Jindal Steel & Power appoints former BharatPe exec as AI chief

Indian conglomerate Jindal Steel and Power has appointed Ritesh Mohan Srivastava as the chief AI officer (CAIO). In this role, Srivastava will focus on enhancing operation efficiency, improving product quality, strengthening safety measures, and driving sustainability through Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered solutions.

“Honoured to join Jindal Steel and Power as the Chief AI Officer, leading the AI transformation at one of India's leading steel and power conglomerates,” he wrote in his LinkedIn post. “We are eager to collaborate with individuals, startups, and research institutions passionate about AI innovation in manufacturing.”

Before Jindal Steel and Power, Srivastava was working as the chief data scientist at the fintech firm BharatPe. He led the data organisation there which offered end-to-end data capabilities and undertook cross-functional collaboration. His team was comprised of heads of data science, data engineering, AI, and business intelligence. He has also worked with companies like Novartis, CarDekho, Lowe’s Companies, and 3i Infotech.

A CAIO is a C-suite executive whose responsibilities include driving the organisation's overall AI strategy, aligning it with business objectives, and ensuring that AI initiatives create value and deliver measurable results. While largely a business role, the person at the helm of this position is expected to have a background in data and AI technologies. Being a C-suite, the CAIO usually has a direct reporting line to the company CEO. 

Data from the staffing firm, foundIt, shared with TechCircle, shows that sectors such as IT, banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), consulting, education, KPO, research and analytics in India have been at the forefront of hiring senior management roles related to AI. The trend is most evident in IT, the sector which has the largest share of AI-related job roles (17%).