Kerala-born Bhaskar Menon, a legendary figure in the global music industry, passed away at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was 86.
Menon was the founding chairman and CEO of the renowned label EMI Music Worldwide.
After earning his master's degree from Christ Church, Oxford, Menon joined EMI as a management trainee in London in 1956. In 1964, he returned to India and became the chairman of Gramophone Company of India, which later became the Indian subsidiary of EMI, which made HMV records.
Menon was named the managing director of EMI International in 1969, at the age of 35. Two years later, he relocated to Los Angeles, United States, to take the helm of Capitol Records in which EMI held a majority interest. He stayed in the position till 1978.
Menon founded EMI Music Worldwide in 1978. After retiring from EMI and the music business in 1990, Menon founded the company International Media Investments in 1995, through which he made investments in major media and entertainment companies including Indian broadcaster NDTV.
Mar 07, 2021
Kotak Mahindra Bank Appoints Ashok Gulati as Additional Director
Private sector lender Kotak Mahindra Bank appointed agricultural economist Ashok Gulati as additional independent director on its board. The term of Gulati, a keen backer of the recent farm laws who has also been appointed by the Supreme Court to a four-member panel, is for five years starting from Saturday.
Gulati is an MA and PhD from Delhi School of Economics and is currently the Infosys Chair Professor for Agriculture at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).
Previously, he has served as the Chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), Government of India (2011-2014), and member of the RBI's Central Board of Directors and at the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
Naureen Hassan First VP, COO of Federal Reserve Bank of New York
An Indian-origin veteran of the financial services industry has been appointed as the first vice-president and chief operating officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Naureen Hassan has been appointed by the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as the first vice president and chief operating officer, effective from March 15. The appointment was approved by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
As the first vice president, Hassan will be the New York Fed's second ranking officer as well as an alternate voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee.
She was, most recently, the Chief Digital Officer for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management (MSWM).
Mar 06, 2021
Glenmark Pharma Signs Rohit Sharma as Brand Ambassador for Candid Powder
Drug major Glenmark Pharma signed cricketer Rohit Sharma as brand ambassador for its product Candid Powder.
Candid Powder brand is a market leader in its category, with a market share of 64 per cent in the medicated powder category.
Glenmark's Candid Dusting Powder is used to treat four key skin problems of redness, irritation, sweat rash and fungal infections.
Muthoot Finance Chairman M. G. Muthoot Passes Away
M. G. Muthoot, the chairman of Muthoot Finance which is the largest gold loan NBFC in the country, passed away in New Delhi.
The 71-year-old Muthoot was for long based in the National Capital even though his diversified group that runs over 20 businesses from gold loans to securities, realty estate to infrastructure, hospitals to hospitality and education, is headquartered in Kochi making it one of the largest business houses in the state.
The Muthoot Group's flagship Muthoot Finance had a loan book of close to Rs. 56,000 crore in the December 2020 quarter.
The group has grown manifold under him, when he took over it had just 31 branches but now has over 5,550 branches across the country and outside today and the group.
Sheikh Hasina's Political Adviser HT Imam Passes Away
HT Imam, the political adviser to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, died at a military hospital.
He was undergoing treatment at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka.
Imam was the cabinet secretary to the 1971 wartime government.
After the Awami League headed by Hasina formed the government following the 2008 election, Imam was appointed as the public administration affairs adviser to the Prime Minister.
Following the 2014 elections, he was made the political affairs adviser to the Prime Minister.
Mar 05, 2021
V. K. Sasikala Quits Politics
Weeks ahead of Tamil Nadu assembly elections, V. K. Sasikala, expelled AIADMK leader and close aide of late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, announced that she will stay away from politics, but would pray for the golden rule of the late party supremo.
The sudden announcement came as a bolt out of the blue as earlier Sasikala said that she would remain active in politics after completion of her jail term. The 69-year-old had served four years of jail term in the Rs 66.65 crore DA assets case.
Mar 04, 2021
UAE's First Ambassador to Israel
Mohammed Mahmoud Al-Khaja was sworn in as the new UAE ambassador to Israel.
Al-Khaja took the oath in front of UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
The ceremony comes after the cabinet approved the setting up of an embassy in Tel Aviv last month.
The UAE and Israel signed a US-brokered deal on Sept. 15, known as the Abraham Accords, which established diplomatic relations between the two countries for the first time.
Rajesh Vaishnaw India's next Ambassador to Morocco
Diplomat Rajesh Vaishnaw has been appointed India's next Ambassador to Morocco.
Vaishnaw, a 1996-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently the High Commissioner of India to Malta.
He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.
The appointment comes at a time when India-Morocco ties are witnessing an upswing.