Tag: Digital Transformation

TechPulse

Goan Startups Shine at India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025

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New Delhi, October 2025: The India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025 concluded on October 11, 2025, after a four-day celebration of innovation, technology, and digital transformation at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre, New Delhi. Organized by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the event was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Representing Goa’s growing technological aspirations, a delegation from the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications (DITE&C), led by Minister Shri Rohan Khaunte, showcased the State’s rapidly evolving startup ecosystem. The delegation included Shri Sanjeev Ahuja (IAS, Secretary ITE&C), Shri Kabir Shirgaonkar (Director, DITE&C), Dr. Milind Sakhardande (Joint Director, DITE&C), and Shri Neville Noronha (OSD to the Minister of IT).

Speaking about the event, Minister Rohan Khaunte stated:

“Goa continues to play a pivotal role in shaping India’s digital future. Our startup ecosystem is driving the next wave of innovation. IMC 2025 provided an excellent platform for these startups to connect with global leaders and scale their businesses.”

Five promising Goan startups — Avyott Ventures Pvt. Ltd, Linq Haul Pvt. Ltd, Spintly, ByHorse, and Svayu IT Pvt. Ltd — participated in the exhibition, presenting their cutting-edge solutions to more than 1.5 lakh attendees.

Startup Voices:

  • Aneesh, Associate Director at Linq Haul, said: “IMC 2025 has been an incredible platform to connect with innovators and explore new technologies. Being part of the Goa delegation reflects the State’s focus on tech-driven entrepreneurship.”
  • Kunal, Social Media Manager at ByHorse, shared: “The energy and ideas at IMC were incredible. It’s great to be part of a community shaping the future of technology.”
  • Ashish, Founder of Svayu IT, added: “It’s exciting yet challenging as a solo entrepreneur to represent Goa on such a large stage. A great experience overall.”

Goa’s participation at IMC 2025 reaffirmed its growing role in India’s digital and startup revolution, highlighting its commitment to building a tech-savvy, innovation-driven future.

TechPulse

Goa AI Mission 2027 Gains Strategic Support from Sarvam AI

Tanisha Cardozo

The Government of Goa’s ambition to lead in ethical, responsible, and innovation-led AI adoption has received a major boost as Sarvam AI, India’s first sovereign AI startup, extended its support for the Goa AI Mission 2027. The Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (DITE&C) hosted a virtual session with Sarvam AI, marking a significant step toward building an AI ecosystem rooted in cultural relevance, local language access, and inclusive design.

Sarvam AI, recently selected under the IndiaAI Mission, is building a full-stack generative AI platform tailored for India. During the session, Sarvam AI showcased key products including Sarvam Samvaad (a conversational AI), Sarvam Arya (an enterprise reasoning engine), and Vistaar (a serverless deployment platform)—all built to support Indian languages and contexts.

The discussion was led by DITE&C Director Shri Kabir Shirgaonkar and Joint Director Dr. Milind Sakhardande, along with SeMT leads Ms. Sharda Katare and Shri Amit Bandekar. Sarvam AI was represented by its Founder Mr. Shubham Arora, along with Guru Prabhaker, Director – Sales, and Prerna Bhandari, Public Sector Lead. The focus was on three pillars: policy collaboration, co-development of citizen-centric AI services, and the establishment of an AI Centre of Excellence in Goa.

A key outcome of the session was the shared interest in building a Konkani Large Language Model (LLM). This language model would contribute significantly to the digital preservation of Goa’s linguistic and cultural heritage while enabling AI-powered services for local communities in their native tongue.

Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology, Electronics & Communications, Shri Rohan A. Khaunte, stated, “As the government is working towards creating Centres of Excellence in AI, the goal is to make Goa a hub for applied research, experimentation and industry collaboration. Through the AI Mission 2027, we are laying the groundwork in policy, infrastructure, research, and skills to lead in ethical and responsible AI adoption.”

Shri Kabir Shirgaonkar, Director of DITE&C, added, “Collaborating with industry leaders like Sarvam AI strengthens Goa’s vision of building an AI ecosystem that is not only innovative and sovereign but also deeply rooted in our local languages and cultural context. A key part of this mission is the development of a Konkani Large Language Model, which will help digitally preserve and promote Goa’s rich linguistic and cultural heritage. Their approach ensures that technology benefits every community across the state.”

Goa AI Mission 2027 is already mapping out skill development programs, research infrastructure, and AI governance frameworks. Partnerships like this signal a move from planning to implementation—ensuring that the benefits of AI are not just futuristic, but real, contextual, and accessible to every Goan.

Business

Nikhil Ravishankar to Become CEO of Air New Zealand: A Tech Expert Leads the Way

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Wellington / July 30–31, 2025 — In a historic leadership move, Nikhil Ravishankar, of Indian origin, has been named the next Chief Executive Officer of Air New Zealand, stepping into the role on October 20, 2025

Ravishankar, who has served as the airline’s Chief Digital Officer for nearly five years, will succeed Greg Foran, who led the carrier through the challenges of the COVID‑19 crisis and announced his voluntary departure earlier this year

During his tenure, Ravishankar spearheaded key digital initiatives, including overhauling the airline’s digital infrastructure, loyalty programs, and customer experience platforms. Prior to joining Air New Zealand, he held executive roles at Vector and Accenture across the Australasian region

Air New Zealand continues to grapple with deepening supply chain disruptions, persistent engine maintenance issues, and fierce competition from Qantas and Virgin Australia. The airline’s limited domestic market adds further pressures to its recovery and growth strategy

Chair Dame Therese Walsh said Ravishankar brings a “fresh perspective grounded in New Zealand values” and recognized his “digital literacy, global outlook, and deep care” for the airline and the country. The board conducted a rigorous international search before selecting him as the standout candidate

Nikhil Ravishankar shared:
“I’m both thrilled and humbled to take on this role. This airline is an institution with a deep legacy and a fantastic future. It’s a privilege to lead for our people, customers, and country.”

Finance

Axis Trustee Unveils “AVA” – India’s First AI-Powered Chatbot for Trustee Services

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Mumbai, July 23, 2025 – In a groundbreaking move, Axis Trustee Services Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Axis Bank, has launched AVA (Axis Trustee Virtual Assistant) — the first AI-powered chatbot in India’s trustee services space.

This innovation marks a significant leap in Axis Trustee’s journey toward digital empowerment and seamless customer experience. AVA will provide real-time support, service request management, and instant responses to process and transaction-related queries—redefining how clients interact with fiduciary service providers.

AVA is built on three powerful pillars:

  • 24/7 Client Support on products and services
  • Streamlined Service Requests with trackable resolutions
  • Expert Guidance on complex compliance, transactions & documentation

“AVA reflects our promise to be a responsive, technology-driven trustee partner,” said Mr. Rahul Choudhary, MD & CEO, Axis Trustee Services. “It’s more than a chatbot—it’s our commitment to trust, innovation, and customer-first service.”

Axis Trustee has long been a pioneer in the trustee sector, investing in digital documentation, workflow automation, and now artificial intelligence. The addition of AVA reinforces the company’s mission to offer transparent, efficient, and future-ready trustee solutions.

Business

Locks & Architectural Solutions redefines customer experience with the launch of advanced cutting edge Service CRMPoised to deliver an unparalleled service experience to over 200,000 customers annually

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Mumbai, June 19 2025 – Locks & Architectural Solutions, a business of the Godrej Enterprises Group—one of India’s most trusted organisations—today announced the launch of its Service CRM, a unified, pan-India after-sales service platform designed to transform customer support in the rapidly growing smart home segment. Aligned with the brand’s commitment to premiumisation through superior customer experience, the platform spans 80+ divisions, 200+ service centres, and serves over 2 lakh customers across 6,500+ pin codes, marking a major milestone in customer-centric digital innovation.
As connected living becomes the norm, after-sales service has become a critical differentiator in India’s ₹6,000 crore locks industry. The new Service CRM empowers customers, faster turnaround times, one-touch complaint registration, and full integration with both smart and traditional locking solutions, ensuring convenience, responsiveness, and peace of mind at every touchpoint.


Mr. Shyam Motwani, Business Head, Locks & Architectural Solutions, Godrej Enterprises Group, said, “At Locks & Architectural Solutions, we believe that our responsibility to the customer begins, not ends, at the point of purchase. The Service CRM is a digital-first initiative designed to simplify and strengthen our service experience, making it more intuitive, efficient, and transparent. This is our commitment to ensuring that every home we secure feels supported, always.”
The Service CRM consolidates physical and digital service infrastructure into one intelligent system, enabling proactive engagement, centralized service history, live updates, and quicker resolutions, particularly for smart lock owners. Whether resolving a digital lock query or assisting with traditional hardware, the platform ensures a uniform standard of excellence across India.

Beyond consumer satisfaction, the Service CRM also lays a strategic foundation for long-term brand growth. Locks & Architectural Solutions closed FY25 with revenues exceeding ₹1,000 crore and is now targeting an ambitious revenue milestone of ₹2,500 crore by FY28. The platform is expected to play a key role in achieving this vision by improving service efficiency, boosting customer retention and reinforcing trust.

As one of India’s most established and trusted names in home safety, this move reaffirms the brand’s leadership in not only pioneering smart lock technology, but also in redefining after-sales excellence in an increasingly digital and demanding consumer environment.