Miscellaneous Events Oct-23
BYJU’S CFO Ajay Goel quits within 6 months, to rejoin Vedanta
Ajay Goel, who joined BYJU’S as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in April this year, is leaving the edtech startup within six months. Goel had joined Byju’s in April 2023 from Vedanta Resources Ltd. , where he was the group deputy CFO. Goel will replace Sonal Shrivastava at Vedanta, who is resigning as Chief Financial Officer citing personal reasons. Byju’s has now elevated its President – Finance, Nitin Golani, to the role of India Chief Finance Officer and additionally, appointed Pradip Kanakia as a senior adviser in the company’s finance function.
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker steps down after 27- year service
Akbar Al Baker is stepping down as the CEO of Qatar Airways after 27 years of service at the state-owned carrier. Badr Al Meer, the chief operating officer of Doha Hamad International Airport, will replace Al Baker as CEO.
Qatar Airways:
- Founded: November 22, 1993
- Commenced operations: January 20, 1994
- Headquarters: Qatar Airways Towers, Doha, Qatar
- CEO: Akbar Al Bake
Bengaluru airport ranked as world’s most punctual, Hyderabad at 3rd spot
Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport has been ranked as the world’s most punctual airport for the past three months in a row, according to the ontime performance report by aviation analytics firm Cirium.
The other airports that figure in the top five list are
- Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah (US) in the second position
- Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad at the third spot
- Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport fourth
- El Dorado International Airport at fifth place.
The Cirium report ranks the punctuality of airports worldwide based on the percentage of flights that departed within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.
Top 10 in the list:
- Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, India
- Salt Lake City International Airport, Utah, the US
- Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad, India
- Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Minnesota, the US
- El Dorado International Airport, Bogotá, Colombia
- Oslo Airport Gardermoen, Norway
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, the US
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the US
- Hamad International Airport, Doha, Qatar
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the US
Mr.Mukesh Ambani Surpasses Mr.Gautam Adani as India’s Richest on Hurun List
Mr.Mukesh Ambani reclaimed the title of the richest billionaire in India with a total wealth of Rs 8. 08 trillion in 2023. According to the 360 ONE Wealth Hurun India Rich List 2023, Reliance Industries chairman and managing director surpassed Mr.Gautam Adani who held the title last year. The report said Ambani’s wealth increased by 2% over the year while Adani’s fortune plummeted by 57% to Rs 4. 74 trillion since the last release of the list.
Mr.Cyrus Poonawalla,managing director of the Serum Institute of India, secured the third spot with a net worth of Rs 2. 78 trillion.
Mr.Shiv Nadar, founder and chairman emeritus of HCL Technologies, and Gopichand Hinduja of the Hinduja Group retained the fourth and fifth position respectively.
India retains 40th rank in Global Innovation Index
India has retained its 40th rank out of 132 economies in the Global Innovation Index (GII) for 2023, as published by the World Intellectual Property Organization. This achievement highlights India’s upward trajectory in innovation, moving from 81st place in 2015 to its current ranking. The Global Innovation Index serves as a valuable tool for governments worldwide to assess innovation-led social and economic changes within their nations.
Top 5 countries in the list
- Switzerland
- Sweden
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Singapore
Global Innovation Index 2023
Now in its 16th edition, the Global Innovation Index is a leading reference for measuring an economy’s innovation ecosystem performance. Published annually, it is also a valuable benchmarking tool used by policymakers, business leaders, and other stakeholders to assess progress in innovation over time.
NTPC becomes only Indian PSU to feature in Forbes ‘World’s Best Employers 2023’ List
India’s largest integrated energy conglomerate, NTPC Limited, has been recognized as one of the “World’s Best Employers 2023” in the Forbes World’s Best Employers list 2023. It ranked 261st out of top 700 companies in the World ranking and is the only Indian PSU to figure in the list. This is a testimony that the people practices at NTPC are at par with the top companies in the world. Every year Forbes publishes the World’s Best Employers List through independent market research to identify top 700 companies which offer exciting working and a positive environment, opportunities for training and career advancement, employee benefits, employee centric and workplace diversity. Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista to create the seventh annual list of the World’s Best Employers this year.
| RANK | NAME | INDUSTRIES | COUNTRY/TERRITORY | EMPLOYEES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Samsung | Electronics Conglomerate | South Korea | 270,372 |
| 2. | Microsoft | IT, Internet, Software & Services | United States | 221,000 |
| 3. | Alphabet | IT, Internet & Software | United States | 190,234 |
India ranks 111th on Global Hunger Index 2023
India ranked 111th out of 125 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2023, a standing the government termed “erroneous and having malafide intent”. In the index released, India has a score of 28. 7, indicating a serious level of hunger. The country came after neighbouring countries Pakistan (102nd), Bangladesh (81st), Nepal (69th) and Sri Lanka (60th). However, India fared better than South Asia and Africa South of the Sahara, which recorded a score of 27 each. While the rate of undernourishment in India stood at 16. 6 percent and under-five mortality at 3. 1 percent, the prevalence of anaemia in women aged between 15 and 24 years stood at 58. 1 percent. As per the index, India also has the highest child wasting rate in the world at 18. 7 percent, reflecting acute undernutrition. Wasting is measured based on children’s weight relative to their height.
Top and Worst Performers :
Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Chile, China and Croatia are the top five countries in GHI 2023. Chad, Niger, Lesotho, Congo, Yemen, Madagascar, and Central African Republic are the countries ranked at the bottom of the index.
Navy hosts Annual Joint HADR Exercise ‘Chakravat’ 2023
The Annual Joint HADR Exercise (AJHE) is an outcome of Hon’ble PM’s directive promulgated during Combined Commanders’ Conference 2015. The exercise has been conducted by Indian Army, Indian Navy (IN) and Indian Air Force (IAF) in rotation since 2016. The last edition of the exercise was conducted at Agra by IAF. The 2023 edition of the exercise is being hosted by the Indian Navy at Goa from 09 to 11 Oct 23. The 2023 edition would synergise efforts at the national level as well as witness participation from eight countries of the Indian Ocean Region.
India-Bangladesh SAMPRITI-XI Joint Military Exercise Begins
The 11th annual joint military exercise, SAMPRITI, between India and Bangladesh took off on Oct 3, 2023 in Umroi, Meghalaya. This exercise is a result of strong collaboration between the two countries in defence. It began in 2009 in Jorhat, Assam, and has had ten successful editions until 2022. The main goal of the exercise is to improve how the two armies work together, share tactical techniques, and learn from each other’s best practices.
