MAM
BasicFirst appoints Dr Akhilesh Kumar as CAO
NEW DELHI: BasicFirst Learning OPC Pvt Ltd – a personalised e-learning platform – today announced the appointment of Dr Akhilesh Kumar as chief academic officer for the US market.
Kumar possesses a valuable mix of corporate and academic exposure that can benefit the ed-tech platform. He holds a PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan, USA where he also pursued an MBA. An alumnus of IIT Varanasi, Kumar has held top positions at leading multinational companies like N R Corporation USA, Intel Corp USA, British Telecom London and CEC Ltd and as a Professor at MIT for over 17 years.
BasicFirst founder and chief mentor Randhir Kumar said, “As we rapidly expand our overseas operations, it’s a pleasure to welcome the accomplished Dr Akhilesh Kumar. His visionary outlook and passion for education will enable us to capitalize on many upcoming opportunities. Moreover, Dr Kumar’s deep understanding of the US markets will help broad-base our overseas presence.”
Kumar stated: “I am honoured to be offered the opportunity of leading BasicFirst’s US operations at such an important juncture in its development. I believe a four-step expansion model premised on Create-Grow-Generate-Innovate should ensure positive outcomes in addressing society’s educational needs. To stay ahead of the curve in the ed-tech space while leading the international market, it is imperative to continue innovating.”
In a career spanning 36 years, Kumar has received various awards and accolades. Furthermore, he has worked as a junior research scholar with Peter Drucker, Father of Modern Management, on improving the US economy during Ronald Reagan’s tenure in the early 1980s. He has undertaken extensive research on ‘Higher Education: A Road Map’ for the Government of Rajasthan towards skills and employability. Dr Kumar has also been associated with Harvard Business School USA, MDI, XLRI Jamshedpur India, University of Stirling Scotland, the University of Huddersfield UK and the University of Connecticut USA.
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MAM
Time brings TIME100 Next franchise to India with Reliance
List to spotlight 100 emerging leaders, gala set for December 2026 in Mumbai.
MUMBAI: It’s about time India’s next wave got a global spotlight and now, it’s on the list. New York-headquartered Time is expanding its TIME100 Next franchise to India, partnering with Reliance Industries Limited to launch TIME100 Next India, its first international extension of the rising leaders platform. The announcement was made at the Time100 Gala in New York by Jessica Sibley and Nita Mukesh Ambani, signalling a strategic push to tap into India’s growing influence across sectors.
The India edition will recognise 100 emerging leaders from the country and the global Indian diaspora, spanning business, science, sports, arts and social impact. The list will be curated by Time’s editorial team and published online, continuing the franchise’s focus on identifying individuals shaping the future.
The initiative will culminate in a gala event scheduled for December 2026 at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, anchoring the platform within India’s cultural and business ecosystem.
TIME’s broader Time100 franchise has steadily expanded its global footprint since 2021 through events and impact-led initiatives. Executives noted that India’s growing pool of influential voices and innovators made it a natural next step for the platform’s international ambitions.
For Reliance, the partnership aligns with its broader push to support emerging talent and ideas on a global stage. For Time, it marks a timely bet on India not just as a market, but as a talent engine shaping the next chapter of global leadership.
