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When Microsoft tapped Satya Nadella as its third Chief Executive, the technology giant turned to a longtime engineering executive and company insider. He takes over at a critical time, as Microsoft grapples with strategic and cultural challenges. In his first interview as CEO to Adam Bryant of The New York Times, Mr. Nadella, just weeks into his job, talks about leadership lessons from his predecessors, his management style and fostering innovation. This interview has been edited and condensed. What leadership lessons have you learned from your predecessor, Steve Ballmer? The most important one I learned from Mr. Steve happened two or three annual reviews ago. I sat down with him, and I remember asking him: “What do you think? How am I doing?” Then he said: “Look, you will know it, I will know it, and it will be in the air. So you don’t have to ask me, ‘How am I doing?’ At your level, it’s going to be fairly implicit.” I went on to ask him, “How do I compare to the people who had my

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will come into existence only after the Union government fixes the ‘appointed day’ Bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh may not be possible before the general elections scheduled for April-May. This point assumes significance as the Assembly polls are due along with the Lok Sabha elections. If one is guided by the creation of Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh in November 2000, the formation of Telangana ahead of the elections may not be feasible. The Bill passed by Parliament on Thursday is likely to be referred to President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday. It will become an Act once he gives his approval. But it does not automatically translate into the birth of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The two will come into existence only after the Union government fixes the “appointed day.” According to sources, the Election Commission is proceeding on the assumption that the Lok Sabha and AP Assembly elections will be like any in the past. In other words, the divi

A top official in the investigating agency told “The Hindu” that CSK’s Gurunath Meiyappan, hotelier Vikram Agarwal, Kitty alias Utham Jain, the alleged bookie, and others would be examined again. The Crime Branch CID of the Tamil Nadu Police has decided to summon and re-examine a few suspects in the IPL betting scandal in light of new evidence emerging, and question IPS officer G. Sampath Kumar on the basis of his statement to the Mudgal Committee. A top official in the investigating agency told The Hindu that Chennai Super Kings’ Gurunath Meiyappan, hotelier Vikram Agarwal, Kitty alias Utham Jain, the alleged bookie, and others would be examined again. Mr. Kumar had told the Mudgal Committee that Kitty, during interrogation by the ‘Q’ Branch CID, revealed specific details of match fixing involving Mr. Meiyappan, Mr. Agarwal and others. “This input has to be probed before the charge sheet is laid. We will confront the suspects with the evidence put before the Mudgal Committee. No ag

Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych has recognised the increasingly dangerous nature of the situation in his country by announcing early elections and a return to the 2004 Constitution, which will limit the President’s powers. This follows escalating violence over the last several days, in which — according to the Health Ministry — 77 people, including police personnel, have been killed and 577 injured. International condemnation was rapid, with U.S. President Barack Obama warning against Ukrainian military involvement and calls for sanctions coming from German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande. Reactions within Ukraine have included the occupation of civic buildings in the western city of Lviv; rail services between the capital, Kiev, and Lviv were suspended, and at least 45 Ukrainian athletes have returned home from the Winter Olympics in Sochi. The violence caused severe divisions throughout the country, with several police officers siding with or joi

Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB), on Friday, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with New India Assurance Company to deliver three unique innovative health insurance policies for women account holders of the bank. The policies — BMB-Sakhee, BMB-Nirbhaya and BMB-Parivar Suraksha — provide customised health insurance package for women. While Sakhee, aimed at rural women and those in the unorganised sector, offers a cover up to Rs.50,000 a year; the Nirbhaya scheme offers cover limit up to Rs.5 lakh, and will include insurance for accidental situations unique to women, particularly working women. Parivar Suraksha covers the family of the woman account holder of the bank. Speaking after signing the MoU, bank Chairperson-cum-Managing Director Usha Ananthasubramanian said the time had come to cater to women as a segment. “These are the times when we can talk to women about insurance,’’ she said adding that the three policies would broadly cover all women whether in the unorganised sec

When Microsoft tapped Satya Nadella as its third Chief Executive, the technology giant turned to a longtime engineering executive and company insider. He takes over at a critical time, as Microsoft grapples with strategic and cultural challenges. In his first interview as CEO to Adam Bryant of The New York Times, Mr. Nadella, just weeks into his job, talks about leadership lessons from his predecessors, his management style and fostering innovation. This interview has been edited and condensed. What leadership lessons have you learned from your predecessor, Steve Ballmer? The most important one I learned from Mr. Steve happened two or three annual reviews ago. I sat down with him, and I remember asking him: “What do you think? How am I doing?” Then he said: “Look, you will know it, I will know it, and it will be in the air. So you don’t have to ask me, ‘How am I doing?’ At your level, it’s going to be fairly implicit.” I went on to ask him, “How do I compare to the people who had my

India is very close to achieving the Millennium Development Goals or MDGs of the United Nations in the health sector by next year.