New York: Indian-origin executive Laxman Narasimhan on Monday officially assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of global coffee giant Starbucks, joining the growing cohort of business leaders originally hailing from India at the helm of global corporations.

In September last year, Starbucks had announced that Narasimhan would become the company’s next chief executive officer and a member of the Starbucks Board of Directors.

Following the global search for the new leader of Starbucks to succeed company founder and now former CEO, Howard Schultz, Narasimhan joined Starbucks as incoming CEO on October 1, 2022 after relocating from London to the Seattle area.

“Effective today, Laxman Narasimhan has assumed the role of chief executive officer and will join the company’s board of directors,” Starbucks said in a statement.
Narasimhan will lead Starbucks Annual Shareholder Meeting on March 23.

“As he ascends into the role, Narasimhan will continue engaging the leadership team, sharing his early learnings and insights and assessing opportunities for the company as they chart a path forward,” the company said.

Narasimhan, the former CEO of UK-based consumer health, hygiene and nutrition multinational Reckitt Benckiser, brings to Starbucks nearly 30 years of experience leading global consumer goods businesses and advising retail, grocery, restaurant and e-commerce companies.

The company said that over the past five months, he has embarked on a unique immersion experience, traveling to work with employees in over 30 stores, manufacturing plants and in support centers around the world, “earning his barista certification” along the way.

“I am humbled to officially step into my role as Starbucks chief executive officer, leading our incredible team of more than 450,000 green apron partners around the world,” the company statement quoted Narasimhan as saying.

He said the foundation laid by Schultz “building from scratch an iconic global brand fuelled by a lasting passion to uplift humanity” is truly remarkable, “and I am honoured to have the opportunity to build on this deep heritage.

“As a human connection business, we have limitless possibilities to deliver for our partners, our customers, our investors and our communities through every cup and every connection. I am excited to work alongside our partners worldwide to unlock the limitless future of Starbucks.”

With his appointment, Narasimhan joined the growing list of Indian-origin CEOs at the helm of global giants, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and IBM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Arvind Krishna. Indra Nooyi had served as PepsiCo’s CEO for 12 years before stepping down in 2018.

Former Mastercard CEO Ajay Banga was last month nominated by US President Joe Biden to lead the World Bank.

Narasimhan holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the College of Engineering, University of Pune, India.

He also has a Master of Arts in German and International Studies from The Lauder Institute at The University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from The Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania.

Starbucks said that it has unveiled a company-wide reinvention strategy and continues to deliver on more than USD 1 billion in investments in retail partners and stores for prioritized areas such as increased pay and sick time accrual, new financial well-being benefits, modernized training and collaboration, store innovation and equipment and the celebration of coffee.

Independent Starbucks Board of Directors chair Mellody Hobson said in the statement that Narasimhan’s “intensive immersion” into the business coupled with his extensive experience as a proven brand builder, innovator and operator have uniquely prepared him to lead Starbucks into its next phase of growth.

“This immersion has deepened Laxman’s understanding of Starbucks culture and values. In this time of learning and listening, he has already won the hearts and minds of our partners around the world,” Hobson said.

Previously, Narasimhan has served as an executive in various leadership roles at PepsiCo, including as global chief commercial officer, where he was responsible for the company’s long-term growth strategy and commercial capabilities.

Prior to PepsiCo, he spent 19 years at McKinsey & Company, where he advised companies across the retail, consumer goods, and healthcare industries in the US, Asia, and India.

He is a trustee of the Brookings Institution, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a member of the UK Prime Minister’s Build Back Better Council and a member of Verizon’s Board of Directors, according to the Starbucks website.

Mumbai: Heavy unseasonal rains lashed Mumbai and satellite cities on Tuesday morning, bringing down the temperature.

Officials said transport services like local trains and buses have remained unaffected.

Satellite cities like Thane, Mira-Bhayander, and Vasai-Virar too received a spell of heavy showers in the morning.

The India Meteorological Department attributed the westerly wind and moisture incursion from the Arabian Sea as the reason behind the spell.

It is unusual for Mumbai to witness rains in March.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said that some parts of Mumbai city and suburbs have recorded up to 20-25 mm of rain between 7 am and 8 am.

In the island city, Central Mumbai areas like Mondavi fire station, Memonwada fire station, Byculla fire station, and BMC headquarters reported 28 mm, 25 mm, 23 mm and 19 mm rainfall, respectively.

Eastern suburbs like Mulund, Gavanpada, and Bhandup Complex recorded 20 mm and 19 mm rainfall respectively between 6 am to 7 am. In the Western suburbs, Dahisar fire station and Chincholi fire station reported 18 mm and 14 mm rainfall, respectively.

Authorities said public transport services like railways and Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) remained unaffected.

The civic body said the BEST bus operations are normal, and nowhere in the city, bus routes were changed due to rain or waterlogging.

Railway authorities said train services in the city on all three suburban corridors- main line, harbour line and western line- were running normally.

“Heavy rain was reported in various sections of the Mumbai division, but trains are running smoothly,” Shivaji Sutar, chief public relations officer of Central Railway said.

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Monday ordered the initiation of “disciplinary proceedings for major penalty” against former DGP S Chattopadhyaya and two other police officers over the security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state in January last year.

Apart from Chattopadhyaya who has since retired, the disciplinary proceedings for major penalty will be initiated against Inderbir Singh, the then deputy inspector general (DIG) of police of Ferozepur range, and Harmandeep Singh Hans, the then senior superintendent of police (SSP) of Ferozepur.

Official sources said these officers would be asked to submit their responses.

According to the Home Affairs department’s communication to the Personnel department issued on Monday, Mann also decided that explanations be sought from Naresh Arora, the then ADGP (Law and Order), G Nageshwara Rao, the then ADGP Cyber Crime, Mukhvinder Singh Chhina, the then IGP Patiala Range, Rakesh Agrawal, the then IG Counter Intelligence and Nodal Officer, Surjeet Singh, the then DIG Faridkot, and Charanjit Singh, the then SSP Moga, as to why disciplinary proceedings should not be initiated against them as recommended in the Supreme Court-constituted inquiry committee report.

The move came after the Supreme Court-appointed committee, which probed the security breach during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Punjab in January 2022, had indicted several state officers for lapses.

On January 5, 2022, Modi’s convoy was stranded on a flyover due to a blockade by protesters in Ferozepur after which he returned from Punjab without attending any event, including a rally.

The top court on January 12 last year had appointed the committee to probe the breach, saying these questions cannot be left to “one -sided inquiries” as they needed “judicially trained independent minds” to investigate.

The Union Home Secretary had last month written to the Punjab chief secretary to submit an action taken report in the matter.

A few days ago, Punjab Chief Secretary V K Janjua had said that the state government would send an action taken report to the Centre.

The chief secretary had then said that penalties to the erring officials can include stopping increments, demotion and in worse case dismissal of those still in service.

The security breach ahead of the Punjab assembly elections led to a major political controversy.

Jhargram: Two people were killed in elephant attacks in West Bengal’s Jhargram district, police said on Tuesday.

The deceased were identified as Sujit Mahato and Namita Mahato, they said.

Sujit, a resident of Indkhara village, was returning home on his bicycle through a forest road after work around 8 pm when he was attacked by an elephant that strayed away from its herd.

The elephant picked up Sujit with its trunk, and banged him on the road from a height, killing him on the spot, officials said.

The incident triggered panic in the area, they said.

The second incident happened in Balia village in Manikpara. Another elephant killed Namita in a similar manner near her house, they added. 

New Delhi: Indian team’s star hockey player Rani Rampal has become the first woman in the sport to have a stadium named after her, in Rae Bareli.

The MCF Rae Bareli has renamed the hockey stadium as ‘Rani’s Girls Hockey Turf’.

Rani shared photos on her social media handles, where she is seen interacting with the players and inaugurating the stadium alongside other staff members.

“Words seem too less to express my happiness and gratitude as I share that the MCF Raebareli has renamed the hockey stadium to “Rani’s Girls Hockey Turf to honour my contribution to hockey,” Rani wrote on her Twitter handle.

Expressing her gratitude further, she said, “It is a proud and emotional moment for me as I become the first woman hockey player to have a stadium to my name. I dedicate this to the Indian women’s hockey team and I hope this inspires the next generation of women hockey players!”

Rani made a comeback to the Indian team during the tour of South Africa earlier this year, when she was included in a 22-member squad.

Rani was returning to the squad after last playing against Belgium in the FIH Women’s Hockey Pro League 2021-22, where she won her 250th cap for India.

The 28-year-old had been dealing with a injury since the Tokyo Olympics and was subsequently left out of the World Cup and Commonwealth Games 2022 squads.

New Delhi: Several opposition party leaders on Tuesday held a protest in the corridors of Parliament House and raised slogans demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani issue.

They also hung a banner that read “We want JPC” from the first floor of Parliament building.

TMC MPs held a separate protest in Parliament complex and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi break his silence on the Adani issue.

Accusing the government of helping businessman Gautam Adani by not ordering a probe into allegations of fraud levelled against his group, the party demanded that Adani be arrested.

Leaders of opposition parties had earlier met in Parliament complex and decided to press for a JPC probe into the Adani issue.

Leaders of opposition parties, including the Congress, DMK, RJD, CPI-M, CPI, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), JDU, JMM, IUML, AAP, MDMK, attended the meeting in the chamber of Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge.

Both houses of Parliament were adjourned till 2 pm Tuesday amid uproar over the Adani issue and demand by ruling party members that Rahul Gandhi apologise for his democracy remarks.

“This morning Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, @kharge ji was given permission by the Chairman to speak. He got up to do so but was not allowed by sloganeering BJP MPs. Chairman then adjourned RS. How can the logjam be broken if Modi Govt behaves like this,” AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter after the House was adjourned.

The opposition parties have been demanding a JPC probe into the Adani Group issue, saying only a JPC can bring out the truth in the matter, after US based Hindenburg Research report made allegations of financial irregularities and stock manipulation by the Adani Group.

The Adani group has denied the allegations and said no wrongdoing has been done by it.

Supreme Court Of India

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to consider individual cases seeking acceptance of demonetised currency notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denominations.

A bench comprising BR Gavai and Vikram Nath, however, allowed the individual petitioners to approach the government with a representation.

The top court directed the government to decide the representation and consider the individual grievances, if made, within a period of 12 weeks.

“After the judgement of the constitution bench, we do not find it will be permissible for us to exercise our jurisdiction under Article 142 of the Constitution in individual cases to accept demonetised currency notes,” the bench said.

It also clarified that in the event any of the petitioners are not satisfied with the action by the Union of India, they would be at liberty to approach the high court concerned.

In a majority verdict, the top court had upheld the government’s 2016 decision to demonetise the currency notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denominations.

A five-judge Constitution bench had said the Centre’s decision-making process could not have been flawed as there was consultation between the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Union government.

The court had said the notification dated November 8, 2016, which announced the decision to scrap the high-value currency notes, cannot be said to be unreasonable and struck down on the ground of decision-making process.