For the past 17 years Alison and Mike Battle have mastered what the perfect Christmas should look like. One where children can lose themselves in their imagination and connect with values that really matter. It is a return to a pre-1930s Christmas, before Coca Cola took over. The south London couple founded Lapland UK in 2007, inspired by their own experiences of raising four boys and trying to retain their childlike wonder. That each year tickets sell-out in March, earning the event, held in a forest near Ascot, the reputation for being the Glastonbury for children, shows that they’ve tapped into something that all parents desire. “This is something extremely important,” explains Mike. “For children who believe and for their parents, we feel a responsibility to get this right.” It was a duty they felt with their own four boys, now grown up; Michael, a screenwriter, is 31, Matt, 29 works at Lapland UK and twins Christian, who also works with his parents and Joseph, a solicitor, are 26. Alison created a sense of wonder in the boys, but they struggled to find it outside the home. “We would go to a garden centre to visit Father Christmas and it wouldn’t live up to it,” says Matt. “He wouldn’t know any information about us.” Mike recalls queuing up at Harrods for hours, only for Alison to start twitching as they neared the front of the queue. “She started scribbling bits of information about the children on pieces of paper and trying to sneak them to the elves. They were a bit confused, although some got it.” Today, Alison still is the eyes and voice of the children, tapping into what they will find believable, while Mike makes her vision happen for tens of thousands of children each year. Here are the Battle’s tips for creating a truly magical Christmas for you and your family: Look to Europe rather than America The Christmas that inspires the Battle family is one filled with nature and old traditions: “A time from before the 1930s when we got Santa and commercialisation,” says Alison. “For us it’s all about the charm and the dream of Christmas.” They prefer the name “Father Christmas” and the storytelling is inspired by northern Europe. As a young woman Alison studied in Heidelberg in Germany and so she has a love of all things Grimm. “We come at it with a European flavour. We’re not about the candy cane Santa; we’re not American at all. That old world charm is something that people can recreate in their own homes.” They want people to move away from “Santa stops here” signs and go back to nature more. It is the way they have built Lapland UK too, sourcing Latvian log cabins 18 years ago that they still use. Mike and Alison scour antique fairs across Europe looking for props; everything from copper pans for Mother Christmas’s kitchen, stained glass windows, old suitcases and chairs, lanterns and globes. “There’s a big warehouse we go to in Frankfurt, where we source things like original sleighs. It’s a lot of fun,” says Mike. There are also leather bound books on old dressers. Alison thanks her own Mother for giving her the perspective that you should treasure old things. “She’s always had a huge passion for children and childhood. For her 40th birthday, for example, I clearly remember she requested a set of leather bound Grimm’s Fairy Tales .” Details like stenciling on dressers and cupboards evoke the feeling of a Scandinavian Christmas, as do frames of pressed leaves and botanical drawings. Bring the outside in Boughs of brown ferns and crimson leaves hang from the ceilings throughout Lapland UK. Look closely, however, and they are all actually high-quality faux foliage, made from plastic. For a production on Lapland UK’s scale it is the most dependable and sustainable way to decorate. “It’s sustainable because everything you see was here last year,” says Mike. He sought inspiration from how the Victorians would bring in nature to decorate their fireplaces and front doors. It is also linked to ancient indigenous practices, such as collecting mistletoe to bring luck. In this world, the elves are celebrating nature, not tinsel. Get the colour palette right The foundation of the Battle Christmas canvas is the palette; the colours they use create their world of Christmas. “It’s about making sure that nothing imposes and everything makes sense. You soon notice something if it doesn’t fit,” says Christian. “If there’s a bright yellow or green thing, then your attention would be taken there and the whole set breaks.” The perfect Lapland UK red is not a bright red, but a burgundy red. The basis for their muted colour board is that all the colours must look like they are derived from nature. “Anything that feels manufactured is rejected,” says Mike. When they were designing the toy factory the inspiration was real sawdust and rocking horses, rather than primary colours and clowns with googly eyes. What is the perfect Christmas green? “A sage. Not that far from Farrow and Ball, really,” laughs Mike. Silver and gold aren’t banned, but the tone and amount of it is to be considered. “If you have a hint of gold and silver, that’s fun. If you have all of it, that’s nuts,” says Mike. “It’s about elegance and balance. We want everything to be holistic, rather than shouty.” How to decorate the tree As you can imagine, this is a big moment in the Battle household; at home they have an 8ft tree. However, how it looks isn’t as important as how it feels. “It is a tree filled with memories,” says Christian. Rather than worrying too much about a matching bauble, every single decoration on the tree has to have a story. Something bought on holiday or made by the boys in primary school. After Matt played the Angel Gabriel in the school nativity they found an Angel Gabriel decoration. The family also love the tradition of drying oranges and limes and putting them on the tree. “It’s sensory,” says Mike. There is no tinsel in the Battle household. Although in Alison’s family home there is one piece of tinsel. “It’s now 50 years old and my sister and I put it on the tree, even though it’s completely threadbare.” How to light up the day May your Christmas be warm and bright. Certainly your lighting , anyway. When it comes to creating a warm and cosy atmosphere, Mike seeks inspiration from Salzburg. He remembers a trip to the Austrian town in December when everywhere was snowy. “And there were coffee shops lining the streets that were all glowing and warm. Every single one of them was so inviting and it was just beautiful.” He tries to make the same effect at Lapland UK by bringing the lighting down. “The amount of time I say ‘warm lighting’ during the building process!” he laughs. Old-fashioned filament bulbs are key to creating the Battle’s warm nostalgic dream of Christmas. “I don’t like the blue icicle lighting you see,” says Alison. Rituals build the excitement Stir-up Sunday is another one of the rituals the family performs without fail each year. “We’d make our Christmas cake every year and one by one we had to ‘stir in the love’ and make a wish as you did it,” says Christian. “Making a Christmas cake one year isn’t that special, but the fact we’ve done it for nearly 30 years makes it feel different,” says Matt. As adults they now appreciate the ritualisation of their Christmas. “The things we did weren’t crazily unique, but by doing them every year it gave them significance, which made them more important each year,” says Matt. You’re never too old for a stocking The Lapland UK Foundation aims to eventually put a stocking on the bed of every child in a UK hospital or hospice over Christmas. This year they are starting with Lewisham Hospital and Evelina Children’s Hospital. In the Battle household you are never too old for a stocking. Although now Alison usually has to wait for them to come back from the pub. “I still sneak in at 3 o’clock in the morning.” “You just have to let her do it,” says Mike. Alison does see the funny side of having never quite punctured the magic of Christmas for her sons, even if they are now well into adulthood. About three years ago, she remembers one of them running into our bedroom and saying: “Look what is in my stocking!” “I was like, ‘I know!” laughs Alison. It’s about memories, rather than presents Christmas is about creating a feeling, not about material things that you get on Christmas morning. The family feels strongly about that. It recalls the Christmases of Mike and Alison’s childhoods in the 1970s, growing up in working class families in south London. “They were very grounded, loving families,” says Alison. Her father was a carpenter and would make wooden gifts for her and her sister. As the youngest of five children from a migrant Irish family, Mike’s memories aren’t of things, but of an energy in the house. “I’d come down the stairs and feel that there was something special going on; that it was an unusual day,” he recalls. On Christmas Eve in Mike’s home, his father would have a half-day, “which was unusual. We used to all go to Littlewoods on Bromley High Street and have something to eat and that was great. Not because it was fancy, but because it was something unusual for us.” The essence of Christmas for him now? “Being at home and having all six of us together,” he says.

A Boston city councilor was arrested by FBI agents Friday morning after she was indicted in an alleged kickback scheme that netted her thousands of dollars in cash from a staffer in exchange for a large bonus. Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, 45, represents District 7 in Boston, which includes Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway and part of the South End. Sister station WCVB was outside her Dorchester home Friday when FBI agents placed her under arrest at about 6 a.m. According to court documents, Fernandes Anderson faces five federal counts of wire fraud and one federal count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds. "These six felony charges stem from an alleged kickback scheme that she orchestrated to obtain several thousand dollars in taxpayer money in exchange for a bribe she paid to a staffer who she gave a very large bonus," U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy said. Fernandes Anderson was going to use the money from the scheme to pay a fine issued following an ethics investigation, Levy said. Fernandes Anderson is expected to appear in federal court Friday afternoon. According to a federal indictment , Fernandes Anderson gave extra bonus money to "Staff Member A" with the agreement that the staffer would give a portion of the money back to the councilor. That staff member is a relative of Fernandes Anderson, something the councilor lied about, investigators said. Since staff bonus information is publicly available, Fernandes Anderson said the larger bonus for Staff Member A was to compensate them for previous volunteer work, court documents said. Staff Member A's $13,000 bonus was more than double the amount given to other staffers, investigators said. "But that supersized bonus came with a hitch. Ms. Fernandes Anderson told Staff Member A she would need to fork over $7,000 in cash back to Ms. Fernandes Anderson. Staff Member A agreed," Levy said. Over the course of several bank transactions in June 2023, the staffer withdrew $7,000 from the deposited bonus payout, according to the indictment. That money was then surreptitiously handed over to Fernandes Anderson on June 9, 2023, according to the indictment. “At approximately 4:11 p.m., Staff Member A texted FERNANDES ANDERSON, ‘Bathroom’ to let FERNANDES ANDERSON know that Staff Member A was waiting in the bathroom to hand the $7,000 in cash to FERNANDES ANDERSON. Within seconds, FERNANDES ANDERSON texted Staff Member A, ‘Ready’ to confirm that FERNANDES ANDERSON was ready to accept the $7,000 cash kickback from Staff Member A. Shortly following these texts, Staff Member A handed FERNANDES ANDERSON approximately $7,000 in cash at a bathroom in City Hall,” the indictment states. Read the full indictment here. Officials said the investigation is ongoing, and no one else has been charged. In 2023, the state ethics commission found Fernandes Anderson violated the conflict of interest law by hiring her sister and son at city hall and raising their salaries to $70,000 a year. Fernandes Anderson agreed to pay a fine of $5,000. Investigators said Friday the relative involved in the kickback scam was hired after the ethics fine was levied against her, and the scheme was hatched to pay the fine. "Ms. Fernandes Anderson chose to violate her fiduciary duty and defraud the city of Boston, the indictment alleges, rather than find a legal means to pay off that debt," Levy said. Last month, the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance sent her campaign a letter which said it had not timely filed deposit information and had taken contributions over the legal limit. Earlier this week, Fernandes Anderson said she was "not thinking about quitting. I'm not thinking about stepping down." After the arrest, Mayor Michelle Wu said Fernandes Anderson has a "right to a fair legal process," but urged the councilor to step down. "The serious nature of these charges undermine the public trust and will prevent her from effectively serving the city," Wu said in a statement. "I urge Councilor Fernandes Anderson to resign." City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune said a resignation would prevent disruption to the council while Fernandes Anderson's case is litigated. "Given the severity of the allegations brought against her, and the direct impact that they have on residents’ ability to see the Boston City Council as their faithful stewards, it is in the best interest of the body that she resign," Louijeune wrote in a statement. Councilor At-Large Erin Murphy, District 2 Councilor Ed Flynn and District 8 Councilor Sharon Durkan also called for Fernandes Anderson to resign. Fernandes Anderson has represented District 7 since 2021 and won re-election in 2023.

Luigi Nicholas Mangione, the suspect in the fatal shooting of a healthcare executive in New York City, apparently was living a charmed life: the grandson of a wealthy real estate developer, valedictorian of his elite Baltimore prep school and with degrees from one of the nation's top private universities. Friends at an exclusive co-living space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Hawaii where the 26-year-old Mangione once lived widely considered him a “great guy,” and pictures on his social media accounts show a fit, smiling, handsome young man on beaches and at parties. Now, investigators in New York and Pennsylvania are working to piece together why Mangione may have diverged from this path to make the violent and radical decision to gun down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a brazen attack on a Manhattan street. The killing sparked widespread discussions about corporate greed, unfairness in the medical insurance industry and even inspired folk-hero sentiment toward his killer. But Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro sharply refuted that perception after Mangione's arrest on Monday when a customer at a McDonald's restaurant in Pennsylvania spotted Mangione eating and noticed he resembled the shooting suspect in security-camera photos released by New York police. “In some dark corners, this killer is being hailed as a hero. Hear me on this, he is no hero,” Shapiro said. “The real hero in this story is the person who called 911 at McDonald’s this morning.” Mangione's family and upbringing Mangione comes from a prominent Maryland family. His grandfather, Nick Mangione, who died in 2008, was a successful real estate developer. One of his best-known projects was Turf Valley Resort, a sprawling luxury retreat and conference center outside Baltimore that he purchased in 1978. The Mangione family also purchased Hayfields Country Club north of Baltimore in 1986. On Monday, Baltimore County police officers blocked off an entrance to the property, which public records link to Luigi Mangione’s parents. Reporters and photographers gathered outside the entrance. The father of 10 children, Nick Mangione prepared his five sons — including Luigi Mangione’s father, Louis Mangione — to help manage the family business, according to a 2003 Washington Post report. Nick Mangione had 37 grandchildren, including Luigi, according to the grandfather's obituary. Luigi Mangione’s grandparents donated to charities through the Mangione Family Foundation, according to a statement from Loyola University commemorating Nick Mangione’s wife’s death in 2023. They donated to various causes, including Catholic organizations, colleges and the arts. One of Luigi Mangione’s cousins is Republican Maryland state legislator Nino Mangione, a spokesman for the lawmaker’s office confirmed. “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement posted on social media by Nino Mangione. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.” Mangione's education and work history Mangione, who was valedictorian of his elite Maryland prep school, earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a university spokesman told The Associated Press. He learned to code in high school and helped start a club at Penn for people interested in gaming and game design, according to a 2018 story in Penn Today, a campus publication. His social media posts suggest he belonged to the fraternity Phi Kappa Psi. They also show him taking part in a 2019 program at Stanford University, and in photos with family and friends at the Jersey Shore and in Hawaii, San Diego, Puerto Rico, and other destinations. The Gilman School, from which Mangione graduated in 2016, is one of Baltimore’s elite prep schools. The children of some of the city’s wealthiest and most prominent residents, including Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., have attended the school. Its alumni include sportswriter Frank Deford and former Arizona Gov. Fife Symington. In his valedictory speech, Luigi Mangione described his classmates’ “incredible courage to explore the unknown and try new things.” Mangione took a software programming internship after high school at Maryland-based video game studio Firaxis, where he fixed bugs on the hit strategy game Civilization 6, according to a LinkedIn profile. Firaxis' parent company, Take-Two Interactive, said it would not comment on former employees. He more recently worked at the car-buying website TrueCar, but has not worked there since 2023, the head of the Santa Monica, California-based company confirmed to the AP. Time in Hawaii and reports of back pain From January to June 2022, Mangione lived at Surfbreak, a “co-living” space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Honolulu. Like other residents of the shared penthouse catering to remote workers, Mangione underwent a background check, said Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for owner and founder R.J. Martin. “Luigi was just widely considered to be a great guy. There were no complaints,” Ryan said. “There was no sign that might point to these alleged crimes they’re saying he committed.” At Surfbreak, Martin learned Mangione had severe back pain from childhood that interfered with many aspects of his life, including surfing, Ryan said. “He went surfing with R.J. once but it didn’t work out because of his back,” Ryan said, but noted that Mangione and Martin often went together to a rock-climbing gym. Mangione left Surfbreak to get surgery on the mainland, Ryan said, then later returned to Honolulu and rented an apartment. An image posted to a social media account linked to Mangione showed what appeared to be an X-ray of a metal rod and multiple screws inserted into someone's lower spine. Martin stopped hearing from Mangione six months to a year ago. An X account linked to Mangione includes recent posts about the negative impact of smartphones on children; healthy eating and exercise habits; psychological theories; and a quote from Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti about the dangers of becoming “well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” Police report a darker turn Mangione likely was motivated by his anger at what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain for corporate greed, according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by AP. He wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive healthcare system in the world and that the profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not, according to the bulletin, based on a review of the suspect’s handwritten notes and social media posts. He appeared to view the targeted killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO as a symbolic takedown, asserting in his note that he is the “first to face it with such brutal honesty,” the bulletin said. Mangione called “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski a “political revolutionary” and may have found inspiration from the man who carried out a series of bombings while railing against modern society and technology, the document said. Associated Press reporters Lea Skene in Baltimore; Jennifer Sinco Kelleher in Honolulu; Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; and Michael Kunzelman in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.CS takes appraisal of issues confronting J&K Universities Jammu: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo today held a meeting with all the Vice Chancellors and heads of line departments to expedite the resolution of issues faced by different Universities functioning here. Besides the VCs the meeting was attended by ACS, Jal Shakti Department; Principal Secretary, Finance; Principal Secretary, APD; Commissioner Secretary, Higher Education; Secretary, PWD; Secretary, Health; MD, JPDCL; MD, KPDCL; DG Codes and other concerned officers. Dulloo seized this occasion to impress upon the Vice-Chancellors of these varsities to follow the pattern of placements their students are able to fetch once they complete their courses. He suggested to create online platforms for this purpose as this would guide us in developing relevant skilling courses based on the feedback of both industry and alumni. He advised them to develop crash courses for capacity building of the government servants working in different departments. He also asked for taking documentation initiatives pertaining to the ideas of innovations, patents or start-ups emanating from these higher educational institutions of the UT. While taking assessment of the issues faced by these institutions the Chief Secretary impressed upon the line departments to make concerted efforts in coordination with the Universities to iron out issues hindering their process of development. He took University wise stock of issues faced by these institutions and took up the same with the concerned departments for their early resolution. He also provided instant directions necessary for making the process swift and time-bound. The issues that were raised by the Universities includes those related to land transfer, creation of posts, seeking additional Capex grants, augmentation of existing infrastructure, construction of hostel blocks along with several other individual necessities of these institutions. The Universities which participated in this session includes University of Kashmir, University of Jammu, Cluster University Srinagar, Cluster University Jammu, Central University of Kashmir, Central University of Jammu, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Islamic University of Science & Technology, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, and Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences (SKUAST) Kashmir and Jammu.

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Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is questionable to start Sunday's game against the New York Giants because of back and foot injuries. Richardson did not practice this week, but head coach Shane Steichen fell short of declaring his starter out. "We'll see how next 48 hours go," he told reporters Friday. If Richardson, 22, is unable to go, veteran Joe Flacco would make his fifth start of the season. As of Friday, the Colts (7-8) still have a shot at a playoff berth, but they'd need to beat the Giants (2-13) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12) in Week 18 -- and for both the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers to lose their games on Saturday -- to stay alive. That Indianapolis even remained in the playoff hunt in Week 17 is surprising, given an unspectacular season from Richardson, who was taken by the Colts with the No. 4 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. Richardson has completed just 47.7 percent of his pass attempts (126 of 264) for 1,814 yards and has thrown more interceptions (12) than touchdown passes (8). Still, he is 6-5 in 11 starts. Flacco, who turns 40 next month, was 1-3 in four starts earlier this year amid both injury and ineffectiveness for Richardson. Flacco has completed 66.5 percent of his passes for 1,167 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions. Two of the losses were to playoff-bound teams -- the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills. --Field Level Media

Krishna Kumar has carved a career that almost sounds like fantasy over railways, technology, and entrepreneurship. From leading Indian Railways and IRCTC to founding live-streaming apps and driving strategic initiatives at multinational corporations, Krishna's story is that of resilience, innovation, and transformation. Published: December 27, 2024 10:46 PM IST By Edited by Krishna Kumar has carved a career that almost sounds like fantasy over railways, technology, and entrepreneurship. From leading Indian Railways and IRCTC to founding live-streaming apps and driving strategic initiatives at multinational corporations, Krishna’s story is that of resilience, innovation, and transformation. We go deep into his experiences with this exclusive interview and take a peek at this incredible journey. Q1: Krishna, what a diversified career you have had. Where did it all start? Krishna Kumar: That was pretty interesting. My career began in Indian Railways, which operates one of the largest railway networks in the world, carrying over 7 billion passengers each year. It was an organization where one could see scale and complexity in operations. As a Senior Executive, I drove numerous big projects like the ERP implementation, which streamlined operations for service to millions of users. Such experiences instilled in me the importance of systems thinking and laid the foundation for my work in large-scale digital transformations. Q2: How did your time with IRCTC shape your approach to digital transformation and innovation? Krishna Kumar: This was specifically for IRCTC when I implemented some of the first ERP systems in India. Managing ticketing, catering, and tourism services for more than 66 million users taught me a lot about customers’ needs and how to build scalable systems while leading cross-functional teams. That experience turned out to be very important because it taught me how technology can make a huge difference in the user experience and operational efficiency. That made me realize that digital transformation itself is not only about implementation of technology but aligning it with people’s needs and processes. Q3: Moving from public sector giants to tech entrepreneurship-that’s quite a leap. What was the reason for this change? Krishna Kumar: Constant curiosity and a quest to challenge myself motivated me toward making the transition. After my work at IRCTC, I wanted to take the innovative mindset developed and implement it in new emerging industries. The Co-founding of one of the world’s first live mobile video applications- due respect to that experience-it was exhilarating. This was at a stage when mobile technology began to change rapidly, and an opportunity came my way to do something which had not been done before. That was not a simple job/career switch; that was like a leap into the future. Q4: Can you tell us more about your entrepreneurial ventures, especially about the live mobile video app? Krishna Kumar: Of course. My co-founder and I were creating a live mobile streaming app when the days were still conceptual in this industry, when mainstream usage of video streaming wasn’t heard of. We just wanted to put live video power in the hands of regular users. It was a cloud-based app and allowed users to livestream events directly from their phones to a global audience. It was exciting to do the balancing act between innovation and user-friendliness, but the media attention and global adoption we got proved the validity of our approach. Today, video streaming is everywhere, but back then, we were truly breaking new ground. Q5: You have worked with the mergers and demergers of such huge organizations as Hewlett Packard. What was that like? Krishna Kumar: The demerger of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from Computer Sciences Corporation to form DXC Technology was a defining moment in my career. I led the entire IT operations for the transition as Global IT Lead for this transition at 90 global sites across 32 countries. This was an enormous undertaking, yet it had the silver lining for me to further develop my skills in managing complex projects. The demerger had been successful-a consequence of collaboration, strategic foresight, and rigorous planning. I won the Outstanding Achievement Award from HPE for the same work. Q6: You are also an important member of the US-India Chamber of Commerce and Texas State University. What role do you play there? Krishna Kumar: At both US-India Chamber of Commerce and Texas State University, I have always believed in giving back to the community, and there was an avenue for me to do so. As one of the original founding board members of the Chamber, I participate actively in the fostered trade relations and supported entrepreneurship it provides for both nations. I serve on the Dean’s Leadership Council at Texas State University where the council actively supports various programs and initiatives through the college. Their support has a direct impact on student success and faculty development leading to enhanced college outcomes. These roles allow me to bring business and technology experience together with a commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders. Q7: If you can tell us about Austin AI Valley and your role in it. Krishna Kumar: Oh, absolutely, Austin AI Valley is something which I am pretty passionate about. It’s an ecosystem designed to nurture AI innovation and entrepreneurship. I just founded it because of the reason to bring together people and organizations who think similarly, people pushing the boundary of what AI can do. Whether through workshops, networking, or incubating startups, the goal is to position Austin as the focal point for AI development. AI will disrupt industries, and AI Valley is our contribution to building that future. Q8: You’ve been a technology advisor to many companies. What do you look for when advising organizations? Krishna Kumar: I look at innovative companies that have great technology, but also understand how that technology solves real-world problems. Working with organizations like Accubits, I’m drawn to ventures pushing the edge of what’s possible. Great leadership is also important to me. A great idea needs a team which can execute on that idea, scale it, and find their way through the inevitable set of challenges. Q9: What is one important principle that you live by when leading large-scale transformations? Krishna Kumar: One important principle I have always lived by is that technology alone cannot drive transformation; it has to be in tune with the culture and objectives of the organization. With every new trend popping up in technology, a successful transformation is not about understanding that piece of technology but about understanding how it fits within a company’s vision. Change requires buy-in across the board, from leadership to the teams executing on the ground. Long-term success is something that has to be built. Q10: What is your advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and technology leaders? Krishna Kumar: The advice is to be inquisitive and never stop learning. The world of technology keeps moving, and the most successful entrepreneurs are always the ones who are thinking ahead. Surround yourself with a very strong network of mentors, advisors, and peers who push your thoughts. And last but not least, maintain resilience. Success is rarely linear, and what that means is that setbacks are inevitable. In brief, Krishna Kumar’s journey indicates how infinite possibilities are born out of curiosity, hard work, and a passion for innovation. From Indian Railways to changing the fortunes of several global tech companies and startups, Krishna has merely set the envelope. It is inspiring to see how he has been able to navigate and lead through complex transformations; his impact in the world of tech continues to grow. Krishna’s story is an example for the coming entrepreneurs and leaders of how to achieve success with a vision, resilience, and the urge to break the mold. For breaking news and live news updates, like us on or follow us on and . Read more on Latest on . Topics