Current Affairs - Awards and Honours

Albinder Singh Dhindsa will assume the role of Group CEO at Eternal Group as part of a major leadership transition, while founder Deepinder Goyal steps down from the position but continues as Vice Chairman. Dhindsa’s appointment is aimed at ensuring operational execution, growth stability, and enhanced shareholder value, balancing managerial discipline with the company’s innovative vision. This leadership change, pending shareholder approval, reflects strategic continuity and allows Eternal Group to scale effectively while maintaining governance standards, marking an important shift in the company’s executive management.

C-DOT has been recognised with the SKOCH Award 2025 for its indigenous Cell Broadcast Solution, a unified national platform designed to deliver real-time disaster and emergency alerts directly to mobile phones. The system enables geo-targeted, multilingual warnings even during network congestion, ensuring timely communication in critical situations. By integrating multiple alert-generating agencies and following global standards such as the Common Alerting Protocol, the platform strengthens India’s disaster preparedness and resilience. This achievement highlights the organisation’s contribution to public safety, digital infrastructure, and the vision of self-reliant, citizen-centric technology.

The Federation of Indian Granite and Stone Industry announced its leadership team for the 2026–2028 term with a clear focus on strengthening India’s natural stone sector. Among the key appointments, Ishwinder Singh has been elected as the President of FIGSI. This role places him in charge of guiding the organization’s vision, supporting industry growth, and encouraging innovation across the sector. Alongside other office bearers such as the General Secretary, Treasurer, Vice Presidents, and Joint Secretaries, the President plays a crucial role in shaping policies and representing the interests of the granite and stone industry at national and international levels.

SeedlingLabs, an AI-native Product Development as a Service (PDaaS) company, appointed Dr Sudhir Kumar Patnaik as the inaugural member of its Advisory Board in January 2026. Dr Sudhir Kumar Patnaik currently serves as a Professor and CIR Director at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and is known for his role in connecting industry requirements with applied research and talent development. His appointment represents an important milestone for SeedlingLabs as it aims to scale its AI-native platform and strengthen production delivery capabilities for enterprise clients.

Raymond Lifestyle appointed Satyaki Ghosh as its Chief Executive Officer in January 2026, marking an important leadership transition for the company. Satyaki Ghosh brings over 25 years of professional experience across FMCG, textiles, and retail sectors. Prior to joining Raymond Lifestyle, he served as CEO at Grasim Industries under the Aditya Birla Group and held senior leadership positions at L’Oréal India. His appointment reflects Raymond’s strategic focus on operational excellence, sustainability-driven growth, and strengthening brand leadership as the company accelerates its expansion plans.