Sonata Software has appointed Hariprasad Rebala as its new chief AI officer, marking a key step in the company’s push to become an AI-first enterprise. Rebala will oversee Sonata’s full AI agenda — from products and platforms to delivery, partnerships, and talent. His mandate is to embed AI across the organisation and help clients convert AI investments into speed, scale, and real business outcomes. Most recently, he was chief of AI solutions and growth at a deep-tech AI startup. He also co-founded Forfend, where he developed IoT and conversational AI platforms. Earlier, Rebala held senior roles at Mindtree, Capgemini, and…
Author: HRK News Bureau
BorderPlus is planning to place up to 50,000 Indian caregivers in Japan over the next four to five years as the country faces a growing shortage of workers to support its ageing population. The workforce mobility company has launched a Japan-focused programme under the country’s Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) pathway. It has already entered into partnerships with two organisations in Japan and plans to add four more in the coming months. The first group of candidates is currently being trained in India. The programme combines Japanese language learning with caregiving and basic medical skills. Candidates must clear the required Japanese…
The Tripura government has withdrawn the 31 October, 2023 deadline for exercising the option for pay fixation under the Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) Scheme. The decision is expected to provide relief to government employees and teachers who were unable to exercise the option within the prescribed period. The issue had been raised by the Tripura Government Employees’ Association, which challenged the deadline before the Tripura High Court. The association argued that eligible employees should not lose financial benefits simply because they missed an administrative deadline. The matter stems from a Finance Department memorandum issued on 30 September, 2023. The…
Bharat Electronics (BEL) has appointed Ambrish Tripathi as director (human resources). Tripathi assumed charge of the role on 13 August, 2026, strengthening the Navratna defence public sector undertaking’s HR leadership as it continues to expand its capabilities across the defence and electronics sectors. As director (HR), Tripathi is set to focus on positioning the HR function as a strategic partner to BEL’s growth, with emphasis on talent development, innovation, employee excellence and technology-driven HR processes. Prior to his appointment, Tripathi served as general manager, BEL’s Kotdwar Unit, a position he held from January 2024 to August 2026. During his tenure,…
Uniparts India has appointed Manish Singh as group chief human resource officer (CHRO), effective August 2026, strengthening its senior leadership team as the company focuses on people strategy, organisational effectiveness and workforce transformation. In his new role at Uniparts India, Singh will lead the organisation’s HR agenda, with a focus on people strategy, workforce planning, talent development, organisational transformation and building a high-performance culture. Singh brings more than 23 years of experience across HR business partnering, organisational design, talent management, culture transformation and HR digitalisation, with significant experience in the manufacturing sector. Before joining Uniparts India, Singh spent 14 years…
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has appointed Parviz Dhamodiwalla as senior vice president – human resources, effective June 2026. In the new role, Dhamodiwalla is leading HR for Glenmark’s International Formulations Business across North America, Europe, APAC and Latin America. Dhamodiwalla brings more than 22 years of global HR experience across pharmaceuticals, healthcare, financial services and consulting, with expertise in talent management, organisation design, leadership development, HR business partnering and people transformation. Before joining Glenmark, Dhamodiwalla was the founder and CEO of RuBaSphere Consulting, a people-first HR consultancy she founded in April 2025. She held the role until June 2026, working on training,…
It was an evening that was refreshingly different from the usual awards functions. The inaugural Happiest Places to Work® Awards, hosted by House of Cheer at the JW Marriott, Juhu, Mumbai, was crisp, classy and dignified, with the spotlight firmly on the organisations and people being recognised. The evening began precisely at 7.30 pm, setting the tone for a ceremony that was refreshingly well paced. There were neither long speeches nor any unnecessary ceremony. Instead, each winner was given their moment of pride and recognition. The gathering was small and intimate, which added to the charm of the evening. Senior…
The Tamil Nadu government has decided to extend maternity leave for its women employees when they have a third child. Until now, the leave period for the third child was only 12 weeks. With the new rule, it will be increased to 365 days, the same as what is already given for the first two children. Currently, women government staff with fewer than two surviving children are eligible for one year of maternity leave. Those with two or more surviving children were limited to 12 weeks. The new decision removes this difference and gives equal benefit for the third child…
Samsung’s Chennai Plant brought together more than 8,000 employees and their family members for a Family Day celebration, turning the Tamil Nadu manufacturing facility into a hub of music, games, performances and employee engagement. The event gave families an opportunity to experience the workplace that forms an important part of their loved ones’ daily lives, while recognising the contribution of employees and the support they receive from their families. The celebration featured activities for employees and family members of all ages, including a toddler zone, ball pit, maze runner, trampoline, carnival inflatables, mask-making, doodle art and face painting. A foam…
US financial services firm Charles Schwab plans to expand its India technology centre workforce to around 2,000 employees by the end of 2027, as it increases its technology and engineering operations in the country. According to a document seen by Reuters and a source familiar with the plans, the company’s Hyderabad centre, inaugurated on August 19, will support its US business across technology development, engineering and operations. Schwab also plans to bring some technology work currently handled by contractors in India in-house at the centre, signalling a shift towards building a larger internal technology workforce. The expansion comes as Hyderabad…
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has instructed employees not to use Meta’s camera-equipped smart glasses while on duty, citing concerns that the devices could inadvertently record or transmit sensitive information. According to a memo circulated among ICE staff and reported by The New York Times, the restriction applies across the agency and is aimed at preventing potential privacy and legal risks associated with wearable cameras. The Department of Homeland Security said the guidance may reinforce an existing rule prohibiting employees from using personally owned body-worn cameras while performing official duties. The move comes after US immigration and border personnel…
Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya has been appointed head – human resources development at Mahindra Insurance Brokers, after more than 21 years with Mahindra Finance. Bhattacharya joined Mahindra Finance in April 2005 as zonal head – human resources, spending over eight years leading the regional HR function across eastern and northeastern India. In September 2013, he took on the role of country head – human resources, leading HR operations, talent acquisition, performance management, employee lifecycle and organisational- development initiatives. He held the position until July 2018. He was then appointed business HR head, a role he held from July 2018 to October 2022.…
Dimple Kaloya has joined MetLife as chief human resources officer (CHRO), MetLife Global Capability Centres (MGCC), bringing more than two decades of experience across HR transformation, workforce strategy, organisation design and talent leadership. In her new role at MGCC, Kaloya will lead the people agenda as the organisation builds future-ready capabilities and evolves its operating model. Kaloya joins MetLife after a seven-year career at HSBC, where she served as head-human resources, Global Service Centres India and Group Functions GSC HTCs from April 2021 to August 2026. Before this, she was SVP and head-HR consulting, HSBC Global Services and Technology Centres…
FirstClub Technology has appointed Sonika Pranay as head of people & culture, as the quality-first grocery platform strengthens its leadership team and scales its people and culture agenda. In her new role, she will lead FirstClub’s People & Culture function, focusing on talent and leadership development, high-performing teams and organisational culture. Her mandate will be to work with the leadership team as the company scales its workforce and builds its organisational capabilities for the next phase of growth. Pranay brings over 15 years of HR experience, with a career spanning the Flipkart Group and cure.fit (cult.fit). Prior to joining FirstClub,…
3M has appointed Jennifer Cunningham as executive vice president and chief human resources officer, effective August 2026. She succeeds in leading the company’s global HR organisation at a time when the science-based manufacturer is doubling down on innovation and workforce culture. Her most recent role was vice president, human resources for Global Commercial, North America and LATAM, a position she held from February 2025 to August 2026. In that capacity she oversaw HR for Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM’s) worldwide commercial businesses with full regional responsibility. Prior to that, from January 2018 to June 2025, she served as vice president,…
PepsiCo has appointed Nidhima M as senior director HR – India, Bangladesh and Nepal, effective July 2026. She will partner with the leadership team to build a future-ready Foods and Beverage business across the three markets. Nidhima brings close to two decades of HR experience spanning people strategy, organisational transformation, talent management, rewards, inclusion, mergers and acquisitions and large-scale change programmes. She joins PepsiCo from Amazon, where she served as senior manager HR, people partner for the Amazon Stores Customer Experience teams from August 2022 to July 2026. Based in Gurugram, she led the People function for teams across Amazon…
SAP has appointed Shweta Mohanty as senior vice president and global head of business partnering for corporate functions, marking a new phase in her nearly 11-year tenure as the enterprise software leader. Mohanty steps into the global role after serving as head of people & culture for SAP India, where she led HR strategy, culture initiatives, and talent programmes for the country. In that position since April 2022, she was credited with strengthening employee engagement and aligning people practices to SAP’s business priorities in India. Her career graph at SAP reflects steady progression through increasingly senior HR leadership roles. She…
Bank of America is rolling out stricter hybrid work guidelines that will prevent eligible employees from working remotely on consecutive days, the Charlotte-based financial firm confirmed Wednesday. Under the updated post-COVID policy, staff with hybrid roles will still have three in-office days and two work-from-home days per week. But the two remote days must be separated. Examples include pairing Monday with Wednesday or Tuesday with Friday — not Thursday and Friday or Monday and Tuesday. The change takes effect companywide in mid-September, after Labour Day, according to a bank spokesperson. It applies to all Bank of America locations, not just…
IT and technology companies are tightening controls on employee benefits, travel and workplace practices as they focus on productivity and cost efficiency amid a challenging business environment. At Accenture India, employees have been given the option to carry forward earned leave until 31 August, 2027, instead of letting it expire at the end of August this year. The move is aimed at keeping employees available during the company’s year-end period. Employees have also reportedly been encouraged to avoid unproductive meetings to improve the use of working hours. At SAP, internal travel has been paused as part of a broader spending…
Tesla is preparing to launch its autonomous Cybercab in Austin, Texas, as early as this month, with employees expected to be among the first passengers. The company plans to initially offer Cybercab rides to employees on public roads before adding the vehicles to its robotaxi service in Austin a few days later, according to The Information. Tesla has been preparing for the rollout through public-road testing, employee rides on private roads and training with local first responders. The production version of the Cybercab began public-road testing in June, with production expected to ramp up later this year. The purpose-built vehicle,…
The Haryana government has rolled out a new workplace-wellness initiative, directing industrial units across the state to introduce a daily 5-minute yoga break for employees. Announced as part of the state’s employee health drive, the directive asks factories and manufacturing units to pause operations briefly each day so workers can participate in guided yoga and light stretching. Officials stated such a short “fitness dose” is aimed at reducing fatigue, preventing lifestyle-related illnesses, and improving focus on the shop floor. Labour department authorities noted that long hours, repetitive tasks, and sedentary work patterns in industrial settings often lead to stress, back…
Saudi Arabia’s registered healthcare workforce exceeded 8,01,000 practitioners in 2025, growing 4.5 per cent from the previous year as the Kingdom expands its healthcare talent base. According to the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS), the workforce includes 4,60,000 Saudi practitioners and professionals from 140 countries, reflecting the sector’s diverse talent pool. The Kingdom is also expanding its healthcare training pipeline. In 2025, 12,590 practitioners graduated from Saudi Board programmes and health academy initiatives, while 10,920 training seats were offered across health specialisation programmes, a 17 per cent increase from 2024. The SCFHS reported that 5,540 healthcare professionals graduated during…
An AI agent managing an experimental retail store in San Francisco has made its first firing decision, dismissing a human employee after repeated attendance issues. Andon Labs, which runs the AI-operated Andon Market, said its AI manager Luna recommended ending the employee’s contract after the worker arrived late for 17 of 23 shifts. The employee had received repeated warnings and additional training over several months before the decision was taken. The firing was not entirely autonomous. Luna had initially created an attendance policy but later lost track of it, allowing the attendance issues to continue. Andon Labs eventually prompted the…
Andhra Pradesh spent Rs 1.05 lakh crore on salaries, pensions and other human resource-related expenditure in 2025-26, with employee costs estimated at about 95 per cent of the state’s own revenue, according to the state government’s latest assessment of its finances. The expenditure covers regular government employees, pensioners, contract and outsourced workers, grant-in-aid employees, local-body staff and workers associated with government corporations. The state estimates that payments are made to around 1.3 million beneficiaries each month. Regular government employees account for 67 per cent of beneficiaries, while pensioners make up another 25 per cent. The government has described the high…
Hyundai Motor Group has achieved around 80 per cent adoption of its generative AI platform among general employees within a year, as the automaker accelerates its shift from digital transformation to enterprise-wide AI adoption. More than 30,000 employees at Hyundai Motor and Kia were actively using the Group’s proprietary H Chat Pro platform as of July 2026. The platform gives employees secure access to generative AI models including ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude, allowing them to use AI for tasks such as document creation, information retrieval, data analysis and software development. The rapid uptake comes as Hyundai seeks to embed AI…
The Supreme Court has held that re-employed officers can be treated as a separate class from regular officers for service-related benefits. The Court said such a classification is based on an intelligible differentia and has a rational nexus with the objective sought to be achieved and therefore does not violate Article 14 of the Constitution. The bench observed that officers who are re-employed after retirement are in a different position compared to officers who continue in regular service. Their terms of appointment, tenure, and the very purpose of re-employment set them apart. The Court noted that the State is entitled…