Trainer Nasreen Binth Ahmed Bava honoured with 'Best Emotional Intelligence Award' in Dubai
Dubai: In a remarkable achievement highlighting her exceptional business leadership skills, Emotional Intelligence Trainer Nasreen Binth Ahmed Bava was honoured with the prestigious 'Best Emotional Intelligence Award' for 2024 at the iconic Cosmopolitan Business Awards 2024 event here.
Nasreen was honoured with the award, which proves to be a testimony to Nasreen's contributions to the business world, including setting new standards of excellence, at a ceremony held at the Zabeel Ballroom of Hotel Radisson Blu in Deira, Dubai, on February 17.
Achievers from various fields had also been nominated for the award. Also, the award ceremony was attended by several prominent people of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Nasreen, who has more than 15 years of experience in the fields of Emotional Intelligence Training, education and health, is an inspiring figure as an expert trainer. A post-graduate in Psychology, Counseling and Education, Nasreen is globally recognized for her outstanding contributions in the field and has been honoured with awards from the CPD UK, the SHRM and the HRCI, among other prestigious bodies.
As a leader of information skills in the UAE, Nasreen has displayed a unique blend of innovation, leadership as well as commitment to enhancing the well-being of children, professionals and corporate, through her educational and mental health initiatives.
One of her most notable achievements is developing the 'Emoventor', a semi-automated emotion ventilator tool that is designed specifically for children. The pioneering invention, which represents a significant advancement in child mental health support, has received special recognition from AICRA and also support from the Indian Ministry of Education and Skill Development. Under Nasreen's leadership, 'Info Skills' initiated career awareness campaigns and created a distinctive psychometric assessment.
Apart from the achievements in her chosen field, Nasreen is known for her commitment to ethical practices, with her company implementing several initiatives to promote sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Nasreen's efforts at promoting ethical practices have not only made her a popular figure with both employees and customers but also set a benchmark in the industry.
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Air India resorts to cost-cutting ways amid 'tough times'; layoffs not anticipated
New Delhi/Mumbai (PTI): Hit hard by Pakistan airspace closure and Iran war, Air India has resorted to cost-cutting measures, including holding back annual increments for staff and asking them to cut discretionary spending as well as non-critical expenditures, warning of "tough times".
On Friday, Air India Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director (CEO & MD) Campbell Wilson told the staff it is going to be a "very, very difficult year" if things don't improve on the Middle East front.
A day after the loss-making airline's board discussed various cost-saving steps, Wilson, along with Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Sanjay Sharma and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Ravindra Kumar GP, addressed the employees during a townhall on Friday where the emphasis on the need to keep a close watch on costs.
With higher jet fuel prices due to the West Asia conflict and airspace curbs, the loss-making airline's expenses have spiralled in recent times and against this backdrop, Sharma also told staffers that FY26 has seen a softening in revenue amid heightened external uncertainties.
Calling for a relentless focus on costs in these tough times, Wilson urged employees to suspend discretionary spending, renegotiate rates where feasible, and defer non-critical expenditures.
"There must be a laser-sharp focus on eliminating wastage and leakages," he said.
Stressing the need to tighten the belt for a while, Wilson sounded optimistic that travel demand would rebound and the industry would continue on its upward path.
CHRO Ravindra Kumar told staff that the airline will proceed with variable pay for the last financial year and continue with planned promotions while noting that annual increments will be deferred by at least one quarter.
"We don't anticipate layoffs," he said.
At the airline's board meeting on Thursday, various cost-saving steps, including likely furloughs, were discussed. The Tata Group-owned airline has around 24,000 employees.
Generally, furlough refers to sending staff on unpaid leaves by companies during a tough financial situation.
During the townhall, CFO Sanjay Sharma said while strong revenue growth and fleet expansion drove financial momentum through FY25, FY26 has seen a softening in revenue amid heightened external uncertainties.
Air India has seen around 40 per cent CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) in revenue between 2022 and 2025, he added.
The airline was acquired by the Tata Group from the government in January 2022.
The Air India CEO mentioned the external challenges being facing the aviation industry as a whole, including the continued closure of Pakistan airspace that is expected to persist for the foreseeable future and geopolitical conflicts leading to disruptions and airspace closures across West Asia.
Wilson, who is set to step down later this year, also flagged a sharp depreciation of the rupee and a 2.5-3 times increase in jet fuel prices, and added that these factors have adversely affected travel sentiment and consumer confidence, as per the sources.
If the Strait of Hormuz opens, oil prices fall and consumer as well as business confidence come back, there is a decent chance of a solid recovery, Wilson said, adding that unless those circumstances happen, it was going to be "a very, very difficult year".
"I feel somewhat responsible that we ended up with probably the biggest surprise of the year in the external environment which was a full-scale war in our neighbouring region in the Gulf. That has had a huge impact on airspace," he said.
For Air India, Wilson said the situation is compounded by the fact that the airline cannot fly over the neighbouring country and has to take a much longer routing for any west-bound destination.
"Every airline is reporting that they are under some sort of financial pressure as a result of higher fuel prices and economic uncertainty. So, it is unfortunately not a great environment to be running an airline," the Air India CEO said.
The Air India Group -- Air India and Air India Express -- is projected to have incurred more than Rs 22,000 crore loss in the financial year ended March 2026.
At the townhall, Wilson also highlighted various initiatives, including completion of the retrofit of its legacy narrow-body aircraft and rapid network optimisation to redeploy capacity more efficiently.
