MAM
Microsoft AI welcomes Umesh Shankar as VP, engineering for AI safety
Mumbai: Microsoft AI has appointed Umesh Shankar as corporate vice president of engineering, where he will spearhead initiatives in AI innovation, security and privacy.Shankar brings nearly two decades of experience from Google, where he served as chief technologist for Google Cloud Security and engineering director for Google Assistant Ecosystem. His work focused on strengthening AI security frameworks and advancing data protection to enhance user trust and safety.
At Microsoft, he will direct efforts to develop responsible AI, ensuring secure and ethical AI integration across products and services. His appointment underscores Microsoft’s commitment to advancing AI with robust privacy and security standards, reinforcing its global AI-driven strategy.
His work focused on making GCP the safest environment for AI development and leveraging AI to tackle critical security challenges, such as cloud posture management, threat intelligence, fraud prevention, and secops. Prior to this, he was engineering director for Google Assistant’s Ecosystem, handle a team of 180 engineers across global locations to develop AI-driven services like duplex on the web, actions on Google, identity and transactions APIs. His earlier tenure at Google also included pioneering efforts in data protection, key management, authentication, authorization, auditing, and insider risk controls, building security infrastructure used across Google’s products and services. Notably, he led the access transparency project, providing Google Cloud customers with real-time logs of data access events, unlocking nearly 900 million dollars in revenue. Before joining Google, he held roles as an advisor at LiquidTalent, a research intern at IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, and a software engineer at Idiom Technologies.
Shankar holds a PhD and M.S. in Computer Science with a focus on security and privacy from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.A. in Computer Science from Harvard University. His extensive expertise in AI security and privacy positions him to play a crucial role in shaping Microsoft AI’s responsible AI initiatives and strengthening its global AI-driven strategy.
Brands
Raj Cooling Systems launches Agreyas appliances brand
Emraan Hashmi named brand ambassador for consumer appliance push.
MUMBAI: A company known for cooling solutions is now heating up its ambitions in the home appliances market. Raj Cooling Systems Pvt. Ltd. has launched a new consumer appliances brand, Agreyas, marking its entry into India’s rapidly expanding home appliances sector valued at more than Rs 1.5 lakh crore. The move represents a strategic diversification for the company, which has traditionally focused on cooling solutions for residential, commercial and industrial applications. Through Agreyas, the firm plans to tap into growing consumer demand for energy efficient and technology driven household appliances.
To build brand visibility, Agreyas has appointed Emraan Hashmi as its brand ambassador. The campaign has been developed under the banner of Zoommantra Productions, with actor and filmmaker Rohit Roy contributing to the creative direction.
The brand’s initial portfolio will include mid premium air conditioners, washing machines, geysers and other white goods designed to cater to modern Indian households seeking efficient and reliable appliances.
Raj Cooling Systems, founder and chairman Kalpesh Ramoliya said the launch aligns with the company’s broader expansion plans.
“The launch of Agreyas is in line with our vision to build a strong presence in India’s consumer electronics and home appliances market. The brand has been developed as a standalone identity to meet the evolving needs of Indian consumers,” he said.
Hashmi said the collaboration comes at a time when Indian buyers are increasingly looking for innovative and functional home solutions.
“I’m looking forward to working with Agreyas at a time when consumers are seeking more innovative and efficient home products. The brand reflects changing consumer behaviour around functionality, innovation and ease of use,” he said.
Raj Cooling Systems plans to invest around 10 million dollars in developing the brand, with an additional 5 million dollars earmarked over the next three to five years for product development and distribution expansion.
Agreyas will follow a multi channel distribution approach, selling through online platforms, retail outlets and dealer networks aimed at both urban and semi urban markets across India.
With the launch, the company is positioning Agreyas as a standalone consumer facing brand while continuing to leverage its existing manufacturing, engineering and research capabilities built through its core cooling solutions business.
