Digital
Protean elevates V Easwaran to board as executive director
MUMBAI: Protean egov technologies ltd has elevated V Easwaran to its board as an executive director, underlining the company’s ambitions to diversify its business and expand globally as India’s digital public infrastructure (DPI) gains international traction.
Easwaran, who continues as chief operating officer, has been central to running some of the country’s most complex, population-scale digital platforms. His appointment reflects Protean’s emphasis on execution depth, governance rigour and leadership continuity as it scales beyond its traditional strongholds.
Founded over three decades ago, Protean has played a formative role in building India’s digital backbone, operating mission-critical platforms for governments and regulators. With DPI models increasingly being studied and adopted overseas, the company is positioning itself as an exporter of India-born digital infrastructure.
Managing director and chief executive Suresh Sethi, said the elevation comes at a pivotal moment. “Protean is entering a phase defined by diversification, global relevance and long-term value creation,” he said, adding that Easwaran’s track record in leading high-impact programmes would be vital as the firm deepens its international footprint.
He said he was honoured by the appointment and would focus on strengthening execution excellence, system resilience and innovation as the company embraces new technologies.
With more than 30 years’ experience across banking, digital transformation and large-scale operations, Easwaran has previously worked with India Post Payments Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, HDFC Bank and Standard Chartered Bank, building and scaling technology-led platforms in tightly regulated environments, skills that align closely with Protean’s global ambitions.
Digital
OpenAI’s Stargate lead Peter Hoeschele exits with two senior leaders
Trio behind compute push set to join new startup amid leadership reshuffle
SAN FRANCISCO: Peter Hoeschele, a key figure behind OpenAI’s early Stargate data centre initiative, has exited the company, according to a report by The Information.
The departure is part of a broader leadership shift, with two other senior executives, Shamez Hemani and Anuj Saharan, also set to leave in the coming days. All three are expected to join the same new startup, although details about the venture remain under wraps.
The trio played a central role in OpenAI’s Stargate effort, an initiative aimed at building large-scale data centre capacity in-house to reduce reliance on external infrastructure providers. Their exits mark a notable moment for the company’s compute strategy as it continues to scale rapidly.
OpenAI spokesperson said in a statement to The Information, “We’re grateful for the contributions Peter, Shamez, and Anuj have made to OpenAI and wish them the very best in what comes next.” The company also pointed to the recent appointment of Sachin Katti to lead its industrial compute organisation, signalling continuity in its infrastructure roadmap.
OpenAI has indicated that it does not plan to directly replace Hoeschele’s role, suggesting a possible restructuring of responsibilities within the team.
As competition intensifies in the race to build next-generation AI systems, leadership changes in core infrastructure teams are likely to draw close attention. For now, the spotlight shifts to what this departing trio builds next, and how OpenAI adapts as it scales its ambitions.
