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Pocket FM appoints Pannagadatta K. Shivaswamy as director – AI
Mumbai: Pocket FM has announced the appointment of Pannagadatta K. Shivaswamy as the director of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In this role, Shivaswamy will spearhead the company’s AI initiatives, shaping the future of content personalisation and enhancing user experiences. Additionally, he will be responsible for overseeing the integration of voice assistants and content analytics, and playing a pivotal role in advancing Pocket FM’s generative AI capabilities.
With an impressive track record in the AI field and extensive expertise in machine learning, recommender systems and personalisation, he brings a wealth of knowledge to Pocket FM. His strategic vision and technical prowess make him an invaluable addition to the company’s tech leadership.
With over 14 years of experience, Shivaswamy held significant positions at leading internet organisations like Netflix and LinkedIn. He specialises in large-scale machine learning and deep learning, focusing on personalisation, recommender systems, ranking, and search. Shivaswamy’s recent research interest also covers topics such as fairness, interpretability, calibration, causal inference, reinforcement learning, and LLMs.
“We warmly welcome Pannagadatta to lead our AI innovation,” said Pocket FM co-founder & CTO Prateek Dixit. “His extensive AI experience and deep understanding of the audio entertainment industry resemble our stature of work as we continue to innovate and enhance our platform. We believe his leadership will accelerate our AI initiatives, including voice assistants, audio analytics, content analytics, and delivering personalised and immersive audio experiences to our users.”
Shivaswamy will spearhead Pocket FM’s AI strategy, driving innovation in content recommendation systems, voice assistants, and audio analytics. He will work closely with the engineering and content teams to develop and deploy advanced AI models that revolutionise the way users discover and engage with audio content.
“I am honoured to join Pocket FM and have the opportunity to contribute to the growth and evolution of the audio entertainment industry,” said Shivaswamy. “Pocket FM has already established itself as a frontrunner in the entertainment space with a completely new audio series category, and I look forward to leveraging AI’s power to enhance its capabilities and create immersive experiences for millions of our users.”
In addition to his contributions to machine learning, he authored over 25 publications, presenting papers at prestigious conferences such as NeurIPS, ICML, KDD, WSDM, RecSys, JMLR, and JAIR. The impact of his work is demonstrated by over 1600 citations. Additionally, he holds six issued U.S. patents, showcasing his innovative thinking and problem-solving abilities.
Besides his professional excellence, he actively contributes to the academic community, serving on program committees and reviewing papers for renowned conferences and journals, including FAccT, KDD, NeurIPS, ECMLPKDD, ICML, AAAI, JMLR, and MLJ.
Shivaswamy holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Columbia University and a Master’s degree in Systems Science and Automation from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, in addition to a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering from S.J.C.E., University of Mysore.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
