Innovation Speakers in India

Ritesh Agarwal, founder and CEO of OYO Rooms, is transforming the global hospitality industry through disruptive technology and strategic scalability. Under his visionary leadership, OYO has grown into one of the world’s largest hotel chains, boasting a network of 2,200 hotels across 154 Indian cities and expanding its footprint to over 800 cities in 80 countries. OYO’s global expansion has been fueled by Ritesh’s multicultural insight and innovative approach, with key acquisitions like the Leisure Group, now OYO Vacation Homes, further driving growth. As a Thiel Foundation fellow and Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia honoree, Ritesh has reshaped traditional hospitality, leveraging technology to redefine customer experiences worldwide. In 2023, he became the youngest Shark on Shark Tank India, solidifying his position as a leading voice in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Jaspreet Bindra, the innovative founder and Independent Advisor at Digital Matters, is a leading figure in the world of Digital Transformation, Blockchain, and The Future of Work. With a remarkable career spanning diverse industries, including Agritech, Real Estate, Next-gen Social Networks, Hospitality, Auto, and Financial Services, Jaspreet is a trusted guide through the intricacies of digital evolution. Previously, he held the pivotal role of Senior Vice President of Digital Transformation at Mahindra Rise, showcasing his profound impact. As a sought-after speaker on various subjects, including Blockchain, Jaspreet's expertise is widely recognized. He received the inaugural 'Digitalist of the Year' award from Mint and SAP, underscoring his visionary contributions. Jaspreet Bindra's is on a mission to shape the future of Digital Transformation. His workshops empower organizations to harness the potential of digital innovation, demystifying the hype cycle and enabling them to thrive in an ever-evolving landscape.

Simerjeet Singh, a globally renowned motivational speaker with over 1.3 million YouTube subscribers and 50 million+ video views, has impacted lives worldwide. With 14 years of international motivational speaking experience, he has served over 300 organizations across 80 nationalities. Singh, originally a hotel management graduate in Marriott International's Management Training program, cultivated a promising career in hospitality, overseeing businesses in Dubai, India, the US, and the UK. Transitioning to motivational speaking, he embraced risks to pursue a higher purpose. As a Certified NLP Practitioner and Personal Performance Coach, Singh engages diverse audiences, from CEOs to students, fostering growth strategies and inspiring authentic living. Each opportunity fuels his dedication to serve, uplift, and empower individuals globally.

Harsh Mariwala is the Chairman of the Board, and Managing Director of Marico Limited. He is an innovative and award-winning leader, renowned for maintaining Marico’s business at a sustainable and profitable growth pace.

In three decades Mariwala transformed a traditional commodity driven business, into a leading consumer products and services company in the beauty and wellness sector. His entrepreneurial drive and passion for innovation, prompted him to establish the Marico Innovation Foundation (MIF) in 2003. MIF plays the role of a catalyst for innovation in India, through its awards scheme, as well as cutting edge research, knowledge creation and dissemination. He also launched ASCENT – Accelerating the Scaling up of Enterprises, to identify growth-stage entrepreneurs with potential, and support them on their journey to success.

Vivek is a seasoned leader in retail and e-commerce, boasting robust expertise in strategy development, steering growth, and digital innovations, with notable P&L ownership across diverse sectors. His career highlights include pioneering India's first omni-channel venture for a prominent department store at shoppersstop.com and founding the second-largest online gifting platform in the country, giftease.com. Notably, Vivek established and headed a premier retail consulting practice at KSA Technopak, while strategically cultivating and implementing numerous businesses across consulting and corporate realms. With a wealth of experience in physical retail, omnichannel, and e-commerce, Vivek’s cross-functional proficiency spans strategy, operations, technology, and change management, fueling digital transformation and process enhancement within organizations.

Vinita Bali is a distinguished business leader known for her success in India and internationally. With significant roles at multinational companies like The Coca-Cola Company and Cadbury Schweppes PLC, she has expertise in marketing and general management across regions including the UK, Nigeria, South Africa, Latin America, and the USA. Notably, at The Coca-Cola Company, she doubled brand growth and served as President of the Andean Division. In 2005, she became MD & CEO of Britannia Industries Ltd., where she diversified the geographic and product portfolio, promoted health initiatives, and quadrupled revenue. Vinita is a sought-after speaker at international forums and has received numerous awards for her leadership and business contributions.

The word 'Intrapreneur' best describes his professional career of 25+ years across various sectors. Ajay has been conceiving, creating, and nurturing unique initiatives within big organizations. He was able to achieve great success with most of these initiatives by leveraging my biggest asset, 'Relationship Capital'. The overarching approach that he has adopted in his banking career is "Frugal Innovations for Financial Inclusion (FI4FI)", wherein Ajay leveraged the pre-existing outreach of external partners to provide financial services to underbanked sections through a Win-Win-Win model. 

Narayan has spent almost nine years training, coaching and teaching graduate students, financial advisors, content creators, managers, and investors of diverse backgrounds. Starting his career as an assistant faculty of CFPCM and Wealth Management courses, Narayan is now innovating how financial knowledge flows through investors and public to scale the reach. Narayan’s training and coaching experience has focused on life insurance, general insurance, wealth management, mutual funds, and alternative assets. As a professional trainer, Narayan has also assisted in developing popular courses like CWM®, CREP, and AFA for AAFM India and several modules of CFPCM certification for IIFP and other institutions. He is also well-versed in creating legally and socially acceptable digital and marketing content for BFSI brands. Over the years, he has worked with several renowned businesses and brands with their digital content generation activities. 

Vikas have more than 21 years of experience and presently working as a Independent Consultant as well as working as a Co-founder/CTO in Hawk Aerospace Private Limited since Dec 2022. He has worked in Kohler Co. has Global Associate Director for 1.6 years, LG Electronics Global R&D Center as R&D Head for 17 years and Moser Baer India Limited as Leader Quality/R&D for 2 years.

 He has a proven track record of success in leading and managing teams of engineering managers while developing and implementing innovative technology solutions. He has a strong background in Research and Development, Global R&D Centre Setup, Program Management, Portfolio Management, Operations and Quality. He is also well-versed in the latest trends in market.

 Most importantly, he is a strategic thinker and thought leader with a proven ability to see the big picture and develop long-term plans that align with the company’s vision and goals.

Dr. Prakash Bagri is currently a professor of marketing strategy and innovation at the Indian School of Business. He is also the Founder and CEO of PRB Partners, a boutique consulting firm driving strategic transformation for companies. He has also been engaged as adjunct faculty at the Indian Institutes of Management in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta. Prakash's interests cover business strategy, innovation and hi-tech, digital transformation, business model design, and building partnerships, design thinking, and ecosystems. Prakash has over three decades of experience bridging industry and academia. During his long corporate stint, which includes senior leadership positions in Unilever and Intel, Prakash built a billion-dollar business, established three new product categories, divested two businesses, managed eight different distribution systems, and launched twelve different brands. Prakash is credited with leading major industry-shaping initiatives to broaden technology enablement and its impact in India.

Divyanshu Ganatra is a multifaceted professional, excelling as a diversity and inclusion expert, clinical psychologist, educator, and avid researcher. He holds the distinction of being India's first solo blind pilot, mountaineer, trekker, scuba diver, and marathon runner. He also embarked on a groundbreaking journey as the first blind pillion cyclist to navigate from Manali to Khardung La, the world's highest motorable road. His extensive career spans a wide range of passions, including human potential optimization, rational thinking, positive psychology, IT for empowerment, personality development, counseling, psychometric assessment, and scientific exploration. As a globally recognized speaker, Divyanshu is celebrated for his insights on leadership, inclusion, and innovation. His inspirational story serves as a testament to being resilient, overcoming attitudinal barriers and stereotypes to achieve remarkable feats, including becoming the first blind Indian to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest freestanding mountain globally.

Mr. D'Lima is a globally renowned IT Transformation expert, proficient in the newest technologies and development as well as deployment and adoption methods, He is an advocate of ‘Continuous Enablement', at an enterprise ecosystem level, to scale up organization ability to deal with competitive challenges and corporate constraints. With decades of providing full life-cycle advisory and implementation leadership to Fortune 500 clients globally, he remains “hands on” and a remarkably capable individual contributor. Familiar with global, Indian and multinational organizations and having consulted for clients across industries, the solutions he has designed and delivered are flexible, sustainable and future-proof. Having lived and worked in North and Latin America, UKI and Europe, India, Middle East and South Africa as well as Australia, ASEAN, China and Japan, he brings global learnings, inclusiveness, consumer insights and market perspectives to his assignments.
 

Prasanna is an Award Winning CXO Banker, Digital Architect, Industry Innovator, Board Member , Fintech Influencer, Startup Mentor, Leadership Coach and Advisor
He has 24+ Yrs of experience at all levels, Engineering, Management, and Innovation as CXO. He has worked Globally for Banks, Fintech, Micro-Finance, Engineering, and Multi-National companies for Digital & Architecture Transformation. He is closely associated with cutting-edge technology adoption Strategy, Assimilation, Experimentation, Innovative Customer Servicing & Engagement, Robust Architecture Implementation, Fintech & Start-up Alignment, Open Innovation practices, Ecosystem Collaboration with Govt, BigTech , Fintech , banks , Academia.

For over three decades, I've collaborated with entrepreneurs, corporations, individuals, government bodies, and international ministries, specializing in entrepreneurship, technology incubation, acceleration, innovation, technology transfer, and leadership. I've facilitated workshops for technology transfer managers, empowering them to execute effective technology transfers. Additionally, I've provided mentorship and guidance to entrepreneurs, researchers, and academics, aiding them in commercializing their research across North America, Southeast Asia, and India.

My expertise has benefited participants worldwide, including renowned organizations such as British Telecom, The Institute of Leadership & Management (UK), Shell, ExxonMobil, and DHL. I've served as a judge and mentor in prestigious business plan competitions like the HSBC Business Plan Competition, McKinsey's Business Plan Competition, and IIT Bombay.
 

Tapan Singhel has a rich experience in the insurance industry of more than 25 years and has been heading Bajaj Allianz General Insurance for 7 years. He has won numerous accolades, to name a few, Personality of the Year at the India Insurance Summit and Awards 2019, 22nd Asia Insurance Industry Awards 2018 and Indian Insurance Summit 2017. He has been featured as a LinkedIn Top Voice in India consecutively for the past two years. He has also been recognized as the Most Promising Business Leaders of Asia at The Economic Times Global Business Summit 2018.

Operating at the intersection of business, brand, and culture, Nishant is a strategist passionate about uncovering the emerging relationships between new technologies and everyday life to drive significant business value and inform products and services that people love. He is currently the CEO and Co-founder of a stealth mode startup in social networking domain. A Delhi College of Engineering alumnus, he worked with Maruti Suzuki's RandD division, before moving to Netherlands for his M.Sc. in Strategic Product Design at Delft University of Technology.

Avnish is an innovator, disruptor, strategist and a technology evangelist with more than 25 years extensive experience and track record around Innovation, Digital Transformation, Corporate Strategy, and Leadership Development for Top 500 Fortune clients in both mature and emerging markets. In his current role at Accenture India, Avnish is responsible for designing and leading the Innovation agenda for Accenture in India including partnering with Start-up ecosystem and is considered as the 'poster boy' for B2B Indian startups looking to scale and globalise.

An associate at Harvard Kennedy School, Dr. Thillai Rajan is a revered professor at Indian Institute of Technology Madras. He co-founded YNOS Venture Engine, where they offer a suite of products and programs for early-stage entrepreneurs, innovators, research centres and investors. He also co-founded GeoNomics Research & Technologies, an infrastructure analytics & consulting firm focused on infrastructure governance. In February 2020, he conceptualized the setting up of Innovation, Venturing, and Entrepreneurship in India (IVEIN) Network, a unique partnership between leading institutions, IIT Madras, IIT Bombay, IIM Calcutta, IIM Bangalore and IIM Kozhikode. He is the recipient of the Chevening Gurukul Fellowship at the London School of Economics, Endeavour Executive Award at the Macquarie Graduate School of Management, and the Fulbright Nehru Senior Research Fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Giri Balasubramaniam, better known by his pseudonym Pickbrain, is a noted quizmaster and co-founder of Greycaps, Asia’s largest onstage quizzing and knowledge services company. Seen every weekend hosting quiz shows on national television channels in India hosting, he is also the mind behind the Global Awareness Program (GAP), one of India’s first focused and structured knowledge enhancement programmes for school children. He and his team have presented over 2000 shows across 94 destinations of India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, UAE, UK and USA to emerge as one of the fastest growing quiz hosts from the region. 

Giri has previously worked with The Economic Times, The Walt Disney Company and Indiainfo.com for over a decade before launching Greycaps. He is a regular speaker at conferences and educational institutions. He has presented over 2000 shows across India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, UAE, UK and USA.  

Swapnil brings over twenty years of experience of leading teams in prominent global IT companies. He has dedicated more than a decade to roles within Internal IT and CIO leadership teams, acting as an Intrapreneur and Chief Digital Officer to lead strategic internal IT transformation efforts. His contributions have been acknowledged with numerous industry accolades, including the CIO 100 award and Top 50 Technology Leaders in Asia for innovative IT strategy and transformation initiatives. His professional journey is highlighted on the Harvard Business School’s DCE’s website.His expertise focuses on transforming traditional IT departments into intrapreneurial, modern organizations and cultivating purpose-driven, high-performing, and collaborative teams. Demonstrating a consistent record of delivering robust business outcomes and positive impacts, Swapnil offers grounded and practical insights into creating modern digital and intelligent organizations, supported by his hands-on experience within various global internal IT environments.

Avinash Jhangiani, an award-winning design thinking, innovation, and digital transformation leader, boasts 23+ years of experience with US Big 4 Consulting, MNCs, and global agencies. As Play2Transform Group's founder and CEO, he employs design and play principles to foster innovative, human-centric mindsets via management training for corporates, startups, and education sectors. Avinash led Omnicom Media Group to win multiple local and international awards, including 4 Gold Lions at Cannes Lions Festival. He's recognized as an Exemplary Mentor of Change by NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission and is a global TeachSDGs ambassador promoting the UN's sustainable development goals. Certified by IDEO and INSEAD, he teaches at S.P. Jain School of Global Management and NMIMS, Mumbai. Avinash authored 'Beyond 2020 Mindset,' a leadership playbook with practical mindset shift strategies and case studies from global giants. 

Anna Durai is Chennai's most loved auto driver. With 10,000+ followers on Facebook and more than 40 speeches at corporate offices and two TED talks to his credit, he is literally going places. Seven years ago, as a class 12 dropout, he stunned Chennai with his auto which offered a list of amenities that redefined the travelers’ experience. His speech went viral on YouTube, making him an overnight sensation. What started with newspapers and magazines has now turned into a tech-savvy vehicle and boasts a tablet, laptop, TV, and Wi-Fi service for people who don't have access to the internet. He installed a debit and credit card swiping machine to rid his customers of all the troubles due to the exact change amount. He is a keynote speaker on customer service and a customer delight icon. He has traveled across the country delivering talks in the metro cities.

Anand is a seasoned expert in applying high-impact, low-cost behavioural science strategies to drive desired actions among consumers and employees of India's leading companies since 2013. With a vast repository of over fifteen thousand human behaviour experiments, his approach is grounded in empirical evidence. His groundbreaking work has garnered global recognition, featured in TIME, BBC, Forbes, and CNBC, among others. An avid writer on behavioural science, he contributes to esteemed publications like ET, Mint, and The Hindu. An acclaimed TEDx 'Editors Pick' Speaker, Anand delivers commissioned talks and workshops for renowned companies such as Mercedes Benz, Bajaj Finance, and Franklin Templeton. Prior to a decade of applying behavioural science, he spent thirteen years in advertising, sales and marketing and served top-tier clients including Unilever, P&G, and L'OreaI, consistently driving transformative results.

Nitin Agrawal is an executive business leader with over 24 years of diverse international experience in global business services and transformation with HSBC, Wipro, GE Capital, and most recently with The Walt Disney Company. He is an expert at leading multifunctional teams, instituting new capabilities and growing profitability with innovation, turnaround and transformation.

Nitin brings a unique blend of skills and experiences in business consulting, strategic programs, digital transformation, business integration and operational excellence while leading large operations teams. He has consistently been the first incumbent in diverse, strategic roles in the Asian and Americas markets, as well as the Global Capability Centres (GCC). His leadership outcomes include progressive growth in profitability impact to over USD 100 Mn annually spanning a 45,000 global workforce in financial services, strategic turnaround, industry-awarded pioneering innovation and strong anti-piracy impact in the television industry.

Param, co-founder of '3 Big Things', boasts 26 years of design and innovation leadership, spanning roles at IDEO, Fractal.ai, and Tata Digital. Starting in Interaction design, he progressed to Design Research & Strategy, shaping strategic design capabilities in organizations. At Tata Digital, he spearheaded the Experience Innovation Lab, driving advancements in e-commerce and super-app platforms. As Chief Design Officer at Fractal.ai, he built a team of 75+ specialists in Design & Behavioral Science. Prior, at Dr. Reddy’s, he established Studio 5B, pioneering digital health solutions and promoting patient-centricity. His work is showcased in IDEO U’s course on Designing for Change. Param also contributes to academia, serving on the Executive Council at the Indian School of Business. A mindfulness advocate, he annually shares insights through a toolkit blending Mindfulness and Design Thinking. 

Anirban Ganguly is a seasoned technology entrepreneur and catalyst marketer with over 25 years of experience driving business growth, market access, and brand success. With a proven track record of turning ideas into scalable and repeatable products, Anirban ensures the right unit economics for sustainable outcomes. He is an expert in leading cross-functional and multi-geography teams across Asia and EMEA markets. Anirban's expertise spans the TMT (Telecom, Media, and Technology) sector, and he has significantly contributed to the success of technology startups in areas like 5G, Med-Tech, EdTech, and Mar-Tech, as well as in the FMCG industry. His innovative approach and leadership have fostered thriving ecosystems of growth and development, making him a key player in the technology and marketing landscape.

An author & mentor affiliated with prominent organizations such as the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN), Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), and Maharashtra State Innovation Society (MSINS). Since 2010, Umesh has leveraged his extensive experience in the tech industry to guide and empower 4.5 lacs aspiring entrepreneurs, startups, and professionals. He plays a pivotal role in fostering innovation, promoting entrepreneurship, and driving sustainable growth initiatives within these esteemed institutions. Umesh's dedication to nurturing talent and fostering a culture of innovation underscores his commitment to shaping the future of the tech landscape in India and beyond.

Mani is a dynamic professional at Uber, driving innovation and delivering world-class features in Mobility and Marketplace. Previously at Amazon, Mani was instrumental in developing core products for Amazon Appstore, Fire TV, Tablets, Fire OS, Alexa Communications, Kindle eReaders, and cloud services. With a seven-year tenure at Microsoft, Mani contributed to Microsoft Outlook, Windows Server, and Windows Mobile. Passionate about interviewing, he has conducted over 1500 interviews, mentoring young talent to succeed in the corporate world. An avid innovator, Mani holds more than 15 patents, reflecting his dedication to pushing the boundaries of technology.

Debasis specializes in leadership coaching for middle managers, equipping them with the skills and confidence needed to inspire their teams, drive growth, and navigate complex situations. Additionally, he offers coaching for start-ups, helping them navigate unique challenges and opportunities to foster resilient and high-performing teams. Witnessing transformations brings him immense satisfaction. His Notable achievements include guiding a project management team in Vietnam to grow by 90%, leading to significant performance improvements, helping teams launch critical projects that exceed market demands, and partnering with organizations to achieve operational excellence through impactful coaching and strategic planning.

Pooja is a versatile professional with expertise spanning technical business development in pigments for industries such as paints, textiles, and plastics, as well as QbD-based pharmaceutical generic formulation, focusing on risk assessment and lifecycle management. Dedicated to continuous learning, she hones her skills in communication, collaboration, negotiation, project management, research, and business intelligence.  

As a thought leader, Pooja shares perspectives on her blog, Being Thoughtful, inspiring others to broaden their horizons. Her creative pursuits align with her commitment to social causes, reflected in her work with Kiran Kraft Castle, where art meets purpose. An AI enthusiast, Pooja is captivated by the transformative potential of artificial intelligence across industries. Her multidimensional approach blends technical expertise, creativity, and a passion for meaningful impact.