MAM
PDS onboards Saurabh Saxena as group CIO
Mumbai: PDS, a design-led sourcing, manufacturing and supply chain platform has announced the onboarding of Saurabh Saxena as group chief information officer (CIO). The appointment further reinforces the company’s commitment to its ‘digital’ pillar and a future ready PDS platform, it said.
Prior to joining PDS, Saxena was with IBM for over 10 years where he was the head of analytics, strategy, insights & operations for IBM Cloud (data & AI, automation and security) business in the Middle East and Africa.
“As a design-led sourcing and manufacturing company, our business is a synchronised function across geographies and skill,” said PDS Ltd vice chairman Pallak Seth. “An agile and creative business such as ours places a strong emphasis on foresight, therefore the pace of technological advancements will be instrumental in charting out the company’s growth story. It is great to have Saurabh join PDS to navigate our digital transformation journey.”
“PDS’ digital and IT transformation agenda is focused on integrated business processes that enable collaboration for our customers and suppliers alike. Data analytics and insights from our global operations will enable improved visibility, insightful product design & development, and better decisions leading to operational excellence,” added PDS Group CEO Sanjay Jain.
A seasoned professional, Saxena has over 20 years of experience with management consulting and advisory, P&L ownership, operational leadership including various disciplines like data analytics & insights, project management, sales and business operations, enterprise solutions, and product management. Previously, he has consulted CXO’s and entrepreneurs on data and AI solutions.
He holds an MBA (IT systems, strategy and marketing) and a BE degree in computer science and engineering.
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Uidai partners with Google to help users locate Aadhaar centres
Verified Aadhaar centres to appear on Maps with services and access info
MUMBAI: Finding an Aadhaar centre may soon be as easy as finding your favourite café. In a move aimed at making public services more accessible, the Unique Identification Authority of India has partnered with Google to display authorised Aadhaar centres on Google Maps. The feature, expected to roll out in the coming months, will allow residents to locate verified centres quickly and confidently.
More than 60,000 Aadhaar centres, including state of the art Aadhaar Seva Kendras, will be mapped. When users search on Google Maps, they will be directed to authorised facilities rather than unverified listings, helping curb misinformation and confusion.
The listings will do more than drop a pin. Users will be able to see the nature of services offered at each centre, whether it is adult enrolment, child enrolment, or limited to address and mobile number updates. Details such as operating hours, parking availability and divyang friendly infrastructure will also be shown wherever applicable.
Uidai CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, said the collaboration is part of the authority’s continued effort to improve ease of living for Aadhaar holders by making authorised centres simpler and faster to navigate.
The partnership will deepen in its next phase, with Uidai using Google Business Profile to manage information and respond directly to public feedback. Looking ahead, the two organisations are also exploring the option of enabling appointment bookings through the Google Maps interface, potentially allowing residents to plan their visits with greater efficiency.
Google India country head, strategic partnerships Roli Agarwal, said integrating verified Aadhaar centres would help millions access trusted services with confidence, bringing essential government infrastructure closer to the people who need it most.
If all goes to plan, a routine Aadhaar update may soon begin not with a queue, but with a search bar.
