Abhiroop Gupta Appointed as the Managing Director of CICO Technologies ~takes over the reins of a business with over nine decades of history with a vision to lead into the future~ Mumbai, 15 April 2021: CICO Technologies, the forerunner in construction chemicals, announced that Mr. Abhiroop Gupta has been appointed as the company’s new Managing Director, effective 1 April 2021. Mr Abhiroop Gupta takes over from Mrs Anasuya Gupta, who was the Chairperson and Managing Director. She continues to be the Chairperson of CICO Technologies. Abhiroop has been a Director and worked across crucial processes at CICO like strategy, operations, and finance to gain cross-functional knowledge and be well equipped to spearhead the organization. Commenting on the appointment, Mrs Anasuya Gupta, Chairperson, CICO Technologies, said, “I am pleased to welcome Abhiroop as the new MD of CICO Technologies. I joined CICO Technologies in 2008 as a complete novice. With support from an experienced and committed team we have grown CICO to its current position. Now it is time to pass the baton on to Abhiroop, who has been working in the company for some time and has a fair knowledge of the construction-chemical industry, the organisation, its people and most importantly its clients. I look forward to him taking CICO Technologies into the next century with a new, young and dynamic team with support from experienced old guard who have a wealth of knowledge.” Mr Abhiroop Gupta, MD, CICO Technologies said, “I am excited to take on the role of Managing Director at CICO. My last few years with the company helped me garner a better understanding of the organisation and environment. As CICO gradually moves into its next century, it is a challenging and exciting time to be at the helm. We at CICO believe that foundation is the most important aspect of a structure. Over the last year, our strategy was focused on solidifying our base to address the emerging market needs. We are now set to sail and grow bigger and stronger. Together with my team, I look forward to leading the organization to newer height and further strengthen CICO’s position in the industry and increasing its value for customers and employees.” Mr Gupta is a promising fourth-generation entrepreneur for CICO having immense knowledge, global exposure, and strong fundamentals. Earlier in his career, Mr Gupta worked for EY, one of the Big Four, as a management consultant. Based out of London, he advised various FTSE 100 clients and was at the core of developing solutions on performance improvement matters. He holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the renowned INSEAD – The Business School for the World. He holds a Bachelor’s in Economics from the University of St. Andrews, UK.

 Discussions held on economic challenges amid pandemic and alternate measures by GoI

National, 14 April 2021: As the country battles the second wave of Coronavirus and subsequent partial lockdowns, fear looms large upon the revival of the economy in the aftermath of the pandemic. Catching on the sentiment of the nation, GITAM (Deemed to be University) hosted a webinar titled “After the Pandemic: How can India’s Economy Recover?” under their newly launched initiative”, ‘The Changemakers’. The session threw light on the alarming situation and drew stimulus on future, in the presence of the guest speaker, Mr. Amitabh Kant CEO, NITI Aayog and moderated by Ms. Nidhi Razdan, visiting faculty, Kautilya School of Public Policy & Former Executive Editor, NDTV 24×7.

The session delved into the critical aspects of the pandemic, as Mr Kant stressed on the effect, the mini lockdowns on the off-shoots of economic growth that the country is beginning to display. He touched upon the criticisms faced by the government for failing to support the private sector with vaccines and added, India is moving towards a protectionist economy with the Atmanirbharbharat initiative. Ever since the pandemic hit the country, the government was tested with insurmountable situations, with 1.25 billion people banking on their decisions.

Speaking about the second wave of COVID, Mr Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Ayog said, “I think the best stimulus the government can give, is to ensure the use of masks and fast-track stage 2 testing, tracing, and isolation. The solution to India’s constant economic growth does not lie only in providing stimulus because we have constraints such as inflation. Therefore, we should push for better discipline among the people of India and immunization drives which is unprecedented in Indian history. The aim should be to limit severe diseases and deaths.”

Shedding light on the role of government, he expressed that the government was not here to play a large part in businesses, but rather as a body to provide support. Petroleum prices and focus on driving growth were highlighted and thrust was laid on raising investments from the private sector, as the need of the hour.

The Changemakers series is an effort to bring forth credible newsmakers and eminent personalities from the field of policy, sport, entertainment, welfare and more every month, to discuss the prevalent national and global issues and encourage a solution-oriented discourse. With an intent to help undergraduate and graduate students to draw inspiration from the experiences of these speakers, the institution aims to create a thriving space to promote exchange between those who have contributed immensely to their field and the students.

The question-answer session saw prompt participation from the students of GITAM (Deemed to be University), as Mr Kant shared his perspective on lockdowns, the country’s decision to sell public sector units, manufacturing potential and eligibility of reservations.