MAM
ZebPay elevates Raj Karkara to chief operating officer
Mumbai: Bitcoin and crypto asset exchange platform ZebPay has elevated Raj Karkara to the role of chief operating officer (COO). He will work closely with ZebPay’s co-CEO Avinash Shekhar, in setting and driving organisational vision, operational strategy, performance management and hiring needs.
Karkara’s primary responsibility will be to develop actionable business strategies and plans that align with the company’s short-term and long-term objectives. Additionally, he will work towards translating the strategy into executable goals for performance and further growth of ZebPay, said the company in a statement on Wednesday.
“Raj has strengthened ZebPay’s presence and business in the crypto ecosystem since he joined us over a year ago. With his extensive expertise, ZebPay will see rapid growth and global expansion to achieve our vision of becoming become the #1 cryptocurrency exchange in India and the world,” stated Shekhar. “We are building ZebPay as an all-encompassing crypto company that offers innovative solutions and products to a diverse set of investors, from retail to institutional.”
He joined ZebPay as chief business officer in September 2020 and more recently, had been promoted to the role of chief marketing officer. With this role change, in addition to marketing, Karkara will now directly oversee product management, trade, OTC, global growth and operations (customer service and excellence).
Karkara comes with over 15 years of experience in the financial services, fintech and e-commerce industries. Previously, he was associated with KansoStrategy as co-founder, a boutique strategy and consulting firm that works with crypto, e-commerce, payments and fintech clients globally. Prior to Kanso, he held various positions such as senior vice president of product, CRO and COO at tZERO, the global leader in digital securities. He also held the role of vice president of product management for financial services, loyalty and new business development at Overstock. Prior to Overstock, he held the role of director, global product and solutions at MasterCard, where his responsibilities included prepaid strategy and mobile money.
“ZebPay has been innovating and launching new and industry-first products to address the needs of a diverse set of customers ever since its inception in 2014 and I am excited to lead ZebPay as it gears up for further expansion,” said Karkara, on his new role. “Crypto is booming in India with vast untapped potential for solutions that will make us a global leader. ZebPay is well-positioned to play an integral part and I am looking forward to driving strategies and building on our foundation of product and customer excellence to be the leading crypto exchange in India and globally.”
MAM
India’s employability gap persists despite strong hiring intent
Only 1 in 5 institutions achieve 76 to 100 per cent placements within six months of graduation.
MUMBAI: India’s young workforce is ready in numbers, but the real question is whether they are ready for work and senior leaders from industry, academia and policy gathered in Delhi to find practical answers. A closed-door roundtable hosted by Vaishali Nigam Sinha, co-founder of Renew, brought together key voices to discuss actionable solutions for bridging the persistent employability gap. The session highlighted that while job opportunities are expanding, the alignment between education and industry needs remains a critical challenge.
According to Teamlease EdTech’s Career Outlook Report HY1 2026, 73 per cent of employers plan to hire freshers in the first half of 2026, signalling steady recovery in entry-level hiring. However, employers are shifting focus from mere qualifications to demonstrable capability, placing greater value on internships, live projects and proof-of-work.
Teamlease Edtech, founder and CEO Shantanu Rooj emphasised the need for better alignment, “India’s employability challenge is no longer about access alone, but about alignment between education and work. Employers are increasingly relying on demonstrable capability such as internships, projects, and applied learning as indicators of readiness.”
Vaishali Nigam Sinha stressed the importance of execution over intent, “India has both the talent and the opportunity. What is needed now is alignment. We have to move from intent to execution by embedding employability into the system itself.”
Other prominent speakers included Dr Chenraj Roychand, Chancellor of Jain (Deemed-to-be) University, who called for universities to evolve from degree providers to ecosystem enablers, Prof M. Jagadesh Kumar, Chairman of the Board of Governors at IIM Calcutta, who highlighted the need for flexibility and multidisciplinary learning, and Dr T.N. Singh, Director of IIT Patna, who advocated deeper industry engagement through research and experiential learning.
The discussion also drew insights from the book Accelerating Impact. Enabling Dreams – Making India Employable by Shantanu Rooj and co-authors, which features contributions from leaders like Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Dr Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan and Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
During the event, Teamlease Edtech Foundation launched Project SEED, a national initiative aimed at bridging the education-employability gap for underserved youth. The project focuses on early intervention at the school level to guide students towards informed career choices and work-integrated pathways.
With only 16.67 per cent (1 in 5) of institutions achieving 76–100 per cent placements within six months of graduation, the conversation made one thing clear, India’s demographic dividend will deliver real value only when education and employability walk hand in hand. The gathering served as a timely reminder that the future of India’s workforce depends not just on creating more jobs, but on preparing young people far better to seize them.
