Hon'ble Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi

Vice-Chairman - Institute of Directors
Judicial Member, Lokpal of India
former Chairperson, Law Commission of India
former Chief Justice, Karnataka High Court

Hon'ble Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi is the Chairman of the Law Commission of India. He was the former Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court. A leading legal luminary who has had an illustrious journey in the Field of law, Justice Awasthi graduated in law from Lucknow University in the year 1986. Since beginning, his expertise included civil, service and education matters at the Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court. Hon'ble Justice Awasthi was also nominated as the Senior Judge at High Court in Lucknow in 2021. Thereafter he was elevated as Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court in 2021.

During his tenure as a distinguished Judge for more than 13 years, Hon'ble Justice Awasthi decided around 44,000 cases out of which more than 600 judgements were approved for reporting. Most of the cases decided by him had nationwide impact, as well as international relevance.

Vaisshali Babu

MD & CEO - BSE Clearing Limited (BSECL)

Ms. Vaisshali Babu assumed office as the Managing Director & CEO of the Company effective January 1, 2024. Prior to this, she served the organisation in critical leadership roles, including Chief Operating Officer and Chief Risk Officer.

A seasoned capital markets professional with over 30 years of experience, Vaisshali has held influential positions across reputed global & domestic institutions including BNP Paribas, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, State Street, SHCIL, United India Insurance, and Mumbai Port Trust.

A recognised industry contributor, she has been instrumental in shaping key regulatory frameworks in India, particularly in areas such as foreign investments, settlement efficiencies, and debt market development. She is part of various industry committees and working groups, including those on PaRRVA, non-agri derivatives contracts, netting for FPI, ISF for brokers, ISF for MIIs, the Expert Working Group on ETD, the T+0 Custodians Working Group, and agri commodity reforms.

Vaisshali’s leadership has earned national recognition including:

• Being listed among India’s Top 100 Women in Finance by AIWMI (2019)
• Winner of the Best in Custody award at the Women in Finance Asia Awards (2022)
• Honoured with the SBI Visionary Leadership Award 2025
• Honoured with Securities services of the year award from Asia Asset Management awards at Singapore 2026

She holds a master’s degree in commerce from Mumbai University and a Business Administration qualification from Symbiosis. She has completed executive programs at IIM Bangalore, IIM Rohtak, and IIM Calcutta, and is a member of the Institute of Directors.

A strong advocate of education as a vehicle of empowerment, Vaisshali actively supports several NGO’s of education to transform the society.

Her life mantra: “Be Simple; Be Different.”

Santosh Kumar Singh

Chief Sustainability Officer - Larsen & Toubro Limited

Santosh Kumar Singh is a seasoned sustainability leader with a proven track record of driving impactful environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives. As the Chief Sustainability Officer at Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T), he spearheads the company's sustainability strategy across diverse sectors, including engineering, construction, manufacturing, and technology services. Prior to joining L&T, Mr. Singh served as the Chief Sustainability Officer for three energy companies within the Adani Group: Adani Power, Adani Green Energy, and Adani Energy Solutions. In this role, he played a pivotal role in integrating sustainability into the core business operations, focusing on areas such as water positivity, waste reduction, and community engagement.

Mr. Singh is a graduate from Indian Institute of Technology and postgraduate from Indian Institute of Forest Management. His expertise in sustainability spans a wide range of areas, including ESG framework development, stakeholder engagement, materiality assessment, and sustainability reporting. He is a strong advocate for integrating sustainability into core business strategy, recognizing its potential to drive long-term value creation and mitigate risks.

Vicky Gala

Associate Managing Director - KROLL

Vicky Gala is an Associate Managing Director in the Investigations, Diligence and Compliance practice, based in India.

Vicky leverages more than 15 years of forensic experience in advising clients across the globe on corporate governance, investigations, digital forensics, anti-bribery, crisis management, anti-trust and regulatory matters. He has advised clients across a range of industries, including financial services, life sciences, media and entertainment, consumer products, energy and industrial manufacturing in India, the United Arab Emirates, the UK, Africa and South Asia.

Neeraj Jha

Founder & Managing Director - Neeraj Jha Brand & Reputation Advisory

Neeraj Jha is a trusted advisor to Promoters, Group Chairmen, CEOs and Boards of Directors on matters of corporate reputation, leadership positioning, stakeholder trust and institutional credibility.

Over a career spanning nearly three decades, he has worked at the intersection of business strategy, governance, reputation and public affairs, helping organisations navigate transformation, heightened scrutiny, critical situations and increasingly complex stakeholder environments.

His professional journey reflects an uncommon blend of business journalism, corporate leadership, law and entrepreneurship. During more than eighteen years in senior leadership roles, he worked closely with Promoters, Group Chairmen, Managing Directors and Boards of Directors at some of India’s most respected business institutions, including Bajaj Group, HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel and Reliance. His work extended well beyond communications to encompass governance, public affairs, reputation risk, leadership positioning and strategic counsel to business leaders.

Today, as Founder & Managing Director of Neeraj Jha Brand & Reputation Advisory LLP, he works selectively with Promoters, Founders, CEOs and Boards on reputation strategy, executive influence, governance, stakeholder trust and leadership decision support.

Sameer Yogishwar

Chief Operating Officer - HDFC Life &
Non-Executive Director (HDFC International Life & Re)

Sameer has been associated with HDFC Life since its inception as one of its earliest employees and has played multiple roles within the organisation. He started his career at HDFC Limited as a Management Trainee and then moved to HDFC Life in 2000 as part of the initial project team. At HDFC Life, he has essayed various roles from being a business/geography head across various distribution channels like Agency, Bancassurance, etc. to steering departments like Branch Operations, L&D, Group Protection & Funds and DPPM. He was also the founding CEO and a current Board Member of our international subsidiary, HDFC International Life & Re. In addition to his current role as COO, he also has oversight over Corporate Communications, PR & Media as well as heads the Strategic Alliances function. Sameer has graduated in Economics and has done his MMS in Finance, both from the University of Mumbai. He has also completed the Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School.

S. S. Mundra

former Deputy Governor - Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

In a banking career spanning over four decades, Mr. Mundra has held several important positions in banking industry including Chairman & Managing Director of Bank of Baroda and Executive Director of Union Bank of India. Post superannuation as Chairman and Managing Director, Bank of Baroda, he moved to Reserve Bank of India as the Deputy Governor and retired from there on 30th July 2017 after completing a stint of three years. During his stint at RBI, he also served as RBI’s nominee on the Financial Stability Board (G20 Forum) and its various committees. Mr. Mundra was also the Vice-chairperson of OECD’s International Network on Financial Education (INFE).

Post retirement from Reserve Bank of India, Mr. Mundra served on the Board of BSE Limited, among others, and vacated as Chairman of the Board, in January 2024, on completion of maximum permissible tenure of 6 years.

Presently Mr. Mundra is serving on the boards of several companies such as DSP Asset Managers Pvt. Ltd., Airtel Payments Bank Limited, Havells India Ltd., PayU Payments Private Limited, PayU Finance India Private Limited and Yashraj Biotechnology Limited as Independent Director and as Non-Executive Chairman of Sammaan Capital Limited (Erstwhile Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd).

Mr. Mundra is a regular presence on various media platforms as also a speaker on various Forums. He has delivered more than 100 speeches/presentations on diverse issues viz. banking, financial inclusion & literacy, MSME financing, audit, Fraud Risk Management, Cyber security, Consumer Protection, Human Resource Management etc. at both domestic and international forums. Many of these speeches have been published on the websites of Reserve Bank of India and that of the Bank for International Settlements. Amity University has conferred the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil.), Honoris Causa, upon Mr. Mundra, in recognition of his services in the field of banking and related areas.

Gautam Thakur

Chairman - Saraswat Co-operative Bank Ltd. & Member Advisory Group of Regulation, RBI

Gautam Thakur is the Chairman of Saraswat Bank, the largest Urban Co-operative Bank in India with a legacy of one hundred and seven years.

He is also a

- Member of the Advisory Group on Regulation (AGR) constituted by RBI.

- Member of erstwhile Group of Advisors to the Regulations Review Authority constituted by RBI.

- Former Vice President of Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

- Professor of Practice & Mentor at PTVA’s Institute of Management.

- Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, empanelled Independent Director.

- Advisor to many Social & Cultural Institutions.

Under his strategic leadership, the Total Business of the Bank has grown from Rs. 38,000 crore to more than Rs. 1,10,000 crore (a growth of over Rs. 70,000 crore). The Bank is now bigger than some Private Sector Banks.

He has transformed the Retail business of the Bank, improved Asset Quality and Capital Adequacy and has taken several initiatives like creating important new Departments of Digital Banking, I. T. Security, Data Analytics, and Customer Relations & Experience.

During his Chairmanship, Saraswat Bank has been selected as one of the World’s Best Banks and amongst India’s Top 10 Banks by a Forbes survey, for four years in a row.

It won the Best Technology Bank in the Co-operative Sector for six years in a row at the Indian Banks’ Association Awards.

The Bank is also on the Fortune 500 - India list for five years in a row.

Before joining the Bank’s Board, Gautam Thakur has been a successful entrepreneur, engineer and advisor. He is a Civil Engineer with a Diploma in Financial Management and has attended management development programmes at IIM, Ahmedabad and Construction Management from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management, Mumbai. He has also completed the Lead Auditor’s Course for ISO Quality Audits.

Suresh Balakrishnan

Director - Novo Insurance Broking Services Private Limited

Mr. Suresh Balakrishnan is working as an independent Risk Management and Risk Transfer Advisor. He has been a specialist broker for Liability and High Value Risks. He serves as guest faculty at the National Insurance Academy, Pune on Liability Insurance and at the College Of Insurance , Mumbai.

He is a life member of the Institute of Directors.

His expertise includes Largest Directors and Officers Liability Insurance and POSI insurance of its time ; single project professional indemnity policies including ports, airports and metro rail up to 12 year policy periods; FI, Construction and Technology domains.

He is a pioneer in the field of Cyber Security Risk Modelling and Quantification and D&O Liability Risk Quantification. Managing US SEC risk exposure through insurance products is a domain expertise built over the last 25 years.

In the current environment of difficulty in getting Liability insurance claims especially in D&O insurance arming Directors and Officers with the nuances of insurance claims is his passion.

Dharmarajan S. Subrahmanian

MD & CEO - Impactsure Technologies Private Limited

Dharmarajan is the Founder & CEO of Impactsure Technologies, an Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) powered document analytics Web 3.0 SaaS company providing software solutions for Banks and Enterprises.

Dharmarajan has 25+ years of Business Leadership with a mix of Corporate, Family Managed Business and Startup experience, including Board Management & Corporate Governance. He is a Certified Corporate Director by the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors.

He is currently an official member of the prestigious Forbes Technology Council. He contributes to the communities worldwide as part of the Forbes Technology Council through articles on thought leadership in areas of Digital Transformation, emerging technologies and ESG. He is also a member of many Industry Bodies like CII, ICC and more.

He was a National Core member for the Prime Minister’s office (2001-03) in policy development, in the National Policy of Health & Population, through CII. He is currently in the Task Force for Education through CII WR.

Dharmarajan has worked in leadership positions in multinationals like Philips and Johnson & Johnson and the Top management/of an indigenous manufacturing organization Telenet Systems. He is also on the Board of Directors/Advisory Board in MSME companies and Startups. He is a Keynote speaker and a visiting faculty to leading management institutes, specializing in Digital Transformation, Marketing, Entrepreneurship & Small & Medium Enterprises (SME).

Dharmarajan has done his Professional Degree and Master in Management Studies from Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani. He has done specialization programs from IIM Ahmedabad, Advanced Management courses with a Specialization in Entrepreneurship (Online) from Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania, and numerous specialization certification courses from reputed institutes.

His mission is to support Enterprises through Technology, Strategy, Corporate Governance and Leadership Development.

K.V.R. Murty, IDAS (Retd.)

Whole Time Member, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)

Shri K.V.R. Murty took charge as Whole Time Member, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in Mumbai on April 15, 2026, looking after Market Regulation Department (MRD), Investigations Department, Department of Economic & Policy Analysis (DEPA), work related to PACL Committee, Special Enforcement Cell and Recovery and Refund Department.

Prior to joining SEBI he was Additional Controller General of Defence Accounts, Ministry of Defence. Shri Murty holds a Master’s Degree in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics.

Shri Murty has vast experience spanning over three decades, of handling important positions in diverse fields ranging from National security to Corporate Laws.

Shri Murty has conceived and piloted many Ease of Doing Business related reforms and the Decriminalization of various Corporate Laws.

Shri Murty has been a Part-Time Member (Government Nominee) on the Board of The National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA), and the councils of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) and the Institute of Cost & Management Accountants of India (ICMAI).

Eugene Mayne

Founder & Group CEO
Tristar Group, UAE

Eugene Mayne is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer. Under his leadership the group and its entities have grown to become Middle East’s largest privately-owned energy logistics solutions provider.

He has been listed among the Top 25 most influential logistics executives in the Middle East for seven consecutive years by the ITP Media Group. Mr. Mayne has received several recognitions such as being included in the list of 53 individuals who have contributed to the UAE's progress by Khaleej Times in December 2024, the ‘IOD Distinguished Fellow 2023’ by the Institute of Directors (IOD), India, Maritime Personality of the Year at the ShipTek International Awards 2021, Lifetime Achievement Award at the Seatrade Maritime Awards Middle East, Indian Subcontinent & Africa 2020, and the RoSPA Influencer Award at the RoSPA Health & Safety Awards 2020.

Rajesh Patel

Chief Financial Officer - Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL)

Mr. Rajesh D. Patel is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Mahanagar Gas Limited, one of India's leading city gas distribution companies. A seasoned finance professional with over 30 years of experience, he has built an accomplished career across finance, accounting, costing, treasury, taxation, management information systems, internal audit, budgeting, and strategic financial planning. He has been associated with Mahanagar Gas since 2009, where he has held several key leadership positions before being appointed as CFO in November 2021.

As CFO, Mr. Patel oversees the company's financial strategy, financial reporting, treasury operations, capital allocation, budgeting, risk management, and governance. He plays a pivotal role in supporting business growth, strengthening operational efficiency, driving digital finance initiatives, and enabling sustainable value creation while ensuring compliance with the highest standards of corporate governance. His leadership has been instrumental in navigating evolving market dynamics and supporting the company's long-term strategic objectives.

Prior to joining Mahanagar Gas, Mr. Patel held senior finance leadership positions with Adani Infrastructure & Developers Pvt. Ltd., Adlabs Films Ltd., Philips India Ltd., and Crompton Greaves Ltd. He is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (FCA), an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (ACMA, CGMA), UK, and an Associate Member of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Commerce from the University of Mumbai and has also contributed to academia by teaching finance-related subjects at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai.

Smita Jhingran, IRS (Retd.)

Whole Time Member - National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA)

A public service career spanning nearly four decades, my professional journey has been defined by strategic leadership across taxation, regulation, governance, and international experiences. As a senior officer of the Indian Revenue Service (1986 batch), I’ve worked at the intersection of policy, law, and institutional reform -advising, leading, and building capacity within the government of India and allied institutions.

From supervising high-value tax assessments and launching the Faceless Assessment Scheme as Chief Commissioner, to steering international merger reviews as Secretary at the Competition Commission of India, and regulating financial reporting quality as Full-Time Member at NFRA, I’ve consistently taken on roles that required a high degree of judgment, integrity, and stakeholder engagement. I also contributed internationally as a Budget and Finance Officer with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo.

These roles have shaped a deeply informed perspective on governance, regulatory integrity, and institutional leadership.

Sriram Lakshmanan

Deputy Chief Information Security Officer - Genpact Limited

Sriram Lakshmanan is a seasoned Cyber Security Leader with over 25 years of global experience in architecting, implementing and managing enterprise security programmes across diverse industries. He currently serves as Deputy CISO (Vice President) at Genpact, where he leads initiatives across continuous cyber threat exposure management, infrastructure security, ERP security, cyber security assurance, risk management and security governance.

His expertise spans cyber risk, third-party and supply-chain risk, threat intelligence, incident response, vulnerability management, penetration testing, digital risk and security governance, with experience in frameworks including NIST CSF, ISO 27001 and PCI-DSS.

Prior to Genpact, he spent over 11 years with Optum Global Solutions, where he established enterprise security processes, strengthened vendor governance and led ISO 27001 and HiTrust certification initiatives. He has also held information security and risk management roles with CitiFinancial and EXL Service.

A CISSP, CCSP, GIAC-OSINT and GIAC-CTI professional, Sriram is also an author, public speaker and security thought leader. He is the author of CISO Essentials Guide, published in 2025, and has spoken at leading industry and academic forums including RSA, NASSCOM and ETCISO events.

Sitaram Kunte, IAS (Retd.)

Chairman - Institute of Directors, Western Region
former Chief Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra

Mr. Sitaram Kunte is a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and former Chief Secretary of the Government of Maharashtra. With an illustrious career spanning over three decades, he has served in key leadership roles across urban governance, public policy, and state administration. His career highlights include serving as Chief Secretary in 2021, Additional Chief Secretary handling Home, General Administration, and Higher & Technical Education (2017–2020), and earlier as Principal Secretary in Housing, Planning, Finance, and Environment departments. He also served as the Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai from 2012 to 2015 and earlier as Vice President and CEO of MHADA.

Academically, Mr. Kunte holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Delhi University and a Master of Science in Public Policy from the University of Birmingham in the UK. He also holds a law degree from Mumbai University and has completed a certificate course in Public Policy from Syracuse University, USA.

He is currently a Member, Board of Governors, NISM, Distinguished Visiting Professor at IIM Mumbai and visiting Faculty at Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune. He also serves as an Independent Director on the boards of several companies and is the Honorary Chairman of the Institute of Directors (Western Region), Mumbai. Additionally, he is empaneled as an Arbitrator by the Bombay High Court and NHPC, and is a founder member of CRISP, an NGO focused on achieving Sustainable Development Goal.

His areas of expertise span Public Administration, Corporate Governance, Urban Development and Housing, Public Policy, Higher Education and Arbitration.

Tamal Bandyopadhyay

Prominent Indian Business Journalist, Author and Financial Commentator

Tamal Bandyopadhyay is an award-winning, best-selling author, columnist and one of India’s leading business journalists, with over two decades of experience covering banking and finance. His widely read weekly column, Banker’s Trust, published in Business Standard, offers deep insights into the financial sector and policy developments.

He has worked with leading business publications including Business Standard, Financial Express, Mint and The Economic Times, and served as Adviser, Strategy at Bandhan Bank Ltd. He has authored seven books on banking and finance, including Roller Coaster: An Affair with Banking, Pandemonium: The Great Indian Banking Tragedy, HDFC Bank 2.0 and Sahara: The Untold Story. His books have been non-fiction bestsellers. Sahara: The Untold Story is being adapted into the OTT series Scam 3, produced by Applause Entertainment and directed by Hansal Mehta.

A recipient of the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism, Tamal’s Pandemonium also won multiple business literature awards in 2021. His latest book is Roller Coaster: An Affair with Banking, with his eighth book scheduled for release shortly. He is currently Consulting Editor at Business Standard and Senior Adviser to Jana Small Finance Bank Ltd.

Nagesh Pinge

Independent Director on Multiple Boards
(Aditya Birla Capital Limited, Hero Housing Finance, Arvind Fashions Limited etc.)

Mr. Pinge is an Expert in Ethics, Corporate Governance, Risk Management and Internal Audit.

A Chartered Accountant and a Law Graduate from India, Mr. Pinge has also completed an Executive Education Program from the University of Michigan, USA.

In his career span of almost 4 decades, Mr. Pinge has worked with companies like Tata Motors as “Chief-Internal Audit, Risk Management & Ethics”, Reliance Retail Ltd & JSW Steel Ltd as “Chief- Internal Audit”, ICICI Bank & its Group Companies as “Chief Risk Officer” & “Group Head-Internal Audit”.

Currently, Mr. Pinge mentors the Boards of many companies like Aditya Birla Capital Limited, Arvind Limited, Goa Carbon, Arvind Fashions, Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance, Hero Housing Finance, White Oak Capital etc.

He is a recipient of “ACIIA” Award given by “Asian Confederation of Institutes of Internal Audit” for “Outstanding Contribution in Internal Audit” for the year 2017 and “ICAI” Award given by the Institute of Chartered Accountant of India for the year 2014. A regular guest speaker at many conferences on Internal Audit and Risk Management in India and overseas, Mr Pinge is a regular faculty at IOD’s “Masterclass for Directors”.

Chitra Byregowda

Senior Vice President & Global Head-ESG - Persistent Systems Limited

As Senior Vice President, Global Head of Sustainability & ESG, Chitra helps strategize and integrate ESG value creation at Persistent across all stakeholders. In this role, Chitra collaborates with business leaders to articulate an ESG strategy that is directly aligned with our business goals. She believes in doing small things that create meaningful change with measurable outcomes for our clients, partners, employees, and communities we operate in.

With a B.E. in Environmental Engineering from Mysore University, Chitra also has a Diploma in Sustainability and CSR from Sweden Institute of Management. She comes with nearly 25 years of relevant experience across the services and manufacturing industries and has led ESG initiatives at global organisations like Cognizant, Mindtree, Wipro, IBM, and GE.

Chitra has extensive knowledge and experience in the areas of sustainability, Environment, Health and Safety (EHS), diversity and inclusion, equal opportunity, human rights, women empowerment, health and well-being, and CSR. She is associated with industry forums such as NASSCOM, CII and IFMA and is also a member of several knowledge committees of various industry associations and NGOs.

Chitra is married to Chethan, and they have a daughter.

Ananth Narayan

Independent Director on Multiple Boards - (SBI Capital Markets Ltd.; CARE Ratings Ltd. and Bharat FIH Ltd. etc.)
former Whole Time Member, SEBI

Ananth Narayan is a financial markets expert with over three decades of experience across banking, regulation, and public policy.

As Whole-Time Member of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) from 2022 to 2025, he oversaw critical portfolios including market infrastructure institutions, secondary markets, and enforcement.

Prior to his regulatory stint, he was an Associate Professor at Bhavan’s SPJIMR for over four years. During this time he served on the boards of several entities including SBI Capital Markets, Yes Bank (as an RBI appointee), Care Ratings, and NSE Clearing.

Before that, Ananth spent 25 years in global financial markets trading foreign exchange, fixed income, commodities and derivatives. He led regional financial markets businesses for Standard Chartered, Deutsche Bank, and Citibank across South Asia and ASEAN.

An alumnus of IIT Bombay and IIM Lucknow, Ananth is currently Senior India Analyst for the Observatory Group LLC, Senior Visiting Fellow at the Isaac Center for Public Policy of Ashoka University, and Professor of Practice at the IIT Bombay School of Management.

Dr. Indu Shahani

Founding President & Chancellor - ATLAS SkillTech University
former Sheriff of Mumbai

Dr. Indu Shahani is an eminent educationist, institution builder and visionary thought leader with a four-decade career spanning higher education, public policy, civic leadership and corporate governance. As the Founding President & Chancellor of ATLAS SkillTech University, she has pioneered a multidisciplinary model integrating Design, Technology, Business and Law, with the university becoming the youngest in India to achieve a NAAC ‘A’ Grade in its first accreditation cycle. Previously, as Principal of HR College, University of Mumbai (2000–2016), she led the institution to one of the country’s highest NAAC accreditations and UGC recognition as a ‘College with Potential for Excellence’. Dr. Shahani was the first Indian appointed Vice-Chair of the Board of Governors of the International Baccalaureate and also served as a Member of the University Grants Commission (2011–2014). She has held board positions across leading organisations including HSBC, Colgate-Palmolive, Diageo, Indian Oil Corporation, Bajaj Electricals and Eureka Forbes, championing ethical leadership, sustainability and stronger industry–academia collaboration. As Sheriff of Mumbai in 2008 and 2009, she further contributed to civic and social initiatives, including the launch of the Women’s Helpline. Her distinguished contributions have earned her several honours, including the ASSOCHAM Women of the Decade Award, Citizen of Mumbai Award, Sarvottam Nagrik Sanman, FICCI FLO’s Excellence in Education Award and recognition among Asia’s 100 Women Power Leaders in 2023.

Prof. (Dr.) Rama Prosad Banerjee

Chairman & Director, EIILM- Kolkata, India

Prof. (Dr.) Rama Prosad Banerjee is a distinguished thought leader, academician, and visionary who has redefined leadership, education, and social responsibility for the modern era.

With a career spanning over three and a half decades, Dr. Banerjee has continuously integrated ancient Vedic wisdom with modern business practices, inspiring a new generation of leaders who balance success with ethical responsibility. As the Chairman & Director of Eastern Institute for Integrated Learning in Management, Kolkata (EIILM-Kolkata), Prof. (Dr.) Banerjee’s contributions transcend traditional boundaries, making a profound impact on leadership dynamics and societal progress on a global scale. Prof. (Dr.) Banerjee’s impact extends beyond India, as he has delivered lectures at leading universities worldwide, motivating students and professionals with perspectives on leadership, ethics, and social responsibility. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors (IOD), India and serves as President of the Indian Accounting Association Research Foundation (IAARF).

Dr. P. Anbalagan, IAS

Principal Secretary to the Government of Maharashtra
(Department of Industries, Investment & Services)

Dr. P. Anbalagan is an alumnus of the Bachelor of Veterinary Science (BVSc) from Madras Veterinary College, Chennai, Master in Dairying from National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana and an officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Maharashtra cadre (2001 batch).

Currently posted as the Secretary, Industries Department, Government of Maharashtra and is responsible for overall Industrial Development & various policy formulations & its implementations including investments in the State.

Dr. P. Anbalagan was posted as the Chairman & Managing Director, Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited and has the highest overall generation capacity amongst all the State Power Generation Utilities in India, with existing Generation capacity of 13220MW, Thermal 9540MW, Hydro 2580, Gas 672, Solar 428MW.

In his illustrious career spanning over 24 years, he has held several important assignments in Government of Maharashtra, like Joint CEO, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, Member Secretary of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and CEO, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation. He also held assignments like Assistant Collector, Solapur & Karad, CEO Zilla Parishad, Nandurbar, Collector & District Magistrate, Ahmednagar.

Shyamak Ramyar Tata

Independent Director on Multiple Boards
(Siemens Ltd.; Thermax Ltd. and Endurance Technologies Ltd. etc.)
former Chairman, Deloitte India

Shyamak, is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. He is also a Certified Information Systems Auditor, a Company Secretary and a Commerce graduate from Mumbai University.

Shyamak is currently an Independent Director of the following listed companies: Siemens Limited, Thermax Limited and Hawkins Cookers Limited. He is also an Independent Director of HDFC AMC International (IFSC) Limited and of C&S Electric Limited (a subsidiary of Siemens Limited), and a Non-executive Director of Thermax Babcock & Wilcox Energy Solutions Limited (a subsidiary of Thermax limited), which are not listed. Shyamak was the Chairperson of Deloitte India from 2019 to 2021 and has over 35 years of experience serving large Indian and multinational companies. In his executive roles, Shyamak has previously led the Audit & Assurance (A&A) practice of Deloitte India (2015-2019) at the critical time of India's first ever mandatory auditor rotation transition and was responsible for its performance and execution of the strategy including the build out of Assurance in A&A. Prior to this, he was Deloitte India's Consumer Business Industry Leader (2007-2015) responsible for focusing on opportunities and growth across the multi-disciplinary practice. At the beginning of his professional journey, on completion of his articleship with Kapadia Damania & Co. in 1985, on qualifying, Shyamak joined A F Ferguson & Co. where he was SRT Brief BB 240401 managing audit and audit-related engagements of principally listed companies and other multinational corporations. Shyamak was inducted into the partnership in 1998. In 2002, Shyamak set up the Firm's Sarbanes readiness practice and led engagements both within India and across continents. A F Ferguson & Co became part of the Deloitte India network in 2004, when Shyamak took on the integration responsibility for talent and of audit learning.

Shyamak has been a committee member with the Confederation of Indian Industry on Financial Reporting, and on Governance. He was the Chairperson of CII’s Financial Reporting Committee for two years till 2021-22.

Pooja Anant Bajaj

Executive Director - CSR ESG and Board Director, Bajaj Electricals Limited
Serves on the Boards of Bajel Projects Ltd. & Indef Manufacturing Ltd.

Pooja Bajaj is the Executive Director - CSR & ESG at Bajaj Electricals Limited, Chairperson of the CSR & ESG Committee, and Chair’s the Bajaj Electricals Foundation. As a member of the Bajaj family & serving as a board director, she carries forward the Group's century-old legacy of ethical leadership and responsible business inspired by the vision of Shri Jamnalal Bajaj.

In her role as Executive Director, she aligns the sustainability and social impact agenda, driving the integration of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles into business strategy, operations and innovation. She has been instrumental in advancing Bajaj Electricals' vision of "Inspiring Sustainable Living", strengthening ESG governance, disclosures, environmental stewardship, employee engagement, and sustainable value creation.

As Chairperson of the Board's CSR & ESG Committee, she provides strategic oversight and leadership for the Company's CSR and ESG agenda. She drives sustainability priorities, monitoring ESG performance, strengthening governance, and ensuring that environmental stewardship, social impact, and ethical conduct remain integral to long-term value creation. She also oversees the Company's CSR strategy, impact-driven community programmes, and stakeholder-centric sustainability initiatives, ensuring alignment with the highest standards of governance and corporate responsibility.

As Chairperson of Bajaj Electricals Foundation, she champions transformative initiatives in environmental sustainability, renewable energy access, and drives employee volunteering. Under her guidance, the Foundation has expanded its impact through large-scale tree plantation, clean energy, livelihood enhancement, and community development programmes, positively impacting thousands of lives across India.

A strong advocate of purpose-led leadership, Pooja believes that Boards must move beyond compliance to become custodians of trust, sustainability, and long-term stakeholder value. Her work reflects a commitment to building resilient institutions where business success, social progress, and environmental stewardship go hand in hand.

Kalpana Unadkat

Independent Director on Multiple Boards
(Chair - DMart-Avenue Supermarts Ltd.; TVS Motor Company Ltd. and ERIS Lifesciences Ltd. etc.)

Kalpana Unadkat is a senior corporate lawyer and board director with more than three decades of experience advising leading Indian and international businesses on corporate transactions, governance, and complex strategic matters.

She is a Chairperson and Independent Director of Dmart and Independent Director on the boards of TVS Motor Company Limited and TVS Credit Services Limited and Eris Lifesciences Limited. She chairs Audit committee, Nomination & Remuneration Committee, CSR committee and brings deep expertise in board oversight, risk management, and corporate governance.

Kalpana has trained more than 300 directors in corporate governance and board effectiveness. Her recognitions include Corporate Governance Lawyer of the Year – India and Rising Women of the Year, awarded by The Economic Times and Spencer Stuart. A Chevening Scholar, she combines extensive experience in cross-border M&A, joint ventures, governance, and board advisory with a strategic, commercially grounded perspective.

Sundeep Jakhar

Head of Public Affairs - India
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)

Sundeep Jakhar is a highly accomplished professional with over 17 years of experience across the financial and professional services sector, having worked with leading global organisations. Currently, he serves as Head of Public Affairs - India at ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), the world’s leading professional accountancy body, where he leads government relations, public policy, regulatory affairs, and public relations for ACCA in India.

Prior to joining ACCA, Sundeep was a Senior Adviser with the UK government’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT), based at the British High Commission in New Delhi. In this capacity, he played a key role in advancing international trade, policy development, and government relations between UK and Indian stakeholders in the financial and professional services sector.

His professional experience also includes managerial roles with leading global financial institutions such as MUFG Bank and American Express, where he developed strong expertise in credit analysis, transaction banking, risk management, compliance, and international trade. He began his career with EY as an Associate, advising multinational companies on tax and regulatory matters in India and building a strong foundation in consulting.

Sundeep is recognised for his ability to shape effective business and policy strategies, promote thought leadership, and drive institutional impact. He is a Member of ASSOCHAM’s National Council for Corporate Affairs, Company Law and Corporate Governance, and remains deeply committed to advancing public policy and strengthening the financial ecosystem in India.

He holds an MBA in Finance and a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from the University of Delhi, and has completed executive certifications from Oxford University, The Wharton School, IIM Bengaluru, and Columbia Business School.

Vijay Karia

Chairman and Managing Director - Ravin Group of Companies

Mr. Vijay Karia, is the Chairman and MD of Ravin Group of Companies. Ravin group is a leading player in the Indian power and energy. He has been Chairman of Cable Division of IEEMA. As Chairman and MD of Ravin Group, he has been instrumental in leading the electrical cable segment in many ways by launching new and improved products from time to time, and has been a pioneer and largest exporter of cables from India. His is the first Indian cable manufacturing company to set up its manufacturing facility overseas in UAE. He was recently awarded as India's Most Inspiring Entrepreneur by the Economic Times, and is considered as one among the top 50 Entrepreneurs by ET today.

Mukund M. Chitale

Independent Director on Multiple Boards
(L&T Ltd.; ONGC Petro Additions Ltd.; and ASREC (India) Ltd. etc.)
Ex-President of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)

Mr. Mukund M. Chitale is a distinguished professional with over five decades of experience advising companies on business, financial and strategic matters. He is a former President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and former Chairman of the National Advisory Committee on Accounting Standards (NACAS), constituted by the Government of India. He has also served as a member of the International Auditing Practices Committee of the International Federation of Accountants and various committees of the Government of India, RBI, SEBI, the Central Vigilance Commission and other professional bodies. He currently chairs the Standing Committee on Accounting Issues constituted by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and is a member of SEBI’s Primary Market Advisory Committee. Having served as an Independent Director on the boards of several reputed companies, he currently serves as an Independent Director of two listed companies. He is also associated with various social organisations.

Shailesh Nigam

Chief Operating Officer - AAF (American Air Filter) EEMEA, CIS & SAARC

A mentor, strategist, and visionary leader, currently the COO at AAF International—a 103-year-old leader in clean air solutions, part of Daikin—he is driving air quality excellence across India, the Middle East, Africa, and the CIS region. With 32 years of expertise, he specializes in operations, profitability enhancement, business expansion, HVAC systems, strategic planning, and stakeholder management. A board member of AAF at India, LLC Dubai, JAFZA Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. He always led by building motivated teams and driving effective processes for superior results while holding pivotal positions with top brands like Fedders Lloyd, Blue Star, McQuay, Trane, and Daikin, earning recognition as a ‘change agent’ for transformative improvements, resulting in successful turnarounds. He holds an MBA in Marketing and a Mechanical Engineering degree. With a bold, proactive leadership and a 'Make Things Happen' approach, his commitment to sustainable processes and technologies is contributing to shaping the global mission for a healthier, happier future.

Radhakrishnan B., IAS

Chairman & Managing Director, MAHAGENCO, Mumba

Mr. Radhakrishnan B., IAS took over as the Chairman and Managing Director of Mahagenco on 26th December 2024. He is a senior bureaucrat and an accomplished leader with over 18 years of service in public administration and infrastructure development. A 2008-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, he has held several key positions in government and public sector enterprises, demonstrating expertise in governance, policy-making, and strategic leadership.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. Master’s degree in Microbiology from IARI, New Delhi and Master’s degree in Public Administration, Edward Manson Program in Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, Boston, U.S.A. His strong academic background, coupled with extensive administrative experience, has been instrumental in shaping policies and driving reforms in the power sector.

Prior to his appointment as Chairman and Managing Director of Mahagenco, he held several key administrative positions, including Probationary Assistant Collector in Ahmednagar, Assistant District Collector in Nandurbar, CEO of the Zilla Parishad in Jalna District, District Collector of both Ratnagiri and Nashik, Chief Executive Officer of the Maharashtra Maritime Board in Mumbai, Chief Officer at MHADA, Municipal Commissioner of Nagpur Municipal Corporation, and Joint Secretary in the office of the Honorable Chief Minister, where he played a key role in enhancing operational efficiency, policy implementation, and regulatory compliance.

As Chairman & Managing Director, his role is critical in guiding the organization towards sustainable growth, financial stability, and operational excellence. Under his leadership, Mahagenco continues to align its objectives with national energy policies, focusing on innovation, efficiency, and long-term sectoral development. With a proven track record of over 17 years, he remains committed to driving progress, ensuring energy security, and leading Mahagenco toward a future of excellence and sustainability.

Hon’ble Justice P. S. Dinesh Kumar

Chairman & Hon’ble Presiding Officer - Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT)
former Chief Justice of High Court of Karnataka

Hon’ble Mr. Justice P.S. Dinesh Kumar was born on 25th February, 1962. He studied in National High School, National College and BMS College, Bengaluru. He was a National Merit Scholar Certificate holder in the High School.

He started practice in the High Court of Karnataka in the year 1990 in the chambers of Hon’ble Mr. Justice Shivaraj. V. Patil, former judge, Supreme Court of India. He worked as an Additional Central Government Standing Counsel and Senior Standing Counsel for the Central Government between 1998 to 2004.

He has served as a Senior Panel Counsel for Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Senior Standing Counsel for BSNL, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), University Grants Commission (UGC) and several State and Central Government institutions.

He is a trained mediator and worked as a Mediator and a trainer in Mediation.

He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Karnataka High Court on 02.01.2015 and Permanent Judge on 30.12.2016. He was appointed as the Acting Chief Justice of High Court of Karnataka and permanent Chief Justice. After retiring as the Chief Justice, he has taken charge as the Presiding officer of the Tribunal on 29.04.2024

Savithri Parekh

Company Secretary & Compliance Officer - Reliance Industries Limited

Ms. Savithri Parekh has over 25 years of corporate experience and is currently Joint company secretary & compliance officer of Reliance Industries Ltd. She has worked in a variety of sectors including manufacturing, outsourcing services, private equity, media, pharmaceuticals, textile and chemical.

Ms. Parekh is a specialist editor of A Ramaiya Guide to Companies Act, 2015 edition and general editor MC Bhandari Guide to Company Law Procedures, 2015 edition published by LexisNexis and a book on listing regulations.

She has also been a Guest faculty at IIM - Calcutta for over 10 years and she is a regular speaker at the Programmes of the ICSI, ICAI, Chambers of commerce etc. Honors & Awards: Recipient of Chevening Scholarship for young Indian Lawyers – which is fully funded by the Foreign Commonwealth Office, UK and gained exposure to European law. Interned with Richards Butler LLP, a law firm in UK (now known as Reed Smith) and gained hands on experience in handling notifications under the UK Competition Act, 1998.

H.K. Joshi

Independent Director on Multiple Boards
(Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd. and Donear Industries Ltd. etc.)
former Chairperson and Managing Director
Shipping Corporation of India Limited (SCI)

Board-level corporate leader with 40 years of rich experience across diverse, highly regulated industries. Certified Independent Director (Institute of Directors / MCA Data Bank) and a Fellow Member of the Institute of Cost Accountants. Proven track record of spearheading massive corporate turnarounds, delivering sustained profitability through global crises (including COVID19), and leading historic cross-border M&As. Recognized nationally and internationally for exceptional business acumen, risk-based strategic oversight, and strong corporate governance. Expert contributor to government task forces for Viksit Bharat with deep domain specialization in Financial Management, Corporate Governance, ESG, DEI, Strategic Management and HR. Bring Vision, Strategy, value backed with knowledge and experience with Corporate Governance to the Board.