Bowled over

Bowled Over
Few know of his passion for cricket, but 42-year-old Ajay Bijli, CMD, PVR, is doing everything to offer a sporting experience—in whatever form. As part of a joint venture with Thailand-based Major Cineplexes, he’s launched BluO, which he claims is the largest bowling alley, spread over 42,000 sq. ft in Gurgaon. “This is just the first one; our future ventures would be opened in places where we also have our multiplex,” he says. But what about cricket? “I think it would be brilliant, if we could screen DLF-IPL2 matches live. We can bundle it with merchandising, face painting… But, of course, it’s up to BCCI and the broadcaster to decide if they want to allow the screening of matches in multiplexes at all,” he says. He’s clearly open to possibilities, though he’s unwilling to make any comment on the current impasse between exhibitors and distributors. “Everyone’s working to resolve it soon,” he says.

Healthy Start
Nandini Piramal, the elder child of Ajay and Swati Piramal, has just been inducted to the Board of Piramal Healthcare as Executive Director, but she is clear about where she is headed. An MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, Nandini, 30, has been in the thick of the action for the last four years, looking after the operations in Canada. In her new role, she will work on strategy for the Pharma Solutions business of Piramal Healthcare. “I will be responsible for taking the business to the next level in accordance with the Pharma Solutions’ core team,” she says. Where does she see herself 10 years down the line? “Contributing to the growth of the Piramal Group and to Piramal Healthcare, in particular attaining the status of the best workplace where people realise their true potential,” she says.

Afloat in a Downturn
What was the chief executive of UK’s largest publicly-listed recruitment group Hays plc doing in India last fortnight? ALISTAIR COX, 48, was in the country on an expansion spree. Can a recruitment firm grow in times of dwindling jobs? “India is a fantastic opportunity,” he says. “Sure, these are challenging times and there is a hiring freeze in place, but we are here for the long haul.” Before joining Hays in 2007, he was Chief Executive of Xansa plc. Cox believes Hays’ USP of charging clients only for candidates placed will stand the company in good stead, but concedes, “In the tough market, you have to work hard to find the job mandate.” Cox, however, can handle choppy waters with finesse. Water sports is his passion; and scuba diving his annual pilgrimage. “And remember, each day, we are one day closer to the upturn,” says the buoyant adventurer.

Tech, Wine and Housing
A decade after he started mphasis, Jerry Rao seems set to take his next entrepreneurial plunge with a bottomof-the-pyramid real estate venture. While he sold MphasiS to EDS in June 2006, his second venture will not be in technology at all. According to the industry grapevine, Rao’s yet-to-be-named venture will provide housing in the Rs 10-20 lakh range and is expected to open for business in the next few months. The 58-year-old former Citibanker-turned-vintner has already resigned his directorship at Purvankara Projects, which also runs an affordable housing business. The once approachable Rao, however, isn’t willing to venture details of his business just yet. “We are not going public with the news right now,” he replied by text message, when reached for comment. In between his two ventures, Rao has become media shy, preferring to focus on wine—both with his own vineyards and as an investor and director in Grover Vineyards— and reportedly as a mentor and angel investor to fledgling tech companies. With the real estate market floundering, will Rao be able to successfully steer his new venture? Watch this space.

Back in Action
Over the last couple of decades, 63-yearold Saurabh Srivastava has done pretty much everything there is to do in the IT industry. He’s founded a company, IIS Infotech, which was acquired by Xansa, and co-founded Indian Angel Network and industry apex body NASSCOM. For the last few years, he has been flying under the radar, focussing on being an angel investor. Now, however, he’s set to take an active role with his appointment as the Chairman of CA India, the local arm of the Islandia, New York-based management software company. “CA made a substantial investment in India and is a perfect partner for not only Indian companies, but India’s growing IT service providers,” says Srivastava. With IT spending on the decline, CA will need all of his experience to boost its growth.

— Contributed by Shamni Pande, Anusha Subramanian, Rahul Sachitanand & Saumya Bhattacharya