Ravishankar holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from the University of Auckland. He also serves as an advisor and mentor for the university’s Strategic CIO programme. He is a member of the Auckland University of Technology AUTEUR Influencer Network, a board member of New Zealand Asian Leaders, and an advisory committee member of The Auckland Blues Foundation.
Hashtag: #PIONews
Singapore-born Indian-origin professor Mangala Srinivas joins top science advisory panel in Europe
She is now one of seven new chief scientific advisers to the European Commission, chosen from around 400 nominees, including Nobel laureates. According to reports, Prof Srinivas was appointed in May 2025 and officially onboarded in Brussels in July.
Rajesh K. Gupta to lead UC San Diego’s new school for AI, computing and data science
SCIDS is one of 12 schools at UC San Diego, and only the fourth to be added in this century. It brings together more than 50 faculty across 16 academic fields and serves about 8,000 students, including many from a growing community college pipeline. The school offers two undergraduate degrees, three master’s degrees and a PhD program, with specialisation in data science and AI.
Indian-origin Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja joins Elon Musk’s America Party as treasurer
His appointment to the America Party came soon after Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the formation of the party on X.
California school named after activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, a first for Punjabi representation in US
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by community members, school officials, and the family of Jaswant Singh Khalra, including his wife and daughter.
Trump calls Indian-origin Zohran Mamdani a ‘Communist lunatic’ after NYC primary upset
Mamdani, who is currently serving as a New York state assemblyman representing Queens, secured 43.5 percent of the vote, with 90 percent of ballots counted. If he wins the final election, Mamdani would become the first Muslim mayor of New York City.
UNLV honours Indian-American professor with fellowship fund
Professor Verma’s career at UNLV spanned 55 years, from 1967 to 2022. During this time, he played an important role in building and strengthening the department. He served as department chair for 22 years and was instrumental in launching the university’s master’s programme in mathematics in 1969.
History made: Indian-origin Sareet Kaur Binning leads England U-16s in landmark moment for representation
Of Indian origin and Sikh, Binning’s appointment is being hailed as a breakthrough for representation in a sport where South Asian women have long remained on the margins. Despite making up nearly 15 percent of grassroots participation in the UK, South Asians account for less than 1 percent of players in the Women’s Super League — a glaring gap that Binning’s rise powerfully challenges.
Chanel Global CEO Leena Nair honoured with Commander of the British Empire title
Before joining Chanel, Nair served as the youngest-ever Chief Human Resources Officer at Unilever. An alumna of the Xavier School of Management (XLRI), Jamshedpur, she has been recognised for her impact and leadership across industries.
Dr. Srinivas Mukkamala makes history as first Indian-origin head of American Medical Association
He will serve as the 180th president of the organisation, which is the largest association of doctors and medical students in the United States. His election was announced during the AMA’s annual meeting held in Chicago.
