Dr. Padmakumar Nair

Vice Chancellor Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology

Professor Padmakumar Nair, Vice Chancellor, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology and the founding Dean of Thapar School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, is a passionate researcher, teacher, and scholar in innovation in higher education, leadership development, nanostructured materials, and sustainability. He has more than 55 publications in journals of international repute. He has been cited more than 2900 times in academic journals with a Google Scholar H-factor of 29. Professor Nair has worked both in academia and industry and has a combined experience of more than 38 years in various sectors such as oil & gas (Shell in Amsterdam), education (Netherlands, Denmark, US, Japan, China, and South Korea), consulting (PwC, Japan and the US) and advanced R&D (NL, Japan and US).

Amit Rastogi

Working in Coromandel International Limited, a leading agri-inputs company of India, as Executive Vice President & Chief Technology Officer.

Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from State University at New York at Buffalo, USA, 1991. B.Tech. in Chemical Engineering from I.I.T. Kapur, 1985. Before joining Coromandel in 2005, worked with Shell, USA and Hindustan Unilever in various roles spanning R&D, Manufacturing and Projects. Selected for Fulbright Fellowship at Carnegie Mellon University, USA in 2010. In current role, reporting to MD & CEO and taking care of new technology initiatives. Member of technical committees of industry associations – . International Fertilizer Association. Fertilizer Association of India. Confederation of Indian Industries

Amit Singh

CHRO CARE Hospitals, Quality CARE India Limited

Dr. Amit is Chief of Human Resources at Care Hospitals , Quality Care India Limited since early 2024. In this role he responsible for the alignment of the HR strategic planning process to the vision, long term and annual operating plan to the HR delivery through HR Centers of Excellence in Talent & Brand, Performance & Learning, Rewards &, and Employee Experience to achieve business outcomes.

Amit Verma

Managing Director & General Manager - India The Citco Group Limited

Amit is the Country Managing Director and General Manager for The Citco Group of Companies in India. In this role, he is responsible for managing the two legal enƟƟes of the firm across three locaƟons in the country, with over 5000 employees. He is also part of global OPSMT and TransformaƟon steering commiƩee for the firm.

Anil Nama

CIO CtrlS Datacenters

Anil Nama serves as CIO at CtrlS Datacenters. He brings over 30 years of IT experience in the defense and corporate sectors, both in the products and services segments. He was associated with the Indian Armed Forces and was part of Computer Network Défense. He has been instrumental in CtrlS' growth for the past 17+ years, driving innovative solutions.

Anish Bansal

India Country Head - MNC DBS Bank

Anish Bansal is Country MNC, Lead (India) at DBS, bringing extensive leadership experience in the banking sector. Their background demonstrates a focus on relationship management and strategic direction within financial institutions. As Head Senior VP, Unit at HDFC Bank, Anish oversaw team functions and contributed to business development initiatives.

Anthil Anbazhagan

Managing Director Entain

Anthil Anbazhagan serves as the Managing Director of Entain India, where he is entrusted with leading the company’s global technology strategy, platform engineering, and enterprise-scale delivery. With over two decades of international experience across fintech, gaming, telecommunications, and automotive sectors, Mr. Anbazhagan is widely recognised for his ability to architect complex systems, build scalable technology organisations, and drive innovation across large distributed teams.

Ashish Babbar

Vice President and General Manager Microsoft

Ashish is a 25-year software industry veteran with 20 years at Microsoft. He has a track record of driving business strategy and technology at the foundation of multiple large-scale services in Azure Cloud. He is Vice President and General Manager at Microsoft responsible for Azure Migration and is delivering AI agents for friction free experience for customer's transitioning to Azure. He is a champion for diversity and inclusion, building world class teams focused on delivering high business impact.

Dileep Narayan

Vice President and General Manager Microsoft

Captain Dileep Narayan, is a strategic HR leader with over 26 years of diverse, multi-cultural experience spanning the Indian Army, manufacturing, and global tech environments. He thrives on transforming organizations by designing innovative people programs on a foundation of strong leadership, analytical rigor, and a relentless commitment to integrity.

Ganpat Anchaliya

Site Head Novartis Corporate Center

Ganpat Anchaliya leads the largest Corporate Centre for Novartis at Hyderabad, which comprises approximately 8500+ associates, representing about 10% of the global workforce at Novartis. With the aim of reimagining medicine through breakthrough technology and AI capabilities, Ganpat’s strategic focus is to enable Novartis’ vision of leading digital transformation with significant contributions from Novartis’ Corporate Center (NOCC) Hyderabad.

Gautam Jain

Managing Director PwC India

Experienced Investment Banker working across diverse functions and industries. Identifying, structuring & concluding structured fund raise and cross border deals. Strategically working with clients on tax and cost optimisation, Pre IPO including setting up offices in tax free zones.

Hari Thalapalli

CEO, CallHealth

Hari Thalapalli is a multi-disciplinary leader with almost four decades of experience in the Technology and Healthcare Services space. His expertise spans a wide range of domains, including Business Strategy, Marketing, Operations, Consulting and Human Resources. This multi-disciplinary background has equipped him with a holistic understanding of complex business environments, enabling him to navigate unexpected challenges and seize unseen opportunities with confidence.

DR. REENA DAS

CHRO HR Director, Keolis Hyderabad Mass Rapid Transit System

Reena Das is a dynamic and accomplished Human Resources professional, currently serving as the Chief Human Resources Officer at Keolis Hyderabad Mass Rapid Transit System Pvt Ltd in India. With an impressive 25 years of rich experience in end- to-end HR management and industrial relations, Reena has established herself as a true leader in the field.

DR. URMI MEHTA

Chief Industry Engagement Officer (CIEO), Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology

Dr. Urmi Mehta serves as Chief Industry Engagement Officer at Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology. With over two decades of experience, she has forged 15+ industry-academia partnerships, led initiatives that increased internship placements by 40%, and secured funding worth several crores for research labs. She champions entrepreneurship by launching incubation programs, mentorship schemes, and live‑project collaborations. Under her leadership, curriculum alignment with industry standards improved, and students’ employability metrics rose significantly. Deeply committed to innovation and real‑world impact, Dr. Mehta bridges academic rigor and corporate relevance to advance Thapar’s mission of excellence and societal contribution.

Rupessh Goel

Rupessh Goel is a reputed, trusted, business-centric leader known for building high-impact capabilities and driving transformation. He is the Managing Director, leading Credit and Emerging Capabilities at First Citizens India. He has previously held global leadership roles across Credit, Wealth, Treasury, and Operations at SVB, HSBC, Barclays, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch, working across 13 cities in India, China, and the USA. Rupessh is an active mentor to the startup ecosystem, a frequent industry speaker, and serves on the boards of a startup and a university.

Subramanyam Yadavalli

CEO – International, Apollo Hospitals, India

Mr. Subramanyam Yadavalli is a distinguished healthcare leader with over 35 years of experience in fiscal management, strategic planning, branding, and global hospital operations. A postgraduate in Management Studies, he has further enhanced his leadership skills through executive programs at IIM Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad, Singapore Management University, Berkeley, Wharton, and Kellogg.

Richa Jain

Managing Director, NTE India Northern Tool + Equipment

Richa Jain, Managing Director at Northern Tool & Equipment with close to two decades of experience partnering with global business leaders to build, scale, and transform Global Capability Centers. In the past she has led People and Corporate Services functions, where she focused on operating model design, leadership capability, culture, and aligning people strategy with business outcomes. Richa has deep experience working with US-based leadership teams, driving organization effectiveness, talent strategy, and change at scale. She is a certified executive coach and a regular speaker at industry forums on GCC evolution, leadership, and the future of work.

Sirisha Deevi

Director of Engineering Experian

With 20 years of experience evolving from a full-stack developer to a technology leader, I specialize in driving transformation through Generative AI and modern data platforms. My expertise spans Supply Chain, Retail, and Credit Analytics, guided by a language-agnostic, outcome-driven mindset.