Upcoming Event
Ideas For India 2026
Date:
May 29, 2026Location:
- Royal Lancaster London, Lancaster Terrace, London W2 2TY, UK
Reena Ranger OBE is a British community leader, Conservative activist, and advocate for women’s empowerment. She chairs Women Empowered, supporting women to reach their potential, and in 2020 was appointed co-chair of Conservative Friends of India, promoting stronger UK-India ties. Since 2014, she has served as a councillor for Moor Park & Eastbury. In recognition of her work with ethnic minority women, she received an OBE in 2019. She continues to inspire through leadership in politics, business, and grassroots community initiatives.
Dr. S.Y. Quraishi served as the 17th Chief Election Commissioner of India from July 30, 2010, to June 10, 2012. A 1971-batch officer of the Indian Administrative Service, he has held several key positions in the Government of India.
Dr. Quraishi was featured in The Indian Express list of the 100 Most Powerful Indians in 2011 and 2012, and in India Today’s High and Mighty Power List in 2012.
Before joining the Election Commission, he served as Secretary in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and as Special Secretary (Health) and Director General of the National AIDS Control Organization. He pioneered India’s biggest AIDS awareness and IEC campaign, ‘Universities Talk AIDS’.
Dr. Quraishi has represented India as an international observer over the years in elections held in South Africa, Russia, Azerbaijan, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Kenya.
In 2018, he was appointed Global Ambassador of Democracy by International IDEA (Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance), alongside the late Kofi Annan.
He has authored numerous books and articles on democracy, elections, HIV/AIDS, family planning, social marketing, women and child development, and youth. His acclaimed book An Undocumented Wonder: The Making of the Great Indian Election is now in its seventh edition.
He is currently Chancellor Emeritus of IILM University, Gurgaon.
As an accomplished internal communications professional with cross-cultural expertise, Shalini brings a unique skill set to the organisations she supports. She is Board Director at the Institute of Internal Communication, Advisory Board Director at the Asian Communications Network and earlier worked in communications roles at BT, NatWest, GE Capital, the RSA and Aviva.
Over the past 20 years she has gained substantial experience by working within large global organisations during periods of business change and transformation. As a creative and confident communication professional who isn’t afraid to challenge, her passion is to empower, engage and connect people to the organisational vision, so they understand how to create impact and make a difference.
As a professional who located to the UK nearly 20 years ago cultivating an inclusive culture where everyone’s voice can be heard and where people feel proud of their work is something she cares about deeply.
Junaid Wahedna is the founder and now Chairman (recently handing over to a new CEO) of Wahed, an Islamic digital financial investment founded with the intention of solving “the Riba problem” – a problem every Muslim is painstakingly familiar with. How do we live in a world without partaking in riba, when our bank accounts, mortgages, pensions, and insurance providers are all built on a foundation of interest? He raised $82m to build Whaed, that’s profitable in the three main countries Wahed operates in: the US, the UK, and Malaysia, contributing almost equally to Wahed’s approximate $1 billion in AUM.
Avinash joined Jupiter Asset Management in 2007. He manages Indian equities funds (including a fund launched and managed by Avinash since July 1995). Prior to joining Jupiter, Avinash was CIO (South Asia and Africa) of BNP Paribas Asset Management before he left to found Peninsular Capital Partners LLP in 2005, where he acted as Managing Partner. He was the CEO of GEM Dolphin Investment Managers from 1994 until its sale in 1997. Avinash led the management buy-in of John Lusty Group plc in 1993 and was the company’s CO0 until its sale in 1994. Avinash qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1986, and was a Senior Manager at Price Waterhouse in London.
Avinash is a qualified Chartered Accountant. He is a Trustee of The London Clinic, a Non-Executive Director of the UK India Business Council and a former Trustee and Chair of Pratham UK, a charity focussed on children’s education in India.
A visionary entrepreneur with nearly two decades of extensive expertise in investment banking and fund management, founded Aikyam Capital to simplify access to India’s Capital Markets. Backed by a team of seasoned financial experts, he has built Aikyam into a multifaceted firm offering broking. Investment banking, fund management, and capital market solutions for global and domestic investors. A Chartered Accountant with an MBA from NMIMS, he has expertise in international finance, compliance, asset management, and business operations.
Kate Sullivan de Estrada completed her PhD in Politics and International Relations from the Australian National University in 2011. Her research interests centre on the social mobility of states in world politics (with a particular focus on status and status seeking and the socialization struggles of rising powers) and, methodologically, the intersection of IR and Area Studies. Empirically, her research examines India’s role and identity as a rising power, nuclear politics in South Asia, India’s strategy in the Indo-Pacific, and Indian Ocean security.
From March to December 2021, Kate took up a secondment as Principal Research Analyst for India at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. She has also delivered expert testimony to UK parliamentary inquiries and engages across Whitehall and beyond on the UK’s policy towards India. From 2018 to 2019, she worked with the Indian Ocean Commission, headquartered in Mauritius, as an Oxford Policy Exchange Network Fellow. She is an Associate Fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, London.
Kate convenes and teaches the MSc/MPhil option the International Relations of South Asia, is the convener of the PPE option Politics in South Asia, and supervises DPhil students in OSGA and the Department of Politics and International Relations. From 2019 to 2021 she was the Academic Lead on OSGA’s successful departmental application to the Athena Swan Bronze Award.
Farzana Baduel is a specialist in global strategic communications, with a focus on positioning organisations and nations on the international stage. She is the President-elect of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and CEO of Curzon PR, a London-based strategic communications consultancy that partners with governments, corporations, and development organisations to deliver integrated communications strategies.
She serves as the Resident PR Expert at the University of Oxford’s Said Business School, where she advises entrepreneurs and executives on global communications and reputation management. Farzana is a Chartered PR Practitioner and an honorary fellow of the CIPR. She has been recognised on the PRWeek Power List and was named among Provoke Media’s Innovator 25 for EMEA, highlighting her contributions to the communications industry.
Farzana co-founded the Asian Communications Network, which promotes diversity within the communications industry and serves on the Steering Committee for Socially Mobile, a nonprofit supporting social mobility in the PR sector. She also hosts the PRCA podcast, Fuse, featuring interviews with professionals in public relations.
Her board positions include trustee roles at The HALO Trust, protecting lives of those affected by conflicts, the British Asian Trust, addressing poverty in South Asia, and Soho Theatre, a cultural organisation producing theatre, comedy, and cabaret in London.
She believes in the power of storytelling for good and as a communication bridge to connect worlds.
Barbara Mills KC is chair of the Bar 2025. Barbara is joint head of chambers at 4PB and practises in family law specialising in difficult and complex children cases, often with an international element. Barbara is an arbitrator and a mediator, sits as a deputy High Court judge, and has been a recorder on the South Eastern Circuit for over 10 years. Barbara is also a governing bencher at Inner Temple.
Dr Chietigj Bajpaee is senior research fellow for South Asia in the Asia-Pacific Programme at Chatham House. Prior to joining Chatham House, he was the political risk adviser for Asia at the Norwegian energy company Equinor (formerly Statoil).
He has also covered Asia (with a particular focus on South Asia) for Control Risks, IHS Markit (now S&P Global), the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC, and the International Institute for Strategic Studies. He also held visiting fellowships at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses and the Vivekananda International Foundation in India.
Chietigj completed his PhD at King’s College London and the National University of Singapore, with a focus on India’s ‘Act East’ policy and relations with China. He holds a master’s degree in international relations from the London School of Economics, and completed his undergraduate studies in economics and politics at Wesleyan University and the University of Oxford.
Chietigj is author of China in India’s Post-Cold War Engagement with Southeast Asia (Routledge, 2022).
Kalpana is a Co-Head of Ashurst’s India Practice and based in London office. She is a dual qualified Solicitor registered with the Bombay Incorporated Law Society and the Law Society of England & Wales.
Kalpana specialises in cross-border joint ventures and M&As, private acquisitions and disposals, commercial contracts, and corporate governance laws and offers practical solutions to clients on doing business in India. She is experienced in leading diverse teams in dynamic environments while achieving success in competitive markets. Kalpana’s practice has always been broad-based and she regularly advises multinational companies on their investments/projects in India and has been a strategic advisor to global clientele from a range of jurisdictions including the US, UK, Japan, Canada, China, Singapore, and Australia.
Kalpana is also a well-recognised expert in India on Corporate Governance principles. She has advised senior board members, executive and non-executive directors, and promoters on board effectiveness, particularly around the issues of corporate governance, leadership, organisational structures, and decision-making.
Sachin Pilot is an Indian politician. At 26 years of age, he was the youngest Member of Parliament when he won his first election in 2004. He went on to get re-elected in 2009 and became a Central Minister in the Government of India handling portfolios such as – Telecommunications, Information and Technology, and Corporate Affairs. He has also been the Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan.
Mr. Pilot has the distinction of being the first Minister of the Government of India to have been commissioned as a regular officer in the Territorial Army in 2012 and is serving as a Captain in the 124 Sikh Battalion (TA). Currently he is the National General Secretary of the Congress party and also a Member of the Legislative Assembly in Rajasthan. He has also been the President of the Congress Party in Rajasthan for more than 6 years. In 2008, he was also recognised as a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum.
Mr. Pilot holds a B.A. from the St. Stephens College, University of Delhi, India and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania, USA. Prior to entering politics, his professional career included working with the Delhi Bureau of the BBC, the American automotive corporation General Motors, and as a consultant with A. T. Kearney.
Avinav Nigam, leads AI-driven workforce mobility with global impact. Advising NSDC International, he forges ethical migration strategies worldwide. An Indian-origin founder, Avinav’s visionary leadership, honed in Japan, India, and the UK, drives TERN’s bold expansion and impact globally.
Before founding TERN, Avinav held significant positions at renowned companies, including Vice President roles at The Walt Disney Company and PayU. At Disney, he played a pivotal role in expanding Disney+ Hotstar’s reach, contributing to its substantial user base. His tenure at PayU involved leading marketing strategies that bolstered the company’s position in South Asia’s online payments sector.
Avinav’s experience also encompasses co-founding and serving as COO of IMMO, where he was instrumental in transforming the residential rental market in Europe. His efforts led to significant venture funding and the establishment of a market leader in the single-unit residential sector.
Shivali is an accomplished artist in music, theatre, and writing. Signed to Sony Music India in 2010, she released The Bhajan Project, which was nominated for two Global Indian Music Awards and reached the top ten on the iTunes World Chart. Her second album, Urban Temple, reached #1 on the iTunes World Chart. Known for her RnB Urban Contemporary Bhajans, she was named one of the Top 25 under 25 UK Asian Artists Shivali is also the playwright of Borders in a Bedroom, which won Outstanding Playwright and Outstanding Production at the Tamasha Festival in New York in 2016. She has contributed to publications like the Financial Times and India Link Magazine, narrated the audiobook You Bring the Distant Near in 2017, and hosted for Viacom’s Aap Ka Colors channel. During the 2020/2021 pandemic, she created Conversations with Shivali for Eros Now. Shivali holds a diploma in Kathak from Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan and received the Best Solo Dance Award at the South Asian Performing Arts Festival in 2015.
Vee Bharkhada is the founder and managing director of Navigate Business Recovery Limited (NBR). With over 36 years of experience with top 10 national firms, Vee specialises in insolvency related disputes and helps directors with advice and practical guidance on Company and Bankruptcy legislation across the whole insolvency spectrum focusing specifically on getting directors and business owners out of tricky financial situations.
Raghav Chadha is an Indian politician, serving as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha representing Punjab. He began his political career with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in 2012, holding key positions within AAP, including national treasurer and spokesperson. Prior to his tenure in the Rajya Sabha, Chadha served as the Vice Chairman of the Delhi Jal Board (water board) and was elected as the Member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly from the Rajinder Nagar constituency in Delhi. In 2022, Chadha was elected to the Rajya Sabha by the Punjab Legislative Assembly, becoming the youngest Member of Parliament in the upper house at that time. He has also been appointed to the Parliament’s Standing Committee on Finance. Throughout his political journey, Chadha has focused on issues related to governance, transparency, and public welfare.
Annu served as a Member of Parliament in the 15th Lok Sabha, representing Unnao, India’s largest constituency. She was a member of key parliamentary committees on privileges, financial estimates, rural development, and women’s empowerment. She has represented India at international forums, including the UN and the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva.
As the founder and chairperson of the Hriday Narain Dhawan Charitable Trust, she has worked for over 20 years to support education and uplift marginalised communities in Unnao. With a career spanning IT, media, and garment exports, she brings a wealth of experience to her philanthropic efforts. Committed to sustainable change, she believes in empowering rural communities by fostering awareness and self-reliance, rather than providing short-term aid. Her work reflects a deep-rooted dedication to social progress in Uttar Pradesh.
Giles Trendle is a distinguished journalist, media executive, and strategic advisor with extensive experience in international reporting and content creation. He began his journalism career in the mid-1980s as a freelance reporter in Lebanon, covering the civil war and hostage crisis. Over the years, he has reported from Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and the Palestinian territories, covering topics such as conflict, politics, climate change, and human rights. From 2015 to 2023, Trendle served as Managing Director of Al Jazeera English, leading a global team of over 400 journalists and overseeing editorial content across television and digital platforms.
Under his leadership, Al Jazeera English won numerous prestigious awards, including Royal Television Society Awards, Peabody and Emmy Awards, and even an Academy Award nomination. Beyond journalism, Trendle plays a key role in strategic communication and content development. He is actively involved in projects that enhance climate change coverage, investigative reporting, and youth-driven journalism. He co-chairs the Covering Climate Now initiative, is an ambassador for ChildPress, and supports independent filmmakers reporting from conflict zones.
A strong advocate for media freedom and journalist protection, Trendle continues to contribute to global conversations on quality journalism, climate issues, and press safety.
Nasser Munjee is the chairman of DCB Bank. He has had a significant career in India’s financial and development sectors. Nasser began his career in 1977 when he joined HDFC, India’s first housing finance company, as one of its early employees. He played a key role in HDFC’s development into a major financial conglomerate. In 1997, Nasser was instrumental in founding IDFC, which helped advance private infrastructure investment in India. He has also served on the boards of several major corporations, including Tata Motors, Tata Chemicals, and Cummins India. Nasser was the President of the Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry and has contributed to numerous government task forces on housing and urban development. With a strong interest in rural development, housing finance, and infrastructure, Nasser has also served as a technical advisor to the World Bank’s Public-Private Partnership Infrastructure Fund. In addition to his corporate work, he is the chairman of the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, India and director of the Indian Institute for Human Settlements. Nasser’s contributions have been recognised with accolades, including being named the best Independent Director by the Asian Centre for Corporate Governance and awarded Indian Business Leader of the Year 2014 by Horasis.
Vinesh is the Co-Founder and Director of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), India’s first and largest professional political consulting organization. Over the past 11 years, he has led strategy and execution for more than 10 high-stakes national and state election campaigns, achieving an exceptional success rate of over 80%. His work has shaped the political journeys of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seven Chief Ministers, navigating some of India’s most complex and dynamic political landscapes.
With a background in law, media, and political strategy, Vinesh brings a rare combination of grassroots insight and forward-looking innovation to democratic engagement. He is deeply committed to strengthening democratic institutions and expanding the professional space for political consulting in India and beyond.
Raja has worked with founders for most of his working life of 24+ years. His defining stint was with Sequoia India, where as CMO, Raja worked with founders from different stages – Byju Raveendran (Byju’s Learning App), Vikram Chopra (CARS24), Amrish and Jitendra (Citrus Pay), Virendra Gupta (Daily Hunt), Jaydeep Burman (Faaso’s), Kunal Shah (Freecharge), Sameer Maheshwari (Healthkart), Amit Kumat (Prataap Snacks), Alan and Nami (Truecaller). The founders he worked with at Sequoia brought a variety of diverse opportunities and challenges to the table and helped Raja decide what he wanted to do with the rest of his life – work closely with founders and founding teams. His raison d’être is to look at business challenges through the lens of marketing with a skin-in-the-game, long term approach to help build the brands of tomorrow. And that’s exactly what he seeks to do at Spring Marketing Capital, a skin-in-the-game marketing value added investment firm that looks to partner founders to build the brands of tomorrow. Raja is an eternal optimist and believes strongly that creativity and entrepreneurship can change the world.
Simon Gerard McDonald, Baron McDonald of Salford, GCMG, KCVO is a British diplomat and academic. He served as Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Head of the Diplomatic Service from 2015 to 2020, marking the culmination of a notable diplomatic career. Educated at De La Salle College in Salford and Pembroke College, Cambridge, McDonald joined the FCO in 1982. His early postings included assignments in Jeddah, Riyadh, Bonn, and Washington, D.C., reflecting a breadth of experience in international diplomacy. He later served as Principal Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary (2001–2003), Director for Iraq at the FCO (2006–2007), and Foreign Policy Adviser to the Prime Minister and Head of the Overseas and Defence Secretariat at the Cabinet Office (2007–2010). In 2010, he was appointed British Ambassador to Germany, a position he held until 2015. As Permanent Under-Secretary, McDonald led the FCO during a period of significant geopolitical changes, including the UK’s decision to leave the
European Union. His tenure was characterised by efforts to adapt the UK’s diplomatic strategies to evolving global dynamics. In 2020, he retired following the merger of the FCO with the Department for International Development, forming the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. In recognition of his services, McDonald was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) and Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO). In 2021, he was ennobled as a life peer, taking the title Baron McDonald of Salford, and currently sits in the House of Lords as a crossbencher. Since September 2022, Lord McDonald has served as the Master of Christ’s College, Cambridge, contributing his extensive experience in governance and international relations to the academic community.
Raghuram Govind Rajan is a renowned Indian economist who is the Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He was born on February 3, 1963, in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, into a Tamil Brahmin family. Rajan’s father, R Govindarajan, was a staff officer in the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), India’s external intelligence agency, which led to the family’s frequent international travels during Rajan’s childhood.
Rajan attended Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram from 1974 to 1981 and enrolled at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi for a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1981. He graduated in 1985 and was awarded the Director’s Gold Medal for the best all-round student. Rajan went on to earn a Master of Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad in 1987 and joined the Tata Administrative Services as a management trainee before leaving to pursue a doctoral program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In 1991, Rajan received his PhD for his thesis titled Essays on Banking. His thesis consisted of three essays on the relationship between a firm or country and its creditor banks. Rajan’s research argued that the deregulation of markets does not necessarily increase competition and efficiency, contrary to the established orthodoxy. He has since gone on to write extensively on banking, corporate finance, international finance, growth and development, and organizational structures.
Rajan joined the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago in 1991 as an assistant professor of finance and became a full-time professor in 1995. He has taught as a visiting professor at various institutions, including the Stockholm School of Economics, Kellogg School of Management, MIT Sloan School of Management, and the Indian School of Business.
From 2003 to 2006, Rajan served as the Chief Economist and Director of Research at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In September 2013, he was appointed as the 23rd Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, a position he held until September 2016. During his tenure at the RBI, Rajan became the Vice-Chairman of the Bank for International Settlements in 2015.
Rajan gained widespread recognition for his warnings about the growing risks in the financial system before the 2008 financial crisis. In a 2005 speech at the Federal Reserve’s annual Jackson Hole conference, he proposed policies that would reduce such risks, but his views were criticized at the time. However, following the financial crisis, Rajan’s views came to be seen as prescient, and he was extensively interviewed for the Academy Award-winning documentary Inside Job (2010).
Rajan’s book, Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten the World Economy, won the Financial Times/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year award in 2010. In 2012, he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree by the London Business School, followed by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 2015 and the Université Catholique de Louvain in 2019. In 2016, Time named him one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World.”
Angela Rayner is a British politician serving as Deputy Prime Minister, and earlier Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office and Shadow Secretary of State for the Future of Work since 2021. She has been Shadow First Secretary of State, Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. Rayner has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Ashton-under-Lyne since 2015. She ideologically identifies as a socialist and as being part of Labour’s soft left.
Rayner was born and raised in Stockport, where she attended the state secondary Avondale School. She left school aged 16 whilst pregnant and without any qualifications. She later trained in social care at Stockport College and worked for the local council as a care worker. She eventually became a trade union representative within Unison, during which time she joined the Labour Party. Selected to contest Ashton‑under‑Lyne in 2014 and elected for the seat at the 2015 general election, she was appointed as Shadow Minister for Pensions by Jeremy Corbyn in January 2016.
Rayner was promoted in July 2016 to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities. As Shadow Education Secretary, she proposed the creation of a National Education Service modelled on the National Health Service (NHS). She endorsed Rebecca Long-Bailey in the 2020 Labour Party leadership election, who came second to Keir Starmer, and instead successfully stood for the deputy leadership, after which she was appointed as party chair and national campaign coordinator. She was removed from these roles in a reshuffle following Labour’s poor performance at the 2021 local elections, subsequently being appointed as Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Secretary of State for the Future of Work.
Lord John Browne serves as Chairman of BeyondNetZero and Senior Advisor to General Atlantic, providing strategic support and advice to the firm’s investment teams and portfolio companies. In both roles, he advises the firm on environmental, social and governance considerations, with a particular focus on climate solutions and the path to Net Zero emissions. Lord Browne served as Group Chief Executive of international energy company BP from 1995 to 2007, after having joined the company in 1966 as a university apprentice. He led the company through a period of significant growth and transformation, including BP’s merger with Amoco in 1998. His landmark speech at Stanford University in 1997 established BP as a global leader in the way it thought about and sought to address climate change. In 2007, Lord Browne joined Riverstone, where he was co-head of the world’s largest renewable energy private equity fund until 2015. He is also a former Chairman of Wintershall Dea, Europe’s largest independent oil and gas company. Lord Browne is Co-Chair of the Prime Minister’s Council on Science and Technology. From 2010 to 2015, he was the UK Government’s Lead Non-Executive Board Member. He was knighted in 1998 and made a life peer in 2001. Lord Browne is the Chairman of the Francis Crick Institute, Chairman of the Courtauld Institute of Art, Fellow of the Royal Society, Fellow and Past President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, and Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. He previously served on the boards of DaimlerChrysler, Goldman Sachs, Intel and SmithKline Beecham.
Pankaj M Munjal is an Indian businessman, and chairman and managing director of Hero Cycles Limited, based in Punjab, India, taking over the company from his father in 2015. He has always had a love for automobiles. He finished his early schooling from The Lawrence School, Sanawar, and graduated in Science and training in Automotive Manufacturing at Kettering University (formerly General Motors Institute), Flint in USA. Thereon, he also attended an executive program in Strategic Marketing Management at London Business School & Harvard University.
Munjal joined his father’s company in 1988, and became Co-chairman and managing director in 2011. Munjal took over the executive responsibilities of Hero Cycles Ltd in 2010 after the Munjal family realigned its businesses. He became chairman and managing director at Hero Motors Limited in July 2015.
Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao, popularly known as KTR, is the Working President of TRS Party and the Cabinet Minister for IT E&C, MA&UD and Industries & Commerce Departments of Telangana government.
The inclination towards public life was always there for KTR as he grew watching his father from close quarters. KTR decided that politics would be his life’s calling as he was strongly influenced by a quotation from his University days. KTR made his political debut by winning from Sircilla Assembly Constituency in 2009.
Born in Siddipet on 24 July, 1976, KTR is the son of K Chandrashekar Rao, the first Chief Minister of Telangana. He grew up in a politically active family and completed his schooling from St. George’s Grammar School, Hyderabad before going to Nizam College, Hyderabad. He studied M.Sc. in Biotechnology from University of Pune and also holds an MBA degree in Marketing and E-Commerce from City University of New York, NY.
After finishing his MBA, KTR worked in the USA between 2001 and 2006. But his interest in the prevailing socio-economic condition in the region brought him back to where his heart belongs – politics. He joined Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and worked under the leadership of his father to achieve Statehood to the region of Telangana. During this period, he travelled the length and breadth of the State and interacted with people to understand their problems and aspirations, which later helped in shaping his political career. KTR made his political entry in 2009 Assembly elections. He assumed the charge of a cabinet minister in the first Government of Telangana in June 2014.
KTR held key ministerial portfolios in the cabinet between 2014 and 2018. On 2nd June, 2014, he was sworn-in as Minister for IT, Panchayat Raj & Rural Development. KTR took charge of Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Industries & Commerce, Mining, and NRI affairs Departments in 2016 and was relieved from Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Department later. He was inducted into the Telangana Cabinet on 8th September, 2019 as the Minister for IT, Industries & Commerce and Municipal Administration & Urban Development.
Unflinching resolve, commitment and inclination to fight for the welfare and development of the State helped KTR work steadily with a wide spectrum of industry and political leaders in India and abroad. He has provided visionary leadership and put in relentless efforts in reimagining and reorienting the Departments he was assigned. As the Minister for IT, KTR has come up with a comprehensive plan to cater to the multi-dimensional requirements of the IT industry and has been backed by his dedicated and competent officers and staff. Several initiatives have been launched under his able leadership since 2014.
Salman Khurshid Alam Khan is an Indian politician, designated senior advocate, eminent author and a law teacher. He was the Cabinet Minister of the Ministry of External Affairs. He belongs to the Indian National Congress. He is a lawyer, and a writer who has been elected from Farrukhabad Lok Sabha constituency. He became the Union Deputy Minister of Commerce in June 1991, and later became the Union Minister of State for External Affairs (Jan. 1993 – June 1996). He started his political career in 1981 as an Officer on Special Duty in the Prime Minister’s Office under the prime ministership of Indira Gandhi.
Salman Khurshid read for a BA in Law, successfully graduating with First Class Honours in 1977, followed by a further year of study to gain a BCL. Whilst up at Oxford he played squash and was in the Hall cricket team. After graduation he lectured in Law at Trinity College, Oxford.
He returned to India and started his political career in 1981 as an Officer on Special Duty in the Prime Minister’s Office, during the Prime Ministership of Indira Gandhi in the early 1980s. He later became the Deputy Minister of Commerce in the Government of India, and then Minister of State for External Affairs from 1993-96, having been elected to the Indian parliament in 1991. He is a member of the Indian National Congress party.
In the General Election of 2009 he was again elected as a member of parliament and was made Union Minister of State (with Independent Charges) of Corporate Affairs and Minority Affairs. In a cabinet reshuffle of July 2011, he was made Cabinet Minister for Law and Justice, and Minority Affairs.
He is a grandson of the late Dr Zakir Hussain, President of India and is married to Louise.
Prabhu is a Board consultant, Founder and Publisher of Salt Desert Media Group Limited, Founder and Managing Director of Global Resilience Publishing, Publisher of Pippa Rann Books and a Senior Fellow of The Trinity Forum in Washington DC.
In 2019, Prabhu established a British publishing company. Salt Desert Media Group Ltd, which has two legs – the 1st leg is anything and everything to do with India, and the 2nd leg is solutions to Global Challenges. He has over decades been helping the Boards of international companies – including, for 15 years, what was then the largest bank in the world.
He was the Executive Director, Organisational Development for Wolfsberg — the Platform for Executive and Business Development. Wolfsberg is a wholly owned subsidiary of UBS in Switzerland.
He specialises in exploring the relationship and effects which technology has on societies around the world, and is responsible for the Wolfsberg Think Tanks dealing with a wide variety of market and global issues.
He is also a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and Fellow of the Institute of Directors.
He also has consulted with such organizations as Akzo Nobel, Barclays Bank, Kraft Jakob Suchard, Nokia, Novo Nordisk, Singapore Institute of Management, UNCTAD, and Valeo.
In addition, he regularly organises, chairs, and lectures at international conferences. He left India under The Emergency under Indira Gandhi.
Arvind Chari is the CIO for Q India UK (an affiliate of QAS India), has 21 years of experience in investment management in Indian capital markets. He began his career in 2002 gaining experience in macro, credit and fixed-income portfolio management. In 2010, he set up amongst India’s first bond funds for European Investors. He has a multi-asset exposure by helping launch the Gold ETF, Equity Fund of Funds and the Multi-asset funds at Quantum. As a Chief Investment officer (CIO), Arvind guides global investors on their India asset allocation. Arvind was born in 1979.
Umar Kamaal Farooqui is a Barrister from Lincoln’s Inn, London, and a leader of the Indian National Congress Party. With a strong background in law, public policy, and grassroots politics, he has emerged as a prominent voice on issues of social justice, and secularism. He previously served as the State Spokesperson for the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra and has been actively involved in policy dialogues both in India and the UK. Known for his legal acumen and articulate advocacy, Umar continues to bridge the gap between law and politics to serve the public interest.
Catherine Moss is a Partner at Shakespeare Martineau. As a corporate lawyer, Catherine supports her clients by ensuring that their legal and commercial needs are met with timely practical and creative solutions.
Catherine works with companies and entrepreneurs to meet their business and corporate finance needs. With specialist knowledge across the life sciences, technology, mining and financial services sectors, Catherine’s wide-ranging expertise involves listing companies on stock exchanges, public and private takeovers, restructurings and resolving corporate governance and investment issues. Catherine is recognised by Chambers UK as a ‘Leader in their field’ within ‘Corporate/M&A: Mid-Market’.
Catherine is a member of the QCA Legal Committee and the City of London Law Society’s Training Committee.
Sushma is a renewable energy specialist having advised on numerous renewable energy projects and on heat networks.
She advises project sponsors, corporations, financial institutions, governments and regulatory bodies on regulatory and market structures, services arrangements (including concession agreements, supply contracts, O&M contracts and asset optimisation agreements), as well as power purchase arrangements and other route to market agreements.
Her experience includes a nine-month secondment to the Northern Ireland electricity regulator, OFREG; a three-month secondment to British Energy and a seven month secondment to Smartest Energy.
Sneha Nainwal is a Commercial Litigation Partner and Head of India Desk at Shakespeare Martineau. Sneha is dual-qualified to practise law in India and England & Wales. Her practice has a strong focus on cross-border commercial disputes and financial services litigation, with wide experience in acting for clients, both businesses and private individuals, in complex litigation before Indian and English Courts, as well as international arbitration and mediation. Her clients include sovereign states, state owned entities, multinational companies, financial services providers and global entrepreneurs based in the UK, India and abroad. With strong personal and professional roots in India and a vast network of global contacts, Sneha is ideally placed to provide strategic solutions to international clients. She holds a Masters in Law (BCL) with merit from the University of Oxford and a double bachelors’ degree in business and law (B.B.A.LL.B) with distinction from India.
Mark Taylor serves as a Partner at Shakespeare Martineau, where he leads the education team, specializing in advising on education collaborations and governance. Mark has dedicated his entire legal career to the education sector, earning recognition from Legal 500 for his deep expertise in this field.
Mark’s extensive experience includes advising on over fifty college mergers within the further and higher education sectors. He is skilled in redrafting constitutions for universities and colleges, such as Instrument and Articles, Royal Charters, and Articles of Association. Mark is known for structuring and setting up education joint ventures, including significant involvement with Institutes of Technology across the country.
In addition to his mergers and governance work, Mark provides crucial advice to UK-based institutions on international collaborations. This includes advising on validation and consultancy arrangements, establishing overseas campuses, and negotiating double degree agreements. His contributions extend to drafting sections of the Universities UK legal guide on international collaborations, demonstrating his authority in this specialized area of law.
Mark is committed to promoting access to legal expertise, co-leading an award-winning advice clinic for fifteen years and chairing the Birmingham Law Society’s pro bono committee. A frequent speaker at sector conferences and client training events, Mark shares his insights on commercial, corporate, and governance issues within the education sector, reinforcing his reputation as a leader in his field.
Radhika Iyer is an award-winning journalist based in London, with over 14 years of experience reporting on current affairs, international politics, trade, conflicts, and extremism. She holds double master’s degrees in journalism and communication. Radhika has worked with Doordarshan, India Today, and freelances for the BBC. Working as an NDTV correspondent, she also serves as the Director of Communications & Supporter Engagement at the Akshaya Patra Foundation, which runs the world’s largest midday meal program. Committed to child rights, Radhika conducts workshops for young writers and field reporters.
Jazz Kaur Sohal, Brand Builder and Awareness Accelerator in the Beauty Industry. With an illustrious background in PR & Integrated Marketing Communications for global beauty brands, including pivotal roles at LVMH & starting her career at L’Oreal, Jazz stands as a beacon for diversity and inclusion. Her recent unwavering commitment to championing South Asian Beauty & Diversity has reshaped the industry landscape. Jazz’s influence extends beyond traditional boundaries, as she tirelessly advocates for representation and empowerment.
Mira Kaushik OBE is a strategic consultant and cross-arts producer with over 30 years of experience. She transformed a small dance academy into an internationally renowned and award-winning production house, placing South Asian dance on the global stage. Mira has been instrumental in bringing dance and performance to unconventional spaces such as Furness Abbey, the British Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, and the Indian President’s House.
A passionate advocate for the arts, Mira has mentored and influenced numerous cross-arts careers in the UK and abroad. Her fundraising efforts have secured tens of millions from diverse sources, including the arts sector, trust foundations, corporations, the Indian Government, the European Union, the British Army, and individual donors. Mira’s accolades include an Order of the British Empire (2007), a Herald Angel Award, a BBC Asia Award, a Lustrum Award, and a Southbank Centre Women of the World (WOW) award.
Mira’s core artistic background encompasses literature, theatre, and cinema, with extensive experience in people management and arts innovation across classical, contemporary, commercial, and community art sectors. She provides strategic direction to various organisations and has served on boards including ISAN, Pan Cultural Arts Network, and the committee associated with the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport.
Jeevanandham Rajagopal is a legal professional with over 18 years of experience, advising on foreign investment in India, joint ventures, debt and equity funding, mergers and acquisitions, and promoter/founder/investee representation. He specializes in structuring overseas direct investments by Indian entities and intellectual property laws, focusing on IP strategies and technology transfers.
He holds a B.A. (Law) and B.L. from the University of Madras and attended the Global Leadership Program at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA.
Jeevanandham has been recognized for his contributions to the legal field, including being named among the Top 100 Lawyers in India by Forbes India. He has also been acknowledged by various legal directories and publications for his expertise in corporate and M&A law. He played a key role in helping his firm win an award for its corporate and commercial practice by the Indian Business Law Journal.
Aarti is a multifaceted beauty professional renowned for her expertise in South-Asian Beauty. She has left an indelible mark on the industry with roles spanning from beauty educator to brand consultant and beyond.
A frequent feature in publications including Marie Claire, The Guardian, Who What Wear and Grazia, Aarti’s insights resonate widely.
Recognized as one of the UK’s Best Hair & Makeup Artists by Harper’s Bazaar UK, Aarti has also been acclaimed as an inspiring industry leader by The British Beauty Council. Her dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusivity is exemplified by her role on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity (DEI) committee.
As the founder of the South Asian Beauty Collective, Aarti continues to redefine beauty standards and empower individuals through her transformative work.
Aashika Balaji is a dynamic finance professional based in London. As Chief of Staff at Aptia Group, a leading pension industry startup, and with a background in Citibank’s wealth management, she excels in strategic business development, transformation and investment. Recognized as a go-to expert on consumer trends, she advises leading startups in India. She co-chairs Women on the Wharf, one of largest network of female professionals from major banks and consulting firms in London, passionately championing diversity and inclusion.
Aashika’s academic credentials are top tier: an MBA from Cornell University, a Master’s from the London School of Economics, and a B.Com Honours from Shri Ram College of Commerce. She co-runs an NGO with her mother, focused on women’s empowerment through education and awareness. A trained classical dancer mentored by world-renowned artists, Aashika collaborates with prominent personalities, inspiring Gen Z with her commitment to learning, creativity, and excellence.
Sakshi is the Founder and CEO of FoodHak, a revolutionary new food subscription delivery start-up where the emphasis is on healthy, delicious yet medicinal vegan meals for longevity and sustainability.
The mother-of-two comes with a biotech background, having earned a Biotechnology degree from the University of Birmingham and an MBA from Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She began her career with a four year sting at Pfizer – moving from clinical trials and regulatory affairs to manufacturing.
Following that, she relocated to India where she saw a gap in the market for a domestic brand of textiles targeted towards the emerging middle class. She subsequently launched a domestic textiles unit for her father’s export business. The business runs profitably today.
After turning to investment, she was poached by SoftBank in California to help manage their early stage funds in Asia and focus on healthcare growth equity investments. Sakshi led the $1billion equity investment into Roivant Sciences and has served on its board for the last five years.
After suffering from an illness during her first pregnancy, she transformed her diet and turned flexi vegan with positive health results. She then conceived the idea to create clinically-backed meals delivered via subscription to those who wish to similarly improve their health and for longevity. In 2021, she founded FoodHak which is seeing strong early growth, paving the way for the future of food, helping people with their health and the planet.
Aashni Shah is the founder of Aashni + Co, a pioneering concept store in London’s Notting Hill established in the autumn 2012. Specializing in Indian high fashion, the store offers a curated range of haute couture, ready-to-wear, jewelry, and accessories by esteemed South Asian designers including Anamika Khanna, Sabyasachi, and Tarun Tahiliani. Aashni + Co has quickly become a prominent destination in London, known for its luxury offerings and attracting a diverse clientele from fashion enthusiasts to celebrities. Aashni Shah also serves as the Founder and Creative Director of Revivify HQ. She studied Directing and Theatrical Production at the National Film and Television School, and Directing and Editing at The MET Film School – Ealing Studios.
London-born Sujata Assomull is a Dubai-based journalist and author of 100 Iconic Bollywood Costumes. A mindful fashion and pro-age advocate, she was the launch Editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar India and previously worked with Khaleej Times as their Group Fashion Editor. An international chronicler of fashion trends, she is a go-to resource in the industry for commentary on India and the Middle East’s evolving and dynamic markets. Today she is a contributing editor for Vogue Business. A columnist with India’s leading business daily, Mint, she looks at fashion through a cultural and economic lens. Her bylines have appeared in Vogue India, Vogue Arabia, Business of Fashion, South China Morning Post, Khaleej Times and Arab News. A moderator at events such as Emirates Literature Festival, Retail Leader Circle, Cop 28 Dubai and other events.
Pratik Dattani is Advisor to Bridge India and the Managing Director for boutique economic consulting firm EPG, specialising in economic analysis, strategic communications and market entry assistance with India, with offices in London, Bangalore and East Africa.
He was additionally, until August 2017, UK Director for the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the premier and largest industry body in India. He is also the co-founder of a tech start-up in the CSR space. Previously he worked in Economic Consulting at FTI Consulting and Deloitte in London and Abu Dhabi, with a focus on public policy and arbitration. He was Chairman for a not-for-profit membership organisation with several thousand members for three years.
He studied Economics at Warwick University, where he was awarded the Prize for Excellence, and LMU University of Munich. His dissertation won a prize at an international economics conference at Georgetown University, Washington DC. He has published academic research on behavioural economics and social impact and is a regular commentator on public policy and India across print, TV and online media, featured on BBC News, CBC, CNBC, CNN, NDTV, South China Morning Post and Huffington Post.
Christophe Jaffrelot is a Professor of Indian Politics and Sociology at the King’s India Institute with a specialization in South Asian studies, particularly focused on India and Pakistan. He holds multiple prestigious positions, including Professor of Indian Politics and Sociology at the King’s India Institute, London, and Research Director at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS). Additionally, he serves as a professor at the Centre d’études et de recherches internationales (CERI) at Sciences Po, Paris, where he has also held the role of Director.
Educationally, Jaffrelot is a graduate of Sciences Po, Paris-I Panthéon-Sorbonne, and the Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales (INALCO). He earned his doctorate in political science from Sciences Po in 1991 and subsequently received a post-doctoral Habilitation degree, demonstrating his academic rigor and expertise.
Throughout his career, Jaffrelot has made significant contributions to the study of South Asian politics and society. His research spans a wide array of topics including Indian nationalism, Hindu nationalism, caste dynamics in politics, ethnic conflicts, as well as Pakistani nationalism, Islamic fundamentalism, and geopolitical issues concerning Pakistan. His extensive body of work includes numerous publications, editorships of scholarly journals, and advisory roles for institutions such as the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and CNRS.
Beyond academia, Jaffrelot is an influential figure in policy circles and media, contributing regularly to publications like The Indian Express and The Caravan. He has received several accolades for his scholarship, including the CNRS Bronze Medal and the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism. His deep interest in South Asia was sparked early in his life and has been a driving force behind his impactful career in understanding and analyzing the region’s complex socio-political dynamics.
Devender Yadav serves as the President of the Delhi Congress Committee, Incharge of the Punjab Congress Committee, and is a member of the Congress Working Committee. His multifaceted role involves overseeing party operations and strategies in both Delhi and Punjab, ensuring effective coordination and management of election campaigns, and strengthening the party’s grassroots presence.
Yadav’s leadership focuses on addressing urban issues in Delhi, advocating for policies that benefit the diverse population of the capital. In Punjab, he works closely with regional leaders to tackle state-specific challenges and enhance the party’s influence. His approach emphasizes unity and effective communication within the party ranks, fostering collaboration and cohesion.
As a member of the Congress Working Committee, Yadav contributes to the formulation of national policies and party strategies. His experience and insights play a crucial role in shaping the Congress party’s stance on key issues, ensuring alignment with its core values and goals. His efforts are pivotal in driving the party’s mission forward on both regional and national levels.
Tony Matharu is a renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist, known for founding numerous successful start-up organizations and businesses, particularly in the hospitality sector. He is the founder and Chairman of Integrity International Group, and has recently established London’s independent hotel chain, Blue Orchid Hospitality. Tony has been recognized with multiple awards, including “Best Small Hotel Company” and “Hotelier of the Year”. He holds an Honorary Doctorate of Letters and is an ESCP Europe Business School Fellow. Additionally, he serves as an adviser and commentator on entrepreneurship, hospitality, and philanthropy.
In his various leadership roles, Tony contributes significantly to London’s business and community sectors. He is a Board Member of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chairman of the Asian Business Association, and Director of the Central District Alliance and Central London Alliance. Tony’s accolades include a Special Recognition Award for contributing to London’s success and a Technology and Innovation Award. He has also founded and sold the specialist sports brand Ayrtek® and established Global Hospitality Services, an international hospitality consultancy known for innovative technology solutions and award-winning spa and guest amenity brands.
Tony’s passion for philanthropy and community engagement is evident through his involvement with numerous charitable and cultural organizations. He is the London City Chairman of the Lord’s Taverners, a charity focused on youth cricket and disability sports, and Vice President and Patron of the Oracle Cancer Trust. He founded Integrity International Trust, a charity aimed at supporting vulnerable individuals. Tony is also a patron of various arts and cultural events and actively participates in sports at various levels. As a true Londoner, he credits the city for his success and remains dedicated to giving back to the community.
Shaunaka Rishi Das serves as the Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies (OCHS) since its inception in 1997. A dedicated educator and advocate for interfaith dialogue, Das’s expertise spans education, comparative theology, communication, and leadership. He holds the distinction of being the first Hindu Chaplain at Oxford University, a role he assumed in 2006, marking a historic milestone in the institution’s 800-year history.
In his capacity as Director, Das has been instrumental in fostering partnerships with academic institutions globally, including formal relationships with universities in the US, Europe, India, and China. Under his leadership, the OCHS received formal recognition from Oxford University in 2006, solidifying its position as a leading institution for the study of Hinduism. Additionally, Das has facilitated publishing partnerships with prestigious entities such as Oxford University Press and the Journal of Hindu Studies.
Beyond academia, Das is a prominent voice in media and broadcasting, notably contributing to BBC Radio 4’s ‘Prayer for the Day’ since 2007. He has also lent his expertise to various documentaries on Hindu culture and traditions, alongside serving as a consultant for projects aimed at exploring and understanding Hinduism. Through his multifaceted contributions, Das continues to enrich scholarly discourse and promote a deeper understanding of Hinduism on a global scale.
Pankaj M. Munjal is an Indian businessman who serves as the chairman and managing director of Hero Cycles Limited, a company based in Punjab, India. He inherited the leadership of the company from his father, Om Prakash Munjal, the founder of Hero Cycles, in 2015. Munjal’s upbringing in the Munjal family, known for their deep-rooted legacy in the automotive industry, sparked his passion for automobiles from an early age.
Munjal’s education includes early schooling at The Lawrence School, Sanawar, followed by a degree in Science and training in Automotive Manufacturing at Kettering University, USA. He further honed his business acumen by attending executive programs in Strategic Marketing Management at both the London Business School and Harvard University. This diverse educational background equipped him with the skills necessary to lead and expand the family’s business empire.
Beginning his career at Hero Cycles in 1988, Munjal played a crucial role in the company’s growth and diversification. He became Co-chairman and managing director in 2011 and officially took over the executive responsibilities in 2010 following the Munjal family’s business realignment. In addition to his role at Hero Cycles, Munjal has served as a non-executive director at Munjal Showa Limited since 1985 and has been the chairman of Hero Motors Limited since 2015. His leadership continues to drive the company forward, maintaining its legacy in the global automotive industry.
R Ramanan has served as the First Mission Director, of the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) Additional Secretary at NITI Aayog ( National Institution for Transforming India) between June 2017 – May 2021 – a flagship national Innovation and entrepreneurship initiative launched by the PMO Govt of India.
As the Mission Director of AIM, Ramanan has been instrumental in the launch and execution of several nationwide innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives resulting in:
-10000+ Atal Tinkering Labs being established in schools nationwide with 7200+ currently operational in 650+ districts and 4 million+ students having access to innovative technologies like 3D printers, Robotics, IOT, electronics do it yourself kits.
– 75+ Atal Incubation Centers selected with 68+ Operational in Univ / industry with 2050+ Startups , 640+ women led Startups.
– 20 Atal Community Innovation Centers being established in Tier2, Tier-3 cities, Rural India.
– 56 Atal New India ARISE (applied Research and Innovation for small enterprises) challenge winners selected creating Make in India product / service innovations with Ministries of India.
– one of the largest Mentors of Change networks with over 5000+ mentors nationwide to mentor school students and Startups.
– 40+ Corporate, NGO, Public Sector and International Innovation Partnerships of AIM.
R Ramanan was previously Managing Director & CEO of CMC Ltd, a subsidiary of the globally acclaimed Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). Under his leadership CMC share price grew over 2100% between October 2001 to 2014, its operating profits over 1338%, leading to its successful amalgamation into TCS in 2015.
Ramanan joined TCS in 1981 graduating from IIT Mumbai in Electrical Engg and played an instrumental role in the growth of TCS. He is a Harvard Business School Alumni (HBS AMP187) , accredited in Sustainability Leadership by Cambridge University and has an Hon Doctorate awarded by Gujarat Law Society. Ramanan was awarded the 2019 National Digitalist of the year by SAP-MINT, the 2020 Outstanding National Public Service Award by Confederation of MSME. He received most “Valueable CEO awards” from Businessworld India twice in a row, Asia Outstanding CEO award from CMO Asia, Singapore, Rajiv Gandhi Shiromani and Indira Gandhi Sadhbhavana awards.
Ramanan is Lifetime Chair of HBS AMP187, Board member of Israel India Innovation forum, eSamshiksa, Unnati GOI initiatives, Chair of New Zealand Trade Enterprises Beachheads, Board Member of Indo US Technology Trade forum ( IUSTTF), Indo US AI Committee, & Fmr Member of Tata Group Innovation Forum.
Howard was appointed Deputy Mayor for Business and Chair of London and Partners in December 2023. Before joining the Mayor’s team, Howard worked in business for thirty years, spending 17 years as Managing Director for Strategy of the Canary Wharf Group. At Canary Wharf, Howard was involved in the development of the Elizabeth Line and supporting the 2012 Olympic Bid and Olympic Legacy as well as commercial inward investment projects in tech, health and life sciences, and financial services.
He has been an active member of business organisations including Business LDN, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, TheCityUK and the London Property Alliance.
He is a trustee of “The Line” art walk along the River Lea. Formerly Chair of the East End Community Foundation (2013-2022) he is now a patron of the charity, and a patron and former Vice-President of UK Youth.
Howard was Chair of the Business Advisory Board for the University of East London School of Business and Law and has been a visiting lecturer at the School.
Howard was a Parliamentary Candidate for the Labour Party and is the Chair of Labour Friends of Bangladesh and Labour Friends of USA.
Farzana Baduel is the founder and CEO of Curzon PR. As a passionate advocate of strategic communications, she champions the power of PR as a dynamic force for building bridges and unifying the world’s voices into a global narrative. She set up Curzon PR in 2009, having previously served as Vice Chair of Business Relations for the UK Conservative Party.
Farzana has been appointed as the resident public relations expert and ambassador for the Oxford Foundry, the University of Oxford’s entrepreneurship centre, where she delivers masterclasses in PR and mentors female entrepreneurs. She is a committed campaigner for the economic empowerment of women. She is the founder of TiE Women (London). TiE is the largest global entrepreneur network in the world.
Farzana is a Chartered PR practitioner who regularly lectures around the world on PR and women leadership and, as a thought-leader, is asked to contribute on the BBC, Forbes, the Financial Times and Al-Jazeera. She has also written for newspapers/publications such as The Guardian and PR Week. Her industry blogs can be found on the PR Insider.
Farzana has been a judge for the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ PR awards. She has won awards including Businesswoman of the Year at the Muslim Awards 2016, Entrepreneur of the Year at the Asian Women of Achievement Awards 2015 and the Media Professional of the Year at the Asian Media Awards 2014. She donates her time and expertise to various organisations and audiences on a voluntary basis.
Supriya Shrinate is an Indian journalist and politician who currently serves as the National Spokesperson for the Indian National Congress. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from St. Stephen’s College in Delhi and a Master’s degree in Mass Communication from Jamia Millia Islamia University.
Before joining politics, Shrinate worked as a journalist for over a decade. She has worked with several renowned media organizations such as NDTV, ET Now, and NewsX. During her career, she has covered a wide range of issues including politics, economy, and corporate affairs. She has also moderated several high-profile debates and interviews.
In 2019, Shrinate joined the Indian National Congress and contested the Lok Sabha elections from the Maharajganj constituency in Uttar Pradesh. Although she was defeated in the elections, she was appointed as the National Spokesperson for the party soon after. Since then, she has been actively participating in debates and discussions on various national issues and has been representing the party in several forums.
Keith is the co-founder and CEO of the Incredible Husk International Group A multi-business and environmental award-winner specialist in ISO business and process management systems. Developing and implementing business and process management systems for leading manufacturing organisations within the agriculture, automotive, construction, medical devices, retail, and toy industry sectors.
He co-designs BAMS Ai ISO Management Standards Implementation software/hardware system in collaboration with Ivan Yordanov (Owner and MD of Go-Live UK).
In 2017, Keith met Rajika Dhiren, co-founder of Edcraft, at the London SEN show, where he was exhibiting his range of eco-friendly education products. This meeting led to the formation of a collaborative partnership to design and manufacture eco-friendly learning and therapeutic materials for children and adults with the onset of dementia in Hyderabad.
The following year, in 2018, Keith traveled to Hyderabad and stayed with Rajika, Dhiren Rameshchandra, her husband, and their family to provide support in implementing an ISO business and process management system and training Rajika and her factory workers. Today, Ekoplay, the company resulting from their collaboration, designs and manufactures world-class quality eco-friendly products.
In 2023, Incredible Husk and Ekoplay jointly exhibited at the Nuremberg Toy Fair, the world’s leading toy fair.
Rakkam Ampang Sangma is an Indian politician and the current Education Minister in the Government of Meghalaya. He has been associated with the National People’s Party (NPP) since 2013. Sangma obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Arts from St. Anthony’s College in Shillong and his Master’s degree in Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai.
Prior to his political career, Sangma worked as a social worker, advocating for the rights of vulnerable communities such as street children and persons with disabilities. He also served as a member of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and worked on several projects related to child welfare. In 2018, he won the assembly elections from the Tura constituency in Meghalaya and was appointed as the Education Minister in the Meghalaya government in 2019.
As the Education Minister, Sangma has focused on improving the quality of education in the state. He has introduced initiatives such as the “Chief Minister’s Career Guidance and Counselling Scheme” to provide career guidance to students and the “Meghalaya Education Guarantee Scheme” to ensure free and compulsory education to all children up to the age of 18. Sangma has emphasized the need for vocational training and skill development to enable students to be self-reliant and contribute to the economy. The Meghalaya government has also undertaken several projects to improve the infrastructure of schools and colleges in the state under his leadership.
Mihir Bose is a renowned author, journalist, and broadcaster with a wealth of experience in the media industry. He studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where he earned a degree in Economics. Following this, he pursued postgraduate studies at Nuffield College, Oxford, where he gained a master’s degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.
Bose’s career in journalism spans over four decades, during which he has worked for some of the world’s most prestigious media outlets. He served as the BBC’s Sports Editor for over a decade, and his work has appeared in publications such as The Sunday Times, The Independent, and The Financial Times. In addition to his print journalism, he has also contributed to various radio and television programs, including BBC World Service and Sky News.
As an author, Bose has published several acclaimed books, including “The Spirit of the Game: How Sport Made the Modern World” and “The Indian Spy: The True Story of the Most Remarkable Secret Agent of World War II.” His writing has garnered numerous awards, including the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award in 2010. With his extensive knowledge and expertise, Mihir Bose is widely regarded as one of the leading voices in sports journalism and is highly respected within the media industry.
Naynesh Desai is as a Solicitor who has been involved in sports for many years, both as a lawyer and as an administrator. He started organising sports competitions when he was still at University. He played recreational cricket and he is currently a member of the Board at Durham County Cricket Club. He is still a Solicitor and represent many stellar clients, including Lord Ian Botham, Wasim Akram, Virender Sehwag, Sunil Gavaskar, Devon Malcolm, Allan Lamb and others.
Phil Simmons is a former cricketer and current coach from Trinidad and Tobago. He represented the West Indies in 26 Test matches and 143 One Day Internationals (ODIs) between 1987 and 1999. As an all-rounder, he scored 1000 runs and took 83 wickets in Test cricket, and 2696 runs and 149 wickets in ODIs.
After retiring from playing, Simmons took up coaching and has been a highly successful coach for various teams. He coached the West Indies between 2015 and 2019, during which time the team won the ICC World Twenty20 in 2016. He has also coached the Afghanistan national cricket team and the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the Caribbean Premier League.
Simmons holds a Level 3 coaching qualification from the England and Wales Cricket Board and has also coached at the county level in England. He is widely respected in the cricketing world for his knowledge and experience, and his ability to get the best out of his players.
Mr. Kumar also realized that unemployment and diseases are the primary cause of worry for most Indian citizens due to which, they have to live an extremely difficult life. Mr. Kumar, having seen the real power of Herbal Product in his own family, decided to launch his idea in the form of a healthcare company named, “Asclepius Wellness Private Limited”, a herbal & Food Supplement products manufacturing and selling company. Today, millions of people from all over the country are using the superior products of his company to sustain a healthy life. They also make good earnings for themselves by making people aware about the benefits of Herbal products and recommending these products to others, As, he believes to make the country Stronger first.
Dragan Mitrovic is an experienced Managing Director with a demonstrated history of working in the management consulting industry. He is a strong business development professional skilled in Business Planning, Sales, Corporate Recovery, Business-to-Business, and Strategy. He has lived in seven different countries and worked on three continents. He has spent the last five and a half years in the education industry trying to bring equal-opportunity education accessible to anyone. Dragan is married, with three beautiful children.
Simran Ahuja is an Indian actress and television host, known for her work in the entertainment industry. She was born and raised in Delhi, India, and started her career as a model before transitioning to acting.
Simran has acted in several popular television shows and web series, including “Inside Edge” and “Made in Heaven”. She is also a well-known television host and has hosted several shows, including “Ishq Kills” and “Saavdhan India”.
Apart from her acting and hosting career, Simran is also an advocate for mental health and has spoken publicly about her own struggles with anxiety and depression. She is committed to raising awareness about mental health issues and promoting a greater understanding of mental health in India. Simran Ahuja is widely regarded as a rising star in the Indian entertainment industry, and her work has earned her a dedicated fan following.
Rina Dhaka is a renowned fashion designer from India, known for her creative and innovative designs. She was born and raised in Delhi, India, and completed her education in the United States. After returning to India, she launched her own fashion label in 1989, which has become one of the most respected and successful fashion brands in the country.
Over the course of her career, Rina Dhaka has showcased her collections at numerous national and international fashion events, including the London Fashion Week, the New York Fashion Week, and the Miami Fashion Week. She has been recognized with many awards for her contributions to the fashion industry, including the “Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award” for her outstanding achievements and contributions to the field of fashion.
Rina Dhaka is known for her unique and innovative designs, which often blend traditional Indian fabrics and techniques with modern, contemporary styles. Her designs have been worn by many high-profile clients, including former US President Bill Clinton. She is also committed to promoting sustainable and ethical fashion practices, and has incorporated eco-friendly materials into her collections. Rina Dhaka is widely regarded as one of the leading fashion designers in India, and her designs have inspired many young designers in the country and around the world.
Prem Singh Rao is the Managing Director of Varaha Infra Limited, a road construction company based in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, he has a track record of leading and growing all sectors of the business to make it a dynamic and progressive organization. He possesses skills in project management, marketing, financial management, product launch, client retention, implementing policies, and cost control. He is responsible for developing and directing the implementation of business strategy, establishing profitable relationships with customers, suppliers, and stakeholders, and managing multi-disciplined teams to achieve targets. He also heads the in-house design team and is involved in continuous value engineering using the latest specifications and methodologies.
Dr. Mohammad Amin is a renowned public servant who served as the Joint Director/Chief of Protocol at the Election Commission of India. Dr. Amin is a professional with extensive experience in protocol affairs, public relations, media relations, and international cooperation. He has held senior positions in several government ministries, including the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Civil Aviation, and Ministry of Coal. He has also worked on foreign deputations, specifically in Saudi Arabia for Hajj Affairs as a coordinator in the Indian Consulate Jeddah, Makkah, and Medina.
Dr. Amin holds an honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Mass Communication, a Master of Mass Communication, and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Public Relations. He has undergone several high-level protocol, media management, image building, and man management training courses. Dr. Amin is a life member of several reputed institutions, including the Civil Services Officers Institute, Press Club of India, National Rifle Association of India, India Islamic Cultural Centre, Airport Authority of India Officers Institute, The Indian Golf Union, and Mohamed Bagh Club Lucknow.
During his career, Dr. Amin has focused on Protocol Affairs, Public Relations, Media Relations, International Cooperation, and image-building exercise. He has assisted Ministers in Parliament for Parliamentary work, providing him with immensely useful experience in Parliament affairs. Dr. Amin’s diverse profile has given him an unmatchable capability and experience to handle any protocol and media issues. He is well-travelled in India and abroad, providing him with immense experience to handle every situation.
Dr. Amin’s work in protocol affairs has been recognized and praised by his superiors, and he has been recommended for senior level assignments within or outside the government, or for any award or recognition.
The Rt Hon Keith Vaz is the Chairman of the Integration Foundation, was a former Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as well as Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee and the longest-serving Indian-origin UK MP.
Vaz is a highly educated individual, having earned a law degree from Cambridge University before qualifying as a barrister and practicing law. He was first elected to Parliament in 1987 and went on to hold a number of significant positions, including Minister of State for Europe and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
Vaz is known for his commitment to promoting human rights and has been involved in several international initiatives aimed at promoting democracy and good governance. He is a respected figure in British politics and has made significant contributions to public life over the course of his career, including advocating for integration within the UK.
Rt Hon Keith Vaz is a distinguished figure in British politics with a strong record of public service and a commitment to promoting human rights and integration within the UK.
Amy has over 20 years’ international experience in Performance Coaching and General Management across multiple sectors and geographies, developing and executing operational strategies, and building creative business development solutions.
She is a creative and inspiring leader, who intuitively navigates the complexities of multi-disciplinary teams with empathy, presence and spiritual wisdom. She is driven by excellence, and is deeply focused on the development of those she works with, fostering a sense of inner peace, personal power and an inspired purpose across the board.
Her coaching and healing-driven approach to business is borne of her commitment to develop authentic, self-aware and conscious leaders embodying the best version of themselves, thereby impacting society in transformational ways.
Amy is honest, courageous, resilient, down-to-earth and humble. She has a gift for deeply and attentively listening, enabling others to feel comfortably at home in her presence. Her insights, wisdom and trustworthiness, are what make her a pillar of strength for those around her.
Rita Kakati-Shah is an award-winning, gender, diversity, inclusion and career strategist, speaker, mentor and advisor to Fortune 500 companies. She founded Uma in response to her personal journey of motherhood, transitioning careers and entrepreneurship, and is dedicated to empowering women and minorities around the world. Prior to Uma, Rita lead Business Development globally in CNS healthcare. She began her professional career at Goldman Sachs in London, where she was awarded the prestigious Excellence in Citizenship and Diversity Award. She is also a Distinguished Alumna of King’s College London and a triple Stevie Awards for Women in Business winner and is also a judge for the Middle East Awards.
Rita is a graduate of King’s Business School, is actively involved with the King’s Leadership, Diversity and Entrepreneurial Institute Mentoring Programs, and is also a member of the New York and Los Angeles Alumni Committees. Rita actively coaches and mentors business leaders, veterans, survivors of domestic violence, women in technology/STEM, schoolgirls and students. She also serves as an advisor, ambassador, and diversity and inclusion expert to multiple boards and global organizations around the world, such as the JCC of Manhattan, Women Veterans’ Founding Circle of the ACP, New York City Bar Association, Democracy Without Borders in India, Turning Rock Partners, Ormiston Park Academy and the London Bihu Committee.
Rita is also a regularly invited speaker and guest lecturer at various academic institutions, multinational corporations and global policy forums such as UNESCO in Paris, European Parliament in Brussels and many more spanning New York, Delhi, London, Madrid, San Francisco, Shillong, Sochi, Toronto and Zambia.
Rita has been featured as an expert on multiple international television and news shows, interviewed and quoted in various podcasts and publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Thrive Global, Dell Technology, PRWeek and iHeartRadio. Rita also hosts the popular South Asian television show, The Uma Show, on Mana TV International. She is also a best-selling author, and has co-authored books on women in business, diversity and inclusion. Rita is also a trained and accomplished classical Indian dancer in the forms of Bharata Natyam and Xattriya, enjoys Post-Impressionist oil painting, is a foodie and loves trying new spots for afternoon tea around New York City, where she lives with her husband and two young children.
Sid Yog is a global investor, serial entrepreneur and philanthropist.
He is the founder of The Xander Group, a global investment firm with offices in India, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and the United States, and ~ US$ 3 Billion AUM. He is also founder and chairman of the board of VR South Asia, a US$ 1 Billion owner-operator of community centric, regenerative, city center developments in India. VR South Asia has a current portfolio of 14 million square feet across 9 rapidly growing urban centers.
In 2015, Mr. Yog set up the Yuj platform that comprises Yuj Ventures, Yuj Kutumb and the Yuj Foundation, with the former investing in global start ups and fast growing private ventures, and the latter two backing social and public entrepreneurs through impact investments and grant making. Yuj is focussed on entrepreneurs creating tech enabled disruptions in traditional industries, or enabling scale solutions to the pressing problems of sustainability, education and equity. The platform has invested over US$ 50 million till date, in 36 new ventures and initiatives that have created 14,000 new jobs across 9 countries, and in aggregate generated US$ 750 mm in revenue in FY 2022.
Appointed to the Harvard Business School faculty in 2014, Professor Yog taught at HBS for six years upto July 2019, researching and publishing numerous cases and teaching popular MBA courses “Investing in Emerging Markets” and “Real Property Asset Management”. Earlier, starting in 2005 in New York, Mr. Yog spent a decade as Managing Partner and Chair of the Investment Committee for the Xander India Funds, raising and investing over US$ 2 Billion of institutional capital. Each Fund beat its benchmark index.
Mr. Yog has been a member of the President’s Global Advisory Council and the Committee on University Resources at Harvard University since 2011. He is founder, trustee and member of the governing body of Ashoka University, India’s leading liberal arts and sciences university and its largest collective philanthropic effort. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Repertory Theatre (A.R.T) in Cambridge, MA since 2015, and a member of the Global Council at Lincoln Center in New York, NY since 2018.
He earned the degree of Master in Business Administration with high distinction from Harvard Business School and was elected a Baker Scholar, the highest academic honour conferred by the School. He was also elected President of his Harvard Business School Class. Earlier, he secured a Bachelor of Arts with Honors degree in Economics at Delhi University, where he was elected head of the Sri Ram College Students’ Union.
Mr. Yog lives between Gloucestershire, England and New Delhi, India.
Bankim Chandra has been the CEO and passionate driving force behind Dotsquares since its inception back in 2002. From very humble beginnings in a cold garage to several hundred employees in six countries this is a family business that has an international focus. Dotsquares is a web and mobile app development company with an enviable portfolio in the Fintech and Travel industries amongst others. Bankim progressed through roles at RBS and American Express before identifying a gap in the market for software development.
Dotsquares has been involved in several ground breaking projects including Gamification on a car assembly production line and a Guinness Book of Records entry for the largest Android pad mosaic ever created. Recent developments have seen further expansion into a new London Office. Bankim has been heavily involved with UK Trade Missions as a Thought Leader, invited to sit on numerous Business Panels, and has been a KeyNote speaker at many events including GITEX in Dubai.A keen sense of business foresight is couple with a great capacity to give back – both to the communities in which the company operates and at a more business level. Bankim has been heavily involved in mentoring in schools and providing apprenticeships, whilst also not forgetting long established roots by providing employees the opportunity to help at the Mother Theresa Centre in Jaipur.
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a globally revered spiritual and humanitarian leader. He has spearheaded an unprecedented worldwide movement for a stress-free, violence-free society. Through a myriad of programs and teachings, a network of organizations including the Art of Living and the International Association for Human Values, and a rapidly growing presence across 180 countries, Gurudev has reached an estimated 500 million people. Gurudev has developed unique, impactful programs that empower, equip and transform individuals to tackle challenges at global, national, community, and individual levels.
Sanjay Suri is the Europe Editor for CNN-IBN. He has been reporting on international affairs out of London for close to 20 years. He was an earlier chief reporter with the Indian Express in Delhi. He was Europe and Middle East and Europe editor and then a chief editor with the international agency Inter Press Service (IPS) focused on development, environment and rights issues. He has a master’s degree in English Literature from Delhi University and in Social Psychology from the London School of Economics. He is also the author of Brideless in Wembley, a collection of Indian stories out of Britain.
Joshua Bethania is an award-winning comedian from India. His stand-up includes observations on life in London as an outsider and what he is doing to become an insider. Since starting stand-up in 2021, Joshua has gone on to win ‘So You Think You’re Funny?’ and become a BBC New Comedy Awards Finalist. In 2022 he also won King Gong at The Comedy Store and became a NATYS Finalist. In 2023 Joshua was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Chortle Comedy Awards.
Mohammed Ali Ashraf Fatmi is a national spokesperson for the Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD and was a member of the Lok Sabha. He represented the Darbhanga constituency of Bihar for 13 years with four terms and was a member of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) political party. On 29 July 2019 Fatmi joined the JD(U) only to return to RJD prior to the general elections of 2924. He was the RJD parliamentary candidate from Madhubani, Bihar, in the last general elections. Fatmi was Minister of State in the Ministry of Human Resource Development from 2004 till 2009.
Over the years, Fatmi has been actively involved in various social and political causes, including women’s empowerment, education, and environmental conservation. He has been a vocal advocate for the rights of marginalised communities and has worked towards their upliftment.
In addition to his political contributions, Fatmi has also authored several books and research papers on issues related to Indian politics and society. He is widely respected for his insightful analysis and expertise in these areas.
Prof Walter Ladwig is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in International Relations at King’s College London. He is also an Associate Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute and a Non-Resident Fellow of the Center for the Advanced Study of India at the University of Pennsylvania.
He earned his Ph.D. in International Relations from Merton College, Oxford where he was the America’s scholar. He has held fellowships at the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, and the RAND Corporation, and was a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar to the Czech Republic. He has a Masters in Public Affairs (MPA) from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and dual bachelor’s degrees in Economics and International Relations from the University of Southern California.
His book, The Forgotten Front: Patron-Client Relationships in Counterinsurgency was published by Cambridge University Press. His other scholarly work has appeared in International Security, the Journal of Strategic Studies, Asian Survey, Legislative Studies Quarterly, Comparative Strategy, Asian Security, Small Wars and Insurgencies, Military Review, Strategic Insights, War in History, and Joint Force Quarterly, in addition to half-a-dozen chapters in edited volumes.
Ofer Fohrer is the Deputy Ambassador for Israel to the UK and an accomplished professional in the field of international trade policy. As a member of the Foreign Trade Administration at the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Labor in Israel, he is tasked with managing and directing the country’s international trade policy.
Ofer’s expertise lies in a variety of areas, including the promotion of trade and export, the negotiation and maintenance of trade agreements to improve Israel’s trade conditions, and the attraction of foreign investments. He is also skilled in creating strategic partnerships and fostering cooperation with foreign companies, making him a valuable asset to any business seeking to expand globally.
With his extensive experience in government liaison, Ofer is well-equipped to navigate complex regulatory environments and advocate for policies that support international trade. He is a true leader in the field of international business development and a key player in shaping the future of Israel’s global trade relations.
Kevin joined the UK India Business Council in December 2008 and has a range of responsibilities: coordinating the work of the team across the UK and Indian offices; directly leading the Advocacy, Advisory, Membership, Communications and Research teams.
He also leads the UKIBC’s relationships with the Department for International Trade and directs the UKIBC’s engagement with Government bodies across the UK and India, including the UK’s Devolved Administrations, English cities, and Indian States. Kevin has directed major projects, including developing strategies to generate more trade and investment between India and Greater Manchester, the Leeds City Region, and the Sheffield City Region. He remains a Strategic Advisor to the Sheffield City Region, attends the Manchester India Partnership Board meetings, and is on the Advisory Board for the West Midlands India Partnership.
Kevin also co-ordinates the UK side of both the UK-India CEO Forum, which reports to the Prime Ministers, and the UK-India Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO), which reports to the UK’s Secretary of State for International Trade and India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry. He also directs the UKIBC’s Ease of Doing Business in India campaign, and will lead the UKIBC’s inputs into the UK-India FTA consultations the UK and Indian Governments will conclude in 2021.
Kevin joined the UK India Business Council after 19 years in the UK’s Diplomatic Service, where he served in The Netherlands, Malta, Romania, India, and various London postings. In India, Kevin spent three years at the British Deputy High Commission in Kolkata helping UK businesses win contracts and find partners in Eastern India and assisting Indian companies expand into the UK.
Rahul leads the Institute’s South Asia research programme. He researches and publishes on India’s neighbourhood foreign and security policies; Pakistan, Afghanistan and regional security; counter-extremism and terrorism; regional nuclear matters; and the Indian navy and the Indian Ocean. Rahul gives select policy-relevant talks and briefings, and organises several ‘track 1.5’ meetings. These involve top South Asian government and intelligence officials, and focus on regional stability, nuclear doctrines and India’s foreign policy, and take place annually in Muscat, Bahrain, New Delhi, Islamabad and London. He is also author of Sea Power and Indian Security (Potomoc, 1995) and India’s Maritime Security (Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis, 2000).
Elena Fernandes is a supermodel, influencer, actress and philanthropist. Born in London to a Peruvian mother and Indian father, Elena resides in London and works out of London, Dubai, Mumbai and New York.
Elena’s career started with a 12 page editorial for Vogue India, and has since blossomed into a supermodel, talented actress and a much-regarded philanthropist. She is regularly seen in editorials and front covers of leading global magazines; Vogue, GQ, and Harpers Bazaar. Seen in many advertising campaigns for global companies such as Adidas, FILA, Westside and FBB has allowed Elena to build significant equity as a top-notch ambassador for multiple brands. Her profile is further enhanced by regular appearances at high profile events such as the British Fashion Awards, Cannes Film Festival, as well as the fashion week schedule.
Elena juggles her successful modelling career with a flourishing film and television career. Her first role was with Dharma Productions’ “Kapoor & Sons”, and has since starred in Sujoy Ghosh’s Badla, super hit franchise Housefull 4 and Jawaani Jaaneman. Her starring role in ‘Cheat India’ was extremely well received, and Elena is currently in talks to appear in multiple big-budget film projects in India and abroad. In her latest work with Sony, she has received rave reviews as the host of the weekly series ‘House Proud’, and is currently in talks for additional series.This extensive coverage has helped Elena to build a strong social media following and influence.
Academic work and philanthropy are both highly important to Elena. She holds a Law degree from Kings College, University of London, and has completed her Masters in Laws at The University of Law. She has given a successful TED talk, and was also an important speaker at the 2019 Global Economic Summit in New Delhi. Elena runs her own charity, iAmChange, and spends a significant portion of her time in the US working with Sightlife, a charity which tackles corneal blindness. She also gives regular talks at schools for PETA and WFA. Elena is deeply grateful for her achievements in the modelling and film industry and remains determined to maintain a healthy balance between her multifaceted career, charity efforts and academic aspirations, all of which are currently burgeoning both in her home country and across the globe.
Elena’s recently released films include Bollywood Super Hit Film Laxxmi released in November 2020 on Disney+Hotstar with Akshay Kumar and London Confidential released in September 2020 on Zee5.
Elena’s upcoming role will be with Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Sangeen directed by Jaideep Chopra, to be released in 2022 and Ek Villain Returns with Arjun Kapoor and John Abraham directed by Mohit Suri in 2022. She has recently finished shooting for ASEQ to be released in 2022 and Ganpath with Tiger Shroff, directed by Vikas Bahl to be released in 2022.
Jayesh Ranjan is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer currently serving as the Principal Secretary of the Industries and Commerce (I&C) Department, Information Technology, Electronics, and Communications (ITE&C) Department in the state of Telangana, India. He has been in this position since July 2016. Ranjan completed his schooling in Hyderabad and then pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Loyola College, Chennai. He later completed his Master’s in Business Administration from the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad.
Ranjan has held various positions in the government of Telangana, including Commissioner of Industries, Managing Director of the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC), and Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the Telangana State Industrial Development Corporation (TSIDC). Under his leadership, Telangana has been recognized as one of the leading states in India for ease of doing business. In 2020, Telangana was ranked second in the country in the State Business Reform Action Plan rankings released by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Government of India.
Ranjan has been instrumental in promoting the information technology sector in Telangana, including the development of the T-Hub startup incubator, the country’s largest incubator for startups. He has also played a key role in promoting industrial development in the state, attracting investments from both domestic and international companies. Overall, Jayesh Ranjan has had a successful career in the Indian Administrative Service and has made significant contributions to the development of Telangana, particularly in the fields of information technology and industrial development.
Ranjan has received several awards and recognition for his contributions to the field of information technology and industrial development. In 2017, he was awarded the BusinessWorld Digital India Summit and Awards for his contribution to the development of the IT sector in Telangana. His efforts have also been recognized by the Government of India, which awarded him the National Award for e-Governance in 2010 and the Digital Leader Award in 2018. Ranjan’s vision and leadership have been instrumental in driving Telangana’s growth in the IT and industrial sectors, making it a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Richard Burge joined the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) as Chief Executive in February 2020.
Prior to this, Richard was an independent advisor on international affairs focusing on trade, conflict, and development with a portfolio of advisory and consultancy work. Richard’s varied career has seen him lead four multi-million pound organisations as Chief Executive over a total of 18 years. These comprised a famous charity, a UK government agency, a private company and a membership body.
He has been on the Board and a non-executive director of five multi-million pound operations including companies, charities, two government agencies, and a UK Russell Group university. Richard has worked in over 55 countries, specialising in Africa, the wider Commonwealth, and post-conflict situations.
He was Chief Executive, Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council from 2017 to 2019. For the previous eight years, he was Chief Executive of Wilton Park (a Foreign and Commonwealth Office agency for conciliation and dialogue on global issues). He was also a Commissioner for Commonwealth Scholarships, and on the Council of Durham University.
Other roles include Chief Executive Officer of the Countryside Alliance, Director General of the Zoological Society of London, and for ten years he served with the British Council in Africa and the Middle East.
Arunabha Ghosh is an internationally recognised public policy expert, author, columnist, and institution builder. He is the founder-CEO of the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, and has led CEEW to the top ranks as one of Asia’s leading policy research institutions and among the world’s 20 best climate think-tanks. He played a formative role in creating the International Solar Alliance, and was a founding board member of the Clean Energy Access Network. Co- author/editor of four books and with experience in 48 countries, he previously worked at Princeton, Oxford, UNDP (New York), and WTO (Geneva). The Asia Society honoured him recently with the 2022 Asia Game Changer Award, for his and CEEW’s “incredible work, which is making a real difference for India and for the planet”.
Arunabha advises governments, industry, civil society, and international organisations around the world. He currently serves on Government of India’s G20 Finance Track Advisory Group and advises the Sherpa Track for India’s G20 Presidency in 2022-23. In 2022, the UN Secretary-General appointed him to the High-level Expert Group on the Credibility and Accountability of Net-Zero Announcements by Non-State Actors. Dr Ghosh is currently Vice-Chair of the UN Committee for Development Policy, having been first nominated to the UNCDP by the UN Secretary-General in 2018. Arunabha is a member of several international expert advisory groups: Global Commission on the Economics of Water; High-Level Group of Economists, constituted by the French president for the One Planet Lab; and the High-Level Consultative Group for the U.S. Department of State’s Energy Transition Accelerator. In 2020, the Government of India appointed him Co-Chair of the energy, environment and climate change track for India’s Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP2020). He has been appointed the Co-Chair of the T20 Task Force on climate and energy for G20 Presidencies led by Indonesia in 2022 and India in 2023.
He is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Clean Air, having previously been a member of the Global Future Council on Energy. He serves on the Board of ClimateWorks Foundation. A frequent speaker and adviser to governments, industry and international organisations, he writes monthly columns across various platforms, has hosted or featured in several documentaries, and his 2019 TED Talk on air quality (Mission 80-80-80) has crossed 270,000 views. He was a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. He holds a D.Phil. from Oxford.
Riniki Bhuyan Sharma is an Indian entrepreneur, who is the founder and managing director of Pride East Entertainment, the largest media house in the North East of India. It includes the news channels News Live & Northeast East Live, entertainment channels Ramdhenu, Rang and Indradhanu, as well as one Assamese newspaper Niyamiya Barta.
Riniki manages the Golden Threads of Assam, the platform to showcase the state’s precious silk to the national and international audience. It helps to preserve Assam’s royal silk, Muga, and at the same time empowering the weavers of this rare silk, which is another project close to her heart. She runs Sneha Bandhan, a home for young orphaned / abandoned children under the Kailash Nath Sarma Trust; and Udayachal, a school with professionally trained teachers for specially-abled children under the Jadhav Chandra Memorial trust.
She is married to Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister of Assam.
Pradyot Manikya Deb Barman is the former head of Tripura’s Royal Family and the Chairman of Tipra Motha, the Tripura Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance.
He was the president of the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee from 2016 to 2019, and former his party after resigning from Congress, which aims to represent the indigenous people of Tripura. Tipra Motha won eight seats out of the 28 seats that were contested in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections in 2021.
In the Assembly elections in 2023, Tipra Motha’’s success was the biggest story coming out of the North East of India. Manikya’s party contested 42 out of the 60 seats, including 20 Assembly segments reserved for candidates from Scheduled Tribes, and won 13 seats – a phenomenal performance for a party making its Assembly poll debut. They have been pushing the demand for a ‘Greater Tipraland’. The BJP’s allies IPFT faced a significant setback in the reserved seats, losing all but one of its eight seats, indicating a shift of tribal voters to Tipra Motha.
Pradyot Manikya is known for his efforts to preserve the culture and traditions of the indigenous people of Tripura. He has been involved in various social and political campaigns aimed at their welfare. Apart from his political activities, Pradyot Manikya is also involved in various social and cultural organisations. He also served as the editor of TNT-The Northeast Today.
Rohit Pawar is an Indian politician and a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Maharashtra. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and a Masters’s degree in Business Administration. Before entering politics, he was involved in business ventures in the agriculture, hospitality, and education sectors.
Pawar contested the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election from the Karjat Jamkhed constituency as a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate in 2014 and won the election. He has since been re-elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2019. As an MLA, he has been actively involved in various developmental initiatives in his constituency.
Pawar has been appointed as the Deputy Leader of the NCP in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. He is a member of various committees such as the Committee on Welfare of Other Backward Classes, the Committee on Estimates, and the Committee on Public Undertakings. He has worked towards the improvement of the healthcare infrastructure, education system, and transportation facilities in his region.
Apart from his political career, Pawar is also involved in social work and has supported various initiatives for the welfare of the underprivileged sections of society. Overall, Rohit Pawar’s educational qualifications, business acumen, and political career reflect his commitment to public service and development in Maharashtra.
Amit Lath is one of the leading Indian faces and businessmen based in Poland for the last 20 years. He is known to be a very humble and down-to-earth man and lives a simple and modest life just like an average citizen and his wife supports this lifestyle. With his magnificent and phenomenal efforts to develop his business across India and overseas, he became the new face of Indian business – professional, modern, and forward-looking.
His leadership qualities enabled the company Sharda Group to achieve success not only in the European markets but also in other International markets, especially in CEE & Middle East. Today the group is ranked by the Poland Ministry of Economy as No. 1 in Textile Sector and is among the Top 10 companies for the entire trade between India-Poland. Sharda Group Poland which is now the biggest Textile player in the Central Eastern European market and supplies to more than 60 countries worldwide.
Simultaneously achievements came in form of various prestigious awards one of them being the group being ranked among the top 500 in the list of FORBES Diamond 2012. The Group Ranked 301 in Poland and 13 in the Lodzkie state. Sharda Group is the 1st Indian company in Poland to be nominated in the list of FORBES Diamond 2012.
He has widely traveled to 57 countries all over the world and also has been invited as a speaker in various business delegations, Economic Forums, and Business Symposiums to share his know how of business and to promote trade between India-Poland. Not only is he actively involved on the business circuit he has been equally responsible for the development of Lodzkie Region in terms of taking it forward.
He is a founder member of Lodz British International School and is closely associated with the State and Central Government in Poland for building ties between India-Poland. He is also involved in number of key projects for Lodz & Lodzkie region in different sectors and working closely with the present local and state government. Amit makes every Indian dream bigger with his achievements and only sets the standards higher and higher.
He also revived famous Polish traditional textile brands like UNIONTEX® (Estd 1827) &Pamotex® (Estd 1825) which are sold globally through a large distribution networks. Also due to his vision in 2012 a successful venture of “Sharda Business Centre” was opened in Poland in which companies like Philip Morris, and Ago Logistics are having offices and logistics hub.
Abhinandan Sekhri is co-founder and CEO of media critique, news and current affairs website Newslaundry.
Before founding Newslaundry, he worked as a producer, director and writer in various television and film projects. He regularly delivers lectures and hosts panel discussions on journalism, RTI, and the importance and independence of media, and has delivered talks at Harvard’s India Conference (2018 edition) and several Indian colleges including NIT Karnataka-Surathkal, St. Xavier’s College, Lady Shri Ram College, IIM Lucknow Noida Campus and Manipal University.He also delivered a TEDx talk about ‘journalism of independence’ at TEDxJaiHindCollege in 2015.
Nia Griffith has been MP for Llanelli since 2005. She was appointed a shadow minister for Exports in December 2021, having previously been in the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, Northern Ireland and Defence.Five years after entering Parliament she was appointed Shadow Business, Innovation and Skills Minister and was moved to the Welsh portfolio in 2011. She was promoted to the Shadow Cabinet by Jeremy Corbyn in September 2015.Previously she was PPS to Harriet Harman in her capacity as Minister for Women and Equality.Her family comes from mining villages near Neath, in South Wales. Her father was Professor T. Gwynfor Griffith; her mother was Dr. Rhiannon Howell. She was educated at Newland High School for Girls (now called Newland School for Girls) on Cottingham Road in Hull and Somerville College, Oxford where she graduated with a first class degree in modern languages. After Oxford, she trained to be a teacher (PGCE) at the University of Wales, Bangor.She became a teacher at Queen Elizabeth Cambria School in Carmarthen then Gowerton Comprehensive School in Swansea. She was a member of the NUT. Prior to entering Parliament, she was an education adviser and an Estyn Schools Inspector (the Welsh equivalent of Ofsted) from 1992. Immediately before becoming an MP she was Head of Languages at Morriston Comprehensive School, Swansea. She speaks five languages: English, Welsh, Italian, French and Spanish.She joined the Labour Party in 1981 and has held many posts within the Party, including Secretary of the Carmarthenshire County Labour Party. She was elected as a councillor to the Carmarthen Town Council in 1987, serving as the sheriff in 1997 and deputy mayor in 1998.Her main political interests are tackling climate change and issues affecting industry.
Ruth Margaret Cadbury is a British politician and Member of Parliament (MP) for Brentford and Isleworth since 2015. She belongs to a well-known Quaker family and was privately educated at The Mount School, York, Bournville College, and the University of Salford, where she graduated BSc in social sciences in 1981. Before entering politics, Cadbury worked as a planning consultant and served as a Labour councillor for the Gunnersbury ward of Hounslow London Borough Council. She was also Deputy Leader of the Council from 2010 to 2012.
In the 2015 general election, Cadbury defeated the sitting Conservative MP, Mary Macleod, and made her maiden speech to the House of Commons on 2 June 2015, where she referenced her Quaker background and its relevance to social justice. Cadbury has been a vocal opponent of military intervention in Syria, voting against it in December 2015. In the House of Commons, she has sat on the Transport Committee and previously on the Justice Committee and the Women and Equalities Committee.
Cadbury was appointed as a Shadow Housing Minister by Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn in October 2016 but was ousted from the position in June 2017 for contravening a whipped vote on an amendment to the Queen’s speech. She was among 28 of the 46 London Labour MPs opposing the National Policy Statement on Airports in June 2018, which laid out government support for a third runway. In May 2021, she rejoined the Labour front bench as the Shadow Minister for Planning, receiving half of Mike Amesbury’s former brief as the Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning. In November 2021, Cadbury was appointed Shadow Trade Minister in Keir Starmer’s front bench reshuffle.
Cadbury is a Quaker and one of three Quakers elected at the 2015 general election. She is also an honorary associate of the National Secular Society and is married to Nick Gash, a non-executive director of the Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust and former chair of West Middlesex Hospital, which is located in Cadbury’s constituency. In 2022, she became a Vice Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group, which meets to discuss issues of relevance to humanists.
Kartikeya Sharma is a media baron and politician from Haryana, India. He was born on 14 May 1981 to Venod Sharma, a politician, and Shakti Rani Sharma. He completed his Bachelors in Business Administration from Kings College London before launching ITV Media in 2007. The media network has several news channels, including National, English, Hindi, and 7 regional channels, along with print newspapers such as The Sunday Guardian newspaper, Daily Guardian, and Aaj Samaj. Sharma is also the owner of Picaadily Hotels, which, along with Hyatt, owns several properties in Delhi and parts of Haryana and Punjab. In 2015, he founded Pro Sportify with Ashish Chadha, CEO of Sporty Solutionz, a company that runs the Pro Wrestling League.
In 2022, Kartikeya Sharma won the Rajya Sabha elections, defeating Indian National Congress heavyweight Ajay Maken. He is also a member of a parliamentary delegation led by Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha Sh. Harivansh Ji. Sharma has been honored with the Person Of The Year Award, and he recently attended the Shri Parshuram Mahakumbh organized in Karnal.
Baroness Arlene Foster is the Former First Minister of Northern Ireland. Described in 2017 as the second most powerful woman in UK politics, Arlene Foster made her first appearance on BBC Newsnight aged 17, after her school bus was bombed by the PIRA and she has been involved in Northern Ireland politics since being a student at Queen’s University, Belfast.
A lawyer by profession, she was born in 1970 at the start of the Northern Ireland Troubles and grew up in County Fermanagh where she still lives with her husband and three children.
Arlene was instrumental in establishing powersharing in Northern Ireland and served as Minister for the Environment when devolution returned to Northern Ireland in 2007. When Rev Dr Ian Paisley retired in 2008, she was appointed as Minister for the Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment, a position she held until May 2015. During this period she was instrumental in promoting Northern Ireland’s tourism industry, bringing major events like the MTV EMA awards, the Irish Open and Giro d’Italia to Northern Ireland and securing record levels of investment into the economy. In 2012 she spearheaded a yearlong campaign entitled ‘Our Time, Our Place’, which sought to change the narrative for Northern Ireland, marketing it as a great place to live, work, invest and holiday in. Seeing the gap in energy infrastructure in the west of NI, she drove the Gas to the West policy of bringing natural gas to homes and businesses in the area.
Priyanka Chaturvedi is an Indian politician and a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, representing the state of Maharashtra. She is a member of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) party.
Chaturvedi completed her schooling from St. Joseph’s Convent School, Mumbai and later pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai. She also holds a Masters in Communications Studies from the University of Pune.
Prior to entering politics, Chaturvedi had a successful career in media and communications. She worked with several leading media houses such as NDTV and Times Now as a journalist and news anchor. She also served as the National Spokesperson for the Indian National Congress party from 2014 to 2019, where she actively campaigned for the party and its leaders.
In 2019, Chaturvedi resigned from the Indian National Congress party and joined the Shiv Sena party. She contested the 2022 Rajya Sabha elections from Maharashtra on a Shiv Sena ticket and was elected as a Member of Parliament.
Chaturvedi has been a vocal advocate for women’s rights, gender equality, and social justice. She has also been actively involved in environmental issues and has been working towards promoting sustainable development in her constituency. In addition to her political work, Chaturvedi is also a published author and has written several articles on politics and social issues.
Rahul Narwekar is a prominent political figure in Maharashtra, currently serving as the Speaker of the Assembly. A seasoned politician with a wealth of experience in public service, Narwekar is known for his deep commitment to promoting good governance, transparency, and accountability.
Born and raised in Mumbai, Narwekar earned a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from a leading Indian university, before pursuing a Master’s degree in Business Administration from a prestigious institution in the United States. He later returned to India to pursue a career in politics, inspired by a deep desire to serve his community and make a difference in the lives of his fellow citizens.
Narwekar’s political career began in the early 2000s, when he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He quickly rose through the ranks, earning a reputation as a capable and effective leader with a deep understanding of the issues facing his state and country.
In 2014, Narwekar was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, representing the Colaba constituency in Mumbai. He has since played a key role in advancing the interests of his constituents, working tirelessly to improve infrastructure, healthcare, and education in the region.
As Speaker of the Assembly, Narwekar has been a strong advocate for good governance and transparency in government. He has initiated several reforms aimed at streamlining government processes and promoting accountability, and has been widely praised for his efforts to strengthen the democratic institutions of Maharashtra.
With his dedication, integrity, and vision for a better future, Rahul Narwekar is a respected leader and a valued representative for the people of Maharashtra.
Conrad Sangma is an Indian politician who is the 12th and current Chief Minister of the State of Meghalaya. He assumed presidency of the National People’s Party in 2016 after the death of his father and former Chief Minister , former Speaker of the Lok Sabha P. A. Sangma . He was also the Member of Parliament from Tura (2016-2018).
Conrad is a former leader of the opposition in the eighth Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, representing the NPP from Selsella constituency in the West Garo Hills. Previously in 2008, Sangma became the youngest Finance Minister of Meghalaya. He served the post as National President of Nationalist Youth Congress, after Jitendra Awhad who is current Housing Minister of Maharashtra State, Nationalist Congress Party is frontal organization of Nationalist Congress Party.
Nigel Huddleston is a British Member of Parliament and currently serves as the Minister of State for International Trade. He was first elected as the MP for Mid Worcestershire in the 2015 General Election and was re-elected in the 2017 and 2019 General Elections.
Before entering politics, Huddleston worked in the leisure and hospitality industry for over 20 years. He served as a member of the Board of Directors for the European Tour Operators Association and as the Chair of the Tourism Industry Council’s Tourism Data Hub.
Huddleston holds a Bachelor’s degree in History from Durham University and a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Imperial College Business School. He also completed the Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School.
During his time in Parliament, Huddleston has served as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage and as a member of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee. In 2018, he was appointed as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sport and Tourism, and in 2020, he was appointed as the Minister of State for Sport, Tourism and Heritage. In 2021, he was appointed as the Minister of State for International Trade.
As the Minister of State for International Trade, Huddleston is responsible for promoting and supporting UK trade and investment across the world. He works closely with businesses and industry to ensure that they have the support and tools they need to succeed in international markets. He also leads on key trade negotiations and initiatives, including the UK’s trade relationship with the European Union and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Shruti Kapila is an intellectual historian and political thinker, currently University Lecturer in History and Convenor, History and Politics Tripos in the Faculty of History, and Fellow at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University. Born, educated, and made in India, Kapila graduated from Panjab University Chandigarh with top honours, before reading for a Master’s in Modern History at JNU, and a doctorate from SOAS, London University. Her professional life has been international. Prior to Cambridge, she has held a research position at the University of Oxford and was Assistant Professor (in conjunction with a University Chair for Career Development) at Tufts University, Mass., USA.
Her principal fields of scholarship and publications are Modern and Contemporary India (c.1770 to the present) and Global Political Thought. She also writes on the History of Modern Science and Race, Gender and Political Violence. Predating recent calls to ‘decolonise’ the curriculum by more than a decade, her academic life has been defined by centring the importance of India for the remaking of global political languages.
Her recent work focuses on twentieth century political thought and theory, and the Indian rewriting of modern political languages, notably sovereignty, democracy, violence and republicanism. Highlighted as a ‘featured book’ of the year by its publisher Princeton University Press, her forthcoming book Violent Fraternity in the Indian Age (Autumn, 2021) has received advanced praise as a ‘ground-breaking’ book that is tipped to ‘globalise’ the field of political thought. There will also be a South Asia edition with Penguin Random House, New Delhi. For a full list of publications and podcasts, see below for the link to her faculty website at Cambridge University.
She also has a long standing interest in the history of the modern subject (or ‘self’) as understood through disciplines of the psyche and mind notably psychoanalysis and psychiatry and public debates on ethics and politics in colonial India from the late eighteenth to the late twentieth centuries.
She has two new ongoing research projects: a long-term project entitled The Passions and Pursuit of Indian Democracy focusing on the last 40 years of multi-party democracy. Focused the depth and fate of the ‘agonistic’ foundations of India’s democracy, the role of unparliamentary power, primarily the Supreme Court, and the political currencies of authority, populism and majoritarianism. She also has a smaller-scale project on the distinctive nature of Indian Conservatism in relation to mid to late twentieth century debates on global conservatism and ‘neoliberalism’.
Beyond scholarship and research, she has worked on international strategy for the Office of the Vice-Chancellor focussing on India and the Humanities, and has served the full-range of college, university, and faculty committees.
Beyond the walls of academia, she engages in political commentary and opinion on India and global politics for the international media including the Financial Times, Prospect Magazine, BBC (radio and television), Al Jazeera, Monocle Radio, Times Radio, and Bloomberg TV and across Indian newspapers, magazines and television. She now writes a fortnightly column for The Print, India. Since 2013, she has also co-convened a closed-door seminar at the House of Lords, UK Parliament that puts Indian leaders and key voices in dialogue with their British counterparts on pressing issues of the day. Occasionally, she advises and consults with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Indian institutions including most recently, the National Commission for Women the highest policy body for women in India.
Dr. Navdeep Sharma is a globally renowned Ayurvedic healer. He is the founder and current Managing Director of ND Care Nirogam Private Limited, Amritsar, Punjab, India. With his vast clinical experience of more than 20 years, he has treated thousands of patients suffering from chronic ailments such as HIV, Cancer, Infertility, Arthritis, Liver, and Kidney Diseases, etc.
Prior to joining Crossbridge Capital, Manish was with Société Generale Private Banking (SGPB) Hambros Bank Ltd, London as Investment Director from 2008–2011. In this role he managed over $400m in bespoke and advisory portfolios covering multi-asset classes, alternative investment and structured products.
He also chaired the asset allocation committee of SG Hambros VolCap fund, AUM over $200m. From 2007–2008 he was the Head of Structured Product Solutions team at SGPB Hambros and from 2005 to 2007, Manish was at Société Generale Corporate and Investment Banking (SGCIB) as Quantitative Equity Research Analyst in Global Equities and Derivative Solutions (GEDS) division.
During 2004–2005, Manish worked at UBS Investment Bank on the European Securitization desk in London and Interest rate derivative structuring desk in Hong Kong. During 2000 and 2003 he worked at Tech Mahindra in India and UK as Software Engineer.
Manish is a CFA Charter holder and received his BTech degree in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, India and his MSc degree in Finance and Management from the Cranfield School of Management, UK.
Latasha is Partnerships Director at what3words. She is a dynamic professional with +20 years of strategic partnerships and business development experience in international markets. Before her current role, she was VP in Commons and Strategic Partnerships for HotelPlanner.com and held similar leadership and growth-related roles in London, Spain, Hong Kong, and Dubai at various travel and media businesses. She has an Economics and Finance degree from the Birkbeck University of London and a Biochemistry degree from the University of Westminster.
Keith has had a wide ranging and successful career in companies varying from start-ups to multinationals. He founded and grew an automotive control systems company whose engine control systems are used on millions of vehicles around the world. Following the sale of the company to a major OEM he joined Rolls Royce Engines PLC where he worked as Chief Technology Officer in the electrical power and control systems group and later became the Chief Technology Officer at Meggitt PLC.
Keith is now the Non-Executive Chairman of Ilika plc and Libertine FPE and a Professor at Sheffield University’s Automated Control and Systems Engineering department. He also advises a number of companies on their technologies and strategy. Keith is a Fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers, a previous Rolls Royce Engineering Fellow and Royal Aeronautical Society Fellow. He is a Computer Science graduate from University College London.
Harjinder joined the Civil Service following a private-sector career of over 30 years within the global pharmaceutical industry, primarily with AstraZeneca PLC, where he held numerous senior roles.
As of mid-2019, Harjinder was delighted to be given the opportunity of joining the Department for International Trade to lead the Healthcare, Life Sciences and Bio-economy sectors. In October 2021, he became Chief Negotiator for the UK-India Free Trade Agreement. Harjinder is also the Vice-Chair of Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust and a member of the Council of the University of Birmingham.
Steve Waterworth is the head of international partnerships at Liverpool John Moores University, with the responsibility of the development and management of international partnerships for Transnational Education (collaborative provision), staff and student mobility.
An experienced higher education professional, Steve has over 20 years experience of working within the Higher Education Sector, initially leading on university-industry engagement projects. For the past 10 years, Steve’s role has been focused on the creation, development and management of university international partnerships between UK HEIs and both public and private institutions around the world. Steve has significant experience in partnership development in the Middle East, Africa, ASEAN, South Asia, and LATAM.
Steve is passionate about the university to university partnerships, that add value to university students, staff, and local national and international economies and industry.
Rosie Sweeney is the Head of Membership at the IoA -Institute of Analytics.Her role is to help develop the Institute and expand its presence in international markets, whilst ensuring that members have access to a range of benefits that support their career development and learning. Rosie has worked in the membership sector for over 10 years both in the UK and Belgium. Her experience includes working in professional bodies, trade associations, and charities across a variety of industries and professions, including statistics, family medicine, housing, and aviation.
Tiruchi Siva is a member of the Parliament of India representing Tamil Nadu in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament. He is from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party, and was elected in 1996, 2002, 2007, 2014 and 2020. He is a speaker and a writer.
Sheila is a multi-lingual presenter with vast experience in the presenting and hosting sector. Her experience covers a diverse range, from corporate to entertainment, and her strong educational background, including a Master’s degree in Linguistics, from University College London, has enabled her to present in an engaging, professional and educational way. Her fluency in five languages – English, French, German, Gujarati, Hindi – has made her an avid and adaptive communicator.
Sheila has presented at a number of live corporate event ceremonies across the UK including the Hilton Park Lane with co-host, BBC’s Tommy Sandhu, as well as The Sheraton & The Grosvenor House Hotel. Other events include The Digital City Awards at the world famous Etihad football stadium and the Ideas for India Awards at The House of Commons. In recent years, she has presented at Silverstone for Formula One, The United Nations, Philips and Reed Smith.
She has also presented for online TV channel DistroTV, which has over 250 million viewers a month. Producing and presenting two weekly shows covering entertainment and lifestyle in the British Asian market, Sheila’s fusion of eastern and western content also included several documentaries, such as a piece entitled: ‘The History of Asian cuisine in the UK.’ With an accreditation from the Gemological Institute of America, she has most recently been a regular guest jewellery presenter for renowned shopping channel QVC.
As a passionate educator and advocate of NLP, yoga and mindfulness, Sheila regularly presents to young children and teenagers, not only on educational content but also on motivational aspects including mental health and well-being. Holding a Masters in Reiki also means that her knowledge in the sector of wellness is vast. With a natural affinity for public speaking, over the past decade, she has worked with individuals to help them strengthen their communication skills, their confidence and overall vocal projection.
Sheila has a wide knowledge of music, having written and recorded several singles including ‘Smile’ which peaked at number 1 in the US Dance Billboard charts in May 2016. Having worked with a number of successful producers like Si Hulbert (One Direction, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber), Sheila has confidently gone on to interview music artists for DistroTV, also producing and presenting a short documentary in 2020 entitled ‘The Journey Of Brit Asian music.’ In 2018, Sheila wrote a song for the United Nations Refugee Crisis called ‘Home,’ which aired across a number of mainstream channels, helping to raise funds as well as awareness for the campaign. Also with a diploma in screen acting from the International School of Screen Acting, and having trained with The Presenter Studio, Sheila’s understanding of camera work is in-depth; she has combined her acting and presenting skills for campaigns in the UK as well as for international organisations such as Companies Talks, which focuses on business storytelling in the form of entertaining monologues.
Sheila’s versatility and her zest for life, coupled with her wide range of knowledge in a number of topics, means she can present confidently across diverse platforms.
Nikhil leads strategy, business growth, operations and customer care for GoDaddy in India as its Vice President & Managing Director. In his role at the world’s leading platform dedicated to small businesses, Nikhil is passionate about helping small businesses and entrepreneurs establish and grow their ventures.
Nikhil has over two decades of international and India experience in corporate strategy, marketing, business development, and finance. He brings extensive experience operating in emerging markets, along with deep insights on challenges confronting small and micro businesses as they look for growth and to build compelling businesses.
Prior to his current role at GoDaddy India, Nikhil was the Head of Operations for Asia and India General Manager for WeWork, a fast growing global start-up. Prior to joining WeWork, Nikhil was the Managing Director at Intuit India, where he was responsible for implementing Intuit’s India business strategy, strengthening partnerships and capitalizing on social, mobile and global market trends. Previous roles included Vice President and Country Head of Operations at Laureate Education, as well as roles in executive management roles at ADP and in managing M&As and joint ventures at Delphi Automotive.
Nikhil holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona, as well as a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Accounting and Finance from Hofstra University, New York. Having spent time in Russia and Central Asia managing public education projects, Nikhil also holds a Diploma in Russian language.
Nikhil is based out of New Delhi, and his other interests include running marathons, triathlons, obstacle and adventure sports, traveling and exploring new destinations.
Mr. Sam Pitroda is an internationally respected telecom inventor, entrepreneur, development thinker, and policy maker who has spent 50 years in information and communications technology (ICT) and related global and national developments.
Credited with having laid the foundation for India’s telecommunications and technology revolution of the 1980s, Mr. Pitroda has been a leading campaigner to help bridge the global digital divide. During his tenure as Advisor to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Mr. Pitroda led six technology missions related to telecommunications, water, literacy, immunization, dairy production, and oil seeds. He was also the founder and first Chairman of India’s Telecom Commission. In these plural roles, Mr. Pitroda helped revolutionize India’s development philosophies and policies with a focus on access to technology as the key to social change.
As a way to induce the second phase of India’s technology revolution, in 2005 Mr. Pitroda headed India’s National Knowledge Commission (2005-2009), to provide a blueprint of reform for the knowledge-related institutions and infrastructure for the 21st century in the country.
Recently, Mr. Pitroda served as Advisor to the Prime Minister of India on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovation, with the rank of a Cabinet Minister. He served as the Chairman of the Smart Grid Task Force, as well as the committees to reform public broadcasting, modernize railways, deliver e-governance, and other developmental activities.
Mr. Pitroda is a Founding Chairman of five non-profit organizations including the India Food Bank, the Global Knowledge Initiative and the Institute of Transdisciplinary Health. He is also a founding Commissioner of the United Nations Broadband Commission for Digital Development and Chairman of the International Telecommunication Union’s m-Powering Development Board that looks to empower developing countries with the use of mobile technology.
In addition, Mr. Pitroda is a serial entrepreneur having started several companies in the United States. He holds around 20 honorary PhD’s, close to 100 worldwide patents, and has published five books and numerous papers and lectured widely all over the world. He lives in Chicago with his wife.
He has over 25 years of experience in International Higher Education and EdTech.
Entrepreneurial and flexible, he is equally at ease in strategic and hands-on roles. A deep appreciation of education technology, hands-on experience of teaching and academic quality management and strategic understanding of global higher education, give him a unique skill-set for building a new generation of education offerings for the new, technology-savvy, global middle class.
He has a track record of excellence in conceptualisation and execution of transformational projects. He can bring into play my out-of-the-box perspective and appreciation of global and technological opportunities. Overall, he is a hands-on learning professional who can combine attention to detail with big-picture thinking.
He has previously worked with Apple to build a chain of neighbourhood learning centres, led the expansion of Microsoft Certification in Asia (through NIIT, a leading IT Education company) and shaped strategic talent development programmes with IBM, GE, Oracle, ACCA and Grant Thornton in locations across Europe, Asia and Africa. In his most recent role, he led the development of a Blended Learning Professional Certification programme for UK’s leading Engineering companies, including BP, Shell, INEOS, SSE etc.
He has extensive experience in various global markets, particularly South and South-East Asia, China, Middle East, Eastern Europe and South and East Africa. He maintains a thriving network of business contacts and conversations across the world.
His career objective is to build human-centric, relevant yet scalable global Education solutions to address the global talent shortage, particularly in the context of rapid technological change and challenges of globalization.
Sambhrant has committed his life journey to education transformation of the country through a combination of large scale non-profit and for-profit education programmes and policy evangelisation.
His focus areas include the Zero Investment Innovations in Education Initiative (ZIIEI) motivates teachers to come up with micro-innovations to solve the local educational problems, which require zero Investment. This scheme has been implemented across 2m teachers across 31 states and union territories in India. HDFC Bank has provided £10m of funds for this initiative over the last five years. The Edupreneur Village is an edtech incubator now in its second year of existence, and Auro Scholar provides ‘motivation to learn’ by awarding monthly micro-scholarships (conditional cash transfers) of up to £10 to secondary students on achieving benchmark performance in a 10 minute curriculum-aligned quiz on a smartphone.
He is an investor in Scholr, an AI-driven doubt resolution app for school students in remote India, co-founded the Education Innovation Fund of India and a social innovation fund with SRISTI (Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions). He was actively involved in the production of India’s New Education Policy in 2019 and is a Nominated Member for the government panel the National Council for Teacher Education.
He has studied at Harvard University, as well as Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies and IIT Delhi.
Manoj Kumar Jha is an Indian politician who is a member of Rajya Sabha in Indian Parliament and a member of Rashtriya Janta Dal. He currently serves as the national spokesperson of the Rashtriya Janata Dal. On 15 March 2018, he was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from the state of Bihar. Jha completed his master’s degree from Department of Social Work from Delhi University in 1992 and PhD in 2000. He has been a Professor at The Department of Social Work University Of Delhi, and its head between 2014 and 2017.
Amitabh Behar, Chief Executive Officer of Oxfam India, is a global civil society leader, and an authority on tackling economic and gender inequality and building citizen participation.
Mr. Behar currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the Board of CIVICUS, a global alliance of civil society organisations and activists dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society across the globe. He also serves on the boards of several other organisations, including the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability, an Indian public policy think tank.
Prior to Oxfam, Mr. Behar was the Executive Director of National Foundation for India and served as the Convener of National Social Watch Coalition and the Co-Chair of Global Call to Action Against Poverty, a network of over 11,000 civil society organisations.
AssetCool aims to improve the efficiency of power networks, and reduce power losses by up to 30%, with a photonic coating for power lines that helps them to manage temperature more effectively.
As electricity lines operate, their heat increases because of incoming solar radiation and the current running through them. This increased heat makes power lines less efficient. AssetCool’s solution is an easy-to-use durable coating for overhead power lines that improves their ability to reflect solar radiation while also allowing infrared heat to escape more easily. This creates extra network capacity by improving conductive efficiency resulting in up to 40% more power down the line and reduced carbon emissions.
Niall Coogan, SME Leader and CEO, is responsible for overseeing developments with the technology, while also focusing on industrial scale up, IP portfolio development and gaining commercial traction in key markets. He aims to use support from the SME Leaders Programme to develop leadership skills that will help with setting a clear strategic vision for a global business.
Training and support in effective management and communication skills will also help Niall to grow his team while directing technological and operational developments as AssetCool scales up to meet service market demand.
Sam Cockerill is the CEO and Founder of the Libertine FPE. He was previously independent management & technical consultant to the renewable energy industry & public sector. Sam was a member of the senior management team of Ensus, which he helped to develop from a project financed startup business in 2007 into one of Europe’s major bioethanol producers and successfully sold toCropEnergies in 2013. Sam has over 20 years of experience in automotive engineering, consumer product development, and strategy consulting. He is a chartered mechanical engineer and has an MBA from INSEAD with 25 years of experience in technology development, general management, and strategy consulting role. He is also a Non-executive Director of Providence Holdings, one of the UK’s major agricultural supply chain management companies.
James Quinn is CEO of Faradion, the world leader in non-aqueous sodium-ion cell technology company, based in Sheffield, in the British heart of innovative manufacturing. He is an international technology executive and entrepreneur, with a background in both publicly traded and private companies. He has significant experience with fund raising and mergers and acquisitions.
Tom M. Joseph is a self-driven edupreneur and has been an active profile in the Education and Training industry in India and abroad for a decade.
He is one among the founding member at ISDC (International Skill Development Corporation); UK based Education and Skilling company having global operations. ISDC is working with large number of UK Professional Bodies and Universities across the globe. Tom sits at the board of many ISDC Companies in the UK and in India.
He has been handling the Strategy for ISDC since its inception. His responsibilities include the design and development of new education products, sustainable education processes, market & brand strategies for the company. He has proven his skills for designing innovative education and skill development models, physical & digital education infrastructure creation, sustainable M&A Practices in the Education sector.
Tom also represents ISDC at the Institute of Analytics (IoA) which is the global professional body for Data Science & Analytics and at the AI Society International, a society for advancement in Artificial Intelligence and Education.
Tom works as a part of Senior Leadership Team of JAIN University in India as the Director of New Initiatives ; his role is to ensure the right strategies for the group to keep the brand being timely relevant. He also sits at the Advisory and Governing Councils of many Universities & Professional Bodies.
Tom works closely with the Board of Directors and Senior Leadership Team at ISDC to ensure the right strategies for ISDC to keep the brand being timely relevant. He has educated from the United Kingdom – Master’s Degree in International Business & Strategy and holds many professional body memberships such as Institute of Leadership, Chartered Management Institute, Etc.
Tom travels quite frequently to many International Markets and work closely with the various International Organizations and Local Governments.
Under his Strategic Leadership; ISDC has expanded to many international markets, introduced dynamic products, acquired many education models and also created high value JVs & Partnerships with various organizations.
Shetty has been a global leader in the fight for human rights for decades. Since 2018, he has been a Senior Fellow at Harvard University’s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, leading a seven-country study on resistance to elected authoritarian leaders. He is also affiliated with Harvard’s Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute. Shetty is studying youth movements in India, the role progressive values play in helping them counter polarization, and India’s soft power on the world stage more broadly.
Previously, he served as secretary general of Amnesty International (2010–2018), the world’s largest human rights organization with more than 10 million members worldwide. In that role, he helped Amnesty broaden its footprint and convert the organization into a truly global campaigning force for rights and justice. He served as director of the UN’s Millennium Campaign from 2003–2010, helping to develop political momentum toward the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals, and was chief executive of ActionAid International after leading ActionAid Kenya and ActionAid India.
Teresa Jacobs is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors, Educational Business Developer, and Director of Quality Assurance with significant experience in Assessment Development and Quality and Process Management in both professional. Teresa managed Pearson Edexcel ELT testing provision before moving on to the construction of assessments for statutory license to practice initiatives. Teresa then proudly worked for Chartered Institute of Management (CIMA) as Head of QA, while also taking lead responsibility and driving companywide external QA recognition for CIMA, using the EFQM model. She then moved across to the delivery side of Higher Education (HE) and discovered an additional passion – the Contribution QA can bring to an acquisitive private sector HE provider. Teresa was the driving force behind a successful entry for the Queen’s Award for Enterprise. She then moved to the Institute of Directors (IoD), UK where she transformed the assessments and their delivery methodology. The IoD became the first professional body to fully adopt remote invigilation. Not only adept at providing a strategic overview and developing and implementing policies and processes but also skilled at business development and project management to enter new educational markets with HE partners. An innovative and proactive approach to problem-solving accompanied by a passion for excellence and ability drive efficiency, quality, and profit. Currently, Teresa serves the position of Executive Director – Learning at ISDC and also, and she works to create and accredit the innovative U.K. awarded programmes to be delivered in India and beyond.
Dr. Clare Walsh is the Head of Education at the IoA – Institute of Analytics, a role that combines her two passions in work.
Before moving to IoA, Clare worked as a teacher and authored over 20 successful textbooks, including several global market leaders. She is also an expert in assessment and has advised high-stakes testing organizations & governments on assessment design.
After becoming interested in the emerging field of Learning Analytics and AI-scored testing, she retrained in the field of computer science. She completed an MSc in Web Science, and then a PhD in Web Science, looking at scoring complex skills through telemetry gameplay data, with the University of Southampton. In her studies, she was co-supervised and assessed by both the Departments of Electronics & Computer Science and Education, reflecting the complex interdisciplinary nature of modern Data Analytics. In her role, she intends to work to help others to become fully Data literate.
He is the Chief Executive Officer for over 15 years with a demonstrated history of working in the education management industry. Founder of ATMC Education Group, which is head quartered in Melbourne Australia, offers University, Vocational, Higher Education and Professional programs in more than 4 countries with over 800 staff and 7000 students. Skilled in E-Learning, Business and Strategic Planning, Business Development and Lecturing. Strong business development professional with a Executive Education from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and London Business School. Core background in an Information Technology area with a PhD degree in Computer Science from RMIT University in Melbourne. Apart from leading ATMC Education Group in various teaching disciplines with a strong quality and governance framework, He also have developed Research capability in the organisation to provide private/public partnership, localised businesses and community research, technology based qualifications and academic development programs including scholarly activities.
Anurag Behar is the CEO for Azim Premji Foundation, Chief Sustainability Officer of Wipro Limited & Vice Chancellor, Azim Premji University. Previously, he was the CEO of Wipro Infrastructure Engineering. He is a member of the Committee that has developed India’s National Education Policy (2019).
He has been a Board member of Wipro GE Healthcare Ltd, The University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and of the TERI University, served on many government & sector councils such as MHRD’s EQUIP, the National Mission on Teachers and Teacher Education, the Government of India implementation committee for the Justice Verma Commission, Karnataka Knowledge Commission, and the CII’s National Climate Change Council.
Consultant to Leadership Team of Fragility, Conflict, Violence (FCV) Group (Washington, DC and Nairobi, Kenya), and Consultant to Iraq Country Team for development of the Country Partnership Framework (2018-23)
Salman Anees Soz is a development practitioner, author, and commentator. He is a former World Bank staff member with experience across a range of economic development issues in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia. Beyond regional and country-level strategic issues, Salman’s World Bank experience includes working on issues related to climate change, disaster risk management, urban development, monitoring and evaluation and partnerships. He is a recipient of the World Bank President’s Award for Excellence as well as several other awards of recognition. Salman Soz holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Yale University (New Haven) and a Master’s degree in Economics Northeastern University (Boston). He received a BA (Hons.) in Economics from St. Stephen’s College (Delhi), where he was the elected President of the Students’ Union Society.
Sitaram Yechury is an Indian politician and a leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He was elected as its General Secretary on 19 April 2015. He is a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and was the party’s Parliamentary group leader.
Tejashwi Prasad Yadav (born 9 November 1989) is an Indian politician, who serves as the leader of opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, notably the youngest leader of opposition in the country. He also leads the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the single largest political party in the state of Bihar, India. As a professional cricketer, he was in the Delhi Daredevils and the Jharkhand cricket team. In 2015, he was elected as the representative of the Raghopur constituency and served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar between 2015 and 2017. He is also noted to have been the youngest Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar. Yadav was featured in the Indian Express’ 100 Most Powerful Indians in 2020 and 2021.
Ritu Kapur is an Indian media entrepreneur. She is the CEO of Quintillion Media, which jointly owns BloombergQuint with Bloomberg L.P. She is the co-founder of The Quint, a web-based digital news site, and was one of the founding members of Network18 in 1992.
Ritu Kapur is a board member at Reuters Institute Of Journalism, Oxford University. She is also an advisory board member at the British Council for their Future News Worldwide partnership program and a board member of the World Editor’s Forum. In 2018, she was ranked the 49th most powerful woman on the Fortune’s list of Most Powerful Women in India.
Priyank Kharge is an Indian politician representing the Indian National Congress.He is currently serving as a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Chittapur Assembly Constituency in Kalaburagi District of Karnataka for the second time. In 2016, at the age 38, he became the youngest minister to be sworn in to the then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s cabinet as the Minister of IT, BT & Tourism. He has also served as a Cabinet Minister of Social Welfare in the coalition Government headed by H D Kumaraswamy.
Mahua Moitra (born 12 October 1974) is an Indian politician and a Member of parliament in the 17th Lok Sabha from Krishnanagar, West Bengal. She contested and won the seat in the 2019 Indian general election as an All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) party candidate. Moitra served as a member of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly representing Karimpur from 2016 to 2019 and has served as the general secretary and national spokesperson of the AITC for the past few years. She was an investment banker before entering politics.
Lyric is an entrepreneur and engineer who founded Logically in 2017, after observing the breakdown in public discourse during the 2016 US presidential election, and the Brexit referendum in the UK. He first began identifying opportunities for early interventions during his time at MIT, and is motivated by the impact Logically can deliver through human-machine collaborations to mitigate risks posed by information disorder. Logically now works with governments, businesses and platforms around the world to uncover and address harmful misinformation and deliberate disinformation.
Lyric was named Enterprise CXO Leader of the Year in the CogX Awards 2021, as well as being named by Ozy as one of the 100 people who defined 2020, and being announced as an honouree in the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list in the Social Entrepreneurs category. In 2021, Logically was named one of the world’s most innovative artificial intelligence companies by Fast Company and awarded the Rising Star in Tech award at the CogX Awards.
Dr Ashwath Narayan (born 2 February 1968) is an Indian politician who is the current Minister of Information Technology – Biotechnology, Higher Education, Science and Technology of Karnataka from 20 August 2019. He is additionally Minister of Skill development and Entrepreneurship & Livelihood of Karnataka from 10 February 2020. He served as the 8th Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka from 20 August 2019 to 26 July 2021. He is a Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from the Malleshwaram constituency.
Rajesh Agrawal is the Deputy Mayor of London for Business. Born in India, Rajesh moved to London in 2001. As an entrepreneur he founded RationalFX in 2005, and Xendpay in 2014, both companies utilising technology to reduce the cost of international money transfer for businesses and individuals.
Rajesh is passionate about promoting entrepreneurship and creating opportunities for young people. He was appointed Chair of Oxfam’s Enterprise Development Programme in 2015 and has been a Patron of the Prince’s Trust for many years.
As Deputy Mayor Rajesh aims to be a strong voice for London’s business community, protecting jobs and growth, and ensuring that the capital remains the most open and attractive place to do business in the world.
Through his life, Rahul Gandhi has always been the strongest proponent of politics of purpose. Over the years, he has lent his voice to a number of issues but has always remained focused on propagating non-violence, equality and justice. He has imbibed these virtues through a lifelong tryst with Indian politics and history and has developed a keen understanding of the Indian social fabric. Having experienced the pain of losing both his father and grandmother to acts of violence and hatred, Rahul Gandhi has always been a champion of Gandhian philosophies of ahimsa and truth.
Born on 19 June 1970, Rahul Gandhi spent his early childhood between Delhi, the political center of India, and Dehradun, a town nestled in the valley between the Himalayas and Shivaliks. He began his undergraduate career at Delhi’s St. Stephen’s College before moving to Harvard University in the USA. In his second year, Rahul transferred to Rollins College in Florida due to security threats following his father’s, the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s, assassination. Rahul Gandhi graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in 1994. The year after, he obtained his M. Phil from Trinity College, Cambridge.
Rahul began his professional career with the Monitor Group, a management consulting firm based out of London – he was adamant on creating a professional career before joining politics. He soon returned to India and set up his own technology consultancy in Mumbai, where he led his team as the Director. The influence of his work in the management and technology sector is apparent in his political leanings. Rahul has always been a strong proponent of harnessing the scale and dexterity that technology can lend while amplifying the power of India’s greatest asset — her citizens.
The call to serve our nation and to be an instrumental part of her growth came to Rahul Gandhi in 2004. He chose to stand from his father’s constituency and continue the legacy of serving the people of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.
Rahul won his first election with an overwhelming margin of 2,90,853 votes — a testament to the faith placed by the people of his constituency in him. From the beginning, it was apparent that Rahul believed that our nation’s future lies with her people. Through the ebbs and flows of a decade-long political career, Rahul has held true to the very principles that won him the hearts of the people in his very first election.
In 2013, Rahul Gandhi was elected as the Vice-President of the Congress Party. Within the Congress party, Rahul Gandhi played the key role of channeling the party along the lines of Congress’ core principles. He tirelessly worked to democratise the student wing and youth wing of the Congress party and ensured a breath of fresh air entered the grand old party by encouraging young leaders to take up leadership positions. His pivotal role in shaping the party along Congress’ core values over his political career earned him the post of President of the Congress Party in 2017. Under Rahul Gandhi’s guidance, the Congress Party has once again emerged as the voice of the nation.
While he was President of the Opposition party, Rahul Gandhi played a key role in raising the demands of various stakeholders of the country. He championed the rights of the poor & the marginalised. He led the battle against the ruling government on poorly implemented policies such as Demonetisation, Aadhar, GST and more.
The vision of Rahul Gandhi and his strategy to fight the democratic battle with love and unity is what makes the Congress Party the true representative of a united India. Going forward, he aims to put these principles into action by creating systems that provide India’s citizens with the tools and opportunities they need to reach their full potential.
In his current role as a Member of Parliament in the 17th Lok Sabha, he represents the constituency of Wayanad in Kerala. After leaving his position as President of the Congress party, he has put all his focus & energy in representing the people of Wayanad & taking on the government on a number of issues, like the undemocratic abrogation of Article 370 & the violation of human rights by the government in Kashmir. He remains steadfast in his quest for truth, peace & harmony for the people of India.
Professor Mike Kagioglou is Dean of Engineering at Western Sydney University in Australia, Provost of the Penrith Campus and Institutional strategy lead for the engagement of the University with Europe and the UK. Mike was, until recently, Dean of Art, Design and Architecture at the University of Huddersfield and prior to that at the University of Salford where he was the Head of the School of Built Environment. Mike’s career spans Engineering, Manufacturing, Creativity, Design, Architecture and the Built Environment, engaged in inter and multi-disciplinary research at a global level.
Professor Duncan Bentley is the Vice-Chancellor and President of the Federation University Australia. He is leading Victoria’s premier regional university to transform lives and enhance communities through deep community engagement and sustainable economic growth. He is working with industry and government to bring digital transformation and global connections to develop employment, skills, and innovation in regional communities.
Professor Bentley completed a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Cape Town. He went on to complete a Master of Laws from the University of London, Master of Laws (Corporate and Commercial) and Ph.D from Bond University.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (born 3 April 1968), is a British-Pakistani businessman and a Conservative life peer. He was appointed Minister of State for the Commonwealth and United Nations, and later for South Asia; then Central Asia, and then for North Africa, at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 13 June 2017.
In 1991, he entered NatWest’s Graduate Management programme, eventually working as Head of Marketing, Sponsorship and Branding and in 2000 went to work for AllianceBernstein. In 2004, he joined Sucden Financial, where he served on the Executive Committee and as Director of Marketing, Strategy and Research. He is an Associate of the Institute of Financial Services and a member of the Institute of Directors.
From 1999 to 2008 he served as vice-president of AMYA, a British Muslim youth organisation. From 2001 to 2006, he served as a governor of Wimbledon Park Primary school. He joined the Conservative Party in 1994.[9] In 2002, he was elected a Councillor in Wimbledon.[9] He contested Croydon North for the Conservatives in 2005. From 2008 to 2010, he served as Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Party.
He is a part of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, and was a national vice-president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association’s youth organisation from 2003.
Manish Tewari is a Member of Parliament in Lok Sabha from Anandpur Sahib. He belongs to the Indian National Congress Party.
He is an Advocate by profession and practices in the Supreme Court of India and the High Courts of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana. He was the Minister of Information and Broadcasting from 2012 to 2014 and a Member of Parliament from Ludhiana from 2009 to 2014.
Subramanian Swamy is a present Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha, Economist and Statistician. He was a member of the Planning Commission of India and a Cabinet Minister in the Chandra Shekhar government.
He serves as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the SCMS Group of Educational Institutions, Kerala. He has written on foreign affairs of India dealing largely with People’s Republic of China (PRC), Pakistan and Israel. He was a professor of Economics at Harvard and IIT Delhi.
Preeti Dawra is a Texas India Forum spokesperson and was the lead for Communications for PM Modi’s historic Howdy Modi event in Houston, Texas, in 2019. She has close to 20 years of expertise in strategic marketing, corporate communications & branding, public relations and journalism in leading public and private sector institutions encompassing Singapore, USA Hong Kong and India. Preeti Dawra is also the Managing Director-Asia for Tina Brown Live Media/Women in the World.
Ms Dawra currently serves as the Senior Strategic Advisor to New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service, and National University of Singapore’s Institute of South Asian Studies. She is a board member of Princeton in Asia (Singapore), and serves as an advisory member of the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center’s “Artist Residencies” from India.
She also writes a weekly column titled the “Singapore Conversation” with leading opinion makers for Mint, one of India’s largest business dailies.
Amar Patnaik is a present Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha from Odisha. He belongs to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and is the General Secretary of BJD Parliamentary Party office at Delhi.
He is a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Austin, Texas, USA. He has certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA) from the Institute of Internal Auditors, Altamonte Springs, Florida, USA.
Zac Goldsmith was appointed Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and at the Department for International Development on 10 September 2019.
He was previously Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and at the Department for International Development on 27 July 2019 and 10 September 2019.
Born in London, the son of billionaire businessman and financier Sir James Goldsmith of the Goldsmith family, he was educated at Eton College and the Cambridge Centre for Sixth-form Studies.
Dominykas Broga is the Programme Manager for International Trade at techUK and works with stakeholders across the UK Government and with partners around the globe to represent the UK’s tech-sector in trade-related matters, help technology companies access export opportunities and shape the government’s agenda on trade in non-EU countries.
Previously, he worked as a consultant at a market entry and trade facilitation consulting firm in South East Asia that helps European and American companies enter into the ASEAN markets.
Anand Anandalingam is the Ralph J. Tyser Professor of Management Science at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. He was the Dean of Imperial College Business School, London and Robert H. Smith School of Business. He is currently developing an online educational start-up to work in depressed areas around the world.
Urvashi Prasad is a Public Policy Specialist at the Office of Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, Government of India. She is the Founder of Every Voice, a platform that highlights the perspectives, needs, challenges and aspirations of people living in poverty. She is on the Board of Directors of Operation ASHA, one of India’s largest tuberculosis treatment NGOs.
She is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community. She managed the health, water and sanitation portfolio of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation in India for five years.
Rishi Sunak was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 24 July 2019. He was previously Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government from 9 January 2018 to 24 July 2019.
Rishi went to Winchester College and studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University. He was also a Fulbright Scholar at Stanford University where he studied for his MBA.
He was elected Conservative MP for Richmond (Yorks) in May 2015 and served as a Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy from June 2017 until his ministerial appointment.
Rishi spent his professional career before politics in business and finance, working internationally. He co-founded an investment firm working with companies in multiple geographies. He then used that experience to help small and entrepreneurial British companies grow.
Dinesh Dhamija is a former Member of the European Parliament for the Liberal Democrats, London region. He was on the Internal Markets and Consumer Protection Committee and the Budgets Committee. He was the Chair of the Indian Delegation to the EU and is the founder of the online travel agency, Ebookers.
Spriha Srivastava is the Executive Editor at Business Insider. She was the Deputy Digital News Editor for CNBC International. She worked at the Financial Times covering personal finance and at Thomson Reuters. She was one of the moderators for Global Markets Forum for market professionals.
Nakul Saxena is the Director of Public Policy at Indian Software Products Industry Round Table ( iSPIRT), a leading think tank for the Indian software products industry. He actively works with the Central Government and the State Governments of Rajasthan, Karnataka, West Bengal and Kerala with regards to Startup Policies and Implementation of policies for Software Product Companies and Startups.
Prof M V Rajeev Gowda is an Indian politician and academician. He is a member of parliament in the Rajya Sabha and a national spokesperson for the Indian National Congress. He serves as Chairman of the “Congress Research Department” and is the Advisor for Bridge India.
He was Professor of Economics and Social Sciences and the Chairperson of the Centre for Public Policy at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. He served as the Director of the Central Board, Reserve Bank of India.
T. V. Mohandas Pai is Padma Shri Awardee and current Chairman of Manipal Global Education (Manipal University). He was a former director of Infosys, and Head – Administration, Education and Research, Financial, Human Resources of Infosys Leadership Institute.
Lord Karan Bilimoria is a British Indian entrepreneur, life peer in the UK House of Lords, and a university chancellor.
He is well known for founding the popular global beer brand, Cobra Beer and currently operates as the company’s chairman. In addition to his business activity, He is a politically active crossbench member of the House of Lords, and also currently serves as Chancellor of the University of Birmingham.
Before Ashok Leyland, Hari spent 20 years at GE Global Research, and studied at the Indian Institute of Science. He is an accomplished manager with 20 years industrial R&D experience in people, technical, and functional leadership. He has successfully led and managed teams in the areas of electrochemistry, corrosion, and tribology developing materials and solutions for performance, degradation, and durability for different applications.
He has deep domain expertise in energy storage batteries and solid oxide fuel cells, is key member of the team that enabled launch of GE’s first commercial battery product (Durathon™) and the GE Energy Storage business, and has 20 international patents, 7 international journal publications, and 15 internal reports.
He is Co-Founder and CFO of this six-year old Altigreen Propulsion Labs (APL), which is developing technology for high-efficiency hybrid/electric mobility solutions with a split team based in US and India.
Previously, he was CFO at BCH Electric and previously Chief of Internal Audit at Siemens Public Communications. He did his MBA at IIM-Ahmedabad.
Sajid Mubashir has been a scientist at the Ministry of Science and Technology for 26 years. He implemented the following significant technology programs:
(a) Home Grown Technology Program (1997-2005): 56 Pilot Production Plants by Industry, 20 Pilot Plants at National Labs. Returnable funds. Direct recovery of 75% funds by TIFAC. The revenue to the exchequer included tax of >3 times the program outlay.
(b) Collaborative Automotive R&D -CAR (2003-2010): 200 member Academia-Industry collaboration network; Technology Roadmap; 10 Consortium Projects, a new model of engagement in India.
(c) Currently engaged in developing a Technology Platform for Electric Mobility.
He is currently on the National Automotive Board (NAB), an autonomous society under the Department of Heavy Industry, Government of India. The NAB is in fact a “program manager” for the Departments initiatives in Electric Mobility, Intelligent Transportation System, Automotive Regulatory Certification, Collaborative R&D. NAB will function as a repository of automotive domain expertise, and suggest policy, regulations etc., and develop Technology Platforms relevant to the Automotive Sector.
Chandana works in the Power Utility and Electricity Mobility vertical of AEEE as a Senior Research Associate. Her research area is Distributed Energy Resources, focusing on Electric Vehicles, Energy Storage, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency. She has over 6.5 years of work experience and is competent in Power System Studies, Data Science and Energy Modelling.
Chandana started her career in the Petrochemical Industry at Reliance Industries Limited. Prior to joining AEEE. she was engaged as a Consultant for the Technical Assistance program for Solar Rooftop Deployment. Chandana holds Masters in Renewable Energy Engineering and Management from TERI School of Advanced Studies, New Delhi and Bachelors in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Government Engineering College, Thrissur.
She is an active member of IEEE Power and Energy Society, Transportation Electrification, Block Chain and Smart Grid Community.
Huzefa Tavawalla is Head of Disruptive Technologies Practice Group & the Bangalore Office at Nishith Desai Associates. He is a core TMT lawyer and a technology enthusiast with an in-depth expertise in Technology – M&A. He has been representing numerous internet / digital / hi-tech multinationals in their global business expansions and M&A’s. He has also assisted similar companies on their India entry strategies. He has authored / co-authored several publications on UAV, Fintech, Regulatory Sanbox, investments in hi-tech, AI, driver-less cars, AR/VR, IoT, wearables etc.
Jitendra Nalwaya is having professional experience of more than 25 years in various organisations across India, mainly in Power Sector. He is an Electrical & Electronics Engineer from Manipal with an added qualification of General Management from Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow. Presently, Jitendra is handling Sustainability and Clean Technology vertical in a Power Distribution Utility.
Jitendra has also gained major experience in handling Power Distribution operations/ Transformation in Government/ Private Licensee/ Franchisee operations. He is having professional experience in the field of Commercial, O&M and Project Management in Oil & Gas, Power, Infrastructure sector and handling P&L of a large organisation having multi city operations. He has also handled organisation strategic issues/ planning of change management including organisation transformation.
Gaurav Gupta is an officer of Indian Administrative Service of the 1990 batch. He works in the Karnataka Government as Principal Secretary, Commerce & Industries, with concurrent charge of Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology.
He has an experience of over 25 years in fields of Commerce & Industries, Infrastructure, Power, Urban Development & Transportation.He has served as Commissioner for Industrial Development promoting industries and investments in Karnataka. He has been the key driver for the ‘Invest Karnataka 2016’, the flagship mega-investment summit. In the past, he has worked to create critical infrastructure – transport, water and electricity – for the State and also for the City of Bengaluru. He has served as Chairman of Bangalore Water Board, Special Commissioner in BBMP and Managing Director in KSRTC.
Prof NK Goyal is the President of CMAI; Chairman Emeritus, Telecom Equipment Manufacturers Association of India; Vice Chairman of International Telecom Union APT India; Member of Governing Board, Telecom Equipment & Services Export Promotion Council (Govt. of India) and Director of National Fertilizers Ltd.
He is actively engaged in ICT, Mobile, Telecom, Education, Alternate Energy, Multimedia, Infrastructure & Education Sectors.
Sohinder Singh Gill is the CEO of Hero Electric and Director General of the Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles, India since 2008.
Previosuly, he has been associated with : GPL group of Industries NSEZ in Noida as Group CEO, JK Industries Group in Delhi as VP Strategic Management, Hero Honda in Delhi, as AGM of Projects , Kinetic Honda in Pune as Sr.Manager of Projects and Escorts Motorcycles in Haryana.
Deepangshu Dev Sarmah is a professional with over 18 years of experience in journalism, including 15+ years of in-depth coverage of the Indian automotive sector. He is presently associated with Auto Tech Review as its Founder Editor-in-Chief, driving editorial excellence with quality content for print, web and events (conferences & seminars).
As the head of the Professional Publishing (B2B) division at Springer Nature India, he is currently spearheading a project within the company to build a comprehensive driver training programme in sync with the Central Government’s mission of bringing down traffic- related deaths by half.
Neeraj Kumar Singal is a serial entrepreneur dedicated to building a sustainable business. He founded Semco Group, 20 years ago and scaled up the operations in Defence, Railways, Automotive & Energy sector with his swift learning & quick understanding, he has done major Joint Ventures and established vast supply chains. His passion towards a sustainable future motivated him to start his ventures which delve into the areas of new emerging technologies and business opportunities like Electric Vehicles, EV charging infrastructure, Lithium-ion batteries, energy storage systems etc.
Apart from managing his entrepreneurial roles, the best of his time is focused on the integration of evolving technology with industrial commerce. He is a member of the following organizations & is well represented in various leadership roles:
• YPO (Young President Organisation) • HBS Club of India • FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) • CII (Confederation of Indian Industries) • TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) • ASSOCHAM (The Associated Chambers of Commerce of India) • PHDCCI ( PHD Chamber of commerce and Industry) • AIMA (All India Management Association) • IESA (India Energy storage Alliance)
Anil Srivastava is Principal Advisor to NITI Aayog and Director-General, DMEO and Advisor, Infrastructure Connectivity to NITI.
He was previously Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation. He has a background in Electric Vehicles, Transformational Mobility, Civil Aviation, Airline Operations, Public Policy, Corporate Governance, Finance – Treasury Computerization. His specialties are: Airlines Operations, Mobility, Airport Management, Monitoring & Evaluation of Government Schemes, International Negotiations .
Chris is the former group operations director of AEA Technology PLC, responsible for lithium-ion battery licensing, and CEO of IP2IPO Ltd (now IP Group). He is a highly experienced entrepreneur and former executive chairman at Covesion Ltd and Molecular Vision Ltd.
Arun Cherian is a seasoned professional with over 14 years of experience. He is passionate about electric vehicles and renewable energy and plays an active role in enabling youth leadership and stakeholder management for nation building projects. Currently, at SUN Mobility, Arun holds P&L responsibility for the eBus Business Division and expansion of this business vertical in domestic and international markets. Previously, he headed the team that crafted the strategy across multiple vehicle segments and mobility applications. He also led the team that is conceptualised the deployment strategy for SUN Mobility’s Quick Interchange Station™ network for cities. Prior to SUN Mobility, Arun was heading the strategic partnerships and smart cities division at Green India Building Systems and Services (GIBSS), a cleantech start-up in the geothermal space, where he led the efforts on fund raising, external stakeholder management and strategic business development. He has also held key positions in organizations such as Infosys, SAP, and Lodha Group.
Arun is an Electronics Engineering graduate from BITS Pilani and holds an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the India School of Business & Tel Aviv University. He is also a recipient of the ‘Young Fellow of Science’ fellowship from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and Executive Committee member of Confederation of Indian Industries’ (CII) ‘Young Indian’s’ (Yi) organization. At Yi, he is actively involved in projects on youth leadership and mentoring budding entrepreneurs launch innovative start-ups in the social impact space.
He enjoys attending key industry conferences and sharing strong points of view on the roadmap to India’s transition to becoming a global leader in electric mobility. Apart from work, you can find him reading, cycling or training for half-marathons.
Pranav Singanapalli founded eMotion Motors with a mission to design eco-friendly performance Electric Vehicles at affordable prices for the Indian Market. The first offering from eMotion Motors is ‘SURGE’, a performance Electric Two Wheeler, unveiled in June 2018.
Pranav has a demonstrated history of working in the automotive industry and is skilled in Design Management, Sketching, Adobe Photoshop, 3D Visualization, and Product Design. He obtained his Master of Arts (MA), focused in Multidisciplinary Design Innovation, from Northumbria University.
Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Institute Professor at IIT Madras, did his B.Tech degree from IIT Kanpur and MS and PhD from University of Maine, USA and was a faculty at Washington State University, USA for a year and half before joining as a faculty at IIT Madras in 1981. In 2017-18, he was on sabbatical from IITM and was Principal Advisor to Minister of Power, MNRE, and Railways, Government of India, New Delhi.
Prof Jhunjhunwala is considered a pioneer in nurturing Industry-Academia interaction in India towards R&D, Innovation and Product Development. He conceived and built India’s first university affiliated business park (IIT Madras Research Park) to promote Industry-Academia R&D collaboration. TIE conferred him the title of Dronacharya for his contributions to the cause of entrepreneurship, as he incubated and nurtured more than 180 companies at IIT Madras. He heads the IITM Incubation Cell and Rural Technology and Business Incubator (RTBI). He leads TeNeT group, which has worked closely with industry to create innovative affordable products in sectors like telecom, banking, energy and electric vehicles.
Dr Jhunjhunwala has been Chairman and member of various government committees and has been on boards of several education institutions in the country. At the same time, he has been on the boards of a number of public and private companies and has driven comprehensive changes, especially in the areas of technology, in these companies. He was on the boards of State Bank of India, Bharat Electronics Ltd, HTL, NRDC, IDRBT, VSNL and BSNL as well as in Tata Communications, Mahindra Electric, Sasken, Tejas Networks, TTML, Intellect and Exicom. He is currently also on the board of BIRAC and the Chairman of Technology Advisory Group of SEBI. Also he is currently Chairperson in IIIT Kottayam and College of Engineering, Trivandrum, Kerala.
Dr Jhunjhunwala was conferred Padmashri, Shanti-Swarup Bhatnagar Award, Vikram Sarabhai Research Award, H. K. Firodia Award, Silicon India Leadership Award, Millenium Medal at Indian Science Congress, UGC Hari Om Ashram Award,Ram Lala Wadhwa Gold Medal, JC Bose fellowship, Bernard Low Humanitarian Award, Dronacharya and Lifetime Achievement Award by TIE, Chennai among many others. He is fellow of IEEE, INSA, NAS, IAS, INAE and WWRF and a member of National Academy of Engineering (NAE), USA. He has also been conferred honorary doctorate by University of Maine and Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden.
Dr Ashvini Kumar is Senior Fellow and Senior Director, Renewable Energy Technology Applications, TERI. He took the post after superannuation from the post of the Managing Director of the Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd. (SECI), which is a Government of India enterprise set up for implementation of the National Solar Mission. Dr Kumar joined SECI as the Director (Solar) in October 2012 and thereafter continued as MD until July 2017. During his time in SECI, he steered it to develop and implement wide ranging programmes in solar and wind energy. He is credited in turning around SECI into a positive net worth company during 2014-15.
Before joining SECI, he worked with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India, in various capacities for over 26 years.
Dr Kumar obtained his Doctorate Degree in Solar Energy from IIT Delhi in 1981 and continued to carry out scientific work at IIT Delhi and later at Solar Energy Centre, now rechristened as National Institute of Solar Energy.
He has also co-authored three books, several review articles and over 50 research papers in peer reviewed journals.
