MAM
Ongrid taps Manav Jain as chief business officer to energise growth engine
MUMBAI: In a strategic move to supercharge its growth ambitions, Ongrid appointed industry veteran Manav Jain as chief business officer on 22 April 2025. With a sparkling résumé spanning SaaS, fintech, IT, and manufacturing, Jain is set to inject fresh momentum into the company’s operations and customer success initiatives.
Jain brings over 20 years of heavyweight experience from notable stints at Loconav, Paytm, Microsoft, and the Murugappa Group, alongside his entrepreneurial forays as co-founder of hiring-tech startups UniHyr and Hyrr. A distinguished alumnus of XLRI (2004) and the Asian Institute of Management, Manila (2010), Jain is known for his laser-sharp business acumen combined with a pragmatic approach to human resources and technology.
At Ongrid, Jain will anchor critical functions including revenue growth strategies, technological innovation, human resources, finance, legal compliance, and administrative excellence. His appointment marks a pivotal moment as Ongrid sharpens its competitive edge amid dynamic market shifts.
“We are thrilled to welcome Manav Jain to Ongrid. His deep understanding of business operations, technology, and HR will be invaluable as we continue to scale and innovate. Manav’s leadership will be instrumental in strengthening our customer relationships and driving operational excellence across the organisation,” commented Ongrid co-founder & CEO Piyush Peshwani.
Sharing his enthusiasm about the new role, Jain remarked, “What interested me about Ongrid was the clarity of its mission, the relevance of the problems it’s solving, and the opportunity to work on real, operational challenges across industries. I’m looking forward to contributing to a business that is structured, execution-focused, and solving real-world problems in trust and compliance.”
With Jain steering the wheel, Ongrid clearly signals its readiness to accelerate business growth, build robust operational frameworks, and deliver precise, tangible solutions to industry-wide compliance and trust issues.
MAM
Mumbai Tech Week 2026 to focus on real-world AI adoption at scale
From pilots to production, event spotlights AI’s growing business impact
MUMBAI: Mumbai Tech Week 2026 will return for its third edition on 29 and 30 May at the Jio World Convention Centre, with a clear shift in focus from AI experimentation to real-world deployment.
Organised by the Tech Entrepreneurs Association of Mumbai and the Government of Maharashtra, and co-powered by Meta, the event is expected to bring together startups, investors, developers and policymakers to explore how AI is actively reshaping business operations.
This year’s edition places execution front and centre, with curated showcases from Indian unicorns and global technology firms demonstrating practical AI applications across sectors. The emphasis is less on what AI can do and more on what it is already doing.
“The competitive advantage in AI has shifted. It’s no longer about understanding it, it’s about implementing it,” said Tech Entrepreneurs Association of Mumbai co-chair, governing council Harsh Jain. “The companies pulling ahead are the ones moving from pilots to production and embedding AI into how their business runs.”
The backdrop to this shift is significant. AI is projected to contribute up to $500 billion to India’s GDP, while Mumbai’s startup ecosystem could see more than 100 unicorns by 2035. The city is also emerging as a key hub for data centre expansion, fuelled by rising AI workloads and enterprise demand.
The event will feature formats such as AI Excellence Awards, an early-stage startup showcase, and an AI-powered job fair in collaboration with Babblebots.ai. Masterclasses led by Meta, Replit and NPCI are expected to offer hands-on insights into AI adoption.
Speakers from organisations including Anthropic, Google Cloud India and Neysa will share perspectives on scaling AI in production environments, reflecting the event’s blend of global expertise and local innovation.
In the lead-up to the main event, satellite sessions between 25 and 28 May will take place across Mumbai, featuring workshops, hackathons and founder-led meetups designed to deepen ecosystem engagement.
“Mumbai has the ingredients to shape how AI is built and applied,” said Tech Entrepreneurs Association of Mumbai governing council member Naiyya Saggi. “Its strength lies in proximity, where capital, enterprises and consumers are closely connected, allowing ideas to move quickly from concept to adoption.”
As India reaches a defining moment in its AI journey, Mumbai Tech Week 2026 aims to turn momentum into measurable impact, positioning the city as a key driver in the global AI ecosystem.
