Advisory Council

Sekhri

HON’BLE JUSTICE ARJAN KUMAR SIKRI

Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri is an eminent jurist and a former judge of the Supreme Court of India. He has also served as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Courts. He specializes in Constitutional cases, labour law, and arbitration matters. He has represented numerous public sector undertakings, educational institutions, banks and financial institutions, and various private-sector corporations. He has retired as senior-most ‘puisne judge’ of the Supreme Court of India. Since August 2019, he is an International Judge in Singapore International Commercial Court, [SICC]. He is also the Chairperson of the News Broadcasting Standards Authority. 

Justice Sikri has authored over 4700 reported judgements in different fields of law.  He was chosen as one of the 50 most influential persons in Intellectual Property in the world in a survey conducted by the Managing Intellectual Property Association (MIPA) for the year 2007.

Agatha

MS. AGATHA SANGMA

A lawyer and an environmentalist, Agatha Sangma was born in New Delhi to P. A. Sangma, the former speaker of the Lok Sabha. At age 29, she is the youngest MP ever to be appointed as Union minister in the Government of India to date. She was the youngest Minister of State (Minister of state for rural development) in Manmohan Singh’s UPA 2 Cabinet. She received her LLB degree from Pune University and later joined the bar in Delhi High Court. She did her master’s degree in environmental management at the University of Nottingham, UK.  In 2017 she contested from the south Tura constituency and won the seat. However, she resigned to pave the way for her brother to contest the assembly seat.

Gurjeet

MR. GURJIT SINGH

Ambassador Gurjit Singh is a former Ambassador of India to Germany, Indonesia, ASEAN, Ethiopia and the African Union. He was known as a developmental diplomat, who often expanded India’s outreach in Africa and ASEAN. He currently chairs the CII Task Force on Trilateral Cooperation in Africa, and is an honorary professor of International Studies at IIT Indore. He is an avid reader and has written five books on international relations. His passion for cricket led him to become a qualified Umpire from the Kenya Cricket Association.

In an endeavour to engage with civil society, he is associated with the Avishkar Foundation and Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation.

karan

MR. KARAN SINGH

Mr. Karan is the managing partner of Bain & Company’s India offices for the last seven years.  He was one of the founding partners who helped establish Bain’s India business in 2006 and has close to 25 years of management consulting experience across Asia, Europe and the United States.

His expertise includes transformation, turnaround and growth strategy, mergers and acquisitions, performance management and change management. He also has experience in supporting multiple digital insurgents and clients in the consumer products, financial services, industrial goods and services and private equity sectors. He has advised and been a knowledge partner to NATHEALTH – Healthcare Federation of India and supports the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation, ALVL Foundation and St Jude. He also serves on board for Bridgespan, Health Quad and Atlas SkillTech University.  He has also been a member of committees of leading business chambers such as CII and the World Economic Forum.

kiran

MS. KIRAN MAZUMDAR SHAW

A recipient of the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan Awards (the highest civilian awards in India), Ms. Kiran is a pioneering biotech entrepreneur, a healthcare visionary, a global influencer and a passionate philanthropist. She is the Chairperson and Managing Director of Biocon, Asia’s leading bio-pharmaceuticals enterprise. She has been recognized as the only Indian on Forbes’ list of ‘World’s Self-Made Women Billionaires.’ Most recently, she is elected as a full-term member of the Board of Trustees of The MIT Corporation, USA.

As a leading woman in science, she is a role model to millions. She is steadfast in her pursuit of innovative technologies that enable affordable access to healthcare and is committed to making a difference in billions of lives globally. For her extensive work in the biomedical industry, Ms. Kiran has received several coveted awards, honours and titles, both nationally and internationally.

MALNI

MS. MALINI AWASTHI

A renowned Indian Folk Singer who has been credited with revival of Indian traditional folk music. She is a Padma Shri Awardee and Sangeet Natak Academy awardee. She is a singer par excellence. 

Ms. Malini is a disciple of Legendary Hindustani Classical Singer, Padma Vibhushan Vidushi Girija Devi of Banaras Gharana. Malini is a gold medallist in Hindustani classical music and history (subject) from Lucknow University. Currently, she is a Centenary Chair Professor for the Bharat Adhyan Kendra at the Banaras Hindu University. 

RANJIT

MR. RANJIT RAE

With over 30 years of experience in participating in complex negotiations, both at bilateral and multilateral levels and extensive work in conflict areas/crisis situations, Mr Ranjit’s professional journey as a diplomat is very diverse. He started his career in Vienna and ever since he has held various positions in international and state organizations/bodies, including the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), as well as Offices of the Minister of External Affairs and of the President of India, where Mr. Rae served as a Press Secretary to the President.

Until early 2017, Mr. Rae was the Ambassador of India to Nepal, where he focused his energies to revitalize the bilateral relationship and work on the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement with Nepal. Following retirement Mr. Rae was appointed to the High Level Group on the Governance of the Commonwealth Secretariat in the UK. Currently he is a member of the Peace Advisory Group of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research based in Switzerland. Mr. Rae has recently authored Kathmandu Dilemma, Resetting India-Nepal Ties, published by Penguin Random House in 2021.

RAVI

MR. RAVI PRAKASH VERMA

A lawyer by profession, Mr. Ravi Prakash is a bona fide parliamentarian of the country. He has been a member of the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) since 2014. Mr. Ravi belongs to a family of more than three generations motivated and actively involved in the Indian political system.

He is amongst India’s foremost champions of education. Mr. Ravi has also been the convener of the parliament forum of education that catalysed the constitutional amendment to the Right to Education and paved the way for children to free and compulsory education up to the age of 14 years.

VINOD

DR. VINOD AGGARWAL

Dr. Vinod Aggarwal is a retired civil servant. He was actively involved in the field of health, education, petrochemicals, exports and social welfare during his career. He has served as Secretary (Health) in Jharkhand Government, Secretary (Health & Medical Education) in Bihar Government and Director (Drug Pricing) in the Central Government. He has spent more than 7 years at various stages in social equity and worked towards the upliftment of the Backward Classes, Divyang Jan and Scheduled Castes. At the time of his retirement, he was serving as Secretary of Department of Disability Empowerment under Government of India.

He has also been associated with the National Human Rights Commission as a Rapporteur, where he is looking into the issues concerning human rights in the states.Being a medical professional, he has selflessly rendered his service to society. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, he has provided free medical advice to the needy.

VIVEK

MR. VIVEK GAMBHIR

Vivek Gambhir is the CEO of boAt Lifestyle, a leading consumer technology lifestyle brand. Previously, he was CEO and Managing Director of Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) where he spearheaded the transformation and global expansion of the company to become a leading emerging markets home and personal care company. He also was the Chief Strategy Officer of the Godrej Group responsible for formulating group vision, defining portfolio strategy, mentoring company CEO’s and enhancing strategic capability of group companies. 

Prior to joining Godrej, Vivek was a founding member of Bain & Company’s consulting operations in India. He led the firm’s FMCG and Telecommunications practices in India. Before moving back to India, he also worked with Bain in Boston and Singapore. Vivek has a MBA from Harvard Business School and BS (Computer Science) & BA (Economics) from Lafayette College. Vivek authors a leadership blog, www.monday-8am.com. He serves on the boards of Imagine Marketing (boAt), Metropolis Healthcare, Honasa Consumer (Mama Earth), Samast Technologies (Magic Pin) and the Harvard Business School Club of India . He has previously been the Co-Chair of the CII National FMCG Committee. He is on the advisory Board of the Central Square Foundation.Vivek lives in Delhi. His wife, Roopika is a social worker. They have three children – Janya, Aarav and Imara.

VRINDA

MS. VRINDA SARUP

Ms. Vrinda Sarup, is a retired IAS officer with administrative experience of over 35 years. In her illustrious career, she has served as Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of School Education and Literacy, Food and Public Distribution. She has also served at the level of Additional Secretary, Joint Secretary and Director in the Ministry of Human Resource Development, wherein she had been instrumental in crafting two major Pan-India school education programmes, namely District Primary Education and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. She has also been instrumental in reorienting & redesigning the scheme for Vocational Education in 2014, to make it more industry oriented.

Post-retirement, Ms. Sarup continues to engage with the sectors of Education and Food in an Advisory capacity and is presently the Managing Trustee of the World Food Programme Trust for India. She is a member of the Management / Executive Committees of several schools in Delhi.

YOGESH

DR. YOGESH DUBE

Dr. Yogesh Dube is renowned for his social, educational and cultural work in India. He is also an established and acknowledged national personality dedicated to the protection and promotion of rights and equal opportunities for the PwDs (Divyangs) in the country. He has extensively worked on literacy and education among children, youth and the general public. Dr. Dube is also a prominent Advisor for various civil society organizations and has been involved with various Government and private agencies for the last two decades. 

Dr. Dube is the Chairman of “Bhartiya Vikas Sansthan”- an Organisation working on cultural, social and child relief in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. He has been recipient of many national and state level accolades namely, National Youth Award for Outstanding Voluntary work towards National Development and Social Service (GOI); National Award as the Best Individual working for empowerment of Divyangjans (GOI); Divya Guru Award for contribution towards empowering Divyangjans (Skill India-NSDC- IDEA) and a Certificate of Excellence by the Governor of Maharashtra. Since 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, he has engaged extensively with the slum dwellers, Divyangs, migrant workers, etc., and distributed groceries, medical kits & other essentials to these people and ensured their sustainability at such unprecedented times.

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