National
Sikka denies joining HP Enterprise, post-Infosys
Bengaluru, Aug 26 (IANS) Technocrat Vishal Sikka, who logged out of software major Infosys on Thursday after quitting as its first non-founder CEO on August 18, denied joining the US IT major Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), said an Indian business news channel on Saturday.
“Reports of me joining HPE are false. Someone is trying keenly to put me in a box,” Sikka told CNBC-TV18 in a video interview from the US.
Sikka, 50, remarked in the light of reports that Infosys Founder N.R. Narayana Murthy had written to his advisers that “he (Sikka) was more a CTO (Chief Technology Officer) material than a CEO (Chief Executive Officer) material”.
Terming the return of Nandan Nilekani as Infosys’ Board Chairman an excellent idea, Sikka said the latter was an extraordinary leader and an iconic man.
“I offered to quit as Executive Vice-Chairman because I felt it was in the best interests of all concerned so that Nilekani could have a free hand. It also meant that the succession process would be complete,” he noted.
Accepting Sikka’s resignation as CEO, the Infosys Board appointed him as the Executive Vice-Chairman on the same day (August 18) till the new CEO took over by March 31, 2018 and elevated Chief Operating Officer (COO) U.B. Pravin Rao as the interim CEO and Managing Director (MD).
“I wanted to leave Infosys altogether after resigning as CEO last week, but the Board had insisted I stay on for the sake of continuity,” he pointed out.
A huge proponent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its application to make a positive difference in the world, Sikka said he was excited to spend more time with his family at his Palo Alto home in the Silicon Valley of California.
Asked if he would agree to Infosys making the investigative report on the acquisition of the Israeli software firm Panaya Inc public, Sikka said it was up to the Board and he would have gone along with its decision.
Infosys acquired the US-based automation technology firm Panaya for $200 million in February 2015 to offer large-scale enterprise software management as a service to its global clients.
The Panaya buyout became a bone of contention between the co-founders and the Board due to alleged irregularities in its deal value and allegations by an anonymous whistleblower that company executives like Sikka had a personal interest in buying it.
One of the charges was that $20 million invested in Panaya before the deal were distributed to the shareholders, a charge Infosys denied claiming it (Panaya) had $18.6 million cash balance when bought.
“Panaya was looked at as an acquisition candidate based on its strategic fit. There was no conflict of interest due to Sikka’s association with its investor Hasso Plattner, who was his boss in his previous job at the German software major SAP AG,” said Infosys in a statement on February 20.
Though three investigations looked into the claims and found nothing, Murthy kept raising corporate governance issues at the company and asked the Board to consider making the Panaya report public.
“The allegations were baseless, false, wrong. It is a completely nonsensical detour,” claimed Sikka in the television interview.
On the hefty severance package paid to Infosys former Chief Financial Officer Rajiv Bansal, Sikka said he had answered questions on it a thousand times.
Declining to share lessons he learnt at Infosys and if he could have done differently, Sikka hoped the outsourcing firm would move forward and get back to its business.
Asked if his being based out of the US and not Bengaluru was a problem, Sikka said as business was outside India, it was a complex balance of spending time, mostly in airplanes.
Admitting that his stint at Infosys from August 1, 2014 was an incredibly challenging job, Sikka said he was proud of the three years he spent in the iconic firm and was overwhelmed by the thousands of emails and communications he received from employees and clients.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.