Current selection panel better than previous one, says Sourav Ganguly- Sports

KOLKATA: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Friday backed the newly-appointed selection committee, saying the Sandip Patel-led panel is "definitely better" than the one headed by Kris Srikkanth.

"It's definitely a better selection committee than the previous one," Ganguly said a day after being replaced by Anil Kumble as BCCI's technical committee chairman.

Referring to the current panel, he said: "It's not an easy job and there would be criticism, but these guys understand cricket. They have the heart in the right place and they're trustworthy.

"I can't say much about (Rajinder Singh) Hans but I've played alongside (Vikram) Rathore and Saba (Karim) and I know Patil and (Roger) Binny... It's a very good selection committee."

Ganguly appeared disappointed but chose not to express in as many words his ouster as technical committee chief.

"I should not be discussing these things when India are playing Australia in a crucial Super Eight match. I don't know why (I was removed), but I'm not too worried," he said.

Asked if he had lost the post for being vocal in criticising the selection policy, Ganguly said: "I don't know. I don't know whether it's for two years or what... But it's not a contractual agreement."

Ganguly had, in the aftermath of India's eight successive Test defeats, openly criticised the previous selection committee.

Ganguly termed the ouster of Mohinder Amarnath from the previous panel as unfortunate.

"A lot of things happen. You just got to deal with it. It's unfortunate," the most successful Test captain said.

Having replaced the great Sunil Gavaskar at the helm of BCCI's technical committee last year, the former India opener had been multitasking -- playing for Bengal and IPL franchise Pune Warriors, doing commentary besides handling the Board's job.

The Ganguly-led technical committee had made some bold decisions in the domestic structure that included doing away with the Elite and Plate divisions, which were ultimately replaced by three groups of nine teams each.

Even the Ranji Trophy points system had gone through a change, while the Challengers tournament was restructured with it being a competition among the winners of Vijay Hazare Trophy and two teams picked by the selectors.

It was a decision, taken in the aftermath of India's 0-8 drubbing overseas, to bring emphasis on away performance, Ganguly had said.

"The basic emphasis is to see that Indian cricket does well overseas. That is going to be the biggest emphasis for whoever is concerned with Indian cricket.

"The loss of eight Tests in a row has not been very good. So whatever amendments we make is to make sure we start playing well overseas. India will always play well at home," Ganguly had said as technical committee chairman earlier.

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/top-stories/Current-selection-panel-better-than-previous-one-says-Sourav-Ganguly/articleshow/16590569.cms

Balwinder Singh... Famous Ho Gaya- Movie Previews

Director: Sunil Agnihotri

Cast: Mika Si

ngh, Shaan

Banner: Sunil Agnihotri Productions, Vandana Motion Pictures Pvt Ltd.

Music: Lalit Pandit

Lyrics: Nikhat Kazmi, Kumar

Story, Screenplay: Rajan Agarwal

Dialogues: Tanveer Khan

Additional Screenplay: Sanjiv Soni, Shrikant Vishvakarma

Choreographer: Rekha Chinni Prakash

DOP: Nirmal Jani

Sound: Uday Inamati

Art: Rangarao Chowgule

Editor: Aseem Sinha

Genre: Musical, Comedy

Synopsis

Singer turned actors Mika Singh and Shaan will be seen as leading actors in the Film "Balwinder Singh... Famous Ho Gaya".

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/previews/first-look/Balwinder-Singh--Famous-Ho-Gaya/articleshow/16352543.cms

Samsung Galaxy Note II to be launched today- Tech News

Samsung is likely to launch the Galaxy Note II phablet in India today at a press event in Hyderabad, according to reports. The device was showcased at the IFA 2012 in Berlin in August and was rolled out in Samsung's home country South Korea today. Samsung is already taking pre-orders for the Galaxy Note II in India.

The Galaxy Note II, with its 5.5-inch HD SuperAMOLED display, is slightly bigger than the original Galaxy Note, which had a 5.3-inch touchscreen. This device runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), the latest version of Google's mobile operating system, layered with the company's TouchWiz UI. The phablet has a quad-core 1.6GHz Cortex A-9 processor with 2GB of RAM and will come in 16, 32 and 64GB variants, with support for microSD card having capacity of up to 64GB.

For camera enthusiasts, Samsung has assimilated an 8MP snapper with LED flash on the rear, whereas the secondary camera has resolution of 1.9MP. The rear camera can capture full HD videos at 1080p@30fps and comes with features like geo-tagging, touch focus, face and smile detection, image stabilisation.

Connectivity options of the Samsung Galaxy Note II include 4G, 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, NFC, USB 2.0 and Bluetooth 4.0. The company has also provided proprietary connectivity features in the device, such as Samsung AllShare Play & Control and Samsung AllShare Cast. The phablet it powered by a 3,100mAh battery and will come in two colours - titanium grey and marble white.

Samsung's pricing strategy for the Galaxy Note II remains to be seen, as it does not reveal cost of the product while taking pre-orders. Around the time that the iPhone 5 was launched worldwide, the company slashed the prices of the top-end products it sells in India, namely Galaxy S III, S II and Note.

Galaxy Note II will be shipped on first-come-first-serve basis for those booked it in advance, depending on the timing for completing the full payment. The South Korean manufacturer will ship a free desktop dock with the Galaxy Note II for free to those who pre-order the device early. Only those who make full payment within the first three days of the launch of the phablet will be given the free desktop dock.

Those users who pre-order the device have to make full payment for the Galaxy Note II within 15 days of launch, otherwise the booking will be cancelled and the sum of Rs 5,000 will not be refunded. Samsung will send an email to all those who made pre-orders stating the official launch of the device.

Key specifications of Samsung Galaxy Note II are listed below:

Display: 5.5-inch HD SuperAMOLED touchscreen; Operating system: Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean); Processor: Quad-core 1.6GHz Cortex A-9; Storage: 16, 32 and 64GB, expandable up to 64GB via microSD card; RAM: 2GB; Connectivity: 4G, 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, NFC, USB 2.0 and Bluetooth 4.0, Samsung AllShare Play & Control and Samsung AllShare Cast; Camera: 8MP rear camera with LED flash, 1.9MP front camera; and Battery: 3,100mAh

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/news/hardware/Samsung-Galaxy-Note-II-to-be-launched-today/articleshow/16558199.cms

Jab Tak Hai Jaan- Movie Previews

Director: Yash Chopra

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma

Music: A

R Rahman

Lyrics: Gulzar

Banner: Yash Raj Films

Release Date: November 13, 2012

Teri aankhon ki namkeen mastiyaan, Teri hansi ki beparwah gustaakhiyaan
Teri zulfon ki lehraati angdaaiyaan, Nahin bhoolunga main

Jab tak hai jaan, Jab tak hai jaan

Tera haath se haath chodna, Tera saayon ka rukh modna

Tera palat ke phir na dekhna, Nahin maaf karunga main

Jab tak hai jaan, Jab tak hai jaan

After months of speculation, YRF is pleased to announce the title of Yash Chopra's Romance, "JAB TAK HAI JAAN".

Starring Shahrukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma, the film has also brought together the award winning pair of A. R. Rahman and Gulzar, who orchestrated by Yash Chopra, have created some wonderful and poetic music for this romantic film.

JAB TAK HAI JAAN is scheduled for a November 13th 2012 release.

Come celebrate this Diwali with Yashji, whose movies have been lighting up homes worldwide during the festive season.

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/previews/bollywood/Jab-Tak-Hai-Jaan/articleshow/16350792.cms

No roaming charges from next year: Kapil Sibal- Tech News

NEW DELHI: Telecom minister Kapil Sibal has said that mobile phone subscribers will not have to pay roaming charges from next year.

"From next year. Our secretary has told you that it will be free from next year," Sibal said here in response to a query on the timing of removing roaming charges as proposed in theNational Telecom Policy 2012. 

The minister was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the curtain raiser event of India Internet Governance Conference. NTP 2012, approved in May, aims to abolish roaming charges and allow mobile phone subscribers to use same number across country without having to pay extra charges for services once they are outside their telecom circle. 

Meanwhile, telecom secretary R Chandrashekhar said the Department of Telecom ( DoT) is working on Notice Inviting Applications for spectrum auction after which it will work on unified licence (UL) guidelines - also a part of the NTP 2012. 

"We are first going to attend to all issues linked to auction. The moment NIA is issued this week, we will focus on UL. After details of full UL is worked out, the modalities for free roaming will follow," he said. As per the schedule, NIA will be issued on September 28.

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/news/telecom/No-roaming-charges-from-next-year-Kapil-Sibal/articleshow/16526563.cms

HR checking candidates' background on FB, Twitter, Google- Tech News

SYDNEY: A majority of employers and recruiters are now using social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, search engines and criminal records to learn the truth about job seekers. 

A survey conducted by Australia-based software firm Nuage Software showed over half of human resource managers surveyed ran a Google search on candidates, 74 per cent checked LinkedIn, 23 per cent Facebook and three per cent Twitter. 

According to tech firm Nuage's managing director David Wilson, some employers are asking to view Facebook and Twitter profiles at interviews in order to avoid privacy concerns, Perth Now reports. 

"The internet has a very long memory. An ill-advised or impulsive post can be rapidly replicated across many sites and be impossible to take back," the report quoted Wilson, as saying 

"People really do enjoy the freedom of expression on social media, but it is worth considering the cumulative effect of their postings," he added. 

According to the report, Australia's National Crime Check managing director Martin Lazarevic said the variety of employers getting police checks on applicants had grown rapidly in the past six months, and as many as one in ten checks were catching people out. (ANI).

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/social-media/HR-checking-candidates-background-on-FB-Twitter-Google/articleshow/16512427.cms

Heroine- Movie Reviews

Critic's Rating:3/5
Cast: Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Randeep Hooda, Ranveer Shorey, Divya Dutta

Direction: Madhur Bhandarkar

Genre: Drama

Duration: 2 hours 28 minutes

Story: Mahi Arora has all the trappings of a Bollywood superstar-name, fame and fortune. Unfortunately she's also a manic depressive and constantly courts a death wish. Will Mahi succumb to her weakness or will she manage to stay afloat? 

Movie Review: Multiple National-Award winning filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar takes vicarious pleasure in giving his audience a ring-side view of various walks of life. His Chandni Bar (2001) dealt with Mumbai dance-bars;Page-3 (2005) showed the shallow side of the media and celebrity circus; 

Fashion(2008) dealt with the seamier side of the fashion industry. And one must say here that in each of his previous works Madhur was far more in control of proceedings than he is in Heroine; a film that superficially traces Bollywood's underbelly. 

The protagonist is Mahi Arora ( Kareena Kapoor), a superstar, who has the world at her feet for a bit in the beginning of this film. Unfortunately she is also fashionably diagnosed with the bipolar syndrome and is happy to destroy herself in her various relationships. 

If you are wondering why Sunshine Girl Mahi is on a constant emotional roller-coaster; the narrative tells you that she has had a messed up childhood and hence she has developed this masochistic streak. 

So on the one hand, Mahi is cutting ribbons, and shooting for a dozen endorsements. But quickly enough she is also threatened by the arrival of the younger actresses and awards that go missing. To add to her woes, she's drawn like a moth to a flame to her married co-star Aryan Khanna( Arjun Rampal); a cad. 

Very clearly the written material at hand draws from unflattering accounts of various real and reel Hindi film heroines of the 80s (unfair to name them because a couple of them are not even around to defend themselves); who were in messy situations with their married co-stars.

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/hindi/Heroine/movie-review/16476975.cms

Internet giants Google, Facebook, Amazon.com, eBay, Yahoo form lobbying group- Tech News

WASHINGTON: Google, Amazon.com , eBay,Facebook and other internet companies have formed a lobbying group called The Internet Association to tackle regulatory and political issues in Washington, DC, and it is due to kick off on Wednesday. 

It will lobby on issues such as allocation of visas for engineers and matters of privacy and piracy, said the group's president Michael Beckerman, a former advisor to Fred Upton, the chairman of the US House of Representatives' Energy and Commerce Committee. 

Other members include Expedia, LinkedIn, Monster Worldwide, Yahoo! and Zynga. 

Formation of the group marks a stronger alliance of internet companies as they try to influence regulations pertaining to revenue repatriation, cyber security, and sales tax. 

"It is the Internet's decentralized and open model that has unleashed unprecedented entrepreneurialism," said Beckerman. "Policymakers must understand that the preservation of that freedom is essential to the vitality of the internet itself and the resulting economic prosperity." 

Google and Facebook are among the companies that have been steadily ramping up spending on lobbying the federal government. Older tech companies, like Microsoft, have long been active in Washington. 

Google, which is being investigated by antitrust regulators in the United States and Europe, has lobbied officials at the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commissionand the Department of Commerce, according to disclosure forms. 

Facebook has lobbied regarding online privacy and immigration reform while also talking to lawmakers and their staffs about matters concerning initial public offerings. 

In May, Facebook became the first US company to go public with a market valuation above $100 billion. Its market debut was marred by technological problems on the NASDAQ exchange and criticism that the IPO was priced too high.

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/news/internet/Internet-giants-Google-Facebook-Amazon-com-eBay-Yahoo-form-lobbying-group/articleshow/16459968.cms

Tarbosaurus 3D- Movie Reviews

Critic's Rating:

3/5

Cast: Voice of Goo Ja-Hyeong, Lee Hyung Suk, Sin Yong-woo

Direction: Han Sang-Ho

Genre: Adventure

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Story: Spotty has two missions to accomplish: A whole new world to explore and a big, bad guy to avenge. Just one problem: He is just about a year old... and growing!

Movie Review: First, what works for Tarbosaurus 3D: Dinosaurs, dinosaurs and more dinosaurs. After all we are talking about the tarbosaurus that lived some 80 million years ago.

So what follows scene after scene is one dinosaur fighting the other... many dinosaurs hunting down a helpless prey. Surely an attention grabber... in 3D! Next is the desert landscape, all high and dry, captured pretty well... again in 3D.

In fact, the parched landscape has all dinosaurs (and perhaps the viewers alike) wanting to shift to green paradise ASAP. But then struggle for survival has never really been that easy, at least for our little hero, Spotty, (named after all those cute li'l spots on his face). But before that he sees his folks die before his eyes...as he is left alone to deal with the bullies of the jungle.

Enough for the EQ (emotional quotient). Not to miss out are the cute moments when Spotty is seen discovering a whole new world: quick sand for him is like the invisible giant; mammals giving birth rather than laying eggs like his species is wonder-stuff for him; falling for the blue-eyed Tarbosaurus is the best thing that could ever happen to him.

Now for what plays spoilsport: Undoubtedly it's the introduction of the varied creatures (their traits, their breeding habits, their food preferences, hunting styles) that once existed on planet Earth -- Velociraptors, Tylosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, Grenausarus, Ankylosaurus. Sometimes these even pop up in the middle of scenes that matter.

But then all loopholes are taken care of when Spotty puts on a brave front to battle the big, bad Torosausrus -- One Eye. That's when the message is loud and clear: Never give up.

Resources:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/english/Tarbosaurus-3D/movie-review/16382447.cms

Barfi!- Movie Reviews

Critic's Rating:5/6

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Ileana D’Cruz

Direction: Anurag Basu

Genre: Drama

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

Movie Review: He was born to a song playing on a Murphy radio, but this 'Murphy' baby (Ranbir) aka Barfi has a different law. Everything that has to go wrong will go wrong, but not if you brave it with a broad smiley. So 'mute' the high decibel chaos and deafening melodrama around and tune into Barfi ki duniya; which is simple, sweet and SILENT! Yet, extreme emotions of love, joy and pain resound - at different 'frequencies'.

In the breathtakingly beautiful Darjeeling of the 70s, Barfi 'bumps into' Shruti (Ileana) and instantly falls in love with her. With wonder-eyes and in part-Chaplin-part-Raj-Kapoor style, he woos her with more 'actions' than words and leaves her speechless. He even wins over her heart, but she walks away with a Bengali babu, only because he 'apparently' has some abilities (of sound and speech, minus emotion) that Barfi isn't blessed with.

But don't worry, this Charlie is no bechara, he gives her a wordless, guttural, 'earful', wears his signature smiley and moves on. Soon he reunites with childhood friend Jhilmil (Priyanka) - autistic and abandoned by her wealthy family to live in a 'special' home.

In between haath-rickshaw rides, watching fireflies and gulping putchkas - an endearing and special bond grows between Barfi and Jhilmil. Life takes a turn (sharper than the tram-lines of Kolkata), and the destinies of Barfi, Jhilmil and Shruti mysteriously converge.

Ranbir, in the most challenging performance of his career leaves us 'dumbstruck'. Without use of conventional crutches of cool-catchphrases,dhamaakedar-dialogbaazi, bare-bodies, and other 'items'; he stuns you in every single frame. Even too much of Barfi isn't enough, damn the diet!

For Priyanka, there's only one word - Bravo! In a role where she needs to under-emote, she does so brilliantly. Without stylish chiffons, she wears awkward frocks, buckle-shoes and buck teeth, discarding the diva image like an old hand-me-down for lesser actresses; delivering an incredible performance.

Ileana looks a beautiful Bong bahu, and proves her talent with conviction and confidence in herBollywood debut.

For a story riddled with disabilities, Barfi is more than ably handled by Anurag Basu. He remarkably immerses you in his world of sounds and verbose silences, recreating Chaplin's antics, stripping two superstars down to basics and sensitively spinning a magical world of unconditional love. The narrative is too non-linear at times, and the pace slows in the second half. That apart, it's truly path-breaking for Bollywood.

Pritam's background score fills the air, lending support to silences, and the lyrics beautifully describe the mute-musings of the characters. The biggest human disability is we can't find happiness. So go indulge in Barfi! It'll leave you 'happy high'!

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/hindi/Barfi/movie-review/16381742.cms

Yuvraj Singh shows he has lost nothing- Sports

CHENNAI: Yuvraj Singh lived a dream on Tuesday night but it just stopped short of becoming a stuff of legends. He batted beautifully, brought out a couple sixes at the crunch but unfortunately got out just when he shouldn't have. Yet, that doesn't take anything away from the most-anticipated and documented comebacks in Indian sporting history.

The national selection committee had gambled on his fitness by picking him for the Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka that begins next week and the two T20 Internationals against New Zealand in the build-up, without testing his form and fitness in match situations.

With the opening T20 International in Vizag washed out, the Chennai match assumed further significance in the saga that is the Return of Yuvraj. "Getting very restless! Just few more hours to go hope it doesn't rain in the evening!" Yuvraj tweeted ahead of the match after threat of rain had loomed on Monday night. Was he rusty? Yes, a little bit. Was he a bit tentative? May be. But Yuvraj did not disappoint. The man, as always, loves a challenge.

The left-hander, one of the hardest strikers of the cricket ball, was in the middle of action right through. He bowled two overs, gave glimpses of supreme stroke play, but that was not enough on the day.

Yuvi manned mid-wicket and backward point where he is razor-sharp and tried a difficult one-handed return catch off Brendon McCullum that required medical attention, and on returning to the field held the catch to send back James Franklin.

Several former players over the past few days expressed concern whether Yuvraj's return had been hurried and an emotional decision by the national selection committee. However, chief selector Kris Srikkanth stood by the committee's call. "I'm tremendously happy for Yuvi. The boy has shown that if you have the spirit you can overcome anything," he told the TOI during the innings break.

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/new-zealand-in-india/top-stories/Yuvraj-Singh-shows-he-has-lost-nothing/articleshow/16357800.cms

Wipro, TCS, Cognizant, Infosys to hire over 5,700 in campus placement- Tech News

CHENNAI: Major IT companies have hired over 5,700 students at a campus placement drive in Tamil Nadu, VIT University said. 

Accenture offered 3,603 jobs in VIT University, while Bangalore-based Wipro handed over 1,308 appointment orders, the University said in a statement. 

Cognizant ranked third at recruiting 803 students, it said. 

According to VIT University Vice-President G V Sampath, the recruitment process consisted of screening tests and interviews. 

Online portal Flipkart.com has already conducted campus placement drive offering a package of Rs 12.5 lakh, while software company DE Shaw offered Rs 14.5 lakh, the statement said.

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/careers/job-trends/Wipro-TCS-Cognizant-Infosys-to-hire-over-5700-in-campus-placement/articleshow/16348029.cms

Here Comes the Boom- Movie Previews

Director: Frank Coraci
Cast: Kevin James, Salma Hayek, Henry Winkler
Genre: Comedy
Release Date: February 1, 2013

Synopsis 

In the comedy Here Comes the Boom, former collegiate wrester Scott Voss ( Kevin James) is a 42-year-old apathetic biology teacher in a failing high school. When cutbacks threaten to cancel the music program and lay off its teacher ( Henry Winkler), Scott begins to raise money by moonlighting as a mixed martial arts fighter. Everyone thinks Scott is crazy - most of all the school nurse, Bella (Salma Hayek) - but in his quest, Scott gains something he never expected as he becomes a sensation that rallies the entire school.

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/previews/hollywood/Here-Comes-the-Boom/articleshow/15474723.cms

Sourav Ganguly wants to coach Team India if given a chance- Sports

NEW DELHI: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly is open to coaching the senior national team if the Indian cricket board feels that he is a suitable candidate for the hot seat.

"Obviously, I have interest in coaching but only time will tell what can happen in future. If theBCCI feels that I can be a good coach, I will be ready. I feel I can create a difference in terms of the ability of the players, their form and their development. That will be one way of my repaying the game," Ganguly said.

One of the most successful among Indian captains, the stylish left-hander of yesteryears maintained that captain is always the main man and coach can only be a back-up support.

"I have always maintained that the captain is the most important link in the team and he has to take certain on-field decisions. When I was captain for 5-6 years, there were many occasions when I had to reverse whatever we had decided in the team meetings according to situations. The coach is just there to help the captain," he observed.

Ganguly is a firm believer that once the match starts, the coach takes "back seat" as ultimately the players will go out and perform.

"Whosoever it can be; a Ganguly or a Rahul Dravid, maybe a Sachin Tendulkar and a Duncan Fletcher, the coach will have to support the captain through his man management skills," he told Hindi news channel Aaj Tak.

When asked if he was eyeing the World Cup 2015 as the timeframe for him to become the coach, Ganguly felt Duncan ought to be a frontrunner for that.

"The World Cup is three years away and if the team does well in this season, obviously Duncan will be given an extended contract till the World Cup. I think we need to back Duncan as he needs good results. He has a young side under him and he would need to work hard for the team to win outside of the sub continent.

"Before him, Gary Kirsten had a very important stint and the team played very well under him so I would really want Duncan to do well."

Ganguly feels that unlike the time in early 2000 when John Wright took over as India coach, the time is perfect for an Indian to don the mantle.

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/top-stories/Sourav-Ganguly-wants-to-coach-Team-India-if-given-a-chance/articleshow/16281079.cms

More senior executives leaving Infosys BPO- Tech News

BANGALORE: Just three months after its chief operating officer put in his papers, Infosys BPOis seeing a slew of top talent heading for the exits, but the business process outsourcing firm downplayed the resignations, saying that it had a "strong second line of leadership". 

Amit Kothiyal, head of multiple industry verticals at Infosys BPO, Michael Wong, the head of China operations, and Ayan Chakraborty, country manager in the Philippines, have all quit and are currently serving out their notice period. 

"This is not a trend, and I don't see a pattern that is a cause for concern," said Swami Swaminathan, chief executive officer at Infosys BPO, who confirmed that Kothiyal, Wong and Chakraborty are on their way out. "We always have a strong second line of leadership for all critical positions." 

Infosys BPO is yet to fill the position of chief operating officer after Rithesh Idnani left and joined New York-based ISGN. Earlier this week, parent Infosys saw the US head of its financial services practice, Shaji Farooq, being poached by rival Wipro. 

"While key exits do raise a lot of concern, this should not be huge loss, as the companies have strong succession planning in place," said a Mumbai-based equity analyst, who did not wish to be named as he is not authorised to speak to the media. ET could not immediately verify the future plans of Kothiyal, Chakraborty and Wong. 

An XLRI Jamshedpur graduate, Kothiyal joined Infosys in 2003. In his last role, he was responsible for the global profit and loss in many sectors, including retail, consumer packaged goods and telecom. The same year, Chakraborty, an IIM-Lucknow alumnus, joined from Citibank. He has been heading the Philippines operations for a little over two years. Wong, who graduated from University of California, Berkeley, joined in 2007. 

Infosys BPO has been delivering relatively better performance than the parent. Its revenue grew 22 per cent in the June quarter to $494.5 million. The firm, which had about 23,000 employees in June, expects to grow 15-20 per cent this year. It also gave an average 8 per cent pay hikes to its employees, unlike the parent company, which cited lack of visibility in near-term growth to freeze salaries this year. 

The churn at the senior level comes at a time when Infosys is struggling to settle down after co-founder NR Narayana Murthy's retirement. It has been underperforming the industry for at least a year now, as it tries to strike a balance between short-term necessities and long-term ambitions.

Resource:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/news/outsourcing/More-senior-executives-leaving-Infosys-BPO/articleshow/16277358.cms