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Magnasoft brings Ravi Shelvankar on board as CBO
Mumbai: Global player in the arena of digital geospatial information and services, Magnasoft has brought on board Ravi Shelvankar as chief business officer (CBO) of hi-tech & automotive division, North America.
Magnasoft 3.0 is getting strengthened with exceptional additions to its leadership teams across all verticals. Shelvankar’s appointment is the right next step for Magnasoft to make a significant impact on the $440 billion geospatial markets, said the company in a statement on Saturday.
“In our newest version, we are largely focusing on new verticals such as utilities & communications and hi-tech & automotive. The hi-tech market is growing exponentially,” said Magnasoft co-founder & CEO Bobbie H Kalra. “The global autonomous vehicle market is projected to garner $556.67 billion by 2026. Moreover, hyperscalers are exhibiting unprecedented growth and Magnasoft is aiming to play an important role in this growth journey.”
Shelvankar has over 20 years of experience in directing leading-edge services business models, strategic sales, and Fortune 500 key account management with an outstanding record of achievement in complex multimillion-dollar, multiyear deals and contracts. He worked with companies such as ValuePoint Technologies, CSS Corp, Sify Americas, and Infosys.
“Keeping in view the vast leadership experience that Ravi holds in the hi-tech industry, his mentoring will prove invaluable at this time. I am confident that under his leadership many important business relations will flourish,” said Kalra on the new appointment.
Speaking on his new role, Shelvankar said, “Magnasoft brings in the unique blend of diverse domains – from automation and labeling to HD mapping to reference data curation combined with expertise in managing data from different sources such as cameras, LiDAR, GPS, IMU, and radars. It is exciting to be a part of this growing team.”
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Paramount set to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in $81 billion deal
Shareholders back merger, combined entity could reshape streaming and studios.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… consolidation, Hollywood’s latest blockbuster might be happening off-screen. Shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery have voted in favour of selling the company to Paramount in a deal valued at $81 billion rising to nearly $111 billion including debt setting the stage for one of the biggest shake-ups in modern media. The proposed merger, still subject to regulatory approvals, would bring together a vast portfolio spanning HBO Max, CNN, and franchises such as Harry Potter under the same umbrella as Paramount’s own heavyweights, including Top Gun and CBS.
At the heart of the deal is streaming scale. Executives have indicated plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single platform, potentially creating a stronger challenger to giants like Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video. Current market data suggests HBO Max holds around 12 per cent of US on-demand subscriptions, compared to Paramount+’s 3 per cent, together still trailing Netflix’s 19 per cent and Disney’s combined 27 per cent via Disney+ and Hulu.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has signalled that while platforms may merge, HBO’s creative identity will remain intact, stating the brand should “stay HBO” even within a broader ecosystem.
Beyond streaming, the deal would redraw the map for film production. Combining two of Hollywood’s oldest studios Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., the new entity aims to scale output to over 30 films annually, while maintaining a 45-day theatrical window. Warner Bros. currently commands around 21 per cent of the US box office, compared to Paramount’s 6 per cent, underscoring the strategic weight of the acquisition.
But scale comes with scrutiny. Critics warn that fewer players could mean reduced consumer choice, rising subscription costs, and potential job cuts as the combined company looks to streamline overlapping operations while managing billions in debt.
The news business, too, faces a reset. CNN would join forces at least structurally with Paramount-owned CBS, raising questions about editorial independence and positioning. The merger has already drawn political attention in the United States, particularly given perceived ties between the Ellison family and Donald Trump, though the company maintains that newsroom autonomy will be preserved.
If approved, the deal would mark another milestone in Hollywood’s consolidation wave shrinking the industry’s traditional “big six” studios to a “big four”, with Paramount joining Disney, Universal, and Sony at the top table.
In an industry built on storytelling, this merger may well become its most consequential plot twist yet.
