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Wipro’s former COO Bhanumurthy Ballapuram joins Google Cloud
Mumbai: Wipro Ltd’s former president and chief operating officer (COO) Bhanumurthy Ballapuram has joined the regional leadership team at Google Cloud as vice president for customer experience of the Japan and Asia Pacific region.
Ballapuram will report to Google Cloud’s global vice president for customer experience, John Jester, who is based in the US, according to a statement released on Tuesday.
An NIT Warangal and IIM Ahmedabad alumnus, Ballapuram served as president and COO of Wipro until he moved on from the IT major in June this year. Joined in 1992 as senior VP, he oversaw business application services during his tenure, which is by far the largest service line for Wipro.
He has over 25 years of experience in senior management roles in the high-growth IT services industry.
“Ballapuram will partner with our regional leadership, including Karan Bajwa for APAC and Tomoyuki Hirate for Japan to further our commitment to the success of our customers and continue to advance Google Cloud’s enterprise momentum in the market,” Google Cloud said in a statement.
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Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
