Grand Jury & Mentors

Dr. Ajai Chowdhry is a visionary pioneer who cofounded HCL in 1976 with
five others, with a dream of using the microprocessor and changing the
world. He spearheaded HCL’s expansion into Singapore in 1980, and created
a successful business spanning ASEAN, China, and Hong Kong. Today, HCL is
valued at an impressive US $50 billion.
In 1995, Ajai took over HCL Infosystems and was instrumental in turning it
into a leader in hardware products, systems integration, and mobile
telephony through the distribution of Nokia handsets. Under his leadership
over the next 15 years, it grew to become a Rs. 12,000 crore (US $1.6 billion) organization.
Ajai has played a leading role in the establishment of the electronics industry in India, serving on government committees since 1999. In 2009, he chaired a task force created by Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MEITY), which made ground-breaking recommendations regarding the country electronics import bill, warning that it would soon surpass the bill for imported oil. These recommendations formed the foundation of the Electronics Policy.
He is Chairman of the Mission Governing Board of the National Quantum Mission of India,
Distinguished Fellow at NITI Aayog (public policy think tank of Government of India), and Fellow at Indian National Academy of Engineers. He has been nominated by MEITY as a Member to the Advisory Board of India Semiconductor Mission.
In recognition of his efforts to build the IT & Electronics industry in India, in 2011 he was conferred the prestigious Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour in India, by the Hon'ble President of India. He is the recipient of many other awards including Lifetime Achievement Award by Electronics Sector Skills Council of India (ESSCI) in 2024, Electronics Man of the Year 2010, CNBC TV18’s India Innovator of the Year Award 2010, and Cybermedia Business ICT Award 2013 for Lifetime Achievement in ICT.
As an institution builder, Ajai has played a crucial role in shaping centres of learning and creating spaces for intellectual growth and development. These include IIT Hyderabad and IIIT-Naya Raipur which he as Chairperson helped set up and develop into the reputable institutions that they are today. As Chairperson of NIFFT Ranchi, he was responsible for transforming it into National Institute of Advanced Manufacturing, to serve the needs of ‘Industry 4.0’. Ajai has also served as Chairperson of the Electronics Sector Skills Council of India (ESSCI).
Ajai’s philanthropic efforts include setting up a charitable trust called Swayam, which focuses on education and womens empowerment, among other causes. Swayam has recently set-up the Aspire Scholarship for B.Tech students from eleven renowned engineering institutes across India. This prestigious initiative aims to provide essential support to aspiring engineers who face financial obstacles in their pursuit of higher education He is also a Board Member of the Population Foundation of India and a Trustee of the Save Life Foundation.

"Amit Chandra is Chairperson and was a founding member of Bain Capital’s Mumbai
office. He was also member of the Asian Pacific leadership team for over a decade.
Before joining Bain Capital, he spent most of his professional career at DSP Merrill
Lynch, overseeing the Global Markets & Investment Banking business, and retired
as its Board Member and seniormost MD. Amit has served on the board of many
corporates, including Tata Sons, Genpact, L&T Finance, Emcure Pharmaceuticals,
Piramal Enterprises, and Tata Investment Corporation.
Amit has been active in the social sector for over 25 years and alongside his wife
Archana and friend Anuj Bhagwati, founded ATECF, which is one of the largest
foundations in the country focused on Capacity Building of the sector and Rural
Development. Together, they have significantly participated in many projects such as
scaling of Jai Vakeel Foundation, co-founding Ashoka University, establishing the
SRCC Children’s Hospital, and helping build multiple museums across the country.
In 2016, Archana and Amit were named in Asia's Heroes of Philanthropy list by
Forbes and have been consistently featured on Hurun India’s Philanthropy List as
among the largest donors in the country and the top 3 donors among professionals.
He has served on the Boards or Advisory Boards of many Not for Profits, including
Ashoka University, Tata Trusts, Bridgespan India, Swades, Akanksha Foundation,
Give India, and WCT."

Ravindra Sewak serves as Safe Water Networks Global Tech Lead and Country Director in India. He founded Safe Water Network in India in 2009. Since then, we have facilitated 350 iJal Stations or Safe Water Enterprises in India that provide affordable, safe water access to over 1.3 million people and 1000 livelihoods at the grassroots level.
Safe Water Network India assisted the government in developing the national policy on providing water to each rural and urban household. We provide Technical Assistance to the Government of Karnataka ecosystem of 18,500 Water Purification Plants. Ravi brings over 35 years; hands-on expertise in water and waste-water operations, bulk-water processing,
green-energy, and point-of-use purification systems. He introduced IoT-Based Remote Monitoring Systems, automatic-dispensing, digital payments, and digital training.
Ravi holds a PGDM (MBA) from IIM, Ahmedabad, and a BE from NIT Bhopal. He is a member of the Bureau of Indian Standards committees for developing water and water treatment standards.

"Abhimanyu Singh leads the technical and strategic engagement of Ansys Academic Program, serving customer across India and ASEAN region. He has led many crucial campaigns for Ansys including strategic collaboration with NPTEL, AICTE, SAE, ARAI, and esteemed professors across IITs. He has been instrumental in establishing lighthouse groups at premiere institutes, supported various Covid-19 projects, driven Ansys adoption through academic conferences, and learning resources.
He has been associated with Ansys for 5+ years now and has over 16+ years of rich experience in CFD and FEA based modeling and simulations expertise for industrial applications. Before joining Ansys, he was working with Larsen & Toubro as Design Manager in the Technology Upgradation group. He has published 12 papers in national and international conferences and journals. His areas of interest lie in Fluid flow, Heat transfer, User Defined Functions, Linear and Non-linear static and Dynamic simulations, Electrification, and Digital Twin. Abhimanyu holds a master’s degree in thermal and fluid engineering from IIT Bombay. In his current role at Ansys, he is working closely with the academic ecosystem in the efficient adoption of Ansys tools and technologies in teaching and research."

"Venky has worked in Petrochemicals, Oil & Gas, Aviation, and Water Management/ Environmental Management industries. Besides working in India, he has worked in the US, the Middle East region and in the Asia-Pacific region.
He is a chemical engineering graduate from IIT Madras, India and a post-graduate in business management with an MBA from INSEAD, France & Singapore. In his current Role as Executive Vice President for Industrial Chemicals Business, he is managing P&L of this strategic business unit for Ion Exchange India Ltd.

Shiju Joseph is a seasoned technology leader with a remarkable career spanning over two decades in engineering and software development. Currently serving as the Senior Director of Engineering at Cisco, he oversees innovative projects across Cisco’s Optical and Routing portfolio that drive impactful change in the tech industry.

During his 25 years of Cisco career, Shiju developed a deep passion towards technology and leadership. Shiju is a certified life & leadership coach, with focus on guiding early in career employees and Sr leaders. He leads the Intern experience program across Cisco India.

Beyond his corporate endeavours, Shiju contributes to the startup ecosystem as a mentor with NASSCOM's Deep Tech Club, supporting emerging entrepreneurs and fostering technological advancements.

An alumnus of Mahatma Gandhi University, where he earned his B.Tech, Shiju further enriched his expertise through executive education at Stanford University Graduate School of Business. With a passion for coaching and a track record of success, Shiju Joseph continues to inspire the next generation of leaders and innovators.

"Parul is an engineer, entrepreneur, and educator with 20 years of experience working with global teams across diverse setups - startups, academia, nonprofits, and applied research labs. As Managing Director of Mobilization at Stanford’s Doerr school of Sustainability, her current focus is to expand sustainability education and innovation globally. Before this, she co-founded Springboard (SF-based edtech startup) and scaled it to 8-figure annual revenue, ~100 full-time and contract staff, and significant VC funding milestones. She is also engaged in the broader startup ecosystem as an angel-investor, advisor, board member, and venture partner.

Parul is a recipient of MIT Technology Review India's Top Innovators under 35 award, the first woman recipient of the IIT Bombay Distinguished Service Award, and the Foundation of Youth Social Entrepreneurship’s fellowship for 100 changemakers under 30yrs in the Asia-Pacific region. She is also a coauthor on 12 peer-reviewed publications and 10 patents."

Mr. Abhishek Manglaick has a commendable background and significant accomplishments in the fields of engineering and entrepreneurship. His journey from earning a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Mumbai to working at HPCL, and then founding V2learn and Ecosense, demonstrates his commitment to innovation and education technology.

Ecosense, founded in 2010, has made a notable impact by providing products that cater to over 600 higher education institutions both in India and internationally. His diverse experiences in business operations and online education reflect his capability as a leader in the tech and education sectors.

Vineet is the Vice President of Engineering based out of Ciena’s Gurugram Design Centre. In this role, Vineet is responsible for day-to-day operations at the Gurugram Center, including product deliveries form the site and the development and delivery of the software defined network aspect of Ciena’s Navigator Network Control Suite in particular.

As one of the first employees hired by Ciena in India in 2006, Vineet helped set up the centre at Gurugram, starting with the development of the optical transport and switching design team. Across his close to 20 years at Ciena, Vineet has continued to help grow the team in India to its current employee strength of over 2,000 engineers, creating new teams and adding more product line developments to the site. Today, Ciena’s Gurugram Design Centre is the company’s largest Research & Development site outside of North America and the second overall.

Prior to joining Ciena, Vineet held senior positions at midsize companies and start-ups working in UK and India in ATM/Frame and Relay/IP products.

Vineet holds a Bachelor’s in Engineering in Electronics and Communication from the Delhi College of Engineering, University of Delhi, India.

After graduating from Indian Institute of Technology in 1970, Sudarshan founded Technocraft Industries with his brother. The company began by making sheet metal components and special tools for international tractors, built steel drum closures, and then built a worldwide monopoly for an American multinational company for over two decades. Sudarshan holds eight patents on drum closures.Since its inception in sheet metal, Technocraft has also grown to become a leading global manufacturer of scaffolding systems, an industry considered hazardous in the US and western Europe.
The trust founded by Sudarshan and his brother runs subsidised vocational courses in tool making, die making, and Mechatronics in Murbad, Mumbai and supports a number of charities at the same time. Children from tribal communities receive free education, lodging, and food.
Sudarshan with his brother also funded Alma Mater in Bombay to set up a centre for applied artificial intelligence. The centre is known as the Technocraft centre for artificial intelligence.

"Suumit Joshi is a seasoned professional with over 28 years of experience driving
organizational change across diverse industries. As the Chief Learning Officer Suumit has
been instrumental in steering the company & learning and organizational development
initiatives including driving Addverb – academia connects. He has been actively involved in
the Vishwakarma Awards since last year.

Being the Head of Business Excellence at Addverb, Suumit is leading process and quality
improvement initiatives. He is also driving improvements in the supply chain and purchase
functions, including resource planning, vendor management, costing, warehousing, and
green supply chain at Addverb.

Before joining Addverb, Suumit has worked with various industries including automobile,
chemicals, pharma, IT/ITES, construction, and infrastructure. His prior experience also
includes a stint as a management consultant and being a visiting faculty at S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai."

"He enjoys being a growth catalyst, as Coach and Advisory board member to several high
potential businesses moving to their next orbit, driving significant outcomes and mentoring
founders & entrepreneurs across strategy, finance, organizational culture & go to market.
He is an independent director - board member at two premier listed companies – Zen
Technologies Limited (defence technology) and Visaka Industries Limited (building materials, electric two wheeler and solar roofing)
Sanjay, has been an active angel investor – has investments in startups across the AI,
Healthcare, DeepTech, Drones, Sustainability, Impact, Consumer and FinTech sectors.
A Charter member at TiE, Hyderabad (The Indus Entrepreneurs), he is also a member of the Executive Council at the IIIT Hyderabad Foundation and an independent Director on the board of a leading Cardiac care focused multi speciality hospital - Unimed Health (Star Hospitals).
Sanjay also serves as a Board member at the Healing Fields Foundation, an India-based,
health-focused NGO committed to empowering women as health agents of change in their
communities."
Sudarshan with his brother also funded Alma Mater in Bombay to set up a centre for applied artificial intelligence. The centre is known as the Technocraft centre for artificial intelligence.

Dr. Ravi Birajdar is a distinguished technocrat and accomplished leader in engineering and research, currently serving as the Vice President and Head of the Special Projects Business at Kirloskar Brothers Limited (KBL). With over two decades of expertise in centrifugal pump design, application engineering, and corporate research, he has played a pivotal role in driving innovative solutions and advancing engineering excellence within the organization.

Dr. Birajdar is passionate about mentoring and coaching, leveraging his vast experience to develop future engineering leaders. His extensive tenure at KBL includes several key roles, such as Associate Vice President and General Manager, where he focused on design engineering, analytical skills, and the development of pumps and valves for a variety of applications.

Academically, Dr. Birajdar holds a Ph.D. in Vibrations in VT Pumps from Savitribai Phule Pune University, which underscores his technical expertise and commitment to research. He published numerous papers related to pumps, pumping systems and vibrations in various journals and conferences. He also completed a fellowship in Global Leadership at the Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business as part of a CII Fulbright scholarship program, providing him with a multicultural perspective on international business development.

An active contributor to the energy sector, Dr. Birajdar has been a panelist at industry events like POWERGEN India, where he shares insights on sustainable energy transitions and advanced engineering technologies for thermal, hydro, and nuclear power plants.

He is also representing of Hydraulic Institute (ANSI/HI), USA, ISO and Bureau of Indian Standard for formulation of standards related to pumps and pumping systems.

With a vision to be recognized as a well-known technocrat, Dr. Ravi Birajdar continues to inspire and lead with innovation, fostering a culture of excellence in engineering and research

Sandip is a Senior Director at ideaForge Technology Limited. He leads the Software R&D team which develops mission critical software for UAV platforms. This includes Embedded Software such as flight controllers, cloud platforms for seamless integration of UAV data with post processing analytics and Drone As A Service (DAAS) solutions for on-demand UAV services. He also leads the development of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence solutions in the areas of Computer Vision and Data Analytics.

Sandip has more than two decades of R&D experience in the areas of Embedded Software, Distributed Systems and Machine Learning. He has architected several complex, large scale software systems for Security & Surveillance, Consumer Electronics, Internet of Things and Smart Assistant applications which have been deployed across tens of millions of devices and users. Sandip obtained a Ph.D in Computer Science from The Ohio State University and has authored more than 25 research publications and patents.

Dan oversees the transformation of STET into a full-service competency center from a resource support approach. With more than 25 years of experience in both new product launch and product design, Dan has spearheaded innovative ideas at global corporations such as General Electric (GE) and Caterpillar. His expertise in Six Sigma methodologies and program management has driven STET's transformation, focusing on sustainable engineering, customer-centric quality, and operational efficiency. Dhanaraj is known for his strategic vision and hands-on approach, integrating his extensive knowledge in NPI processes, supplier development, and engineering solutions to propel STET’s growth and innovation.
In addition to his specialization in building new centers and setting up functions, Dan also has in-depth knowledge in OPACC, Engineering design, Machine system Integration, Project Management, Engineering services, Manufacturing Engineering Solutions. He strongly believes in building and sustaining high performance teams.

Sachin Thakur is a seasoned expert in sustainability, innovation, and product development, with over 16 years of experience in the automotive industry. He currently leads Sustainability PV & EV at Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd., focusing on advancing sustainable practices and innovation in the electric and passenger vehicle segments.

Throughout his extensive tenure at Tata Motors, Sachin has held various pivotal roles, including leading Corporate Sustainability, overseeing the Innovation Project Management Office, and contributing to Mobility Services and Corporate Strategy. His efforts have been instrumental in driving sustainability-focused innovation and shaping strategic initiatives within the organization.

Sachin’s achievements include 6 Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), including 3 patents, and he is a recipient of multiple awards for innovations. Notably, he is a winner of the prestigious Tata Business Leadership Award, a testament to his exceptional contributions and leadership in the automotive industry.

His educational background includes a PGEMP in General Management from SPJIMR SP Jain Institute of Management & Research and a BE in Mechanical Engineering from Sir M Visvesvariah Institute of Technology. This combination of technical expertise and management acumen enables him to effectively bridge the gap between engineering solutions and strategic decision-making.

With a strong commitment to driving the future of sustainable mobility, Sachin continues to make impactful contributions to the automotive industry, championing innovation and sustainability at the forefront of his work.