Esteemed Speakers at Asia Dialogues
Forum 2026 | Pune

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).

Denu Thomas

Group Head (Human Resources & Industrial Relations) Grant Medical Foundation, Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune

Denu Thomas is Group Head – Human Resources & Industrial Relations at Grant Medical Foundation, Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune (2024–Present), leading human capital strategy for a 5,000+ workforce across hospitals, academic institutions, and diagnostic centres. A former Colonel, Indian Army (21 years), he commanded large operational units and served in UN peacekeeping missions. Blending military precision with empathy, he specializes in HR transformation, industrial relations, workforce optimization, and culture building in high-growth healthcare environments.

Harsha Vanvari Peter

Vice President, Human Resources Cornerstone OnDemand

Harsha Vanvari Peter is Vice President – Human Resources at Cornerstone OnDemand (2024–Present), leading people strategy, compensation, talent management, and human capital initiatives in India. With 18+ years of HR leadership, she previously served at ZS Associates (2015–2023) as Total Rewards Lead and HR Director, and at Aon Hewitt (2004–2015) managing large-scale recruitment across India and APAC. Her career reflects deep expertise in people transformation, rewards, and talent alignment.

Kedar Deo

IT Transformation Executive, Vice President Tech Mahindra

Kedar Deo is an IT Transformation Executive and Vice President at Tech Mahindra (2023–Present), driving large-scale digital and GenAI-led transformation initiatives across global enterprises. With 30 years of experience, he has built and scaled consulting practices spanning Adobe Experience Cloud, enterprise architecture, GTM strategy, and ESG-focused Green IT. Previously, he held senior leadership roles at LTI, Deutsche Bank, IBM, Accenture, Persistent, Infosys, and Geometric, delivering high- impact transformation programs across the US, Europe, and APAC.

Manisha (Sharma) Prasad

Regional Director Human Resources India, ME & South Asia CRIF India

Manisha (Sharma) Prasad is the Regional Director – Human Resources, India, Middle East & South Asia at CRIF India (2023–Present), driving culture, talent and organization transformation across a complex global matrix. She brings 20+ years of HR leadership experience from CRIF (2019–Present), Mastercard (2015–2018), Cognizant (2012– 2015), Infosys (2006–2012) and GTL Limited (2002–2005), with deep expertise in people strategy, workforce analytics, and high-performance culture building across regulated and technology-driven enterprises.

Manjeet Singh

Co-Founder FlexifyMe

Manjeet Singh is the Co-Founder of FlexifyMe (2021–Present), a tech-led wellness venture focused on inspiring healthy and happy lifestyles. A social-tech entrepreneur with 15+ years of experience, he earlier co-founded and served as CEO of Buddy4Study (2016–2021), enabling ₹95+ crore in scholarships for 90,000+ students through partnerships with 100+ corporates. His prior journey includes leadership roles at Elucit Software (2009–2016), Pinig Tech (2013–2016), IBM (2006–2008) and global telecom solution roles across Africa.

Naresh Kumar Pinisetti

President - HR & Governance Deepak Fertilisers And Petrochemicals Corp

Naresh Kumar Pinisetti is the President – HR & Governance at Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Corporation (2013–Present), leading Group HR across four business verticals and serving on the Internal Executive Board. A seasoned HR leader with over three decades of experience, he previously held senior HR leadership roles at Vestas (2006–2013) across India and APAC, Bayer CropScience (2004–2006), Nagarjuna Fertilizers (1996–2002), and Ferro Alloys Corporation (1991–1996), with deep expertise in strategic HR, IR, governance, and transformation.

Roshni Parkhi

Head of Human Resources, India Allvue Systems

Roshni Parkhi is Head of Human Resources, India at Allvue Systems (2022–Present), with 19+ years of experience driving HR transformation and business-aligned people strategies. Previously, she served as Director HR at Majesco (2013–2022), Associate Director at Redcarpet Hotel & Culinary Academy (2008–2013), SAP HR Consultant at Mphasis (2007–2008), Operations Manager at Deccan Rendezvous Hotel (2006– 2007), and held recruitment roles at Zensar Technologies (2005–2006), Tata Technologies (2004–2005), and IBM Global Services (2002–2004).

Sajith Chakkingal

Group CTO Anthesis Group

Sajith Chakkingal is the Group Chief Technology Officer at Anthesis Group (2025– Present), leading global technology strategy, AI adoption, cybersecurity, and platform modernization. A seasoned technology leader with 25+ years of experience, he previously led global technology and GCC operations at TMF Group (2019–2025), senior leadership roles at Eurofins (2016–2019), PTC (2014–2016), Barclays (2009– 2014), and earlier with T-Systems, Mphasis, after beginning his career in the Indian Air Force (1998–2007).

Sandeep Kapoor

Head HRSS & HR CIO Thermax Limited

Sandeep Kapoor is the Head of HR Shared Services & HR CIO at Thermax (2023– Present), leading enterprise-wide HRSS setup, HRMS implementation, and digital HR transformation. With 23+ years of experience, he previously drove HR training, quality, and service excellence at Tesco Bengaluru (2017–2022), Dataflow Group (2015–2017), Dell (2006–2014), Mphasis (2004–2006), and GECIS (2000–2004). He brings deep expertise in global HR operations, automation, and large-scale service transformation.

Capt. Shantanu Chakravorty

Chief Learning Officer Suzlon Group

Capt. Shantanu Chakravorty is the Chief Learning Officer at Suzlon Group, with 30+ years of leadership across corporate learning, digital transformation, and the Indian Army. He has built award-winning AI-led learning ecosystems, talent pipelines, and succession frameworks aligned to business KPIs. His career spans senior learning roles at Suzlon, Cargill, Cognizant, Wipro, global consulting with Korn Ferry, and frontline combat leadership during the Kargil conflict, blending military discipline with future- ready workforce transformation.

Subhayu Mukherjee

Managing Director PwC

Subhayu Mukherjee is a Managing Director at PwC with 11+ years of global experience across 15 countries, specializing in Cloud, Data, AI/ML, and digital transformation. A trusted advisor to C-suite leaders, he has led analytics-driven business transformation, product incubation, and GTM strategies across telecom, consumer, and financial services, partnering closely with firms like BCG and Google to deliver measurable business value. Previously, he served at KPMG (2021–2024), Vodafone (_VOIS) (2019– 2021), WNS (2017–2019), Mu Sigma (2017), and Ericsson (2008–2016)

Sunil Gandhi

CIO - Treasury Technology, Deutsche Bank

Sunil Gandhi is an accomplished CIO and technology executive with over 25 years of experience driving digital transformation across global financial services. He currently serves as the Global CIO for Treasury Technology at Deutsche Bank. His extensive background includes senior leadership roles at Accenture, Morgan Stanley and Fidelity International, with a focus on building scalable enterprise platforms for investment banking and wealth management. A proud alumnus of the MIT Sloan School of Management, Sunil is recognized for his engineering-driven execution and strategic expertise in data strategy and intelligent automation.

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.

Dr. Vikas Prasad

President & Managing Director Webasto Roofsystems India

After completing mechanical engineering from Delhi College of Engineering, Delhi in 1998, Vikas plunged into mainstream business before opting to study international business at Delhi School of Economics. An adherent industry leader who handles the present functionalities of the Webasto Group as its President and MD, he also holds a Ph.D. from the CBJS (University of Cambridge) in Business Valuation for Merger and Acquisitions.

Vikas Madhok

Global Chief Information Security Officer Lentra

Vikas Madhok is the Global Chief Information Security Officer at Lentra (2023–Present), leading enterprise-wide cybersecurity, privacy, and resilience for a global fintech. Earlier, he headed Security Strategy at Jio (2020–2023) and served as Pan-India Head of Network Security at Reliance Jio (2018–2020). He began his career with the Indian Army (1996–2018) as Brigadier–CIO/CTO, building deep expertise across defense, telecom, and cloud security, including compliance, SOC operations, and business- aligned risk management.

Dr. Vinod Bidwaik

CHRO and Group Director HR Sakal Media Group

Dr. Vinod Bidwaik is a transformational HR leader with a proven track record of turning around HR and business practices and driving large-scale business impacts. With cross-industry experience in Indian and global organizations, he has led cultural and organizational transformations that build agile, values-driven, and future-ready teams. His strength lies in aligning People Strategy with business goals—through talent transformation, leadership development, and capability building. He has successfully redesigned organizations, launched internal universities for reskilling, and built a strong culture of trust, performance, and innovation.

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