MAM
Riot Games celebrates one-year anniversary of Indian VALORANT Agent Harbor
Mumbai: Riot Games celebrated the one-year anniversary of VALORANT’s first ever Indian agent, Harbor by conducting a beach clean-up at Mahim beach in Mumbai on the 26 of October 2023. The event was organised in partnership with Global Esports, and saw the VALORANT community including players as well as popular influencers such as Binks, Pinkcess, CaspeR, SkRossi, Jimmy, Harsh, and others, come together for the initiative.
Hailing from India’s coast, Harbor storms the field wielding ancient technology with dominion over water. The beach clean-up drive was a tribute to Harbor’s water-themed abilities, as well as a means to promote awareness of the significance of maintaining clean beaches. It also served as a gesture of gratitude to the Indian gaming community, which has shown immense love and support for the VALORANT agent over the past year.
Riot Games country manager, India & South Asia, Arun Rajappa said, “We are grateful to the vibrant Indian gaming community, and believe that the success of Harbor is a testament to their unwavering support. The inclusion of an Indian agent not only highlights the significance of the thriving gaming community within the country but also underscores India’s rising influence in the global gaming arena. We are committed to delivering even more innovative and inclusive gaming experiences for our audience here, while also giving back to the community that has embraced our efforts wholeheartedly.”
Riot Games has been actively engaged in fostering community engagement and enhancing the player experience with multiple initiatives. Earlier this year, Riot Games unveiled eye-catching mural art and billboards to celebrate the successful launch of Agent Harbor with the Indian gaming community, and also commemorated the third anniversary of VALORANT in India with BHARAT VALORANT celebrations.
Brands
Boeing appoints Barun as head of FP&A for global engineering function
Seasoned finance leader to steer budgets and strategy across global centres
BENGALURU: Boeing’s finance cockpit has a new pilot, and he is no stranger to turbulence or transformation. Boeing has appointed Barun as head of FP&A for global engineering, placing him at the centre of financial strategy for its worldwide engineering and technology operations.
Based in Bengaluru, Barun steps into a role that is as expansive as it is critical. He will serve as the primary finance lead for Boeing’s Engineering and Technology Centers globally, working closely with executive leadership to shape financial decisions, manage complex budgets, and design scalable finance processes that support the company’s growing engineering footprint.
In a note announcing his move Barun said, “I’m excited to share that I’ve joined Boeing Global Engineering. This opportunity is incredibly meaningful to me not just from a professional standpoint, but also for what Boeing represents globally.” He added that he looks forward to contributing to an organisation that continues to shape the future of aerospace and innovation.
Barun’s mandate spans strategic financial leadership, operational oversight, and stakeholder engagement. From directing large-scale budgets and schedules to influencing long-term organisational goals, the role blends financial discipline with business foresight. He will also lead cross-functional teams and partner with finance colleagues worldwide to support engineering programmes across geographies, including India.
The appointment caps a long stint at Juniper Networks, where Barun spent over a decade, most recently as finance senior manager. There, he led FP&A for global product business units and G&A functions, driving budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning. He also played a key role in enterprise-wide transformation, including spearheading an Oracle to SAP ERP migration and building advanced analytics capabilities using tools such as Tableau and SAP Analytics Cloud.
His earlier career includes finance leadership roles at Sony India Software Centre, Cognizant Technology Solutions, and Mphasis, where he focused on financial planning, governance frameworks, and operational efficiency across global delivery centres.
A chartered accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Barun brings nearly two decades of experience across financial planning, digital transformation, and analytics-led decision making.
His appointment comes at a time when global engineering operations are becoming increasingly complex and distributed, requiring sharper financial oversight and agile planning. With Barun at the helm of FP&A for engineering, Boeing appears to be tightening its financial playbook as it looks to scale innovation with discipline.
