Dr. Sameer Sharma (PhD, D. Litt), IAS (Retd.)

Hon. Chairman, Institute of Directors, Hyderabad Region, former Chief Secretary, Andhra Pradesh and former Director General, Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs

Dr. Sameer Sharma is currently the Honorary Chairman of the Institute of Directors, Hyderabad region. With a background in economics and a PhD in Development Studies, Dr. Sharma brings a blend of academic expertise and practical insight to his role. He is a seasoned professional who has served in various capacities within the realm of sustainable development, including roles at international organizations, research institutions, and governmental bodies. He served on the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Advisory Committee, Business and Human Rights (BHR) Committee set up by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, and the Fresh Start Committee set up by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI). His expertise spans areas such as poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability, corporate insolvency, CSR, BHR, Independent Directors, and inclusive economic growth. He practiced corporate governance and served as Chairman & Managing Director of APCO, a State Cooperative Company, and Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), a Public Sector Unit under the Government of India. As Director General and CEO of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, a think tank under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, he turned around a loss-making organization into a profitable entity by 2021. He initiated the Graduate Insolvency Programme (GIP) to train professionals for India's emerging insolvency ecosystem and established a portal for registration and capacity building of independent directors. He was Head of Indian delegation to BHR Negotiations, Geneva and designed the RBC for companies, as part of ESG.

Ms. Vatsala Mishra

Director (MSME, Retail), Industries & Commerce (I&C) Department, Government of Telangana

Vatsala Mishra is OSD to Special Chief Secretary, Industries and Commerce Department at Government of Telangana. She is a Registered Architect with a Bachelor’s degree from School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, 2002. She worked for 13+ years in designing and executing architectural projects across Interiors, hospitality, medical, institutional, residential etc. in both India and USA. She completed a One-year MBA in 2017 in General Management from IIM-Ahmedabad and has been working with Government of Telangana for the last 7 years.

In the Industries Department, Vatsala looks after activities relating to MSME, Retail and Design Sectors. She is currently working on various initiatives for supporting growth of MSMEs such as Digitizing MSME, RAMP project of Ministry of MSME, Telangana State MSME Policy, and collaborations with relevant industry stakeholders. She is also working on the operationalization of the Centre of Design Excellence in Hyderabad in collaboration with IIT, Hyderabad.

She believes that positive support from government goes a long way in encouraging growth and is committed towards making Telangana the hottest destination for MSMEs, Retail and Design companies.

Dr. S. Glory Swarupa

Director General, Ni-MSME, Hyderabad

Dr. S. Glory Swarupa is a seasoned professional in the field of Entrepreneurship & Skill with over two and half decades' of experience. She has worked with different institutions under various Union Ministries namely the Ministry of Commerce & Industry; Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change; Ministry of Education; Ministry of Fisheries; Ministry of Micro Small & Medium Enterprises, Govt. of India and Bhartiya Skill Development University. She has implemented several Government of India schemes, programs and projects in all States and Union Territories covering Entrepreneurship, Skill Development, MSME sector, Rural Development, Agriculture & Allied sectors. Her contribution towards Capacity Building of Professionals and institutionalizing Entrepreneurship among Higher Education Intuitions is noteworthy.. To align with National Priorities and UN Sustainable Development Goals, she is earnestly working on the concept - Doubling of Women Entrepreneurs and making efforts to establish Centers of Excellence in Clean Technologies and Future/Smart Technologies. Being first Woman Director General, she is effectively managing a self-financed National Institution which is an apt illustration in the MSME sector. She received her Ph.D. from first Pure Skills University in India, in the area of Entrepreneurship & Skill Development. The doctoral research outlined policy framework for integrating skill education with entrepreneurship. She is the Alumni of National Institute of Technology (NIT), Warangal. As a trainer, researcher, and policy maker, Dr. S. Glory Swarupa has made immense contribution towards the development of a dynamic ecosystem for the growth, promotion and revival of MSMEs in the country.