gives bonus points, and reaching the 100th square yields extra rewards, with short, high-intensity matches.
 

Hand Cricket

Hand cricket has always been a nostalgic playground classic, and Zupee Super Over brings that same thrill to the digital world in a sharp, competitive format. In this online hand cricket multiplayer game, two players face off in a super-over style contest, choosing numbers between 1 and 6 to score runs or take wickets in just a few balls. With short, high-intensity matches designed for mobile, Zupee Super Over lets users relive the fun of hand cricket anytime, blending quick decision-making, strategy, and pure cricket excitement in a free-to-play experience.
 

From reimagined classics like Ludo, Carrom, and Hand Cricket, India’s gaming culture is clearly evolving toward instant, gratifying play. As attention spans shrink and on-the-go entertainment becomes the norm, “snackable gaming” is redefining how millions unwind, compete, and connect digitally. In just a few minutes a day, these bite-sized experiences are reshaping what fun means in the mobile-first era – quick, skillful, and always within reach.

MeritTrac Services, India’s leading talent assessment and examination management company, celebrated its 25th anniversary with a high-impact industry conference titled “Reimagining Talent 2025: Unlocking People & Possibilities in an AI Era.” The event, organised in collaboration with People Matters, brought together senior leaders from academia, HR, and technology to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming talent assessment, development, and workforce capabilities.

Leaders from HR, academia, and technology at MeritTrac Services’ 25th anniversary conference, Reimagining Talent 2025, in Bengaluru

The discussions throughout the day highlighted a central theme: as automation accelerates, skill requirements, learning models, and workforce expectations are being reshaped. Speakers emphasized that assessments are evolving from one-time evaluation tools into integrated systems that drive continuous learning, performance insights, and development.

AI Reshaping Skills, Learning Models, and Workforce Expectations

The conference opened with a keynote and film launch by Ambrish Sinha, CEO of UNext Learning, who revisited MeritTrac’s 25-year journey from pioneering computer-based testing to enabling digital-first, AI-driven learning ecosystems. He emphasized how MeritTrac has consistently bridged technology and talent to support institutions, corporations, and governments with credible, scalable assessment systems.

In his keynote session “When GenAI Becomes Coach: Mentoring, Nurturing, and Unlocking Human Potential,” Satheesh KV, Chief People Officer at ACKO, explored how Generative AI is moving from candidate evaluation to enabling continuous learning through personalized coaching, multilingual feedback, and real-time behavioral nudges.

He highlighted that the CHRO’s mandate is shifting from compliance to strategic change enablement, helping leaders interpret AI-driven insights with responsibility and empathy, noting: “The future will not be defined by Artificial Intelligence alone, but by a shift toward Augmented Humanity.”

Campus to Capability: Building Talent Pipelines for an AI-Shaped World
A panel moderated by Jerry Moses, Senior Manager – Content & Research at People Matters, explored how academia and industry can co-create learning ecosystems suited to prepare students for a fast-evolving, AI-integrated workforce.

Maheshwar Peri, Founder & Chairman, Careers360, spoke about the widening gap between traditional curricula and industry needs, urging universities to focus on adaptability and interdisciplinary learning rather than rote employability metrics.

Bina Sharma, Senior Director – Assessment Products at GMAC, emphasized the role of tech-enabled and behaviorally informed assessments in identifying and bridging skill gaps before students enter the workforce.

Ambrish Sinha, CEO of UNext Learning, added that universities must evolve from being teaching institutions to learning ecosystems built on continuous, stackable credentials, micro-learning and AI-driven skill mapping.

Panelists agreed that employability is now a shared responsibility across academia, industry, and technology providers, and that assessments must evolve to measure learning agility, cognitive flexibility, and innovation potential.

Beyond Hiring: Designing the Bionic Workforce 
A second panel moderated by Mohan Sitharam, CHRO at Shadowfax, discussed how AI is augmenting — not replacing — the human workforce.

Avesh Jha, SVP – Global ODPM, Hinduja Global Solutions, noted that assessments can today track not just technical proficiency but also behavioral adaptability, enabling organisations to design future-focused workforce strategies that align with future business models.

Jayshankar Mahadev, Senior Director – Talent Acquisition, Blue Yonder, discussed leveraging assessment data to design the foundation for career mobility frameworks, enabling HR leaders to design personalised career pathways that blend human creativity with machine intelligence.

The panel reinforced the concept of a bionic workforce — a seamless integration of human empathy and AI precision.

Closing Reflections: From Legacy to Future
Prasad Menon, Chief People Officer, Amagi Corporation, delivered the closing keynote reflecting on how people strategies must evolve alongside intelligent systems.

Noting: 
The new world of work demands trustworthy technology — one that augments human judgment rather than replacing it.

Manjunath K.P., Chief Operating Officer, MeritTrac Services, reflected on MeritTrac’s 25-year journey and the people behind its impact, stating, “Over the past 25 years, we have not only witnessed change—we’ve led it. Assessments have evolved from checkpoints to continuous feedback loops that power development, trust, and transformation. As we step into the AI era, our focus is on building intelligent, ethical, and future-ready assessment ecosystems.”

He added, “People have been the flag bearers of our journey and will continue to be. We are deeply grateful to our customers, partners, and former employees who believed in our story and helped shape it through the years. This milestone is not an endpoint—it’s a launchpad for the next decade.”

A New Era of Assessments
With 39% of core skills expected to change by 2030, the event emphasized the urgent need to rethink how talent is measured and nurtured. MeritTrac’s approach — ReThinking, ReImagining, ReInventing Assessments — positions it to expand AI-powered platforms, intelligent proctoring, and workforce development solutions to support learners, professionals, and organizations in the future.

About MeritTrac Services
Founded in 2000, MeritTrac Services is one of India’s leading assessment and examination management companies. Over the past 25 years, it has delivered secure, scalable, and data-driven assessment solutions to corporations, universities, and government institutions, shaping the future of talent and learning outcomes.

PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited (PNB MetLife), one of India’s leading life insurance companies, has launched the PNB MetLife DigiProtect Term Plan (UIN-117N141V01) for salaried individuals.

Sarbvir Singh, Joint Group CEO, PB Fintech and Sameer Bansal- MD & CEO, PNB MetLife

Offered through a fully digital platform in collaboration with Policybazaar, it is an individual non linked, non-participating, pure term insurance plan. The digital-first approach not only simplifies access but also extends the reach of life insurance to salaried individuals in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Exclusive benefits include a first-year, upto 21% discount, on the first premium, that significantly lowers the entry cost for policyholders.

The plan goes beyond traditional coverage features, empowering the growing number of India’s salaried individuals juggling rising aspirations, lifestyle commitments, and evolving financial priorities.

Key features of the PNB MetLife DigiProtect Term Plan:

• Comprehensive Life Cover: Provides protection for life, including accelerated benefits in case of terminal illness.

• Special Exit Value: Option to exit the policy before maturity and receive a refund of all premiums paid- at no additional cost.

• Premium Break Option: Flexibility to pause premium payments for 12 consecutive months after completing three years of policy, available every 5 years.

• Express Claim Payout: Rs. 3 lakh payable (as an accelerated benefit) within one working day upon claim registration, after 3-year waiting period from policy inception or revival, whichever is later (subject to submission of all mandatory documents).

• Choice of Payout Options: At the claim stage, nominees can choose to receive death benefit amount as lump sum, monthly instalments, or a combination of lump sum + monthly instalments.

• Attractive Discounts: Exclusive first-year discount, making the plan even more affordable.

Speaking about the launch, Sameer Bansal, Managing Director & CEO, PNB MetLife, said “India continues to face an 91% life protection gap, which means, for every Rs. 100 required to financially secure families, only Rs. 9 is covered. The gap is even more significant for the salaried segment, who face rising financial responsibilities- from supporting dependents and funding their children’s education to planning for home ownership and long-term retirement. We have, introduced the PNB MetLife DigiProtect Term Plan, so that salaried individuals can secure their families as they build their dreams.” 

Sarbvir Singh, Joint Group CEO, PB Fintech said, “India’s protection gap remains one of the largest in the world, and it is the salaried middle class that is most exposed to the risks of being underinsured. A digital, feature-rich term plan like PNB MetLife DigiProtect Plan offers them affordability, flexibility and absolute clarity. Our collaboration with PNB MetLife brings these benefits to salaried individuals across the country, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, where access has historically lagged. At Policybazaar, our focus is to expand meaningful protection and make quality term insurance easier to buy, understand, and sustain.”

About PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited
PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited (PNB MetLife) is one of the leading life insurance companies in India that combines the financial strength of MetLife, Inc. with the credibility of PNB, one of the India’s oldest nationalized banks. PNB MetLife’s positioning, Milkar Life Aage Badhaein, is demonstrated through its customer-centric innovations and employee empowerment practices.

With a strong presence in 178 branches and access to customers in over 20,000 locations through bank partnerships, PNB MetLife offers a comprehensive insurance solutions portfolio covering Child Education, Family Protection, Long-Term Saving and Retirement. The Company has a wide range of protection and retirement products available through its sales channel of over 36,000 financial advisors and multiple bank partners and caters to over 585 group relationships in India.

For more information, follow us on
Facebook – www.facebook.com/PNBMetLife
Instagram – www.instagram.com/pnb_metlife 
visit – www.pnbmetlife.com

About Policybazaar
As India’s largest insurance broker, Policybazaar is committed to making insurance accessible and understandable for every Indian. Since 2008, we have been at the forefront of transforming the insurance sector by providing transparent, efficient, and unbiased solutions tailored to the diverse needs of over 80.5 million registered users. 

With a dominant market share of over 93% in the digital insurance aggregator space and annual premium collection exceeding Rs. 15,000 crore in FY24, we have established ourselves as a trusted name in insurance and financial protection. Our platform facilitates millions of insurance inquiries annually and features a wide range of products from over 50 insurance partners, covering health, life, motor, and corporate insurance solutions.

To date, we have issued over 44.3 million policies and played a crucial role in protecting 9 million families against death, disease, and disability. Our 24×7 online support, combined with on-ground assistance from over 6,000 insurance advisors, ensures a seamless experience for our customers.

Pomelo Employer Branding (Pomelo EB), a specialist employer branding firm, has strengthened its senior leadership team with the appointment of Jasprit Khurana as Senior Partner – People Advisory & HR Strategy and Karan Bamba as Senior Partner – Business, Transformation & Employer Brand, effective immediately from December 2025. The appointments are aimed at deepening the impact of Pomelo’s employer branding work for India-based and international Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and technology enterprises, amid intensifying competition for critical digital and technology talent.

Pomelo Employer Branding Senior Leadership Team for GCC and Tech Enterprises in India

As India emerges as one of the world’s fastest-scaling GCC hubs, employer branding is being tested beyond visibility on leadership alignment, localisation, retention of critical skills and measurable ROI. Both appointments are partner-level executive advisory roles and form part of Pomelo Employer Branding’s senior leadership team. Jasprit Khurana and Karan Bamba will work closely with Sonya Sahni, Founder & Managing Partner, to strengthen employer branding outcomes through deeper alignment with people systems, leadership practices and business realities. The roles are not board-level or day-to-day operational positions.

Sonya Sahni, Founder & Managing Partner, Pomelo Employer Branding said, “Employer branding today is under pressure to prove both credibility and impact. For tech companies and GCCs, a compelling employer brand cannot exist in isolation from leadership behaviour, culture and people systems. Strengthening our leadership bench enables us to help clients build employer brands that are grounded in organisational reality, while keeping employer branding firmly at the core of what we do.”

As Senior Partner – People Advisory & HR Strategy, Jasprit Khurana brings over 25 years of experience as a strategic HR leader and fractional CHRO. He has built and scaled HR functions across organisations ranging from 300 to over 15,000 employees, spanning India, the UK, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. In his role at Pomelo EB, he will support employer branding outcomes by aligning EVP and employer brand strategy with HR strategy, people policies, remuneration philosophy, culture and leadership capability, particularly for scaling and international GCC environments. He will be accountable for strengthening EVP credibility by ensuring alignment between employer brand promises and HR systems and leadership practices.

Jasprit Khurana said, “What attracted me to Pomelo is its sharp focus on employer branding and its understanding that credibility comes from how people actually experience the organisation. My role is to strengthen that link, ensuring employer brand narratives are supported by people policies, leadership capability and organisational culture.”

Karan Bamba, appointed as Senior Partner – Business, Transformation & Employer Brand, brings over three decades of leadership experience across business operations and large-scale transformation. His career includes senior roles at Reliance Jio, Siemens and Nokia Siemens Networks, where he led complex, multi-market operations and large workforce transformations. At Pomelo EB, he will strengthen employer branding by connecting business goals with people strategy, operating models and HR interventions that support scale and transformation. He will be accountable for ensuring employer branding initiatives are grounded in business and operational reality and linked to productivity and transformation outcomes.

Karan Bamba said, “Employer branding works best when it reflects how organisations truly operate. Pomelo’s approach stands out for its willingness to engage with real business and operational realities. My role is to help ensure employer brand strategy aligns closely with how work gets done across large and complex organisations.”

While employer branding remains Pomelo EB’s core focus, the leadership strengthening adds people advisory and business leadership depth to support greater credibility, localisation and measurable outcomes for clients, especially in complex GCC and technology environments.

The results for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT 2026) have been announced, and once again, students from the Bhopal-headquartered institute, ‘Toprankers-Legal Edge,’ have delivered an exceptional performance in this prestigious national-level exam for entry into National Law Universities (NLUs). According to the released results, students from this institute have secured the top three spots—All India Rank (AIR) 1, 2, and 3.

Geetali Gupta from Toprankers-Legal Edge

This marks the fourth time in the last six years that the institute’s students have achieved a ‘Clean Sweep’ of the top three ranks. Data released by the institute indicates a dominant hold over the results, with 7 students in the Top 10 and 51 students in the Top 100 hailing from Toprankers-Legal Edge.

“Guidance Received Exclusively from Legal Edge” — AIR-1 Geetali Gupta, a resident of Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, secured AIR 1. Expressing her thoughts on social media, Geetali said, “My parents taught me discipline since childhood, and Legal Edge gave that discipline the right direction. Throughout my preparation, I placed the utmost emphasis on consistency.” Clarifying the role of the coaching institute, she added, “I have been a student exclusively of Legal Edge’s ‘Warriors Gold Batch’ Classroom Program. The mentors at Legal Edge played a pivotal role in identifying and fixing my weaknesses. This success is the result of my parents’ sacrifices and the guidance of my teachers.“

Performance Analysis: As per the details shared by the institute, AIR 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are students of the ‘Regular Classroom Program.’ Meanwhile, AIR 3 (Rohan, Karnataka Topper) achieved this feat through the institute’s ‘Distance Learning’ course. Experts believe that securing AIR 3 through a distance course is a testament to the sheer quality of the institute’s study material. Furthermore, the fact that 6 out of the Top 10 students were from the direct classroom program proves the successful impact of Legal Edge’s mentorship.

Consistency and Selection Standards

• Clean Sweep: This is the 4th time in the last 6 years that AIR 1, 2, and 3 are from the same institute in CLAT.

• Selection Ratio: This year, 51 students in the Top 100 are from Legal Edge. This means nearly 50% of the students entering the country’s top law colleges have been trained by this institute.

• Top Rankers: The institute has now produced the CLAT All India Rank 1 (AIR 1) a total of 7 times.

Harsh Gagrani, Co-founder and Chief Academic Officer of the institute, stated, “This result validates our academic process. For us, AIR 1 is as important as the last student who worked hard to improve their rank. We have always prioritized right guidance and hard work, and we will continue to do so in the future.”

The CLAT 2026 results indicate that in an era of social media and aggressive advertising, success ultimately stems from a disciplined routine, right mentorship, and the synergy between teacher and student.

About Toprankers

Toprankers runs 50+ centres across India, teaching 20,000+ classroom students and serving 30,000+ learners overall, while operating India’s most-searched non-STEM test-prep platform, with 1.5M monthly users and 20M+ page views across Law, Management, and Design & Architecture.

Avtar Group, India’s leading workplace culture consulting firm, celebrated its silver jubilee in a memorable event at Hotel Savera, Chennai, on the evening of 18th December 2025. Founded in 2000 by Dr. Saundarya Rajesh to help women enter the workplace, Avtar has today grown into a national social enterprise. Over two+ decades, Avtar has helped more than 100,000 women re-enter the workforce and guided over 800 companies towards authentic inclusion.
 

Avtar Celebrates 25 Years in A Memorable Event, Honoring Trail-blazing Second-Career Women & Project Puthri Alumni
 

Avtar’s 25th anniversary celebration was a deeply moving occasion, marked by two special award segments. One segment honored exemplary second-career women who were placed by Avtar years ago in leading companies across industries, and have since gone on to build remarkable careers. The award recipients – Ms. Anju Awal, Ms. Eswari Rao, Ms. Vyapti Trivedi, Ms. Elakkiya Chandrasekaran, and Ms. Sreeja Nair – were felicitated by the Chief Guest, Ms. Bharathy Bhaskar, renowned speaker and independent director. Congratulating the winners, Ms. Bharathy Bhaskar said, “Restarting a career after a break means rebuilding confidence, skills, and credibility, often while managing disproportionate personal responsibilities. You persisted, delivered, and succeeded. And you proved that capability does not disappear during a pause. Your journeys set the bar for what’s possible after a break.”

The second award segment honored outstanding alumni of Project Puthri, Avtar’s flagship CSR initiative and India’s first career-intentionality program for schoolgirls from underprivileged backgrounds. The awards were presented by acclaimed music director Mr. Bharadwaj to Kamalisri J., Sneha K., and Sharon Kiruba N., who are now doing exceedingly well in their corporate careers.

Speaking at the milestone event, Dr Saundarya Rajesh, Managing Director of Avtar, said, “When Avtar was founded 25 years ago, the goal was simple – to help more women begin their careers. But over time, this mission has grown into something much bigger, encompassing research, benchmarking, countless partnerships, and the complete redesign of systems to remove bias. Now, we celebrate 25 years of careers rebuilt, lives transformed, and workplaces changed for the better. Today’s award winners – second-career women, alumni of Project Puthri, along with every Avtarite, stand as powerful examples of Avtar’s impact. Congratulations to all the winners! Your resilience truly reflects the spirit of Avtar. As we look ahead, we remain committed to building inclusive workplaces and taking our model to over 25 cities by 2030. This is only the beginning.”

The celebration also honored Avtar’s long-serving employees and top performers. Ms. Geetha Ramamoorthy, MD of KBR India and Chief Guest, presented awards to the tenured team members, saying, “Standing by a mission for 25 years is no small feat. These employees have demonstrated resilience, focus, and determination, driving meaningful change that touches numerous lives and workplaces.” The event also featured celebrated Carnatic vocalist Mr. P. Unnikrishnan and Mr. Balaji Nuthalapadi, Executive Director – Technology & Operations, Equitas Small Finance Bank, as special guests, who recognized the exceptional contributions of Team Avtar.
 

Mr. Karthik Ekambaram, Chief Sales Officer of Avtar, and Mr. Umasanker Kandaswamy, Chief Operating Officer, reflected on Avtar’s impactful journey, highlighting key milestones achieved and challenges overcome. Ms. Priya Dayabaran, Chief of Staff and Head – HR, delivered the vote of thanks, concluding with a hopeful outlook for Avtar’s continued journey ahead.

To know more, visit www.avtarinc.com | www.myavtar.com.

About Avtar
Avtar, founded in 2000 by Dr Saundarya Rajesh, is one of India’s leading workplace culture consulting firms, supporting hundreds of companies in creating diverse and supportive workplaces. Avtar is also the country’s largest provider of second career opportunities for women.

An ISO 20700 certified firm, Avtar’s biggest research projects are its annual benchmarking studies – the Best Companies for Women in India (BCWI) and the Most Inclusive Companies Index (MICI). Done in partnership with Seramount, BCWI and MICI are India’s largest workplace inclusion benchmarking studies, which have paved the way for the employment of more women and other under-represented groups. Avtar also promotes inclusive hiring through MyAvtar, India’s first job portal for under-represented professionals.

A snapshot of Avtar’s work in the last 25 years

• Provided advisory services in inclusive practices to 800+ organizations

• Conducted 5000+ workshops and training programs in companies of different sizes, spanning industries and locations

• Facilitated the re-entry of 1,00,000 second-career women into the workforce through MyAvtar.com

• Engaged with 200,000+ women through career enablement programs

• Offered unique skilling programs such as DigiPivot (a prestigious course in digital marketing, conducted in partnership with Google, HUL, and ISB) to hundreds of women.

• Provided career intentionality training, employment guidance, and access to industry leaders every year to 10,000+ girls from underprivileged backgrounds through Project Puthri, an initiative of the Avtar Human Capital Trust (AHCT).

• Impacted 4000+ schoolboys through MITR (Men Impacting Trust and Respect), an initiative by AHCT that mentors boys to be advocates for women.

For its transformational impact in the realm of DEI, Avtar Group was listed in the prestigious Steward Leadership 25 Listing by Straits Times & INSEAD at Singapore in 2022.