Speakers

Aamir Khan is one of India’s most well-known and iconic actor-directors. Several of his films have been among the biggest box-office hits in the history of Indian cinema and are well-known for their attention to film-making excellence.

Anirudh Kanisetti is a public historian and author of Lords of the Deccan, a new history of medieval South India. He received the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar in 2023 and the Tata Literature Live! Best Nonfiction Book of the Year award in 2022.

In the multi-dimensional world of Indian literature and theater, Anjum Katyal stands as an important voice—a writer, editor, translator, and festival director.

Apsara Reddy, a remarkable transgender woman and accomplished senior journalist, carries editorial credits from numerous global media platforms. She holds a BA in Journalism from Monash University, Australia, and an MA in Economics and Broadcast News from City University, London.

Aravindan is a creative writer, journalist, translator and literary critic actively working in these fields for the past 33 years. He has worked with media houses including India Today, The Hindu, and Times Group, and now works as Publishing Editor and Administrator of Kalachuvadu Publications.

Aroon Raman has a post-graduate degree in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and a MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, USA.

Debashish Mukerji, author of The Disruptor: How Vishwanath Pratap Singh Shook India, has been a journalist for over 40 years.

Devangshu Datta is a journalist and editor. He is on the editorial board of Business Standard where he focusses on science, technology and finance.

Capt. G.R. Gopinath is an exemplary figure in Indian aviation, renowned as the founder of Air Deccan, India’s first low-cost airline. Endorsed by former President APJ Abdul Kalam as the father of India’s affordable air travel, his initiative changed the aviation landscape, enabling millions to fly.

Indira is a Wildlife Conservationist & Nature Educator. Her journey into the world of wildlife began with simple walks that revealed the magic of nature – from caterpillars transforming into butterflies to the fascinating teamwork of ants.

Dr. Jaimini Bhagwati is a distinguished figure with a diverse and accomplished career spanning various sectors. Currently, he serves as a Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) in New Delhi.

Dr Jairam Varadaraj is the Managing Director of Elgi Equipments Ltd. and Board Member of Elgi Ultra Industries Ltd., Elgi Rubber Co., Magna Electro Castings, Precot Meridian Ltd. and Thermax Ltd.

Javed Akhtar, the son of renowned Urdu poet and film lyricist Jan Nisar Akhtar and Safia Akhtar, a Professor of English Literature and writer, comes from a family lineage boasting seven generations of writers. His prolific career spans four distinct domains: a) Script Writer, b) Lyricist, c) Poet, and d) Activist.

Jerry Pinto is a celebrated literary figure, known for his versatile talents as a poet, author, editor, and translator. Holding an LLB from Government Law College, Mumbai, and a strong foundation in humanities from Elphinstone College, his literary journey is filled with notable achievements.

Kalki goes beyond being just your another big Bollywood actress; she’s a writer, theatre artist, poet, screenwriter, stage producer and is known for her unconventional body of work.

Mahesh Rangarajan is professor of Environmental Studies and History at Ashoka University. He was educated at Hindu College, University of Delhi and then at Balliol and Nuffield Colleges, both in Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.

An alumnus of IIT Mumbai, Cornell University, and M.I.T, Boston, Mansoor Khan began his career as a film-maker and went on to make feature films that won several national awards.

Mridula Ramesh is the award-winning author of the critically acclaimed The Climate Solution and Watershed, and the founder of Sundaram Climate Institute, which focuses on waste and water solutions.

Dr. Mukund Rajan, a key figure in India’s corporate sector, currently chairs ECube Investment Advisors, a pioneering platform promoting ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance) changes.

Mustansir Dalvi’s books of poems are, Brouhahas of Cocks (Poetrywala, 2013), Cosmopolitician (Poetrywala, 2018) and Walk (Yavanika Press, 2020/Poetrywala 2021).

Parmesh Shahani is an author and curator. He presently heads the Godrej DEI Lab, a newly formed experimental ideas space, that aims to empower inclusion ecosystems both within and outside the Godrej group.

Born into a family of farmers in 1966, Perumal Murugan has evolved into a remarkable Tamil literature luminary. This journey began from his early writing days, with his children’s songs featuring on All India Radio.

Raja Krishnamoorthy is a renowned thought leader celebrated for his ground-breaking conceptual frameworks and innovative models that bring clarity and foster a sense of positivity to elevate organizational effectiveness.

Raman Sukumar is the National Science Chair at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He is internationally known for his pioneering research on the ecology, behaviour and conservation of Asian elephants.

Ramesh Venkateswaran is a distinguished management professional, educator, and social advocate. Currently, he serves as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Technology, Palakkad, and is a member of the Board of Governors of The Lawrence School, Lovedale.

Rohini Nilekani is the Chairperson of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and Co-founder and Director of EkStep, a non-profit education platform. She is also the Founder and Former Chairperson of Arghyam, a foundation she set up in 2001 for sustainable water and sanitation, which funds initiatives across India.

Sampurna Chattarji is a poet, fiction writer, editor, translator and teacher with twenty-one publications to her credit. These include Space Gulliver: Chronicles of an Alien (HarperCollins 2015, 2020), which she wrote while on residency at the University of Kent, Canterbury.

Nawab Shafath Ali Khan, a distinguished member of the royal family of Hyderabad, has dedicated his life to the preservation of India’s wildlife. Deeply connected to South India’s forests, he utilizes his expertise to address the threat to Indian flora, fauna, and particularly, the endangered tiger.

T. R. Shankar Raman is a writer and wildlife scientist with the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore, interested in the ecology and conservation of tropical forests and wildlife, especially in the Western Ghats.

Smt. Sudha Murty, a Padma Bhushan awardee, is a symbol of generosity and hope for millions. Born on August 19, 1950, in Shiggaon, North Karnataka, she is celebrated as a prolific author, philanthropist, engineer, and visionary.

Sugata Srinivasaraju is a bilingual journalist, author and columnist. He has editorially led some of the leading print, television, and digital news brands in the past. He has been a Chevening scholar in the UK, fellow of the Aspen Institute in the US and is currently a Homi Bhabha fellow.

Sumantra Ghosal, with over 25 years of experience in commercials, has crafted a significant number of successful advertising films across a wide range of brands. After retiring from advertising, he found a new calling in documentary filmmaking, focusing primarily on the arts.

Suprabha Seshan is a long-term custodian of the Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary in Wayanad, Kerala. She is primarily concerned with rainforest conservation and community-based ecological nurturance.

Suresh Menon, author and columnist, is Contributing Editor, The Hindu. He was one of the youngest sports editors in the country before he became one of its youngest editors with the New Indian Express.

A. R. Venkatachalapathy, born in 1967 and currently serving as a Professor at the Madras Institute of Development Studies in Chennai, holds a distinguished academic background. He completed his PhD in history at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and has contributed significantly to the field of academia through his extensive teaching and research career.

K. Vijay Kumar, an IPS officer from the 1975 Tamil Nadu cadre batch, boasts a distinguished 37-year career in law enforcement. His journey encompasses a range of pivotal roles, highlighting his unwavering commitment and expertise.

Vinay Sitapati is a professor of political science and legal studies at Shiv Nadar Law School in Chennai. He was previously an associate professor at Ashoka University and visiting associate professor at Princeton University.

Vikram Sridhar is a Performance Storyteller & Theatre Practitioner combining his various interests and work over 20+ years in Theatre, Conservation and Social Work.