Media Lab Asia announced the appointment of Dr Bishnu D Pradhan as director, technology development and general manager-Maharashtra Hub. Dr Pradhan has 37 years of experience in R&D and management in the areas of electronics & telecommunications. This includes stints with ICO Global, Motorola, C-DOT and the Tata Group. The Government, in 1990, selected Dr Pradhan to take over the prestigious Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), joined Motorola as its executive director and general manager for Cellular Infrastructure in South Asia, reporting directly to Chicago. In March 1997, he returned to Mumbai to take over as the senior vice president and regional general manager of ICO Global Communications. “This is a dream opportunity to make a radical change in the quality of life of the people at large,” said Dr Pradhan, commenting on his new engagement.

Ranjan Chak, executive director, Oracle India, has moved into a new role within Oracle Corporation, as vice president, Asia Pacific product services. Chak now heads the Asia Pacific team in the newly formed global products services division, which will help service Oracle customers worldwide by providing electronic support and remote system management services. Prior to his new position, Chak has had an illustrious eight-year career with Oracle as vice president, India Operations. He started Oracle’s India Development Centre (IDC) in Bangalore in 1994, and then established a second unit in Hyderabad in 1998, focused on Applications Development and Applications Support. Subsequently, in early 2001, Chak took charge of Oracle’s first electronic global support centre. With an honours degree in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University, Chak has also managed a pioneering research project at the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University, applying Artificial Intelligence technology to industrial problems.