Dr Ajay Piramal is one of India's leading industrialists and
philanthropists and currently serves as the Chairman of the
Piramal Group, a US$10 billion global business conglomerate with
(office) presence in 30 countries including US, UK, EU, Japan,
among others and products being sold in over 100 countries.
Piramal Group has diverse interests in pharmaceuticals, financial
services, real estate, information services and glass packaging.
He has been on the Boards of several companies and prestigious
institutions. He serves on the Harvard Business School's Board of
Dean's Advisors, is co-Chair of the UK-India CEO Forum and
Non-Executive Director of Tata Sons Ltd. He also serves as
President and Chairman of Anant National University and Chairman
of the Pratham Education Foundation. He has been conferred with
several national and international recognitions. He has completed
an Advanced Management Programme from the Harvard Business School
and has been conferred with an Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy
(D. Phil) by Amity University, India, and an Honorary Doctor of
Science (Honoris Causa) Degree by IIT-Indore. He is a firm
believer in the tenets of the Bhagvad Gita and is a passionate
advocate of trusteeship and responsible business ethos. He
actively steers the Group's involvement in various social impact
initiatives through the Piramal Foundation, to develop innovative
long term and scalable solutions to resolve issues that are
critical roadblocks towards unlocking India's economic
potential.
Mr Deepak Parekh, Chairman, HDFC which is India's leading bank
with total assets worth Rs 660,875 crore and double-digit growth.
He began his career in 1965 with Ernst and Young in New York. In
1978, he gave up a lucrative job at Chase Manhattan to return to
India to work for his uncle's company, which sought to help the
average Indian buy his own home, taking a 50% salary cut in the
process. Today, he is known as a statesman and the voice of
corporate India. Many in corporate India joke that he has a
permanent seat on every government committee, having led various
reform committees for different governments and along with being
at the forefront of multiple crises. He is the Non-Executive
Chairman in India of Siemens Ltd, Glaxo SmithKline Pharmaceuticals
Ltd and BAE Systems India (Services) Pvt Ltd. He is also on the
boards of Indian Hotels Company Ltd and Bangalore International
Airport Limited (BIAL). Mr Parekh is on the international boards
of DP World – UAE, Vedanta Resources plc and Fairfax Financial
Holdings Corporation - Canada. He has been on the Indian Advisory
Boards of Coca-Cola India, Boston Consultancy Group, Accenture
India. He is also on the International Advisory Boards of Standard
Life Asia, Nomura Holdings Inc, Lafarge International, Warburg
Pincus LLC and GIC International. Some of the international
organizations which Mr Parekh is associated within an advisory
capacity include Indo US CEO Forum, City of London - Finance
Committee, Indo - German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC), India-UK
Financial Partnership (IUKFP), et cetera. Government and Industry
impressed by Mr Parekh’s performance and sobriety, have honoured
him with several awards. Some of the most important ones are; the
Padma Bhushan, ‘Bundesverdienstkreuz’ Germany’s Cross of the Order
of Merit one of the highest distinction by the Federal Republic of
Germany, “Knight in the Order of the Legion of Honour” one of the
highest distinction by the French Republic, First international
recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award by Institute of
Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
Mr AR Rahman has won two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards, a
BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, four National Film Awards, fifteen
Filmfare Awards and thirteen Filmfare Awards South in addition to
numerous other awards and nominations. He is described as the
world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Times, and
his works are notable for integrating Eastern classical music with
electronic music sounds, world music genres and traditional
orchestral arrangements. In 2009, Time placed Rahman in its list
of World's Most Influential People. The UK based World Music
magazine Songlines named him one of 'Tomorrow's World Music Icons'
in August 2011. He has his own in-house studio called Panchathan
Record Inn at Chennai, one of Asia's most sophisticated and
high-tech studios. Rahman's film-scoring career began in the early
1990s. He has worked in India's various film industries,
international cinema and theatre. He is one of the world's
all-time top-selling recording artists. Some of his work includes
Slumdog Millionaire, Tamasha, Ok Jaanu, Ekk Deewana Tha, Jab Tak
Hai Jaan, Highway, Marvel Anthem among others. He has garnered
particular acclaim for redefining contemporary Indian film music
during his career spanning over two decades. He is currently one
of the highest-paid composers of the motion picture industry. He
is a notable humanitarian and philanthropist, donating and raising
money for beneficial causes and supporting charities.
Dr Nadir Godrej is on the Forbes list of India's billionaires with
a net worth of 2.8 billion USD. He is the Managing Director of
Godrej Industries and Chairman of Godrej Agrovet Limited. He is
also a Director of numerous firms including Godrej & Boyce Mfg Co
Ltd, Tata Teleservices, Godrej Consumer Products, Indian Hotels Co
Ltd (Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces) and Mahindra & Mahindra
Limited. Currently, he is the President of Alliance Française de
Bombay. For his contribution to Indo-French relations, the French
Government has honoured him with the awards of "Chevalier de
l'Ordre National du Mérite" and "Chevalier de la Légiond'
Honneur". A Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)and a Master of
Chemical Engineering from Stanford University, he completed his
MBA from the Harvard Business School. He is the custodian of a
120-year-old business conglomerate. He is a member of the Advisory
Committees of the Indian Chemical Manufacturers Association and a
trustee of the Foundation of Medical Research. He has also served
as the President of the Oil Technologists Association of India,
(the Compound Livestock Feed Manufacturers Association of India)
and the Protein Food & Nutrition Development Association.
Mrs. Naina Lal Kidwai is a Chartered Accountant and an Indian
Banker by profession. She has been awarded Padma Shri, ASSOCHAM
(Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India) Ladies
League’s Delhi Women of the Decade Achievers Award for Excellence
in Banking. She pursued an MBA from Harvard Business School, one
of the leading business schools in the world and is the first
Indian woman to graduate from Harvard Business School. She has
served as the Country Head and Group General Manager of HSBC
India. She worked at ANZ Grindlays as the Head of Investment Bank,
Head of Global NRI Services and Head of Western India, Retail
Bank. She has been the Head of Investment Banking at Morgan
Stanley India, Chairman Max Financial Services, Senior Advisor
Advent Private Equity, Chairman of HSBC Asset Management and HSBC
InvestDirect for the Indian market. She has also been a
non-executive director on the board of Nestle, Chairwoman at City
of London’s Advisory Council for India, Global Advisor at Harvard
Business School, Governing Board of the National Council of
Applied Economic Research, Audit Advisory Board of the Comptroller
and Auditor General of India, and on the National Executive
Committee of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and
Industry and Confederation of Indian Industry. She is one of
India’s representatives on the BRICS Business Council and India
Malaysia CEO Forum, and is on the Governing Boards of the NCAER
and ICRIER and also a member of Rajasthan Chief Minister’s
Advisory Council. She has been a member of the Government of
India’s Industry Task Force, the Prime Minister’s Trade and
Industry Council, the National Manufacturing Council, the National
Trade Council, and on the Working Group on Banking, Financial
Sector Legislative Reforms Commission and the National Institute
of Bank Management.
Dr Shiamak Davar is known as the “Guru of Dance” in India. He is
largely responsible for modernizing India’s dance scene,
especially in the film and theatre industry. With the motto Have
Feet. Will Dance., Shiamak Davar International is the world’s
biggest dance academy enriching the lives of over a million dance
enthusiasts across India, Canada, Australia, the UAE and the UK.
Spreading the joy of dance to ages four to eighty-four, his
faculty teaches his original dance styles including Shiamak Style
(Contemporary), Shiamak’s Bollywood Jazz, Shabop (Hip Hop & Street
Funk) and Shiamak’s Yoga – Inner Dance Movement amongst many
others. Shiamak’s Victory Arts Foundation (VICTORY) is a
not-for-profit organization which empowers individuals who are
lesser privileged, vulnerable to HIV/AIDS or with special needs
through dance. In 2011, Shiamak was honoured with a doctorate by
Middlesex University, London, for his contribution to the field of
dance education, entertainment and the performing arts. In 2014,
Shiamak received the Medallion and Citation from the
Governor-General of Canada for his dedication towards building
friendship and cultural understanding between Canada and India. He
has choreographed movies, events, award functions, shows such as
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Taare
Zameen Par, IIFA Awards, Filmfare Awards, Stardust Awards, among
others. Some of his students include Varun Dhawan, Sushant Singh
Rajput, Shahid Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, John
Travolta, Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai and many more.
Dr Shashi Tharoor is an author, politician, and former
international civil servant. Currently, he is a third-term Lok
Sabha MP representing the Thiruvananthapuram constituency and
Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information
Technology. He has served as the Chairman of the Parliamentary
Standing Committee on External Affairs and as Minister of State
for Human Resource Development and Minister of State for External
Affairs in the Government of India. During his nearly three-decade
long prior career at the United Nations, he served as a
peacekeeper, refugee worker, and administrator at the highest
levels, serving as Under-Secretary-General during Kofi Annan's
leadership of the organisation. Born in London in 1956, Dr Tharoor
was educated in India and the United States, completing a PhD in
1978 at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. While there, he
received the Robert B. Stewart Prize for Best Student and also
helped found and served as the first Editor of the Fletcher Forum
of International Affairs, a journal now in its 39th year. In 1998
the World Economic Forum in Davos named him a Global Leader of
Tomorrow. He is also a recipient of several awards that include a
Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman,
India's highest honour for overseas nationals. In 2012 the King of
Spain awarded him the Encomienda de la Real Order Espanola de
Carlos III. Among numerous other awards are one for "New Age
Politician of the Year" from NDTV, the Hakim Khan Sur Award for
National Integration, the Priyadarshini Award for Excellence in
Diplomacy and PETA’s Person of the Year.
Boman Irani is a film and theatre actor, voice-over artist and
photographer. He is widely known for his comedic and villain roles
in Bollywood films like Don, Munna Bhai MBBS, 3 Idiots, Happy New
Year and Dilwale. Irani struggled at school due to his dyslexia
and started his career as a waiter at the Taj Mahal Palace and
Tower Hotel. While working as a waiter and using his tips, Irani
bought a camera and started to take pictures to sell for a few
rupees. His go-getting attitude and creative talent soon helped
him to further his photographic career, in a relatively short
space of time he went from earning 25 Rupees a picture to US$300
per picture. Not content with a career as a photographer he began
his acting career in theatre before moving into films in 2000. He
gained attention for his role in the 2003 comedy, Munna Bhai MBBS
where his Bollywood career took off. He is of Parsi Irani descent.
He is a member of the Parsee Television Actors Community.
General Ved Prakash Malik, former Chief of Army Staff and Army
Chief during the Kargil War, has been honoured with many medals,
including the prestigious Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) and Ati
Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM). He commissioned into 3 Sikh LI in
1959. In 1989, he was appointed GOC of a Mountain Division and in
1992 he assumed command of a Corps in Punjab, where he oversaw
anti-militancy operations in the state. As Chief of Army Staff
since 1997, he coordinated and oversaw the planning and execution
of Operation Vijay, Kargil War, to successfully defeat Pakistan's
attempted intrusion in Kargil sector during 1999. He played an
important role in Operation Cactus in 1988 where India intervened
to restore order in the Maldives attempted coup.
Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik, PVSM VSM served as the 22nd
Chief of the Air Staff and as the Vice Chief of the Air Staff for
the Indian Air Force. He took part in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war
air actions in the Western and Eastern sectors. In his
distinguished career spanning about 4 decades, he has held many
important command and staff appointments, including command of a
MiG-21 Bis Squadron, Chief Operations Officer of AF Station
Bareilly, Directing Staff at Tactics And Combat Development
Establishment and Defence Services Staff College, and command of
two important flying bases. He has flown over 3000 hours on all
MiG-21 variants and MiG-23 BNs. He is an alumnus of the National
Defence College. He has also held the appointments of Air Defence
Commander, South Western Air Command, DG Air Force Naval Housing
Board (DG AFNHB), and Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO) WAC, before
being appointed the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Air
Command (CAC), IAF. As DG AFNHB, he overhauled its functioning and
was instrumental in settling long pending court cases. He revamped
the Finance Department, enhancing transparency in AFNHB
transactions and significantly improving its public image. During
his tenure as SASO, WAC, his involvement ensured optimization of
resources and expeditious translation of operational concepts into
actionable solutions. Under his guidance, all strategic assets
were further operationalised and extensively exercised, and the
first-ever Air Show was conducted over Sangam in Allahabad. The
forces under his control also provided prompt relief to
flood-affected areas in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, significantly
enhancing the image of the IAF at home and abroad.
Admiral Rabinder Kumar Dhowan served as the 22nd Chief of Naval
Staff. Admiral Dhowan has been bestowed with various
post-nominal's including Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM for
peacetime service of most exceptional order), Ati Vishisht Seva
Medal (AVSM for distinguished service of an exceptional order),
Yudh Seva Medal (YSM for distinguished service during Wartime),
Aide-de-Camp (ADC). He has served as the Vice Chief of the Naval
Staff and currently is in the Advisory board of Sea and coast
maritime magazine. Admiral Dhowan graduated from the National
Defence Academy and was honoured with a "telescope" for being the
"Best Cadet". On completion of his midshipman training, he was
awarded the 'Sword of Honour' and was commissioned an acting
sub-lieutenant on 3 May 1975. He is a "Navigation and Direction"
specialist and during his career, he has commanded the missile
corvette such as INS Khukri and destroyers such as INS Ranjit and
INS Delhi. He has served as the Naval Adviser in the Indian High
Commission at London and also as the Assistant Chief of Naval
Staff (Policy and Plans) in the Integrated Headquarters (Navy) and
then commanded the Eastern Fleet. He also served as the Chief of
Staff at Headquarters (Eastern Naval Command) in Visakhapatnam and
the Chief Staff Officer (Operations) at the Western Naval Command.
Later on, he took charge as the Commandant of the National Defence
Academy Khadakvasla and later served as a Deputy Chief of Naval
Staff. Besides NDA, he is also an alumnus of Naval War College,
Rhode Island, USA, Defence Services Staff College and has
completed the Se Harrier Direction course in the UK.
P.T. Usha, is one of the most talked-about track and field athlete
of India of all time. With over 100 medals to showcase, she is the
queen of track and field. She is one of India’s best-known women
athletes with a 2-decade long career and is popularly known as
“Payyoli Express“. She received the prestigious Arjuna Award and
Padma Shree in 1984 for showing outstanding performance in sports.
A year later in 1985, she was adjudged as the best women athlete
at the Jakarta Asian Athlete meet. In 1986 at the Seoul Asian
Games, the Indian Olympic Association awarded her with the Adidas
Golden Shoe and named her the Sportsperson of the century. Mrs
Usha’s struggle and achievements are unparalleled as was born in a
poor family in Meladi-Payyoli, Kerala. The Kerala Government
awarded her a scholarship of Rs. 250. She had to go to a special
sports school at Kannur for education and training after she was
noticed by the coach, O. M. Nambiar. She started her international
career in 1980 at the Moscow, Olympics. She is an inspiration for
young athletes such as Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, Mithali Raj among
others.
Dr Jamshed Bharucha is an academician par excellence. He has
studied, taught and led multiple Ivy League universities in the
last 4 decades and is the first Indian-American to serve as a Dean
at an Ivy League University. He completed his education with a
B.A. from Vassar College, an M.A. from Yale University and a PhD
from Harvard University. He is the President Emeritus of The
Cooper Union, Trustee at Vassar College and has served as the
Provost and Sr. Vice President at Tufts University and has been
the Dean of Faculty and Deputy Provost at Dartmouth. He has served
as a Distinguished Fellow & Research Professor at Dartmouth
College and as the John Wentworth Professor of Psychological &
Brain Sciences. He has been a visiting scholar at Harvard, while
also having taught at Stanford University, Cornell University and
Carnegie Mellon University in the past. He has currently taken the
position of Vice-Chancellor at SRM University - Amravati. Winner
of multiple awards and author of various articles and publications
all through his academic career. He is known for his research on
neuroscience and cognitive psychology with an emphasis on the
cognitive and neural basis of the perception of music. He was a
Fellow at the Stanford University at the Center for Advanced Study
in the Behavioural Sciences.
Madhur Bajaj has been on the Board of Bajaj Auto Ltd since 1995.
He graduated in commerce from Sydenham College, Mumbai and did his
MBA from the International Institute of Management Development
(IMD), Lausanne, Switzerland. He is the recipient of the Vikas
Rattan Award from the International Friendship Society of India,
for enriching human life and outstanding achievements. He has
served as the President of SIAM, the apex association of Indian
automobile manufacturers and also as the President of Mahratta
Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA), the apex
Industries Association of Pune. While he has been Confederation of
Indian Industry’s Western Region Chairman, he is the current
National Council Member of Confederation of Indian Industry
(CII).
Shantanu Mukherjee or popularly known as Shaan is India's most
versatile playback singer. He has been bestowed with titles such
as "Golden Voice of India", "Voice of Paradise", "Magician of
Melody", and "Voice of Youth". He started his career at a young
age of 17 years and he has sung songs in over 13 languages across
various genres including but not limited to pop, patriotic, jazz,
ghazals, hip-hop, rock among others. He has sung in over 1000+
films and has given voice to various Actors such as Shahrukh Khan,
Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, amongst the others. He has
won various awards: 7 Filmfares, 8 IIFA's, 3 Zee Cine's, 4 Star
Gold's. He has hosted the television show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa on Zee TV
which won the Music Programme of the Year award at the Indian
Telly Awards. He has also hosted popular Indian shows such as Star
Voice of India (SVOI). He has coached several winners of the TV
Show The Voice and also of The Voice India Kids. He has
collaborated and worked with various International Singers and has
sung the theme song for the movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The
Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Chef Vikas Khanna is an accomplished Indian-American culinary expert, restaurateur, author, filmmaker, humanitarian, and television personality. With a career spanning several decades, Chef Khanna has established himself as a Michelin starred chef and a leading authority on Indian cuisine, renowned for his innovation, creativity, and exceptional culinary skills. He has trained in some of the world's most prestigious kitchens, including the Taj, Oberoi, and Leela Group of Hotels in India, and has been the Executive Chef of the Junoon restaurant in New York City, which has earned a coveted Michelin star. Alongside his impressive culinary achievements, Chef Khanna is also a prolific author, having penned several cookbooks that have received critical acclaim. Furthermore, he is an ardent philanthropist and a passionate advocate for social causes, having founded several initiatives aimed at helping underprivileged communities across the world. Chef Vikas Khanna's outstanding contributions to the culinary world and beyond have garnered him numerous accolades and awards, making him a highly respected and admired figure in the industry.
Shabana Azmi is a celebrated Indian film actress, social activist, and theater artist who has made a significant impact in the Indian entertainment industry and beyond. She began her acting career in 1974 with the film "Ankur" directed by Shyam Benegal and has since appeared in numerous critically acclaimed and commercially successful films in Hindi and regional languages. With five National Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards to her name, Shabana Azmi is widely regarded as one of India's most versatile and accomplished actresses. Apart from her successful acting career, Shabana Azmi is also known for her commitment to social causes and activism. She has been a vocal advocate for women's rights and has worked with various organizations to promote gender equality and empower women. Her contributions to Indian cinema and society have been recognized with several prestigious awards and honors, including the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and the Gandhi International Peace Award, to name a few. Her dedication to social causes and her commitment to acting have made her a respected and admired personality in India and across the world.
Member of Indian Parliament and a distinguished statesman who has held prestigious positions such as the Minister of State for Finance and the Minister of State for Civil Aviation in the Government of India. Currently serving as the Chairperson for the Standing Committee on Finance, his influence on economic policies is invaluable.
With a presence that exudes grace and an intellect that knows no bounds, he has played a pivotal role in shaping India's growth trajectory. His strong academic background and deep understanding of economic policies have been instrumental in steering the country towards prosperity and progress.