Government Speakers in India

The expert is a thought leader and writer on the subjects of transformational change and leadership. He has held leadership positions in both the private and public sectors, bringing a perspective on how the two can work together to foster growth in India. He served as Chairman of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) India for eight years, and spent 25 years in the Tata Group, serving on the Board of Tata Motors. He has also led participative scenario building for the future of India in 1999 with the Confederation of Indian Industry and in 2005 with the World Economic Forum. He is the author of many books including Redesigning the Aeroplane While Flying: Reforming Institutions, Transforming Capitalism: Improving the World for Everyone, Discordant Democrats: Five Steps to Consensus, Remaking India: One Country, One Destiny, and Shaping the Future: Aspirational Leadership in India and Beyond.

Bhupendra Chaubey Former Editor In Chief - India Ahead and prior to this was the Executive Editor with CNN IBN. He worked with NDTV as a political journalist and has travelled length and breadth of the country and has covered four general elections and assembly elections of most states. He has interviewed all top politicians and newsmakers of last decade and a half. He started his journalism career precisely 19 years ago with NDTV. He is amongst those journalists who depend more on their ground political awareness, supplementing it with academic awareness of issues that confront the nation.

Shyam Saran is an ambassador and a former foreign secretary and has served as the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Nuclear Affairs and Climate Change. As a career diplomat, he served as the Former Ambassador of India to Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, and High Commissioner to Mauritius. Currently, Mr. Saran is a member of the National Executive of FICCI, an independent director at the Press Trust of India, and an Advisory Board Member of the World Development Forum.

Priyanka Chaturvedi is a distinguished Member of Parliament representing the Rajya Sabha. Currently serving as the Deputy Leader and National Spokesperson for the Shiv Sena, she holds key positions in parliamentary committees, reflecting her commitment to public service. Priyanka is an active participant in the Parliament Standing Committee on Commerce, the Select Committee on External Affairs, and the Parliament Committee on Women Empowerment. Her multifaceted role demonstrates her dedication to shaping legislative initiatives and advocating for significant issues. With a strong voice and a strategic leadership approach, Priyanka Chaturvedi is a dynamic force in Indian politics, contributing significantly to national discourse and governance.

The expert is a 1996 batch DANIPS officer having served in NCR and Andaman and Nicobar Island. Presently, she is posted as DCP- Training and Principal, Police Training School. She was earlier working as Dy. Commissioner of Police in Special Police Unit for Woman and Children, a nodal unit of NCR Police on women and children issues. She is a strong advocate of women rights and has also worked as Sub-Divisional Officer in the Crime against Women and in Anti-Corruption Units. As an additional deputy commissioner, she is in charge of the Delhi police's special unit for women and children.

Tuhin Sinha is a best-selling author and politician, acknowledged among the most prolific Indian writers. At present, Tuhin is a national media panelist of BJP and represents the party as a spokesperson. Tuhin is also a scriptwriter and has worked on several top-ranking TV soaps on Indian television. He once co-wrote the story of the popular soap on Star TV, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. He has the goal to bring the youth out of their political disconnect and generate their interest and opinion on whatever is the basis of decision-making at present.

Yash Mishra is the Founder of VoxWeb social-media platform and provides perspective on matters related to Technology, Government, Economics, Fin-tech, Capital Markets and World Affairs. After graduating from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Yash Mishra worked for investment bank J.P. Morgan where he was the coordinator of the bank's Asia-Pacific real estate team based across key Asia-Pacific business centres. At J.P. Morgan Yash Mishra was the author of one of the bank's acclaimed reports titled 'J.P. Morgan Bricks and Mortar Report' and shared his views on market movements and macroeconomy in several conferences and seminars in the region.

After Founding VoxWeb social-media, Yash Mishra has voiced his opinion on technology, tech-trends, regulations, world-affairs and macroeconomy through conferences and one-to-one interviews. In his public speaking initiatives and stints, Yash has given unique perspective on identification of Tech Trajectory, Valuations, and the tailwinds or headwinds provided by Geopolitics and Government Regulations.

Dr. S.Y. Quraishi joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1971 and after holding several strategic and key positions, rose to become the 17th Chief Election Commissioner of India, the world's largest democracy. He figured in The Indian Express list of 100 Most Powerful Indians of 2011 and again in2012.He also figured in India Today's Power List of 100 most powerful Indians, 2012.

Vikas is a seasoned diplomat with a 35-year career, serving in New Delhi and various Indian missions abroad, including Washington DC, Addis Ababa, London, and Pretoria. He was the Consul General in Osaka-Kobe, Japan, and India's High Commissioner to Canada (2017-19). As the official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (2015-17), he enhanced the Ministry's social media presence. Vikas is also a celebrated author of three novels: Q&A (adapted into the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire), Six Suspects (adapted into the popular web series The Great Indian Murder), and The Accidental Apprentice. His books have been translated into over 45 languages. Additionally, Vikas has participated in prestigious literary festivals, written for major international publications, and delivered motivational talks worldwide.

Prof. (Dr) Suresh Kumar is a former Head and Coordinator (2015-19), Department of African Studies, and Centre for African Studies, UGC Area Study Program. He is the Chief Editor of Peer-Reviewed and UGC index journal of Indian Journal of African Studies and Africaindiaand traveled widely more than 40 countries in the world for research and teaching assignments.

As a development leader, Satyendra Tripathi, is Director, LokNeeti India (www.lokneeti.co.in) and Fellow at India Foundation, Think Tank based in Delhi. He is also Ideator, Khajuraho Literature Festival. Also, worked in North East India on various sucessful political assignment which lead to govt forumation in respective states. Prior to join IndiaFoundation as Senior Research Fellow, he worked with premier institutes like BITS PilaniHyderabad campus, IIT Kanpur, IISc Bangalore in various capacities.

Meleveetil Damodaran is a career civil servant with Indian Central and State governments and has in a career spanning over 40 years worked in roles related to regulatory bodies, investment institutions, banks, development financial institutions and with the private sector. He has held regulatory and developmental positions in the Government and in India's financial sector before demitting office as Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). His other roles include Chairman, RBI Comittee, Chairman, IDBI, and Chairman, Unit Trust of India. 

Navtej Sarna is a former Indian diplomat as well as an author and columnist. Ambassador Sarna's last diplomatic appointment was as India's Ambassador to the United States during 2016-18, when he guided India's engagement with the US during the first two years of the Trump Administration. Sarna earlier served as India's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom at the time of the Brexit referendum. From 2008 to 2012, Sarna was India's Ambassador to Israel and contributed significantly to the maturing of this critical relationship. Navtej Sarna is also an established author of fiction and non-fiction. His works include the novels The Exile and We Weren't Lovers Like That, the short story collection Winter Evenings, and other non-fiction works.

Diwakar Jhurani works in the Global Response team at Meta. He is the Regional Program Manager for India, South Asia and Central Asia oversees Meta's election preparation efforts in the region. Prior to this role, he served as the Senior Economic Advisor and Deputy Head of Economics at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, British High Commission in New Delhi. His distinguished career includes notable contributions at the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, Government of India. A graduate of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, he is recognized for his expertise in economic policy matters. Jhurani has written extensively in newspapers and has co-authored a book titled 'Reason and Reform' with Bibek Debroy on Indian economic policies and reform journey since independence. His commitment to shaping economic policies reflects a dedication to fostering positive change and promoting informed decision-making.

In his four-decade-long career as a journalist, A.K. Bhattacharya has held leadership positions in several publications including Financial Express, The Economic Times, The Pioneer, and Business Standard. At present, he is the editorial director at Business Standard. His fortnightly columns - New Delhi Diary and Raisina Hill- taking a close look at the implications of policymaking and government affairs. A winner of the Shriram Lifetime Achievement Award For Excellence In Financial Journalism.

Nilaya Verma, an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience, co-founded Primus Partners, embodying optimism, passion, and shared values. He specializes in guiding clients through India's complex business landscape. Formerly at KPMG India, Nilaya led sales, business development, and communications, driving strategic initiatives like the Platinum Account Programme. His expertise spans national priority programs for the Indian government, including Swachh Bharat Mission and Smart Cities, alongside international engagements in South Asia, Europe, and Africa. Nilaya's collaborative approach extends to partnerships with global institutions like the IMF and World Bank. With a track record of driving transformative change and fostering cross-functional collaboration, he is recognized as a leader in business and government advisory, embodying a commitment to integrity and impactful entrepreneurship.

Major (Retd) Gaurav Arya is the consulting editor for strategic affairs with Republic TV, on defense, national security and strategy. A former Indian army officer, he served in the army from 1993 to 1999 and was attached to the Kumaon Regiment. He is a public speaker and talks about defense, leadership, motivation, team building, strategic affairs, national security and capability building. He is often seen on prime-time TV debates and has also spoken at various TED Talks (TEDx).

Urvashi Prasad is a Public Policy Specialist in the Office of the Vice Chairman at NITI Aayog. Her work focuses on policy matters pertaining to the social sectors in the Vice Chairman's office. She has authored over 80 articles and papers in the national and international media on health, nutrition, sanitation and gender, among other areas. Urvashi was previously a Director at Operation ASHA, one of India's largest tuberculosis control NGOs. She also led the health portfolio of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation in India for five years.

Anil Srivastava had set up the National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage to promote shared, connected and clean mobility solutions and developing battery manufacturing capacities in the country. He also organized the Global Mobility Summit, MOVE 2018, which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India and doyens of global automobile industry. He was leading India's transition to electric vehicles, resulting in major policy decisions by Ministries, Departments and State Governments

With three decades of government experience in India, this expert is now an Adviser for Infrastructure Connectivity and Director General of the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office at NITI Aayog. After serving as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Chairperson & MD of Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd., his roles span Commissioner of Treasuries, Industries & Commerce, various MD positions in PSUs, and district-level administrative roles. 

Sudhir Ahluwalia is a veteran and leading specialist in business advisory and strategic consulting for global corporations such as TCS, where he oversaw global government consultancy, provided end to end business and IT solutions and helped them acquire mega deals in private and public sectors. He began his career at the Indian Forestry Service, where he carried out forest administration and guided interactions with neighbouring village and tribal communities for 23 years. Post his stints in both public and private sectors, he expanded his arsenal of skills to the natural products and solutions.

Shekhar is one of India’s best-known political journalists and currently serves as the Founder and Editor-in-Chief at The Print, an exciting news media start-up. He is a prolific columnist with the highly influential column National Interest, which is translated into several languages, including Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Gujarati and Marathi. He is also a columnist for the Business Standard and pens a weekly column which appears every Saturday. He is a senior prime-time anchor at NDTV. Prior to this, he was the Editor-In-Chief at The Indian Express, under his leadership, The Indian Express won the Vienna-based International Press Institute's Award for Outstanding Journalism in the Public Interest thrice.

The expert is a Former Senior Management Professional at Hindustan Unilever Ltd and has over 36 years of experience in managing Corporate Affairs, Public Advocacy, Reputation Management, Risk Management, Issues and Crisis Mangement. He is the Former Group Head of Corporate Affairs function at Hindustan Unilever Ltd. where he worked towards building and nurturing relationships. He led interventions with the government and diplomatic corps, civil society and other key stakeholders and provided advocacy on policy framing. He is a former Member of FICCI National Executive Committee.

The Associate Professor of Data, Technology and Public Policy at Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, was previously the Officer on Special Duty at NITI Aayog, the Government of India's policy think-tank. In this role, he formulated strategies for data, analytics, and AI-driven governance and growth, leading the establishment of a high-performance Data Analytics Lab. He contributed analytical insights to policymaking across various sectors such as SDGs, Direct Benefit Transfer, Healthcare, and more. Recognized as a "Top 10 Data Scientist in India" by Analytics India Magazine and a "LinkedIn Influencer," he brings over 17 years of experience from companies like IBM, Accenture, and NASA. His expertise extends globally, including Singapore, where he aided data-driven projects with the government. Holding a Ph.D. from The Open University, UK, he also has degrees from IIT Bombay and Calcutta University.