There is incontrovertible wisdom in learning from failure, yet organisations that do it well are extraordinarily rare. In this series, launched as a key feature of the Impact/Failure conclave, we feature articles, podcasts, and videos by social sector leaders and development professionals, where they share the challenges they faced, reflect upon their mistakes.
Director, IIMB
Professor Krishnan’s main areas of interest are strategy and innovation. He was a Visiting Scholar at the Center for the Advanced Study of India, University of Pennsylvania (Fall 2008), and at the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad (2011-12). He held the Jamuna Raghavan Chair in Entrepreneurship at IIMB from 2007-10.
Professor Krishnan writes extensively on strategy and innovation, and has more than 200 publications spanning outlets that include refereed journals, the popular press, case studies, book chapters, and books. These include two books on innovation: From Jugaad to Systematic Innovation: The Challenge for India, published in February 2010, and 8 Steps to Innovation: Going from Jugaad to Excellence (co-authored with Vinay Dabholkar, and published by HarperCollins in March 2013). The latter won the Best Book Award 2013-14 from the Indian Society for Training and Development.
Member Karnataka Legislative Assembly
Darshan Puttannaiah is an Indian politician from Karnataka, currently serving as the Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly for the Melukote constituency since May 2023. He represents the Sarvodaya Karnataka Party and is the son of the late K. S. Puttannaiah, a respected farmers’ leader.
Born in 1977 in Mandya district, Karnataka, Darshan completed his Bachelor of Technology from Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering, Mysore, in 2001.
Before entering politics, Darshan had a career in the technology sector, including experience in the United States. He returned to India to continue his father’s legacy in public service. In the 2023 elections, he secured victory in the Melukote constituency, with support from the Indian National Congress.
Founder Director The Buddha Institute
Ved Arya is a celebrated serial social entrepreneur and thought leader in the development sector. He is the founder of SRIJAN, Buddha Institute, and RCRC, organizations that have profoundly impacted rural empowerment in India. Through SRIJAN, Ved has enabled the formation of self-help groups and federations that have transformed the lives of over 250,000 rural women across six states in India, establishing nine women’s federations.
Recognized for his outstanding contributions, Ved was named Social Entrepreneur of the Year by Business Standard in 2018 and received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from IIT Kanpur in 2020. His academic credentials include a degree in aeronautical engineering from IIT Kanpur (1979) and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad (1981). Ved is also a Hubert Humphrey Fellow (1990-91), United Nations Environment Program Fellow (1991), Ashoka Fellow (2008), and Aspire Fellow (2015).
Ved serves on the Executive Committee of the Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation (BRLF), a government-owned society supporting grassroots NGOs, and on the Academic Advisory Council of the Indian School of Development Management (ISDM). He has held numerous policy and selection committee roles, including Chairman of the National Selection Committee for the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship and member of various advisory groups for the Ministry of Rural Development and the Planning Commission of India.
An accomplished author, Ved has co-authored Human Resource Strategies to Build Pro-Poor Institutions and The Book of Aspiration, a two-volume series featuring inspirational stories of social leaders.
Ved balances his professional pursuits with a love for reading, running, ghazals, and gulab jamuns. Known for his humility and unwavering resolve, he inspires a growing community of changemakers to contribute to meaningful challenges in rural development and social transformation.
Director SELCO India
Thomas Pullenkav has more than 28 years of experience in the domains of clean energy access, sustainable development and energy poverty. His expertise lies in the off-grid energy sector, with extensive ground level experience in deploying last mile energy solutions for the poor. Thomas was one of the founding members of the team that started SELCO Solar Light Private Limited is currently serving as the director of the social enterprise, and as a senior advisor at the SELCO Foundation. Prior to this, he worked with TATA BP Solar India Limited (now TATA Power Solar Systems Ltd.) and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). Thomas is an alumnus of the Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA).
Swarathma, the renowned folk-rock band from Bengaluru, embodies the essence of contemporary Indian music by fusing traditional folk and classical melodies with elements of rock, reggae, and blues. Their powerful lyrics and engaging performances have made them a significant cultural movement in India. Songs like “Pyaasi,” “Naane Daari,” and “Kaash” and Songs like “Ee Bhoomi,” “Duur Kinara (with Shubha Mudgal),” and “Patte Saare” serve as anthems that resonate with themes of social justice and environmentalism, inspiring fans to advocate for causes such as water conservation.
In 2024, Swarathma embarked on an eco-friendly India Tour to promote their upcoming album “Raushan.” They innovatively powered their concerts using solar energy, collaborating with organizations like AmpereHour and Selco to replace diesel generators with sustainable energy solutions. This initiative set a new benchmark for greener entertainment in the music industry.
During the tour, they released the music video for “Raushan,” a hopeful anthem, alongside “Bas,” which critiques the silence of artists during turbulent times. Their global recognition includes performances at prestigious festivals in India and abroad, as well as features in popular media.
With three acclaimed albums already released and the highly anticipated “Raushan” on the horizon, Swarathma continues to redefine Indian music through their unique blend of tradition and modernity, addressing socially relevant issues and inspiring new generations. Their journey is a testament to the transformative power of art in society.
Founder Sustaintech India Private Limited
Ms. Svati Bhogle has been associated with several organizations in India in the area of decentralized renewable energy. She was the first President of the Clean Energy Access Network, a network of practitioners of decentralized renewable energy. She was the CEO and Chairperson of TIDE an award winning non profit, conceived as a link organization between academic / research institutions and the grassroots. She founded Sustaintech to explore scaling options for some of the innovative thermal energy products developed by her. Her area of work is largely in design and dissemination of thermal energy interventions for domestic and rural informal industry applications. She is an alumnus of IIT Bombay and was recently felicitated by its IIT Gen Zero Women initiative.
Former Union Minister
Mr. Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu is a distinguished Indian Chartered Accountant, educationist, social worker, senior policymaker, and politician with over 30 years of experience in governance. He has held ten important cabinet portfolios in the Government of India, including Industry, Power, Railways, Civil Aviation, and Commerce & Industry. Notably, he served as the Prime Minister’s Sherpa to the G7 & G20, contributing to shaping India’s official agendas for these summits.
Prabhu has been a Member of Parliament since 1996, serving in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. During his tenure, he was recognized for his innovative thinking, leading reforms in various sectors. As Minister of Railways under Prime Minister Modi, he modernized the railways, introduced a real-time grievance redressal system, and played a key role in India’s New Industrial Policy, aimed at sustainable manufacturing and increasing exports. He also led the first Global Aviation Summit and contributed significantly to the UDAN initiative.
In previous roles under Prime Minister Vajpayee, Prabhu spearheaded the Electricity Act of 2003 and the interlinking of rivers project. He has been a prominent figure in international organizations, including the UN Commission for Biodiversity, the World Bank, and the World Economic Forum.
Known for his transparent and reform-oriented governance, Prabhu has received numerous accolades, including being named the “Best Member of Parliament” in 2004. He is also the Founding Chancellor of Rishihood University and actively engages in rural development and social service initiatives.
Executive Director Under the Mango Tree Society
Sujana Krishnamoorthy is the Executive Director of Under the Mango Tree Society, an award-winning organisation that works with Adivasi communities in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. UTMT Society trains small farmers in beekeeping with indigenous bees, which enables small farmers to increase their yields due to better pollination and build climate resilience. UTMT Society is a pioneer in this field in India and has been invited to present its work both nationally and internationally.
Chief Program Officer Ashraya Hastha Trust
With over 17 years of experience in the development sector and passionate about it, Sonya has led several international and domestic philanthropies and funding organizations to support grassroots initiatives across India and the South Asia region. She also led the REEEP (Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership) – South Asia and worked at TERI and Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives. She is the Chief Program Officer at Ashraya Hastha Trust.
Ashraya Hastha Trust, a philanthropy by Mr. K Dinesh (Co-founder of Infosys) and his family, established in 2000 supports efforts to advance healthcare and education for all, preservation of the environment, strengthen opportunities for livelihoods, champion animal welfare, and make philanthropy more effective to better serve historically marginalised communities. The philanthropy has undertaken 100+ grants in the last 24 years and is currently active in 26 states through its partner organisations.
Deputy Commissioner Chamarajanagar, Government of Karnataka
Smt. Shilpa Nag is a distinguished Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 2014 batch, currently serving as the Deputy Commissioner of Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka. With extensive experience in public administration, governance, and rural development, she has held key positions, including Commissioner of Mysuru City Corporation and CEO of Haveri Zilla Panchayat.
She has also served as the Rural Development Commissioner for MGNREGS, where she played a pivotal role in strengthening rural livelihoods and ensuring effective implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
In her role as MCC Commissioner, she played a crucial part in implementing innovative programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the nationally recognized “COVID Mitra” initiative. Her expertise spans urban and rural governance, public policy implementation, and institutional leadership.
With a strong academic background, including an MBA from Christ College, Bengaluru, Shilpa Nag has also served as Director of the Abdul Nazeer Sab State Institute of Rural Development. Her strategic leadership in policy execution and community-centric governance continues to drive impactful change in Karnataka.
Executive Director ELICO Foundation
Sisty Basil is the Executive Director at ELICO Foundation, a Tanzanian NGO dedicated to addressing energy challenges in remote areas. With over fourteen years of experience, he has worked extensively with environmental and renewable energy institutions and companies.
His expertise includes renewable energy, climate change programs, and providing advisory services on clean cooking, electric mobility, and other renewable energy issues.
Sisty is passionate about environmental stewardship and community development, and through his leadership, ELICO Foundation continues to make significant progress in alleviating energy poverty and promoting sustainable solutions for a cleaner future.
He is a recipient of Sandra smithey fellowship, Acumen Fellow and University of Michigan African Presidential Scholars (UMAPS)
CEO SNV
Simon O’Connell is the CEO of SNV, a mission-driven global development partner deeply rooted in the more than 20 countries across Africa and Asia. With a team of over 1,600 people, SNV strengthens capacities and catalyses partnerships that transform the agri-food, energy, and water systems.
With over 25 years’ experience working for social change in a wide array of countries and contexts and having spent much of his career living and working in fragile and volatile environments, Simon O’Connell is passionate about enabling sustainable and more equitable lives for all.
Prior to SNV, Simon worked for over 12 years with the global organisation Mercy Corps, in Country, Regional and Executive Director capacities, with a particular emphasis on fostering partnerships across development organisations, governments and the private sector, and a substantial focus on fragile and volatile environments, where Simon has spent considerable periods of his life.
Earlier in his career Simon lived in rural, very remote parts of Africa, where he’s worked on complex, large scale humanitarian interventions as well as a range of participatory community development initiatives. Having lived and worked for almost two-decades in Africa, Simon has in-depth knowledge of the political, humanitarian and social context in large parts of the continent, along with several other highly fragile geographies in the Middle East and Asia.
Having had the opportunity to live, work and learn from so many extraordinary people in varied contexts across multiple countries for years has enabled Simon to be an increasingly effective and authentic advocate for systems transformations amongst key global influencers from a wide array of sectors globally. A regular speaker, opinion piece writer and influencer for social change, Simon has served as an advisory board and council member to several World Economic Forum and World Bank initiatives.
Simon attended the London School of Economics and Political Science (Sociology, BSc), Imperial College London (Rural and Social Development, PGCerts. and Development Management, PGDip.) and Lancaster University (Diplomacy and International Relations, MA). He lives in The Netherlands
with his wife and two children
Former Chief Secretary Government of Kerala
SM Vijayanand is an officer of the 1981 batch of the IAS, belonging to the Kerala cadre. Almost his entire career was in Rural Development, Local Governance, and Decentralized Planning. He coordinated Kerala’s People’s Planning for fifteen years nonstop from the day it started in 1996. During this period, he nurtured Kudumbashree, a highly successful SHG programme in the country and was active in moulding the Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) into an institution of excellence in the training of Elected Representatives.
He worked as Deputy Secretary, and later as Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development. As Secretary of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj during 2015-16, he was instrumental in introducing the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) in the country. He retired as Chief Secretary of Kerala in 2017. Post-retirement, he headed the Sixth State Finance Commission of Kerala. He is now a member of the Governing Body of leading NGOs like PRADAN, Banyan, Pallium India, Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation, COSTFORD, etc. He chairs PRADAN and the School for Democracy in Rajasthan.
Principal Secretary & Development Commissioner Health & Family Welfare Department, Government of Meghalaya, India
Sampath Kumar is a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer with over 26 years of experience in public administration, focusing on addressing complex human development challenges. As Development Commissioner & Principal Secretary of Meghalaya’s Health & Family Welfare Department, he has been at the forefront of developing innovative, community-driven solutions to persistent governance and development issues.
His leadership in navigating failures has been pivotal in tackling high maternal mortality rates in Meghalaya. The “Rescue Mission,” which he spearheaded, reduced maternal deaths by over 50% within three years by addressing systemic gaps in healthcare delivery, empowering frontline health workers, and fostering behavioral change in communities. Recognizing the importance of local engagement, he institutionalized the first of a kind Village Health Councils (VHCs) in Meghalaya, which continue to bridge gaps between governance and communities.
Kumar’s approach to systemic governance challenges has been rooted in adaptive learning, evidenced by his efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, where he coordinated community-based responses across 6,000 villages. Through the State Capability Enhancement Project (SCEP), he has integrated frameworks that address interconnected challenges across health, gender equity, and climate resilience, emphasizing iterative problem-solving and collaboration.
Central to Kumar’s work is the State Capability Enhancement Project (SCEP) framework, which integrates solutions across health, gender equity, and climate resilience by addressing systemic challenges, strengthening local leadership, and fostering citizen-state collaboration. This innovative approach has evolved into the Meghalaya Government Innovation Lab, now recognized by NITI Aayog as a model for driving systemic reform and improving governance outcomes.
A Harvard Kennedy School alumnus, Kumar views challenges as opportunities to innovate and recalibrate strategies, ensuring more resilient and inclusive systems for sustainable human development outcomes.
Former Deputy Managing Director NABARD
P.V.S. Suryakumar brings years of experience in development banking encompassing; project appraisal, project implementation, policy and advocacy. His career in NABARD, since 1986, involved managing and overseeing issues of rural credit, rural livelihoods, natural resource management, rural infrastructure and capacity building. Post retirement, he is serving on boards of organisations involved in the social sector. He holds Masters degrees from the Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom and the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. He is a Commonwealth Scholar. He is an Associate of the Indian Institute of Banking & Finance. He authored two books, on Case Study and Sustainable Agriculture. He contributes to the opinion pages of business papers regularly.
Member Karnataka Legislative Assembly
Darshan Puttannaiah is an Indian politician from Karnataka, currently serving as the Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly for the Melukote constituency since May 2023. He represents the Sarvodaya Karnataka Party and is the son of the late K. S. Puttannaiah, a respected farmers’ leader.
Born in 1977 in Mandya district, Karnataka, Darshan completed his Bachelor of Technology from Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering, Mysore, in 2001.
Before entering politics, Darshan had a career in the technology sector, including experience in the United States. He returned to India to continue his father’s legacy in public service. In the 2023 elections, he secured victory in the Melukote constituency, with support from the Indian National Congress.
Founder Swachha Kaadyam
Sathish Kumar CAV, a Postgraduate in Rural Management from IRMA, has around 9 years of experience in managing collectives and rural enterprises. Sathish has previously worked with several farmers and dairy cooperatives in various capacities across the country. In 2020, he founded Swachha Kaadyam an Agri processing and marketing start up based out of Anantapur. Besides this, Mr. Sathish has been helping several FPOs and small-scale rural enterprises set up their businesses, establish processing units and market their products. He is also associated with various NGOs and Government run incubation centers where he helps entrepreneurs on various aspects including business processes and marketing.
CEO Centre for Exponential Change
Sanjay Purohit is CEO and Chief Curator of Centre for Exponential Change. He has 30+ years of diverse experience spanning corporate and development sectors. Since 2016, he has been co-creating Societal Thinking, an approach to resolve complex societal challenges with speed, at scale, sustainably. He has engaged with 500+ Change Leaders across 20+ countries with Societal Thinking in domains such as climate action, education, gender equity, healthcare and livelihoods. The core ideas of Societal Thinking are encapsulated in his Think Books. He is mentor and co-founder of apurva.ai, a platform to amplify the collective wisdom of communities with AI. He serves on the Board of Advisors of Don Norman Design Award that champions humanity centred design and Fundamentum, a scale investment fund.
Angel Investor
Sanjay is an accomplished global business leader with over 30 years of consumer goods industry experience in India and Overseas. He started his career with Unilever India and later worked with Unilever International. This was followed by over 18 years with Coca-Cola as the President of the business in Indonesia, Nordics and more recently United Kingdom.
He is currently consulting with select companies internationally and involved with a portfolio of start-ups in the Consumer, Retail and MedTech space. He is also actively engaged with two Buddha Institute rural entrepreneurs in the Food and Toy industry.
Head The Habitat Trust
Rushikesh has over 20 years of experience in conservation of ecosystems and species. He has a post-graduation in environmental science, coupled with few professional courses from some of the top global universities. He has also been on several Government and Supreme Court committees for conservation. He brings with him established expertise in sustainable ecosystems, species conservation, organisational stewardship, community development and awareness.
Rushikesh is the head of The Habitats Trust (THT), founded in 2018 by Roshni Nadar Malhotra, is dedicated to conserving India’s natural habitats and lesser-known species through funding, partnerships, and community engagement. Focused on underrepresented and critically endangered species, THT supports conservation through initiatives like The Habitats Trust Grants, which empower individuals and organizations working on biodiversity protection.
President Hummingbird Green Solutions
Richenda currently is President of Hummingbird Green Solutions, an advisory company she founded last year after four years leading the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) as a Vice President at the Aspen Institute. Before this, she served as Managing Director for Empowering Clean Economies at the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) where she led on renewable energy solutions in developing economies.
From 2010-2016 Richenda was Executive Director in the Climate and Energy Department at the United Nations Foundation, leading on energy access, and working at the highest levels of the UN on development of the UN Sustainable Energy for All Initiative, SDG7 and climate finance, and founded a 2,300-member global off-grid renewable energy network focused on electrification and clean cooking solutions.
Richenda was a pioneer in private equity and impact investing in emerging markets renewable energy solutions and previously spent five years as CEO of Trickle Up, a global microenterprise development organization, with a strong focus on gender equality.
Richenda served 12 years as a board director of leading solar social enterprise SELCO India. She is an Emeritus founding U.S. Women’s “Clean Energy Ambassador” within the U.S. DOE Clean Energy, Education and Empowerment (C3E) initiative. She was a member of the World Bank’s Energy Program’s (ESMAP) three-person Technical Advisory Group from 2016-2019 and co-Chair of the Climate Investment Fund’s SREP Expert Group in 2010 and in 2014.
Richenda earned both her MBA and BSc (Hons) from Durham University, UK.
Chairman Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP)
Ravi Venkatesan is a business leader, social entrepreneur and author. He is the chairman of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), founder of the Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME) and serves on the Boards of Rockefeller Foundation and Hitachi Ltd.
Ravi has previously served as the chairman of Microsoft India, Bank of Baroda and Cummins India and co-chairman of Infosys Limited. He was also UNICEF’s Special Representative for Young People and Innovation.
He has a B. Tech from IIT Bombay, an MS from Purdue University and an MBA from Harvard Business School where he was a Baker Scholar. Ravi is the author of two bestselling books, ‘What The Heck Do I Do With My Life: How To Flourish in Our Turbulent Times’ and ‘Conquering the Chaos: Win in India, Win Everywhere’. He has been voted as one of India’s best management thinkers by Thinkers50 and Microsoft’s Alumni Hero 2020
Farmer Karnataka
Ramesh Khangoudar is a farmer from Kalloli village in the Belagavi district of Karnataka. He practices integrated farming techniques across his 10-acre farmland. Along with his brother Mallikarjun, he is engaged in agricultural and allied activities, focusing on value addition and sustainable practices.
Leveraging the PMFME scheme with support from KVG Bank, Ramesh established a solar-powered oil extraction unit, flour mill, and turmeric pounder on his farm. Following this, he developed a trade and service model, setting up a petty shop on his farmland to market his farm-processed products, including organic turmeric and oils made from groundnut, safflower, and coconut, under the brand name of Krushi Sanjeevini Savayava Kendra
Recognized for his contributions, Ramesh has earned several state and national awards, including the prestigious Krushi Pandith Award (FY 2022-2023) from the Department of Agriculture. As a resource person for the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) and the Department of Agriculture, he regularly shares his expertise with agricultural communities. His farm is also a learning hub for students from agricultural universities, providing hands-on exposure to sustainable and innovative farming practices.
Executive Director Centre for Sustainable Agriculture
Dr. GV Ramanjaneyulu is a prominent agricultural scientist and the Executive Director of the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA), a Hyderabad-based non-governmental organization and Director of Sahaja Aharam Producer Company. With over two decades of experience in the field of sustainable agriculture, he has been a pivotal figure in promoting and implementing environmentally friendly farming practices across India. With a Ph.D. in Agriculture from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, he has designed innovative community-managed extension programs and digital tools for agribusiness management.
Dr. Ramanjaneyulu has extensive experience working with over 50,000 farmers in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra, establishing ecologically and economically sustainable agricultural models. He has promoted 60 Farmer Producer Organizations and supports government programs in natural farming across multiple states. Under his leadership, CSA has become the largest Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) certifying agency in India, working with nearly 47,000 farmers. His contributions extend to education and capacity building through initiatives like Grameen Academy and Krishna Sudha Academy for Agroecology. Dr. Ramanjaneyulu has published over 20 reports, 5 books, and numerous research articles.
Lead Energy Specialist ESMAP (Energy Sector Management Assistance Program)
Mr. Raihan Elahi is leading the ESMAP Energy Access Program of the World Bank. As a Lead Energy Specialist, he brings 25 years of Bank operational experience from two World Bank regions – Sub Saharan Africa and South Asia. He has worked extensively in electricity sector policy, regulation, utility reforms, regional integration, energy finance, guarantees, renewable energy, and energy access. He has supported governments to introduce new policies, implement public private partnerships and design innovative projects to push the boundaries of energy sector development.
Mr. Elahi is a thought leader in promoting innovative technologies and disruptive business models to help countries achieve their development targets in a faster and sustainable manner. Before moving to ESMAP, in the Africa Region, he was managing the Energy Access Flagship and the Lighting Africa Program. He helped the Lighting Africa Program evolve to support electrification of productive uses, and public institutions to contribute to broader Bank objectives of human capital development. This Program has now evolved in to Electrifying Africa Program, the cornerstone of Mission 300 initiative, to electrify 300 million people in Africa. In South Asia, Mr. Elahi played a significant role in the design and development of the Bangladesh solar market which electrified about 18 million people.
In addition, he has extensively worked on other mainstream energy practice areas such as hydropower, geothermal energy, grid connected solar PV, regional transmission interconnections, utility performance improvement, and power sector reforms. He has authored numerous livewires and policy research working papers.
Associate Director SELCO Foundation
Professor Columbia University
Vijay Modi is a Professor in Columbia University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, and also a member of the Earth Institute/Climate School and Data Sciences Faculty. He directs the Quadracci Sustainable Engineering Laboratory.
He received his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1984 and worked as a post-doc at MIT from 1984 to 1986 before joining the faculty at Columbia University. Prof. Modi’s areas of expertise are energy resources and energy conversion technologies. His laboratory, the Quadracci Sustainable Engineering Lab (QSEL), has been responsible for technologies such as “SharedSolar” and widely used tools such as “Network Planner” and a free open-source app called FormHub, used over a million times.
He has nearly 40 years of experience in energy resources/conversion applied research, including thermal power generation, gas turbines, solar and wind technologies. His laboratory has developed network expansion tools for electric utilities in low-resource settings and data-driven analysis of such utilities for demand forecasting. His current research includes resource adequacy and capacity expansion models for deep decarbonization of the energy system, including data-driven models for electrification of heating and transport. Current interests include the Global South: understanding their constraints to economic growth, the role of infrastructure and energy services in supporting livelihoods, data and analytics at high spatial resolution to identify local gaps and opportunities and how geographies can benefit from leap frogging in the energy transition; and, in higher income geographies: How can decarbonization be fast and equitable?
He is currently working closely with city and national agencies/utilities to understand how energy services can be more accessible, more efficient and cleaner. His recent project on minigrids is providing a unique understanding of consumer behavior, demand for energy, and business models for deploying energy solutions and energy efficiency.
Film Director & Screen Writer
Mr. Prashanth Neel is an Indian film director and screenwriter, renowned for his significant contributions to Kannada cinema, elevating it to national and global prominence.
He gained widespread recognition with his directorial debut, Ugramm (2014), a critically acclaimed action-drama that set the tone for his unique narrative style. However, it was the KGF series, starting with K.G.F: Chapter 1 (2018), that catapulted him to unparalleled fame. The sequel, K.G.F: Chapter 2 (2022), became a box-office sensation, breaking records and garnering acclaim for its breathtaking visuals, intricate storytelling, and larger-than-life characters.
His third film, Salaar, had a great response, and Salaar 2 is one of the most awaited sequels in Indian cinema.
Prashanth Neel is celebrated for his meticulous approach, combining innovative storytelling with technical brilliance. Neel continues to redefine Indian cinema, inspiring audiences and filmmakers alike.
Founder and CEO Oscillo Machines
Prajwal M is the Founder and CEO of Oscillo Machines Private Limited – Innovating Periodically, a company dedicated to transforming agriculture through sustainable and innovative technology. He holds a Master’s degree in Physics, which has always driven his critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Prajwal’s passion for addressing complex challenges led him to focus on solving critical issues in agriculture, starting with his participation in the NIF Challenge in 2012.
Prajwal’s entrepreneurial journey began with the LEAD Program at the Deshpande Foundation, which introduced him to the world of entrepreneurship and inspired him to create impactful solutions. Recognizing the struggles faced by small and marginal farmers, he co-founded Oscillo Machines with Shivanand S in 2019. The company aims to develop practical, eco-friendly technologies that mechanize traditional agricultural practices, empowering farmers and making agriculture more efficient.
Based in Mysuru, Oscillo Machines focuses on creating innovative farm machinery, including all-electric and diesel-operated equipment, designed specifically for small and marginal farmers. The company has developed products such as the Single Row Electric SRI Paddy Weeder, Rake King 250, and the Suvarna-4R-eRT Root Washed Paddy Transplanter with DSR. These machines reduce labor dependency, enhance efficiency, and promote sustainable farming practices, offering affordable yet effective solutions for real-world agricultural challenges.
Under Prajwal’s leadership, Oscillo Machines has been recognized by leading incubators and has successfully delivered products to farmers across India and internationally. His journey has been both challenging and rewarding, and he remains committed to driving innovation in agriculture, ensuring that farmers have access to the tools and technology they need to thrive.
Independent Climate & Social Change Advisor
Peter C Goldmark Jr is an independent consultant specializing in philanthropy, environmental policy, and international development. He previously directed the Climate and Air Program at Environmental Defense Fund (2003–2010) and has had a distinguished career in both public and private sectors.
Goldmark served as New York State Budget Director during the 1970s fiscal crisis, helping lead its recovery, and as Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He later served as Chairman and CEO of the International Herald Tribune and President of the Rockefeller Foundation, where he championed environmental initiatives.
A recipient of the Wilson Wyatt National Award for Urban Revitalization and a member of France’s Legion of Honor, Goldmark has taught at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. He holds a B.A. from Harvard and several honorary degrees.
Manager The Energy Nexus Network
Paul T. Yillia is the Manager at The Energy Nexus Network (TENN). He is also Senior Technical Adviser to the Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change Renewable Energy and Food security (PI-CREF), Office of the President, Sierra Leone. Paul is leading efforts in Sierra Leone on climate action and decentralized renewable energy (DRE) interventions at the nexus with social infrastructure. Previously, he has undertaken numerous assignments with several governments and international organizations, including FAO, UNDP, UN-Environment, UNESCO, UNF, UNIDO, UNOPS, UN-Water, SEforALL, and World Bank Group. He has participated in the organisation and facilitation of several international events, with over 100 appearances and more than 80 presentations, including keynote speeches and moderation of high-level panels and discussions. Paul has been featured in high profile interviews and awards, and he has authored several publications, including peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and policy briefs.
Founding Chair The Presencing Institute
Otto Scharmer, a Senior Lecturer at MIT and Founding Chair of the Presencing Institute, has dedicated the past 20 years to helping leaders embrace cross-sector systems transformation.
Through his bestselling books Theory U and Presence (the latter co-authored with Peter Senge and others), Otto introduced the groundbreaking concept of “presencing” — learning from the emerging future. He also co-authored Leading from the Emerging Future, which outlines eight acupuncture points for transforming our economy from egocentric to ecocentric. His most recent book The Essentials of Theory U (2018) summarizes the core principles and applications of awareness-based systems change.
He co-founded the MITx u-lab, which has activated a vibrant worldwide ecosystem of transformational change involving more than 240,000 users from 186 countries. In collaboration with colleagues, he co-created global Action Learning Labs for UN agencies and SDG Leadership Labs for UN Country Teams in 26 countries, which support cross-sector initiatives for addressing urgent humanitarian crises.
Born and raised near Hamburg, Germany, Otto’s early experiences on his family farm profoundly shaped his vision. From his father, a pioneer of regenerative farming, Otto learned the significance of the living quality of the soil in organic agriculture, which inspired his thinking about social fields as the grounding condition from which visible transformations emerge. Like a good farmer who cares for the soil, Otto believes responsible leaders must nurture the social field in which they operate. He emphasizes that shifting our economic operating systems from extractive to regenerative requires innovations in leadership support structures for shifting mindsets from ego to eco. Building that infrastructure is the purpose of the u-school for Transformation.
Otto earned his diploma and his PhD in economics from Witten/Herdecke University in Germany. He is a member of the UN Learning Advisory Council for the 2030 Agenda and the World Future Council. He has won the Jamieson Prize for Teaching Excellence at MIT and the European Leonardo Corporate Learning Award. In 2021, he received the Elevating Humanity Award from the Organizational Development Network.
Director - Livelihood and Prosperity Social Alpha
Onkar has been instrumental in strengthening the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem, ensuring alignment with key sectoral needs. He collaborates with multiple stakeholders, entrepreneurs, and innovators, providing them with essential support to enhance the ecosystem and make a tangible impact on communities. He also lends his expertise to several technology-based startups and NGOs, serving as an Independent Director and Board Advisor in both India and overseas.
Before joining Social Alpha, Onkar played a pivotal role in the “Lakhpati Kisan” program under the Central India Initiative of TATA Trusts. He successfully established multidisciplinary implementation teams in Maharashtra and worked closely with civil society organizations to scale the program. His efforts included collaboration with government bodies, NGOs, and CSR partners to build, leverage, and co-invest in the program.
Earlier in his career, Onkar was associated with PRADAN, where he worked with some of the most underprivileged communities in the Naxal-affected regions of Bihar and Jharkhand. His major contributions included developing community-level livelihood models, promoting sustainable agriculture, and fostering micro-entrepreneurship through public-private partnerships.
Onkar holds an M.Phil. in Political Science & International Relations from the University of Lucknow and Diploma in entrepreneurship from University of Pennsylvania He has also completed numerous training and certification programs in entrepreneurship, livelihood program development, and CSR leadership and management from prestigious national and international institutions
Researcher ACWADAM
Neha Bhave, a Researcher at ACWADAM for 10 years, focuses on drinking water security, agriculture, livelihoods, groundwater ecosystems, springshed management, and participatory groundwater management. Her work involves field data collection, analysis, interpretation, and conducting technical sessions in ACWADAM’s foundation training course. She has engaged with 15 partner organisations across 11 states, training several professionals. Neha’s key efforts include working with tribal communities in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Gujarat, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and Maharashtra. She has also contributed to springshed management in the Nilgiris, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand by building local community capacities.
Country Director – India & Director – Growth Operations, Asia, Middle East and Europe PATH
Neeraj Jain is PATH’s India Country Director since June 2016. He is also the Director – Growth Operations, Asia, Middle East and Europe. He oversees the strategic, programmatic, engagement and financial operations for a matrix of global and in-country programs implemented across PATH’s offices in South Asia. He also represents PATH to governments, policymakers, the global health community, donors, and media.
Neeraj comes with over 30 years of experience across business development, marketing and strategic management in organisations across Asia and Europe.
Prior to PATH, Neeraj was the Chief Executive at WaterAid, India. He played a critical role towards promoting importance of safe water, sanitation and hygiene in improving child health and representing the organisation at the central and state level in India.
Champion Farmer Assam
Neelam Dutta is an organic farmer from Pabhoi, Assam, with over 23 years of experience in sustainable agriculture. Taking over his family farm, Neelam transformed Pabhoi Greens into a model of organic farming and ecological resilience. Under his leadership, Pabhoi Greens has become a hub for organic seed production, cultivating over 800 varieties of organic vegetable seeds and preserving a gene pool of 200+ indigenous rice varieties.
Through training and capacity-building programs, he has empowered over 24,000 farmers, students, and NGOs with knowledge on sustainable farming practices. Committed to agroecological principles, Neelam has played a key role in promoting community-based organic farming across Northeast India. His initiatives extend beyond Assam, having contributed to the establishment of farmers’ cooperatives and gene banks in Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
Neelam has been recognized with prestigious awards like the India’s Best Organic Haladhar Farmer Award, National Farmer Award (Krishak Samrat), Son of the Soil Award including Assam’s highest civilian award- “Assam Gaurav” by the state. Govt. of Assam.
Angel Investor
Naga Prakasam is a visionary leader with three decades of global experience across the USA and India. Retired at 41, he has since become a farmer of startups, investing in 33 ventures, including Uniphore, now a $2.5B unicorn with a 120x return. As a champion of impact investing, he co-founded IAN Impact, mentors rural entrepreneurship through Nativelead Foundation, and has inspired sustainable innovation nationwide.
Author of “Back to Bharat – In Search of a Sustainable Future”, Naga’s insights earned the GLF-WWF Honours Book Award 2024. His mantra, “Start-ups should focus on India’s strength – People, Problems, Tech (PPT),” continues to guide entrepreneurs.
An advisor at Acumen and a mentor at IIM Bangalore, Naga has influenced national policy through NITI Aayog and transformative projects like KisanMitr. Recognized globally, his work is featured in Forbes and Harvard-published case studies. A globetrotter turned Bangalorean, Naga is committed to driving impactful change.
Founder DESTA
Mihir Mathur practices systems thinking and system dynamics modeling to enable organizations and people to improve the impact of their work. He founded DESTA Research LLP, in 2018, and is the Curator of Systems for Systems Change, an initiative to create collaborative systems change at scale.
He is a visiting faculty at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), the Indian School of Development Management (ISDM), and the Indian Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS). He also serves as a guest lecturer at the College of Defense Management, Hyderabad. Apart from his professional endeavours he pursues his interests in theatre and music and loves to play cricket.
Over 15 years of his practice of systems thinking he has done over 35 projects and trained more than 2500 people.
Born to Shri Ongchung Lepcha and the late Shmt. Nakchungkit Lepcha, Mickma hails from Nerdhang Busty, Tashiding, West Sikkim. He completed their schooling at Padma Odzer Choeling in East Sikkim and have achieved notable recognition in the field of Lepcha music. His musical journey began in 2004, leading to the creation of several albums, including *Reebum Aray* and *Eternity Remix*, showcasing their skills in songwriting, composing, and playing traditional instruments like Tungbuk and Puntong Polit.
Mickma has collaborated on various projects, such as the *Mix the City* initiative with the British Council and documentaries like *Harmony With AR Rahman* and *Saawoh*. His contributions to the arts have earned them prestigious accolades, including the Ustad Bishmillah Khan Yuva Puraskar from the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2010-2011 and recognition as a Young Talented Artiste of Northeast India.
Currently, he serve in the Culture Department of the Government of Sikkim and are a member of Sofiyum Band, a Lepcha folk fusion group. His work reflects a deep commitment to preserving and promoting Lepcha culture through music.
Director - Research, Data & Impact WRI India
Manu is the Director of Research, Data, and Impact at WRI India. His focus is to help support and strengthen WRI’s research culture, systematise knowledge creation, and strengthen links between research, practice, and real-world outcomes. He supports, mentors, and works with WRI India’s
program teams on research strategy, design, and publications.
Prior to joining WRI, Manu was a university professor for 12 years; most recently he was an Associate Professor in the School of Development at Azim Premji University, where he taught courses on the intersection of ecology and development in India, the practice of sustainability in the city, and on building a sustainable energy-society relationship. He was also part of teams that developed, taught, and administered the university’s early online and hybrid courses including, Exploring Sustainability in the Indian Context, the PG Diploma in Development Leadership and Development and Social Change in India. Manu has also held faculty positions at Rochester Institute of Technology (USA), the United Nation University Institute of Advanced Studies (Japan) and is currently a visiting faculty at Azim Premji University.
His research is on the political economy of economic development as expressed in energy infrastructure choices, and their implications for justice in human well-being outcomes, on a shared and finite planet. His publications include Nuclear Power, Economic Development Discourse and the Environment: The Case of India (Routledge, 2013), the co-edited volume Green Growth: Ideology, Political Economy and the Alternatives (Zed Books, 2016) as well as journal articles, book chapters and articles for a general audience. His ongoing research focuses on the expansion of renewable energy infrastructure as part of the “energy transition” and its implications for sustainability as justice; and on the question of finding sufficiency in production-consumption systems. He is part of the Future Earth Knowledge and Action Network on Systems of Sustainable Consumption and Production.
Manu earned his PhD in Energy and Environmental Policy from the University of Delaware. His also holds a master’s in public policy from the University of Maryland, an M.Sc. in Wildlife Science from the Wildlife Institute of India, and a B.Sc. in Environmental Science from St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore.
Founder Social Alpha
Manoj is the Founder & CEO of Social Alpha, a multistage innovation curation and venture development platform for start-ups that aim to solve the most critical social, economic and environmental challenges.
Manoj’s three-decade-long career has included roles as an entrepreneur, investor, and corporate leader spanning multiple sectors and geographies. Manoj transitioned from business to philanthropy in 2015 and founded Social Alpha to bring breakthrough innovation to the social impact space. Social Alpha works closely with innovators willing to take entrepreneurial risks to solve humanity’s most critical challenges by helping them create implementation- and deployment-ready solutions for people and the planet. Selected innovators receive access to R&D infrastructure, sandboxes for pilots and validations, product management guidance, technical, business and regulatory expertise, early-stage risk capital and entrepreneurial mentoring. Since its inception in 2016, Social Alpha has supported over
350 innovations, focusing on climate change, healthcare, poverty, and livelihoods. It has also unlocked over US$350 million from philanthropy, governments, and investors.
Manoj serves on the governing and advisory boards of several companies, non-profits, and research institutions. Manoj is deeply passionate about creating entrepreneurial solutions to societal problems by bridging the gap between science and society and hopes Social Alpha architecture can continue to evolve to address market failure and associated challenges in bridging those gaps.
Mangka is a distinguished Manipuri musician recognized for her expertise in folk music and dance. She is an A-graded folk singer and a recipient of the Manipur State Award, highlighting her significant contributions to the arts. As an ICCR empaneled artiste, Mangka has showcased her talent on international stages, collaborating with musicians from around the globe.
In addition to her performance career, Mangka is dedicated to community service. She founded Play Pena Pena, an initiative offering free music classes to empower youth and promote traditional Manipuri music. Through her work, she not only preserves cultural heritage but also inspires the next generation of musicians.
Mangka’s vision extends beyond performance; she is committed to enriching lives through music and fostering a deeper appreciation for Manipuri culture both locally and internationally.
Director- Demand, Jobs and livelihoods The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet
Makena Ireri is an energy specialist with over 13 years of experience in energy and international development. With a strong foundation in engineering, Makena’s diverse work history includes nuclear energy generation (UK), transitioning to renewable energy in international development (various), where she has spent over nine years working on energy access projects. Makena’s work has spanned advisory support for energy-focused social enterprises in Africa, energy in humanitarian context and the intersections of energy with agriculture, gender, and climate change. She has worked in various countries and has published numerous articles and reports on topics such the impact of energy access on gender equality, inclusivity, and socio-economic development. At GEAPP Makena directs a $60M portfolio of projects focused on stimulating economic development and job creation from the use of green energy. Before GEAPP she was the Director of Energy Access Research at CLASP, managing a £6M research portfolio to accelerate the availability, affordability, and performance of off-grid technologies. Makena’s unique blend of engineering, research, and consulting expertise positions her as a knowledgeable and impactful leader in the energy and international development sectors.
Managing Director Waverley Street Foundation
Lande Ajose is an accomplished public policy leader who has worked relentlessly to improve lives in her home state of California. She has now taken that purpose global in her leadership role at Waverley Street Foundation as its founding Managing Director, where she has been instrumental in shaping the foundation’s strategic approach.
Lande previously served as vice president, Walter and Esther Hewlett Chair in Understanding California’s Future, and senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, shaping the Institute’s work on the most pressing issues facing the state. A nationally recognized higher education expert, California Governor Gavin Newsom appointed her as a senior policy advisor in his administration, where she helped to advance several signature initiatives. Currently a member of the board executive committee at both Occidental College and KQED, she co-hosts the podcast Sparking Equity. She holds a PhD in urban and regional studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
CEO Reap Benefit
Co-Founder and CEO of Reap Benefit, Kuldeep Dantewadia has been pivotal in building a movement of public problem-solving among adolescents and youth. Inspired by his father’s passion for Bangalore’s environmental issues, he was driven to solve environmental and civic problems from a young age. An ambitious train Journey, Jagriti Yatra, a confluence of change-makers, Youth leaders, problem-solvers and innovators, further ignited his entrepreneurial Journey.
A strong ethical leader, Kuldeep has won several accolades including Ashoka’s Lead Changemaker, MIT’s Global Startup Weekend, Changelooms Fellowship, S3IDF Fellowship, StartingBloc Fellowship, and Architects of the Future. Under his leadership, Reap Benefit is turning youth apathy into action and agency, while creating a new action-based culture of fostering problem-solving and changemaking skills. He has been instrumental in building a committed team at Reap Benefit and driving an ‘action-driven’ culture of collaboration, learning and Innovation for the next phase of scale and growth
Farmer and Entrepreneur Odisha
Krishna Chandra Nag is a farmer and entrepreneur from Sanchergaon village in Kalahandi district, Odisha. Starting his farming journey in 2006 with just 25 decimals of land, he has expanded his vegetable cultivation to an impressive 16 acres, becoming a prominent figure in sustainable and entrepreneurial farming practices in the state.
Recognized as a state-level champion farmer in Odisha, Mr. Nag actively trains and mentors other farmers, sharing his expertise in modern agricultural techniques. His farm has become a learning hub, attracting visits from institutions and organizations keen to understand his agriculture-based entrepreneurship model. He also works closely with multiple stakeholders, including Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), the horticulture department, the livestock department, and the agriculture department, to drive innovation and sustainability in farming.
Recently, Mr. Nag’s achievements were highlighted by the Prime Minister of India during the “Mann Ki Baat” program, recognizing his significant contributions to the agricultural community.
Champion Farmer
Mr. Juwan Singh Patel, a postgraduate (M.A.) from Manli village in Dahod district, is a lead farmer in his community. He transitioned to a Solar Powered Lift Irrigation System under CInI’s flagship ‘Lakhpati Kisan’ program in collaboration with Sustain Plus. Through this program he began to cultivate high-value agriculture crops like vegetables, mangoes and cereals using modern farming techniques of drip and mulching. Agriculture combined with animal husbandry has significantly boosted his income.
CEO IKEA Foundation
Jessica Anderen is CEO of the IKEA Foundation, an independent philanthropy dedicated to tackling poverty and the climate crisis. She has over 30 years of business experience as a global leader for IKEA, including roles in India, Singapore, China and Australia. Prior to joining the IKEA Foundation she was CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer of IKEA Switzerland. Her previous positions include Global Market Support Manager, Deputy Country Manager at IKEA Retail Sweden, and Trading Area Manager for South Asia.
Jessica studied economics in Sweden. She holds several board positions and has served as a strategic partner, senior adviser and coach to Inter IKEA’s Social Entrepreneurship programme.
Director – Asia Pacific Region, Access to Energy Schneider Electric
Jamal has over 25 years of extensive experience in power quality, energy management, and mergers and acquisitions. He currently is the Asia Pacific Region Director for the Access to Energy Program at Schneider Electric.
His expertise encompasses product engineering, system design, and project execution, with a focus on developing IoT-based solutions for remote energy management and system protection. Jamal is actively engaged in the development sector, collaborating with various international and local NGOs, corporate foundations, and philanthropic ventures to enhance energy access in critical areas such as healthcare, education, and livelihoods.
Founder Eriweave
laishah Rymbai hails from Kdonghulu Raid lapngar village in Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya and has dedicated over two decades to handloom weaving and natural dyeing. With 20 years of expertise in traditional craftsmanship, she has become a highly respected figure in her community and beyond for her skills in sustainable textile production. In 2009, laishah founded the Raid lapngar Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society, where she has served as Secretary, fostering collaboration among local weavers and promoting indigenous handloom traditions.
Her leadership roles further extend to community empowerment. Since 2023, laishah has served as President of the Cluster Level Federation in Bhoirymbong under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), where she supports initiatives that uplift rural women and enhance sustainable livelihoods. Additionally, she held the role of Vice Chairman at Meghaloom from 2022 to 2024, contributing to the growth and development of Meghalaya’s handloom sector.
As the Founder and Director of Eriweave Pvt Ltd., laishah champions the preservation of the eri silk weaving heritage, bringing sustainable, eco-friendly products to a broader market. Her vision and commitment have made her a pioneer in promoting Meghalaya’s handloom industry and women-led enterprises.
Director SELCO Foundation
Huda Jaffer, Director, SELCO Foundation is a product-service-system’s designer. She has an undergraduate degree in design from Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology in Bangalore and a Masters of Science in Engineering and Business (Integrated Design and Management) from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. She has a keen interest in user centric design specifically for sustainability and developmental issues. She has been critical in building the necessary processes of SELCO Foundation that has led to its stays of being known as a pioneer in the field of building the ecosystem for sustainable energy access for the poor.
CEO SELCO Foundation
Harish Hande is a renewable energy entrepreneur with over 22 years of grassroots experience in meeting the requirements of underserved communities. He is also the founder of SELCO India – one of the most successful rural energy enterprises in the world. Recognized as a pioneer of sustainable decentralized rural energy solutions, Harish has received many national and international awards including the Ashden Award and the Ramon Magsaysay Award for “his pragmatic efforts to put solar power technology in the hands of the poor, through his social enterprise SELCO India”.
Director, School of Climate Change and Sustainability Azim Premji University
Harini Nagendra is Director, School of Climate Change and Sustainability, and Director, Research Centre, at Azim Premji University. Prof. Nagendra is known for her research spanning over 30 years on forest conservation, and urban sustainability. Her interdisciplinary work on forests elucidates the link between pattern and process in the human-dominated landscapes of South Asia. Her work on urban ecology and sustainability highlights the importance of urban ecosystems in contributing critical ecosystem services
and impacting urban resilience and human well-being.
For her interdisciplinary research and practice, she has received many awards including the 2009 Cozzarelli Prize from the US National Academy of Sciences, the 2013 Elinor Ostrom Senior Scholar award, and the 2017 Clarivate Web of Science award. She is an elected member of The World Academy of Sciences, Trieste, and the Indian National Science Academy. She has written over 200 academic papers, including recent publications in Nature, Nature Sustainability, and Science, and is on Stanford University’s list of the top 2% cited scientists in the world.
Prof. Nagendra is a well-known public speaker and writer, and the author of award-winning non-fiction books including Nature in the City: Bengaluru in the Past, Present and Future; and Cities and Canopies: Trees of Indian Cities. She also writes the acclaimed Bangalore Detectives Club series, a set of historical mysteries set in 1920s Bangalore.
Harini has been a past Lead Author on the IPCC AR5 reports, and Advisory Board Member to the 2021 and 2022 UNDP Human Development Reports. She is on the Advisory Board of the Future Earth Programme for Ecosystem Change and Society, the Future Earth Urban Knowledge-Action Network, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology’s ClimateKIC, the WRI Ross Centre for Sustainable Cities, and the Blanes Centre for Advanced Studies (CEAB), and a Senior Fellow at the Ostrom Workshop, Indiana University.
Programme Specialist UNDP India
Hari Natarajan is currently a Programme Specialist leading the Climate Pillar within the Action for Climate & Environment unit at UNDP India. He has over 20 years of experience in the energy sector, especially the clean energy space in India. In his current role, he is involved in interventions addressing climate mitigation, adaptation and just energy transition. In his earlier roles, he has also been extensively involved in activities to promote the adoption of decentralized renewable energy solutions
Programmes Director IKEA Foundation
Haileselassie Medhin is Programmes Director for People at the IKEA Foundation, and overseas the foundation’s work on agricultural livelihoods, renewable energy, employment and entrepreneurship, and refugee livelihoods. He has wide-ranging experience in the nexus of evidence, action and institution building for sustainable development. Prior to joining the IKEA Foundation, Haileselassie held senior roles at the World Resources Institute, including as Africa Director of Strategy and Partnerships. Haileselassie received his Doctoral and MSc degrees in Economics from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, and his Bachelor’s degree from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia.
MEL & Strategy Consultant
Gurshabadjeet Singh is a MEL and strategy consultant with over 14 years of experience designing learning-focused, user-centered systems. He has worked across sectors such as rural livelihoods, renewable energy, health, and gender equity, supporting grassroots NGOs, international agencies, foundations, and networks. Gurshabad is invested in reimagining MEL to go beyond compliance, embracing ‘playful creativities’ while reducing drudgery and fatigue
Director - Country Engagement & Partnerships International Renewable Energy Agency
As Director of the IRENA’s Country Engagement and Partnerships (CEP), Gurbuz Gonul oversees the Agency’s work on supporting member countries in the development and implementation of national and regional renewable energy strategies and programmes through IRENA’s regional initiatives, tailored country support as well as partnership initiatives.
Mr. Gonul joined IRENA in 2014 as Head of Regions Unit. Formerly, he worked as Senior Energy Economist of the Islamic Development Bank between 2010 and 2014, where he led the work for the development of an Energy Sector Policy for the Bank as well as the processing of complex loan and technical assistance projects in Africa and Asia. Between 2004 and 2010, Mr. Gonul served as Senior Expert at the Energy Charter Secretariat in Brussels, where he spearheaded policy analysis, sectoral indepth reviews, regional / country reviews concerning energy investments, trade and transportation. He also held positions in the EU Commission’s Delegation in Ankara and Turkey’s Ministry of Energy since 1993. Mr. Gonul holds Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in Oil and Gas Engineering from the Middle East Technical University in Ankara.
Co - Founder Sungai Watch
Gary Bencheghib is an award-winning environmental activist, filmmaker, and co-founder of Sungai Watch, Indonesia’s leading river cleanup organization. Since 2020, Sungai Watch has installed 250+ trash barriers and removed over 2.8 million kg of plastic waste from Indonesia’s waterways.
In 2017, Gary’s expedition down the Citarum River on plastic bottle kayaks helped push the President of Indonesia to commit to its cleanup. For his impact, he received the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2022, Asia’s highest honor for public service.
He also co-founded Sungai Design, transforming reclaimed plastic waste into furniture and innovative materials. Through the Rahayu Project, Gary is dedicated to showcasing Indonesia’s rapid transformation with short form documentaries exposing Indonesia’s heritage.
Senior Director Doctors For You
G. Shandeepan is working with Doctors For You in the capacity of Senior Director. He is currently managing multiple CSR projects in national level which includes Health Infrastructure Construction, renovation and Upgradation. In past has managed international response in Nepal Earthquake and Multiple national/regional level responses which includes responses for Covid19, Earthquake, floods, landslides/flash floods and violence. He holds a double masters, his second masters was in the field of Diplomacy, Law and Business. Previously he had worked in O.P. Jindal University where he was working under International Human Rights lawyer. During the tenure in university, he was associated with human rights center and was part of the ‘International Law and Public Policy’ course program held in Somerville College, Oxford University UK. In addition, Shandeepan was also part of Humanitarian NGO which was playing a key role in the civilian Protection in Mindanao Conflict Ceasefire between Government of Philippine and Morro Islamic Liberation Force.
Founder & Director Envo Renewable Energy Services
Fazle Muztaba is the Founder & Director of Envo Renewable Energy Services Pvt. Ltd. (ERES), a rural energy enterprise committed to providing Decentralized Renewable Energy solutions & services to the underserved communities in the Northeast Region of India. With over twelve years of experience in the Decentralized Renewable Energy (DRE) sector, he has been a trailblazer in integrating clean energy to improve the lives of vulnerable populations.
Fazle and his team focuses on building a holistic ecosystem that addresses the most pressing needs of rural communities, including household and community lighting, powering healthcare & educational centres, generating livelihood opportunities, and disaster response. Their interventions with DRE solutions & services have impacted the lives of over 1.5 million rural population, bringing renewable energy to remote areas where conventional energy infrastructure is either non-existent or unreliable.
Through sustainable and scalable solutions, Fazle aims to uplift the underserved population by enhancing quality of life, creating wealth, and fostering asset-building opportunities.
Forest Conservationist
Farwiza Farhan is a forest conservationist working to protect, conserve, and restore the Leuser ecosystem in Sumatra, Indonesia. Leuser is the last place on Earth where rhinos, tigers, elephants, and orangutans still roam together in the wild. Farhan firmly believes that conservation should not be an exclusive club, but rather a network of stakeholder defender —from Indigenous communities to ecologists, lawyers and policymakers, international nonprofits and private sectors—sharing this planet together. Farhan is the chairperson of Forest, Nature and Environment Aceh Foundation (Yayasan HAkA), a grassroots organization based in Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia. She focuses primarily on policy and advocacy, working to increase meaningful access and deepen the involvement of women and local communities in policy matters pertaining to their environment and livelihood.
CEO AIC - Nalanda Institute of Technology Foundation
Durga Prasad is a Startup professional with 6 years of experience as an incubation professional. With an engineering background and over 11 years of experience in the education sector, Durga served as an Assistant Professor in Civil Engineering, where he actively led student innovations and fostered entrepreneurial skills through the Institute’s IED Cell. His instrumental role in organising various programs showcased his passion for developing the entrepreneurial acumen in young minds. In addition, Durga brings valuable expertise from his experience at AIC-Nalanda Institute of Technology Foundation (AIC-NITF), a Technology Business Incubator supported by Atal Innovation Mission where he currently serves as the CEO. He has mentored more than 60 startups and has been instrumental in executing key projects for startups in collaboration with the Government of Odisha. He has been also a member of the National task force for Vernacular Innovation of NITI Aayog, Govt of India and a speaker at the Startup20 Summit of G20 India.
CEO Innovation Center IIIT Bangalore
Dr. Lakshmi Jagannathan has more than three decades of experience, including both academic and corporate experience. During her career she has travelled extensively and has work exposure abroad and at home.
A passionate startup ecosystem and incubation professional who firmly believes that ideas have to be nurtured, fostered to build businesses of tomorrow. A seasoned professional in the incubation ecosystem, her expertise is in establishing processes, metrics and scaling up the incubation activities.
She has deep experience in building and scaling up not for profit ventures. She has extensive experience and interest to scale grass root impact especially in health in rural India. She has been instrumental in setting up and scaling up the entrepreneurship activities, which encompass a wide range of activities, from startup selection to mentoring , investing and scaling up. She has Mentored many startups which are established business units today
CEO and Director C‐CAMP
Dr. Taslimarif Saiyed is the CEO and Director of C‐CAMP from 2009 till present. His initial training has been in neurosciences, where he received his PhD from Max‐Planck Institute for Brain Research, Germany from 2002‐2006 and followed it up by postdoctoral training at University of California San Francisco (UCSF) from 2006‐2009. At the same time, he also underwent training in management for Biotech and Innovation from QB3 at UC Santa Cruz, UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco from 2007‐2009. He has also completed a biotech management program for biotech executives at Wharton School of Management in the year 2012. In the Bay area, he served as a Management Consultant with QB3 New Biotech Venture Consulting and in an individual capacity, he also consulted for many biotech firms in the US.
Dr. Saiyed is an Adjunct Faculty at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and also Amrita Institute ‐ School of Biotechnology since 2015. He also heads the Discovery to Innovation Accelerator program at C‐CAMP. He is actively involved in promoting innovation in life science / healthcare by supporting translation of discoveries to application, entrepreneurship and technology development
Senior Research Fellow UCL
Dr. Tash Perros is a researcher and consultant specializing in energy access, climate finance, and international development. With a background in engineering, her work focuses on policies, business models, and financing for energy technologies, drawing on mixed research methods. She has collaborated with leading donors and private sector organizations across sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, leading projects in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Malawi, Nepal, and Malaysia.
Dr. Perros’s academic research has been published in top journals, including Nature Energy, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, and Energy Research & Social Science. Beyond academia, she has contributed to the design of funding programs exceeding $20 million, developed policy briefs, produced commissioned reports, and published articles in NextBillion and The Conversation.
Executive Director ECHO India
Dr. Sunil Anand is a respected figure within the healthcare sector, currently serving as the Executive Director at ECHO India, a Not for profit Trust headquartered in New Delhi.
In his role, Dr. Anand is responsible for guiding ECHO India’s mission to promote equity in healthcare, livelihood and education by enhancing the capabilities of primary care practitioners, educators, and other frontline professionals.
Drawing from over three decades of corporate management experience, Dr. Anand provides adept leadership to the ECHO India team, overseeing the development and expansion of ECHO programs across the nation. He is also instrumental in driving the development of iECHO, the digital infrastructure of the ECHO platform.
Dr. Anand holds a medical degree from the esteemed Armed Forces Medical College Pune, complementing his expertise in healthcare with strategic acumen to further ECHO India’s objectives. Dr. Anand is well known for his results-oriented leadership style and his ability to unite cross-functional teams toward achieving common goals.
Fellow ATREE
Saloni is an environmental anthropologist who strives to contribute to global sustainability efforts by complementing scientific rigour with compassion and inclusivity. She is interested in inter and transdisciplinary research focused on understanding the psycho-social dimensions of multispecies interactions, human-wildlife coexistence using biocultural approaches, community led monitoring, evaluation and learning, and capacity enhancement of communities. She currently serves as a Fellow at ATREE.
ATREE, established 1996, is a globally recognised non-profit organisation focused on environmental conservation and sustainable, socially just development. ATREE engages in the generation and dissemination of rigorous interdisciplinary knowledge that informs and is informed by the needs of grassroots communities, policymakers and the wider public
Head scientist - Oceans & Coasts Nature Conservation Foundation
Rohan’s research interests concern issues of conservation, particularly the implications of climate change for marine ecosystems, the rational management of marine systems and fisheries in India, and the interface between policy, traditional practices, and ecosystem management. Rohan is currently a head scientist for oceans and coasts at Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF).
The Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) is a leading organization in India dedicated to biodiversity conservation and environmental research. Founded in 1996, NCF focuses on protecting wildlife and natural ecosystems through science-based approaches and community collaboration. Their work spans diverse ecosystems, including the Himalayas, Western Ghats, and Indian coastlines, addressing issues such as rainforest restoration, snow leopard conservation, marine biodiversity, and human-wildlife conflict mitigation. NCF also promotes nature education, urban ecology, and sustainable livelihoods for local communities.
Director Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre
Padma Shri awardee and distinguished oncologist, Dr R Ravi Kannan, who also serves as the Director of Cachar Cancer Hospital Society in Silchar, received the recognition of the prestigious 2023 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Holistic Healthcare. Dr. Kannan is a surgical oncologist who previously served as the Head of the Department of Surgical Oncology at the prestigious Cancer Institute (WIA) in Chennai.
Moved by the plight of the economically impoverished people, who desperately need the services of the Cancer Hospital in Silchar, Dr. Kannan moved to Assam with his family to make cancer care more accessible in the Barak Valley. Before Cachar, the nearest cancer hospital was over 300 kms. away in Guwahati. Over the last 13 years, Dr. Kannan together with the entire team at the hospital has transformed the rural cancer centre into a full-fledged hospital and research centre. Innovations introduced in his endeavour to take inclusive cancer care to the masses include:
Doctor ASHWINI Gudalur Tribal Hospital
Dr. Nandakumar is a distinguished general surgeon with a lifelong commitment to improving healthcare in rural India. He completed his education at St Xavier’s Collegiate School, Kolkata, and earned his MBBS from Christian Medical College, Vellore (1967-1972). He then pursued a surgical residency at Westchester County Medical Center, New York Medical College, from 1976 to 1980.
In 1990, Dr. Nandakumar co-founded ASHWINI Gudalur Adivasi Hospital in Gudalur, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, where he served as Director until 2020. His work at ASHWINI focused on providing essential healthcare services to underserved rural communities. Dr. Nandakumar has received numerous accolades, including the Paul Harrison Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2005 from CMC Vellore and the Humanitarian Award in 2018 from the American College of Surgeons. He also served on the Steering Committee of the National Health Mission, Government of India.
Dr. Nandakumar is married to Dr. Shylaja Devi, a gynaecologist and organic farmer, who is also a co-founder of ASHWINI. Together, they live on an organic farm in Gudalur (www.gourifarms.com).
General Coordinator Alliance for Food Sovereignty for Africa
Million has over two decades of experience in intergenerational learning, bio-cultural diversity, agroecology, and advocating for the rights of local communities to seed and food sovereignty. He holds a PhD in environmental learning, an MSc in Tourism and Conservation, and a BSc in Biology.
He is the co-founder and General Coordinator of the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) and a member of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food). Million also founded MELCA-Ethiopia, an Indigenous NGO focusing on agroecology, forest conservation, and community livelihoods, and has contributed significantly to the Africa Biodiversity Network (ABN).
His interests include participatory mapping, knowledge dialogues, and integrating resilience thinking into policies to support adaptive strategies for social and ecological change. Recognized for his impactful work, Million received Ethiopia’s National Green Hero Award in 2008 and the Distinguished Alumni Award from Rhodes University, South Africa.
Founder - Director Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology
Geetha Narayanan is the Founder-Director of the Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology, and the Mallya Aditi International School. With a commitment to creating innovative and holistic educational models, she has pioneered numerous courses and projects addressing diverse social and educational needs. As an administrator, researcher, teacher, and facilitator, Narayanan is dedicated to transforming education through creative and synergistic approaches. She is currently leading a comprehensive revamp of Srishti’s design pedagogy, curriculum, and social responsibility initiatives, and is also working on programs to train teachers for underserved communities. Additionally, she is the author and principal investigator of Project Vision, an international research project focused on developing instructional strategies and tools to foster creativity in children from urban poor communities.
Head of Scientific Division, Climate Energy & Sustainable Technology Department of Science & Technology (DST) GOI
Dr. Anita Gupta, a visionary leader and dedicated public servant, is the currently the Head of the Climate, Energy and Sustainable Technologies (CEST) Vertical at the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India. With a distinguished career in advancing India’s technological frontiers, she is a key facilitator and enabler of infusing critical thinking, problem solving, innovation, entrepreneurship, propelling decarbonizing pathways for Clean Energy transition. Dr. Gupta has played a pivotal role in shaping key programs, partnership models and policies that promote, nurture and accelerate clean energy solutions and sustainable technologies, driving India’s march towards becoming a global leader in technology and environmental stewardship by adopting approaches of both climate change adaptation and mitigation. She also represents India in the Global platform, Mission Innovation (MI), where DST is the nodal department from GoI in MI.
Dr. Gupta holds a doctorate in engineering from IIT Delhi, M.Tech from MANIT, Bhopal and B.E from NIT Raipur. She possesses over 28 years of rich experience in managing Government of India-led programs on innovation and entrepreneurship. Previously, she has served as the Head of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at DST, where she pioneered the growth of innovation, entrepreneurship, and startups leading to its vertical and horizontal growth in the country. She has been instrumental in establishing over 175 technology business incubators at institutions of academic excellence, including IITs, IIMs, NITs, and leading private universities. Dr. Gupta has played a key role in carving out a new program i.e. the National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) under the Prime Minister’s flagship initiative of Startup India Stand up India. She has demonstrated capabilities in transforming the Indian innovation landscape by engaging in new models of public-private partnerships with leading MNCs such as Intel, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Texas Instruments, Tata, and Bennett Coleman and Co. She has led highly successful PPP programs like the India Innovation Growth Program, Power of Ideas, and Innovate for Digital India. Dr. Gupta’s national-level experience includes promoting technology-based startups and empowering society through nurturing micro-enterprises based on relevant technologies.
In the Ministry, her initiatives include setting up the Department’s first Research Park at IIT Gandhinagar, providing seed and acceleration support for startups in incubators, launching the India Innovation Challenge for engineering students, and leading the hardware product-based incubation program, Plugin. She also led many cross-border collaborations both on startups, women entrepreneurs and in clean energy domain. Dr. Gupta has significantly contributed in fostering international linkages with countries like Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Cambodia, Denmark, EU, France, Germany, Malaysia, also over ten Indian delegations of innovators, startups including women led startups, researchers and scientists to Israel, Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, UAE and USA and multilateral agencies like UNDP, UNID, BRICS, G-20 etc.
In her current role, the landscape of clean energy projects to steer Research, Development and Demonstration encompasses Solar Energy, Energy Storage, Hydrogen, Clean coal technologies, Alternate fuels, Electric Mobility, Smart Grids, Building Energy Efficiency, Sustainable cooling and Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) technologies etc. Few Bilateral /Multilateral projects have also been initiated in clean energy domain i.e. Solar Energy, Smart grids, Hydrogen and CCUS.
Dr. Gupta has also contributed with numerous articles to leading forums and platforms, including print and digital media. She is regularly invited as a speaker, panelist, and resource person at various events and conferences both nationally and internationally.
Recently, Dr. Gupta was honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Award 2024 by her alma mater, NIT Raipur, for contributions to fostering innovation, promoting entrepreneurship, advancing Climate Change research, and driving initiatives for a sustainable energy transition through impactful partnerships with academia, industry, and global organizations.
Cluster Coordinator NM SADGURU Foundation
Mr. Dineshbhai Sangada, a native of Patwan village in Limkheda Taluka of Dahod, holds a Master’s degree in Social Work and works as Cluster Coordinator at the NM SADGURU Foundation. Since 2018, he has been actively collaborating with CInI on sanitation projects. Additionally, his extensive experience includes working on the PM Kusum Yojana in partnership with MGVCL.
Investment Partner Siana Capital
Dinesh is an Investment Partner at Siana Capital, a Venture Capital firm focused on investing in early stage deep tech ventures in India.
Dinesh has evaluated 1000+ investment opportunities at early stages (Seed to Series A) across various sectors (agritech, healthtech, edutech, climate/energy transition and frontier enterprise tech) and worked closely with the start up ecosystem across incubators/accelerators, angel/crowd funding networks, micro VCs and founder entrepreneurs over the past 7 years.
He had led investments across the entire lifecycle from sourcing, evaluation, deal structuring & consummation and post investment management as a Board Director/Observer. As an active style of investment management, Dinesh continues to work very closely with the portfolio founders/boards to help navigate the strategic challenges and competitive dynamics that early stage ventures face in their growth journey.
Dinesh has also taught as a visiting faculty for Post Graduate Program on Entrepreneurship & Innovation recently at Flame University, Pune and earlier at IFIM, Bangalore.
Prior to start up ecosystem, Dinesh has almost 25 years of extensive global management and technology consulting experience where he had a chance to live and work across continents (New York/Boston, London, Abu Dhabi, Singapore). Dinesh has been an intrapreneur even as a corporate executive launching new service offerings, managing/scaling teams and P&L accounts, growing strategic client relationships.
Dinesh was a Partner and Managing Director (Country Head, India) at ISG Inc (formerly TPI, a leading Nasdaq listed American technology advisory firm) where he advised on multi- billion dollar complex digital transformation programs, IT strategies and IT governance areas.
Prior to that, Dinesh worked with Infosys as a senior executive for 3 years leading a service line P&L and before that with Accenture Strategy for almost 10 years advising clients on Business Process reengineering, operational cost optimization, IT strategy and large scale change programs
CEO Axis Bank Foundation
Dhruvi Shah is the Executive Trustee and CEO of Axis Bank Foundation (ABF). ABF supports livelihood promotion for rural communities across India. It collaborates with not-for-profit organisations to foster community-centric programmes, designed to intentionally sustain economic growth. Dhruvi is also the co-author of “The Book of Aspiration”, and mentors several social enterprises.
Lead Consultant Probex Consulting
Devyani Srinivasan’s areas of expertise are in monitoring, evaluation and knowledge management. She has been leading the monitoring and evaluation practice at Probex Consulting since 2010. She believes that the purpose of monitoring and evaluation is to provide organizations in the social sector with relevant, credible information on their programs in the most efficient way possible. She designs knowledge management strategies to ensure this information reaches decision makers at all levels of the organization, and is used.
Devyani has also worked in practitioner organizations, making her sensitive to the organizational and implementation challenges of such organizations. She possesses a B.A. from Wesleyan University in the U.S., and a M.Sc.Pl. from the University of Toronto in Canada.
Co-Founder Fuselage Innovations
Devika Chandrasekharan is the Co-Founder of Fuselage Innovations Pvt Ltd, where she plays a pivotal role in steering the strategic planning of business operations and overseeing all aspects related to the company. She is the primary driver behind Fuselage Innovations’ creative solutions for the market. Devika brings 8 years of hands-on experience in the renewable energy engineering sector. Her expertise spans the full spectrum of business strategies, from meticulous planning and a robust background in operations, management, and ideation to seamless execution. She is the driving force behind Fuselage Innovations, supervising and coordinating all business activities.
In July 2020, Devika and her brother Devan co-founded Fuselage Innovations to address challenges faced by farmers. They developed a solution by examining post-natural disaster challenges in the agricultural sector, such as the emergence of new pests and unscientific farming practices. Current projects demonstrate the effectiveness of the crop protection process using the FIA drone, supported by data from the Nireeksh AG drone. These drones are type-certified by the DGCA. The impact on the agricultural sector has been substantial. Through the adoption of Fuselage’s drone farming methodologies, farmers have experienced a 35% increase in crop yield, coupled with a significant reduction of up to 70% in the utilization of agricultural resources. Fuselage also provides customized drone solutions for Défense, disaster management, and environmental conservation.
Devika has showcased her leadership and innovation prowess on numerous occasions, representing Fuselage Innovations as a speaker at various national, international, and governmental events. Her insights into the renewable energy landscape have garnered attention and acclaim, further contributing to Fuselage Innovations’ prominence in the industry. Recognizing her entrepreneurial acumen, Devika has been selected for prestigious programs such as the UK Global Entrepreneurship Programme, the Canada Start-up Visa Programme, the Agritech for Uzbekistan Challenge, and Slush, Finland. These international accolades underscore her global influence and commitment to advancing renewable energy solutions on a worldwide scale.
In addition to her role at Fuselage Innovations, Devika also serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Speranza Plasti Crafts Pvt Ltd, a company specializing in renewable solutions by recycling plastic to produce tiles and other products using injection moulding technology. Apart from leading entrepreneurial ventures in the sustainable energy sector, Devika is also passionate about filmmaking. She has worked on several movies and continues to pursue her passion for the craft
Founder & Chairperson Chi Heng Foundation
Mr. Chung To is founder and chairperson of Chi Heng Foundation, a charitable organization founded in 1998 in Hong Kong. CHF has provided holistic care to AIDS-impacted orphans and other underprivileged children who face discrimination in life, including providing education sponsorship, psychosocial therapy, and medical and living expense subsidies. Our aim is to alter their destinies in life. To date, there have been more than 40,000 cumulative beneficiaries spread throughout different regions in China.
Prior to moving to Hong Kong in 1995, Chung resided in the United States for 13 years, where he received a bachelor’s degree at Columbia University and a master’s degree at Harvard University. Before taking his sabbatical to work full time for Chi Heng on a pro bono basis, Chung worked in investment banking in New York and Hong Kong for ten years, including working in corporate and project finance with Lehman Brothers and UBS. In addition to his involvement with Chi Heng, Chung also was a Board member of AIDS Concern for four years, including serving as Chairperson of the Board in 2003. Since 1999, Chung has been a member of the Hong Kong Advisory Council on AIDS (HKACA) appointed by the Hong Kong Government.
Chung was featured as “Ten Anti-AIDS Heroes in China” in 2004 by People Weekly Magazine in China, and as “Ten Most Touching Persons” in 2005 by China Charitable Foundation. He was a recipient of “Ten Outstanding Young Persons” of Hong Kong in 2003 and of the World in 2006. Chung has received numerous awards, including “AIDS in Hong Kong for 20 years: Ten Most Inspiring Persons Award” in 2004, “Rotary Club Centennial Service Award for Professional Excellence” in 2005, the “Ramon Magsaysay Award”, Hong Kong’s First “Humanity Award” in 2007 and the BNP Paribas Philanthropy awards in 2009.
Former Mission Director Atal Innovation Mission
Dr. Chintan Vaishnav is a socio-technologist, an engineer trained to understand and build large-scale systems that encompass both human and technological complexities. He is motivated to create solutions that overcome constraints fundamental to improving human conditions, especially in resource-poor environments. He has pursued this quest by working on technology, development, and policy: starting with pure engineering research at the Bell Laboratories, followed by action-oriented teaching and research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and, most recently, by heading the Government of India’s ‘Innovation Office’, Atal Innovation Mission. Chintan chaired the creation of the Startup20 Engagement Group during India’s Presidency of the G20 in the year 2023. Chintan is trained across arts and engineering. He holds a a bachelors in Indian Classical Music from the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, a bachelors and masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering from RV University and Colorado State University, respectively, and a Phd in Engineering Systems from MIT.
Co - Founder Thlado GreenTech
Catherine Lalmuanpuii ventured into the clean energy sector in 2022, joining Thlado GreenTech—a bold move considering her non-technical background. Despite the challenge, she quickly adapted and contributed significantly to the company’s success. Under her leadership, Thlado GreenTech became an empanelled vendor for the PM Surya Ghar Scheme, successfully installing solar systems in 77 households. Her work didn’t stop there; the company expanded its portfolio to include cold storage and solar pump solutions, providing innovative and sustainable energy options to underserved communities.
Before entering the renewable energy industry, Catherine worked as a Sales Representative at the Life Insurance Corporation of India, Aizawl Branch. This career began in 2021, inspired by a deeply personal experience following her father’s passing. Learning that he had taken a loan without insurance, which left her family in financial difficulty, she felt compelled to help others avoid similar situations. Her commitment to this cause led her to conduct a door-to-door campaign in Mamit District, where she identified a significant gap—teachers under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan scheme were not receiving pension benefits. She proposed a solution to the education minister and spearheaded a district-wide campaign, successfully enrolling many teachers in pension plans by 2022.
Catherine’s journey reflects a deep commitment to making a positive impact, whether by advancing financial security or championing sustainable energy solutions. Her ability to embrace challenges and create meaningful change underscores her passion for building a better future for her community and beyond.
Farmer and Community Mobilizer Odisha
Mrs. Bilasini Nath is a farmer and a champion community mobilizer from Jamankira, Sambalpur. She began her journey as an Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) worker in 2009 as part of India’s National Rural Health Mission, actively contributing to community health while simultaneously practicing organic paddy and vegetable cultivation as rainfed agriculture.
In 2014, when the Odisha Livelihood Mission (OLM) was introduced under NRLM, Mrs. Nath, already a mobilizer in her community, was selected as a Community Resource Person (CRP). She successfully managed 5–6 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) within her cluster. Being entrepreneurial in nature, Mrs. Nath took a leap of faith and set up a rice mill cum multi-purpose pulverizer unit by availing loan under the GPLF funds. This enabled her to offer services to her community while also actively working as an ASHA worker and CRP.
In 2016, leveraging her prior experience in organic farming, Mrs. Nath was appointed as a Krushi Mitra under OLM’s newly introduced initiative. She underwent advanced training in organic cultivation methods and became a master trainer for her community. Subsequently, she trained 31 SHGs, positively impacting the livelihoods of 60–70 women involved in agriculture. Continuing her commitment, she provided hands-on guidance to SHG members, ensuring their adherence to organic practices.
Over the years she continued to expand her entrepreneurial journey and set up a grocery store that also provided certain digital services like photocopying etc. Today, Mrs. Nath is a role model for women in her community. Inspired by her success, around 20 women have adopted organic farming for paddy and vegetable cultivation, and 12 women have set up small enterprises that are providing critical processing services locally now.
Program Director Sustain Plus Energy Foundation
Ayan Deb is a development professional with over 19 years of experience driving social impact in India. As Program Director at Sustain Plus Energy Foundation, his efforts have reached diverse poverty typologies. The emphasis is on integrating energy solutions into the agricultural value chain, creating value from waste to address both community and environmental challenges, and bridging the gap between poverty and sustainability. Ayan is also a fellow of the Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program at UC Berkeley, specializing in designing innovative solutions for environmental and social challenges.
Previously, during his tenure at Tata Trusts, Ayan worked collaboratively to conceptualize and implement the ambitious Lakhpati Kisan program, aimed at fulfilling the aspirations of indigenous communities. His work integrated Quality of Life (QoL) aspects into the program, focusing on early childhood education, life skills, and professionalizing sports, alongside an intensive livelihood program across tribal districts. These collective efforts have earned global recognition, including the Ashden Award for impactful climate action projects.
Champion Farmer
Ms. Asmitaben Alkeshbhai Chauhan , a resident of Manli village in Limkheda Taluka, Dahod district, is the lead farmer of her village. Previously, she depended on a diesel pump for irrigation, but with support from CInI under the Sustain Plus Program, a Solar Lift Irrigation System was installed on her farm. To further address her irrigation constraints, she strategically selects crops that require less water and practices efficient agricultural techniques such as drip irrigation and mulching.
Head - Health Systems and Policy Remidio
Anusha Purushotham is the Head of Health Systems and Policy at Remidio, where she plays a key role in integrating portable technologies and AI-driven healthcare solutions built around the concept of “the eye as a window to wellness” into healthcare systems to combat preventable blindness and other chronic diseases. With over 12 years of experience across healthcare research, implementation, consulting, and policy advocacy in India and the United States, Anusha brings deep expertise in navigating complex health systems and driving impactful partnerships.
Her current role at Remidio sits at the intersection of technology and healthcare delivery, with a focus on identifying and scaling innovations for early detection of diseases, specifically retinal diseases and related chronic disease conditions. She works closely with government bodies, healthcare institutions, and not-for-profit organizations to bridge gaps in services through AI-enabled solutions.
In her previous roles, Anusha has contributed to designing, implementing and evaluating programs with multilateral and domestic agencies (private and public) that improve access to health care, particularly in resource-constrained settings. She is passionate about digital health technologies that can play a transformative role in achieving sustainable healthcare outcomes globally.
Founder Goonj
Anshu Gupta, widely known as the Clothing Man, is a 2015 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee, often regarded as Asia’s Nobel Prize. In 1999, he left his corporate career to found Goonj, pioneering the recognition of clothing as a development issue. Under his leadership, Goonj has transformed urban waste into a resource for rural development, fostering a barter-based economy between urban surplus and rural community efforts.
Goonj operates across 31 states and union territories in India, addressing issues like water, sanitation, menstrual hygiene, education, and disaster response by mobilizing underutilized materials. Anshu’s initiatives emphasize dignity, self-respect, and community agency, challenging labels like “poor” or “helpless.”
A frequent speaker at global platforms like TED and the World Economic Forum, Anshu has received numerous awards, including the Jamnalal Bajaj Award and Mother Teresa Memorial Award. He is also an Ashoka and Schwab Fellow. His latest venture, ‘Gram Swabhimaan,’ aims to redefine the narrative around marginalized communities.
Anshu, a passionate writer, photographer, and journalist, hosts ‘Adda with Anshu,’ a chat show on social issues, and his poetry and photography have gained widespread acclaim. He holds master’s degrees in Journalism, Advertising, PR, and Economics.
Director Sahaja Organics
Anitha Reddy is Director at Sahaja Organics and has experience of 20 years in developmental organization working on issues of seed conservation, food security, livelihoods and socio-economic development of rural women and also implemented projects at grassroots with elected women representatives by politically empowering women to be effective leaders.
She has been a consultant to a number of institutions in developing proposals, strategy formulation, publications and communication tools. Being a Trustee of Sahaja Samrudha for the last two decades has focused on advocacy, communication and program support. She has established innovative, remunerative Community Marketing groups of small and marginal farmers, which has stood time.
Being a freelance writer, has extensively written on seed issues, organic farming, and highlighting farmer innovations and published books. She has won the prestigious international ‘Asia Pacific Rice Journalist Award 2009’ for the best Rice Journalist.
Co - Founder Transform Rural India
Anirban Ghose is the co-founder of Transform Rural India (TRI), which is a development design organisation focused on system shifts impacting the bottom 100K villages of India. He currently co-leads TRI’s work around developing institutional architecture for resilient communities engaged in cross-sectoral spaces – impacting livelihoods, health, nutrition with cross cutting dimensions of gender and climate. These initiatives directly impact 6 lakh poor households, and TRI partners with the Government to support programs that impact the lives of over 5 million poor people.
He has been actively engaged in the Indian rural landscape for the past 3 decades, starting grassroots work with tribal communities in 1995. Over the years his engagement has spanned micro-level actions impacting lives in remote locations to more systemic work to scale solutions in the poorest geographies of the country.
Anirban is recognized for his role in expanding comprehensive engagement with women collectives on a range of issue addressing the multidimensional nature of poverty. He is acknowledged as an expert on women’s livelihoods and as a pioneer of automated book-keeping systems in women’s self help groups. He is known for his extensive engagement in community managed irrigation, natural resource-based livelihoods and digital technologies for development initiatives to enable the poor to access opportunities to lead better lives.
Energy Specialist Consultant World Bank
Andrea Arricale serves as an Energy Specialist Consultant within the World Bank, where he provides technical assistance, knowledge leadership and operational support to deliver energy access in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Andrea supports the World Bank’s ESMAP unit – a World Bank multi-donor partnership – to disseminate innovative approaches to electrify households, businesses and public institutions in hard-to-reach areas. Additionally, Andrea leads the electrification of public institutions component of the World Bank DARES platform, a multi-stakeholder collaboration that aims to double the pace of energy access in Africa with decentralized renewable energy technologies. Andrea is passionate about promoting sustainable and reliable access to electricity as an enabling factor to improve the education, health, livelihoods, and ultimately, the quality of life of the most vulnerable.
Andrea holds a Law Degree from University of Trento, Italy, a master’s degree in international development from Johns Hopkins University (SAIS), and an alumnus of the Financing and Deploying Clean Energy program at Yale University
Director - Interconnect Consulting Limited Principal Consultant Data, Strategy & Learning - Collaborative Impact
Andre is a strategy and MEL consultant specialising in participatory and complexity aware methods and approaches. Based in Delhi, he has over 20 years of experience working across the development and humanitarian sectors in India and globally. He has supported a wide range of organisations – including grassroots, national and international NGOs, multi-stakeholder networks and consortia, UN agencies, philanthropic foundations and governments – to embrace learning- and user-centered approaches to MEL. Passionate about facilitating learning, Andre is all too familiar with the many obstacles that reduce MEL to a compliance tool, resulting in disengagement and missed opportunities. However, he has also seen how MEL can empower diverse users (be they citizens, practitioners or policymakers) across various divides to make better decisions and drive positive, inclusive change. He is the Director of Interconnect Consulting, a core member of Collaborative Impact, and is also a MEL Advisor to UNOPS Myanmar.
CEO NSRCEL IIM Bangalore
Ganesh is the CEO of NSRCEL – IIM Bangalore’s startup incubator. NSRCEL transforms aspirants to successful entrepreneurs by building their entrepreneurial capability and mindsets, bringing together academia and industry. Ganesh is passionate about creating ecosystems that enable innovations to create impact at nation scale. He has extensive global experience in business leadership roles in technology and consumer industries. His prior experience includes Pepsico, HP, Algonomy and BRIDGEi2i. He is a graduate from IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad.
Deputy Director (Strategy & Planning) IIT Delhi
Ambuj is the Deputy Director (Strategy & Planning) and the Vipula and Mahesh Chaturvedi Professor of Policy Studies at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. He previously was the founding Head of the School of Public Policy.
Ambuj’s interests broadly lie at the intersection of science, technology and development. His recent work has focused on innovation policy for meeting sustainability and inclusivity challenges, energy innovation policy and strategies (in areas such as biofuels, clean cookstoves, coal power, automobiles, and institutional mechanisms such as climate innovation centers), climate change policy and politics, capacity development, and higher education policy.
Ambuj has been on numerous national and international expert groups and also has been consultant/advisor to various Indian Govt. agencies as well as many multilateral and bilateral agencies. He was a Lead Author in WGIII of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report and currently is a member of the Independent Group of Scientists appointed by the UN Secretary-General to prepare the Global Sustainable Development Report 2023 and a member of the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists (which is the group that sets the hands of the Doomsday Clock).
He was a Senior Research Associate at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Assistant Dean for Strategic Planning at the (now) Harvard Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences before joining IIT Delhi.
Actress
Amala Akkineni is a multifaceted artist, social advocate, and educator. A graduate of the Kalakshetra College of Fine Arts, Chennai, she had a distinguished career in Indian cinema, completing 54 films in five languages. Beyond her artistic achievements, Amala co-founded Blue Cross of Hyderabad in 1992 with her husband, actor and producer Nagarjuna Akkineni. Over the past three decades, the organization has positively impacted the lives of over 600,000 animals through various services. Currently, Blue Cross focuses on reducing animal suffering through Animal Birth Control (ABC) and Anti-Rabies Vaccination (ARV) programs while offering animal welfare training. Their Veterinary training programmes are in collaboration with WVS and the Animal Husbardy Dept.
Amala is also the Director of Annapurna College of Film and Media, a leading institution for film, media, and animation education, affiliated with Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University, Hyderabad. Her dedication to social change has seen her serve on multiple governing boards and advocate for causes including women’s empowerment and environmental sustainability. Honored with the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2016 for her exceptional social work.
Film Director & Writer
Akshat Ajay Sharma is an Indian Writer-Director acclaimed for his recent hit “Haddi” with Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the lead. Haddi garnered multiple nominations at Filmfare OTT 2024, including Best Story & Best Actor.
Akshat is also known for his impactful contributions to box office hits like “Major” and the Netflix marvel “Sacred Games” &”AKVsAK” Akshat has been a long time collaborator of veterans like Late. Nishikant Kamat and Anurag Kashyap, having been an associate to him on projects like Mukkabaaz, Manmarziyan & Lust Stories Beyond feature films, he has directed many award-winning shorts, including the acclaimed TOKEN, Zindagaani, Parabola & Silence
Senior Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officer FRIDA The Young Feminist Fund
Akanksha is a women’s rights activist and feminist Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) practitioner. With a background in research at the Advanced Centre for Women’s Studies (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), her work has focused on queer rights, women’s rights, higher education, and healthcare. Akanksha has developed feminist MEL frameworks for organizations and built youth-led solutions aimed at improving young people’s access to sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Currently, she leads the MEL team at FRIDA The Young Feminist Fund, where she also serves as a Focal Point for the South, Southeast, East Asia and the Pacific (SSEAP) region. In her role, she designs impactful learning and evaluation strategies, strengthens data and knowledge management systems, and fosters organizational learning— through innovative, participatory, feminist, and decolonial MEL practices
Strategy and Partnerships Lead Global Platform for Action, UNITAR
Aimee Jenks is the Partnerships and Strategy lead for the Global Platform for Action on Sustainable Energy in Displacement Settings (GPA) at UNITAR, the global initiative supporting SDG7, access to sustainable energy for all, in forced displacement settings. She has an academic background in International Development and Energy Engineering, with experience working on humanitarian energy in Switzerland and Bangladesh.
Philantropist
Shri A. S. Kiran Kumar is Chairman, Physical Research Laboratory Management Council and Member, Space Commission, Govt of India.
He has served as Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation, during 2015-2018.
Shri Kiran Kumar, born on October 22, 1952 in Hassan, Karnataka, holds M.Sc. Degree in Physics (Electronics) from Bangalore University and M.Tech. Degree in Physical Engineering from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
He has steered the implementation of the applications oriented Indian Space Programme, which has facilitated rapid development of the country in many important spheres of earth observation, communication, navigation, meteorology and space science, as well as the development of indigenous launch vehicles and related technologies for providing assured access to space. He has led design and development of more than 50 Electro-Optical Imaging Sensors flown on various Space borne platforms starting from Bhaskara in 1979. Further, his role in the success of Chandrayaan-1 mission and Mars Orbiter Mission has been significant.
Shri Kiran Kumar has been the Chair of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) in 2012. He has made valuable contributions to Coordination Group of Meteorological Satellites (CGMS), Expert Team on Satellite Systems – World Meteorological Organisation (ETSAT of WMO) and Indo-US Joint Working Group on Civil Space Cooperation.
Shri Kiran Kumar has been the President, Aeronautical Society of India. He is Fellow of Indian National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Sciences India, Indian Society of Remote Sensing, Institution of Electronics & Telecommunications Engineers, Indian Society of Systems for Science & Engineering, Indian Meteorological Society, Indian Society of Geomatics, Gujarat Science Academy, Andhra Pradesh Akademi of Sciences and an elected member of International Academy of Astronautics. He has been conferred with Honoris Causa and DSc by 18 Indian academic institutions.
He has co-authored 85 publications in various national/international scientific journals/conferences/symposiums.
In recognition of his contributions, he was conferred Padma Shri by the President of India in 2014. Other notable honours conferred on him include, Rajyostava Award by for 2015, `Sir M. Visvesvaraya Senior Scientist State Award’ for 2013 by Government of Karnataka, Lifetime Achievement Award from Karnataka Science and Technology Academy in 2016, IISc Distinguished Alumnus Award for 2015, Gujarat Ratna `Life for Innovation’ Award conferred by Gujarat Innovation Society in 2014, Lifetime Achievement Award by Andhra Pradesh Akademi of Sciences in 2016, Bharat Ratna Sir M. Visvesvaraya Centenary Award by University of Mysore in 2016, G.M. Modi Science Award in 2016, H K Firodia Vijnan Ratna Award in 2017, Santokbaa Award instituted by SRKKF Surat in 2018 and ISRO Lifetime Achievement Award 2018. He has been conferred with the prestigious 2018 International von Karman Wings Award instituted by the Aerospace Historical Society, together with the Graduate Aerospace Laboratories at the California Institute of Technology, in 2018 and the Chevalier de l’Ordre national de la Légion d’Honneur – the highest civilian honour by the Government of France in 2019.
Executive Director, BRAC, Bangladesh
Asif Saleh is the Executive Director of BRAC Bangladesh. He brings diverse, multi-sectoral experience in senior leadership roles across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors with a proven track record of growing development programs, building effective partnerships, and improving
operational and financial sustainability.
Mr. Saleh joined BRAC in 2011 and became the chief executive in 2019.
Prior to joining BRAC, Mr. Saleh worked as a policy specialist for the Access to Information (A2i) Program of UNDP. He also spent twelve years at Goldman Sachs concluding his time there as an Executive Director. Mr. Saleh also brings experience from Glaxo Wellcome, IBM, and Nortel.
He was recognized for his work by the Bangladeshi American Foundation in 2007 and Asia Society’s Asia 21 Program in 2008, and was selected as an Asia 21 Fellow in 2012. He was also named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2013. Mr. Saleh is a non-resident fellow of Center for Global Development.
Mr. Saleh chairs BRAC IT services Limited and is on the Board of BRAC Bank, bKash and EDOTCO Bangladesh. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from North Carolina State University and a Master of Business Administration in Management and Marketing from the
Stern School of Business at New York University.
Principal, Inside Straight Strategies
Carl Pope is a renowned environmental leader and strategist who has dedicated his career to advancing sustainability and combating climate change. As the former Executive Director and Chairman of the Sierra Club, he led transformative initiatives, including blocking over 125 proposed coal-fired power plants, improving vehicle fuel efficiency by 40%, and launching the Climate Recovery Partnership.
Now Principal at Inside Straight Strategies, Pope focuses on aligning sustainability with economic development. He also serves as a Senior Advisor to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, promoting climate action and sustainable urban growth.
Carl Pope has served on the boards of prominent organizations, including the California League of Conservation Voters and the National Clean Air Coalition. He is the co-author of Climate of Hope: How Cities, Businesses, and Citizens Can Save the Planet, advocating collaborative solutions to the climate crisis.
Philantropist
Rohini Nilekani is an author and philanthropist and has been a strong influence in the Indian social sector over the past three decades. Her philanthropic work spans different sectors of Indian civil society. She founded Arghyam, a foundation for sustainable water and sanitation, and co-founded Pratham Books, a nonprofit enabling access to reading for millions of children. Currently, she is the Chairperson of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and a Co-founder and Director of EkStep, a nonprofit education platform.
Rohini sits on the Board of Trustees of ATREE, an environmental think tank. In the past, she has served on the Audit Advisory Board of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and the Eminent Persons Advisory Group of the Competition Commission of India. In 2017, she was inducted as a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She has been a member of the Board of Science Gallery Bengaluru, the Advisory Board of the Well Being Project since 2019, and the Dakshin Foundation since 2021. Rohini was voted the Best Grassroots Philanthropist by the Forbes India Leadership Award in 2022. Rohini Nilekani is a committed philanthropist and has been named ‘the most generous woman in India’ for the fourth consecutive time in 2023 by the Hurun India Philanthropy Report. In 2017, she signed the Giving Pledge with her husband, Nandan Nilekani, which commits half their wealth to philanthropic causes.
A former journalist, she has written for many leading publications such as Times of India, India Today, Mint, etc. Rohini’s first book, Stillborn, a medical thriller, and her second, Uncommon Ground, were published by Penguin Books India. Her latest, Samaaj, Sarkaar, Bazaar – A Citizen-first Approach, is a self-published, Creative Commons-licensed book. She is also the author of 17 books for young children.
