Vishal Sikka resigns as MD and CEO of Infosys

Vishal Sikka has resigned as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Infosys. Pravin Rao has been appointed as the interim CEO. In a letter to stock exchanges, Company Secretary AGS Manikantha confirmed the development, saying the resignation was accepted at a board meeting on August 18. Sikka will now be the executive vice-chairman of the company. “The succession plan for appointment of a new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer has been operationalised by the Board and a search for the same has been commenced,” the letter read.

In a press release issued, Infosys said: Sikka has been appointed executive vice chairman effective today (August 18), and will hold office until the new permanent Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director takes charge, which should be no later than March 31, 2018. Sikka will continue to focus on strategic initiatives, key customer relationships and technology development. He will report to the Company’s Board. UB Pravin Rao has been appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director reporting to Sikka under the overall supervision and control of the Company’s Board.

In his resignation letter, Sikka said: “After much reflection, I have concluded that it is indeed time for me to leave my current positions as MD and CEO, and I have communicated my resignation to Sesh. I will be working closely with Sesh, Ravi, Pravin, with all of you, and the senior management team to plan out the details and the timelines to ensure a smooth transition and in the meantime, continue our work without disruption, and ensuring that we protect our company, the employees, the clients, and the interests of every shareholder. You can count on my commitment
to this.”

Jio effect: Vodafone offering unlimited voice calls, 28GB data for Rs 348

India's second largest mobile network Vodafone has launched a new Rs 348 plan for its prepaid customers. The move can be seen a bid against Jio's Rs 149 plan that offers free and unlimited voice calls along with 2GB data and 300 SMS for 28 days.

Vodafone is offering 1GB 2G/3G/4G data daily along with unlimited voice calls for both local and STD at Rs 348. It is valid only for prepaid customers and it is only available in Rajasthan. The plan comes with a validity of 28 days. Subscribers can avail the offer across all the leading Vodafone Stores, Mini stores and other retail outlets in the state. Users can also activate the plan from MyVodafone app.

" Vodafone has always taken the lead in coming up with innovative products and services that also offer the finest value to our customers. With Vodafone 348 Prepaid Recharge Offer users can explore internet elements like video, music, live TV, chats, with 1 GB data each day for 28 days.  Additionally, our customers can also enjoy unlimited conversations with their loved ones anywhere in the country. These benefits can be accessed by our customers on 4G/3G or 2G handsets. Now always be in touch with your near and dear ones with Vodafone 348 Prepaid Recharge Offer," said Amit Bedi, Business Head - Rajasthan, Vodafone India.

The plan aims a direct shot at Jio's Rs 149, Rs 309 and Rs 349 plan. While the Rs 149 plan is valid for 28 days, the Rs 309 and Rs 349 plan offer the same benefit as Vodafone's Rs 348 but the validity is for 56 days and 84 days respectively.
Vodafone recently also launched a prepaid plan called First Recharge Coupon (FRC) 244. The plan is available for new Voda SIM card buyers.  The plans offers 70GB data for 70 days along with unlimited voice calls but only on the Vodafone network.  The plan is valid only on first recharge and the validity will be reduced for the second recharge to 35 days.

Reliance Jio JioPhone will be available for beta testing to a small group of users starting August 15. Jio JioPhone can be pre-booked online as well as offline starting August 24. Shipments will begin in September on first come, first serve basis.

Reliance Jio JioPhone will be available for beta testing to a small group of users starting August 15. Jio JioPhone can be pre-booked online as well as offline starting August 24. Shipments will begin in September on first come, first serve basis.

Reliance Jio JioPhone will be available for beta testing to a small group of users starting August 15. Jio JioPhone can be pre-booked online as well as offline starting August 24. Shipments will begin in September on first come, first serve basis.

Reliance Jio JioPhone will be available for beta testing to a small group of users from today, August 15. It is learnt that the beta testing of JioPhone will be similar to that done with Jio SIM cards. However, it is unclear whether JioPhone will be handed out to Jio employees and their families for testing or to regular customers on first come, first serve basis.

Beta testing the JioPhone is all the more important given this 4G feature phone is not a regular device. Since this is a completely new segment, one won’t know for sure how JioPhone will take to the pressures of daily use. Therefore, a beta testing will help understand the permutation and combinations of what could go wrong. Based on the feedback, Jio can update software and hardware as needed.

Reliance Jio JioPhone pre-booking

Reliance Jio JioPhone can be pre-booked online as well as offline starting August 24. Shipments will begin in September on first come, first serve basis. The company is targeting the sale of five million JioPhone units per week. To pre-book JioPhone online, visit Jio.com and click on the Jio phone banner where the ‘Keep Me Posted’ button is located. People will need to enter their name, email, phone number and pincode to book JioPhone. Jio will confirm the booking via an email or SMS. Reliance Jio JioPhone can be pre-booked offline as well. Just walk-in into any offline Jio store to register your interest in the JioPhone.

Reliance Jio JioPhone price

Reliance Jio JioPhone is essentially free (priced at Rs 0), though the company is charging a one-time, fully refundable fees of Rs 1500 for three years. This means that users can claim the deposit after three years given they hand over the JioPhone back.

Reliance Jio, along side the launch of JioPhone, also unveiled a couple of data plans for the devices. The monthly plans start at Rs 153, which gives 500MB of data per data, which totals to 14GB data per month. The validity is 28 days. There’s a weekly plan for Rs 54 and a two-day plan that costs Rs 24. All calls, including STD are free on the Jio network.

Reliance Jio JioPhone specifications

Reliance Jio JioPhone gets a 2.4-inch QVGA display. It comes in two models based on processor – one with a Snapdragon 205 processor and other with the Spreadtrum chipset. The feature phone has a dedicated button for torchlight and an alphanumeric keypad.

Users will be able to give voice commands in 24 regional languages to JioPhone to perform specific tasks. JioPhone sports a built-in SoS button, which can be activated by pressing the number five. The device comes pre-loaded with Jio apps like JioMusic, JioCinema, and more.