MAM
‘Jewellers for Hope’ donate Rs 10 mn for needy kids
MUMBAI: Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), in association with De Beers, presented the third edition of the ‘Jewellers for Hope’ gala charity dinner with an aim to collaboratively contribute for the upliftment of downtrodden and support the needyy.
Banker & philanthropist Amruta Devendra Fadnavis and actor Arjun Kapoor graced the occasion. This year the proceeds shall go to Girl Rising, Nanhi Kali NGOs working for the empowerment of Girl Child and Make a Wish Foundation, an NGO playing an integral role by granting the most cherished wish of Children living with life threatening illnesses hailing from socio economically backward society.
A total of Rs. 10 million was presented to three NGOs – with Rs. 33 lakh each to Girl Rising and Make a Wish and Rs. 35 lakh to Nanhi Kali Foundation. Noted singer Rekha Bhardwaj regaled the audience. The event was hosted by the inimitable Mandira Bedi.
Praveenshankar Pandya (Chairman, GJEPC), Russell Mehta (Vice Chairman, GJEPC) and Paul Rowley, Executive Vice President, Global Sightholder Sales, De Beers Group, hosted several jewellers, celebrities and prominent personalities expressed their views on aiding & empowering girl child during the black tie sit-down dinner. Manoj Dwivedi, Joint Secretary, Dept. of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Govt of India and many other prominent personalities from the gems & jewellery sector attended the event.
Pandya says, “Giving back to the society will make a big difference and transform the lives of many.” Rowley said, “We have a strong focus on the upliftment of women as we know how important they are to all aspects of our business.” Mehta said, “Consolidated efforts will give an impetus to the magnification of the impact of each one who takes up the challenge of making a difference.”
MUMBAI: In India’s fast-moving payments race, Visa has just swiped in a new leader. The company has named Suresh Sethi as its India country head, marking a key leadership shift as it sharpens its focus on digital payments growth in the market. Sethi steps into the role following his recent exit from Protean eGov Technologies, where he served as chief executive officer. He succeeds Sandeep Ghosh, who has moved on after more than four years at Visa to pursue an external opportunity.
The appointment comes at a time when Visa is doubling down on its expansion strategy across India and the wider region, deepening partnerships and accelerating adoption in an increasingly competitive digital payments ecosystem.
Sethi brings with him a broad, cross-market perspective shaped by decades of experience across corporate banking, retail financial services, mobile money and large-scale government technology initiatives. He began his career at Citigroup, where he spent 14 years working across India, Africa, South America and the United States, focusing on transaction banking services within the corporate bank.
His appointment signals a blend of institutional experience and market familiarity qualities that could prove critical as Visa navigates a landscape where fintech innovation, regulatory evolution and consumer adoption are all accelerating at once.
As digital payments in India continue to scale rapidly, the leadership change underscores a simple reality, in a market where every tap, scan and swipe counts, who leads the charge can matter just as much as the technology itself.
