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Ashika’s Fund Run Gets SEBI’s Nod
MUMBAI: Money matters are rarely poetic, but this one comes with a decisive stamp of approval. Ashika Group has received in-principle clearance from Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to sponsor and set up Ashika Mutual Fund, marking a major strategic milestone in the group’s growth journey.
The approval allows Ashika to move ahead with establishing an Asset Management Company (AMC) and preparing for the launch of its mutual fund schemes, subject to meeting SEBI’s final registration conditions. It is a significant step towards the group’s ambition to build a future-ready asset management platform rooted in disciplined investing, robust governance and long-term wealth creation.
Ashika’s entry into the mutual fund space builds on its deep experience across capital markets and financial services, spanning retail and institutional broking, investment banking, research advisory, global family office services, alternative asset management and private equity. The proposed fund house plans to roll out a carefully curated suite of investment schemes designed to cater to varied investor profiles, supported by strong in-house research, structured risk management and a governance-first approach.
Commenting on the development, Ashika Group chairman and managing director Pawan Jain said the approval marks an important institutional moment for the organisation. He noted that the move reflects Ashika’s long-standing belief in building enduring, research-led financial platforms, adding that the group’s responsibility as a sponsor extends beyond performance to creating a culture anchored in accountability, prudence and sustainable long-term value for investors.
With SEBI’s in-principle nod now in place, Ashika Group joins a growing list of diversified financial services players eyeing India’s expanding asset management opportunity, as the mutual fund industry continues to attract new investors and fresh capital across market cycles.
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Practo names Cijo George as vice president of artificial intelligence
New vice president of artificial intelligence to mine healthcare data and sharpen care delivery
BENGALURU: India’s healthtech race just picked up speed. Practo has appointed Cijo George as vice president of artificial intelligence, tasking him with wiring AI deep into the company’s sprawling healthcare platform.
George will steer AI strategy and execution, embedding machine intelligence across care navigation, doctor-facing tools and overall platform intelligence. He will work across product, engineering and clinical teams to rewire how patients search for and access care — and how doctors deliver treatment with greater consistency and precision.
He reports directly to Shashank ND, co-founder and chief executive officer.
Shashank ND said years of building healthcare data across patients, providers and treatment outcomes had laid the foundation for more advanced AI applications. Artificial intelligence, he added, can unlock the value of that data to improve patient outcomes and equip doctors with actionable insights. He described George’s experience in building production-grade AI systems as closely aligned with Practo’s long-term vision.
George brings nearly two decades of experience spanning machine learning, AI platforms and product engineering. Most recently at Observe.AI, he led work on large-scale AI systems deployed by global enterprises. Before that, at Belong.co, he drove platform and AI initiatives focused on search and personalisation in the HR technology space. He also worked with the Advanced Technology Group at NetApp, contributing to machine-learning and data-science projects for distributed systems.
An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Science with a master’s degree in high performance computing, George said the chance to apply AI to directly improve patient experience and clinical delivery drew him to the role. Practo’s scale and its extensive longitudinal healthcare data, he added, offer significant room for innovation.
The move comes as digital health platforms double down on artificial intelligence to boost patient engagement, streamline provider workflows and sharpen decision-making. For Practo, the prescription is clear: turn data into diagnosis, and algorithms into advantage.
