Shiv brings expertise in finance and marketing – a former banker, he has worked with large multinationals including Citibank and Standard Chartered Bank during his career. Subsequently, going on to join his family business of hospitality, today he is a well-recognised social entrepreneur. Shiv has also started production of Jojoba Oil in the north western state of Rajasthan, he is the largest grower and manufacturer in India and has expanded to a direct-to-consumer retail business. In his entrepreneurial journey, Shiv has also developed the Indian market for low-cost vacuum sewage systems including building awareness of zero human contact with sewage and introducing energy and water saving systems for a greener future.

Shiv holds a Masters Degree from Cardiff Business School and a Bachelor of Science from IILM. He is an alumni of the Doon School, Dehra Dun. He has a passion for wildlife photography – something he continues to pursue today.

A lawyer with 20 years’ experience, Priyanka co-founded Quad Law Associates in 2016, a boutique law firm specializing in Dispute Resolution (Litigation & Arbitration). She is widely recognized for her work in anti-bribery matters, specifically those involving issues under the U.S. FCPA, UK Bribery Act and the Indian Prevention of Corruption Act.

As co-founder of the BORBHAG Foundations, she leads the Foundation’s efforts of providing legal assistance to marginalized communities and educational opportunities to those who seek them. Priyanka has always sought for opportunities to make a positive difference to lives around her.

She lives in Delhi with her husband and daughter and when she is not wearing her work hat, she is found traveling, gardening, cooking for people.

Priyanka received her BCL Degree (European & Comparative Law) from the Oxford University, B.A. (Honours) English and LL.B degrees from the Delhi University, and completed her schooling from Carmel Convent School, New Delhi.

Shipra has been a business development and marketing professional. With over 30 years of experience including a decade long stint with CII where she worked actively to set benchmarks for business engagement with the African continent and actively promoted business engagement with over 40 African countries.

Strategic interactions, as a process, have been an integral part of her effort towards business development. She has also led very senior teams to achieve stretch targets successfully.

Shipra brings expertise in interacting with senior policy makers and board members and helping shape appropriate decisions by policy makers has been appreciated in the past. Organic growth for the organisation she engages with, remains a key driver for her. Shipra has worked with some of the leading industry houses at Leadership positions including Bharat Forge and Kirloskar Brothers. She has expertise in repositioning companies as though leaders through PR engagements and media, and has achieved visible increase in press coverage for organisations that she has been associated with.

Shipra holds a Diploma in Business Management - University of Jammu and has completed her Post Graduation in International Relations from University of Delhi. She completed her Graduation in Political Science from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi.

A visionary tea professional, with his empowering business philosophies, ethical approach and local expertise in the North East Region, Mr. Goswami is a sought after Organizational Consultant for the Corporate Sector. In his long and illustrious career, spanning over five decades, Mr. Goswami has received great admiration both from industrial quarters as well as governmental institutions for his achievements and management qualities.

Mr. Goswami has diverse expertise on the tea industry, including in-depth knowledge on day-to-day management and operations of the industry, wide experience in handling labour and local issues and diversification programs within the tea industry. Having successfully run profitable ventures within tea estates, he is proficient with the entire spectrum of marketing and packaging teas. Mr. Goswami was instrumental in setting up one of the first tea tourism company in Assam and also in getting Assam’s first ISO 9002 certification for Hattiali Tea Estate.

Kumar Sanjay Krishna, in his experience of over four decades in the Indian Administrative Service (1985; Assam Meghalaya Cadre), has held diverse portfolios, and superannuated as the Chief Secretary, Government of Assam. He led the administration in Assam during Covid 19 and Assam was considered as one of the best administered states during that time of unprecedented situation.

He is widely recognised for his contributions to developmental administration, infrastructure financing, and public governance across both Central and State Governments. During his tenure as Joint Secretary of Department of Economic Affairs of Government of India, he supervised the division handling JICA financing of Delhi Metro Phase II, Chennai and Bangalore Metros, Ring Road project of Hyderabad, Water Supply projects of Hogenakkal of Tamil Nadu and Guwahati, Assam, establishment of IIT, Hyderabad etc. A number of Climate Change projects under AfD, DFID, KfW were also initiated during his tenure.

He was Director, PMO during Dr Manmohan Singh’s tenure as PM. He also worked later as JS & AS in Ministry of Finance (Disinvestment) and Agriculture respectively.

At the state level, he held posts of District Magistrate for 5 years in two districts in a period in early 90s when Assam was going through toughest period of insurgency in its modern history. He also worked as Secretary and above in almost all departments including Home & Political, Revenue & Disaster Management, Public Health Engineering, Information and Public Relations, Food and Civil Supplies, Planning and Development, Forest and Environment, Cultural Affairs, Public Relations and Information and Education. He was also Managing Director, Assam Tea Corporation Ltd for four years when the corporation last made profits.

He was also posted in New York as Director Tea Board of India for 3 years.

After his tenure as Chief Secretary of Assam, he was made Chairman of State Electricity Regulatory Commission. During his tenure with AERC, he worked towards recognising the vision of uninterrupted, good quality power supply to all in the state at affordable cost in addition to emphasizing on future of renewable energy in Assam.

Krishna graduated in Physics from St. Stephen's College, Delhi, and did his M.Sc. in Physics from Delhi University. He has also completed advanced certificate courses in Public Administration, Public Policy, and Trade Policy from Harvard University, the University of California, Berkeley, and Syracuse University.

He is an avid tennis player and a golfer and is a Patron for the BORBHAG Cup – our annual golf tournament held in Assam.

Mrs. Sheela Bhide, brings over three decades experience in the Indian Administrative Service, holding key portfolios with the Central Government and the Government of Andhra Pradesh.

During her tenure with the Government, Mrs. Bhide, was responsible for promotion of industry & foreign trade, budget & finances for foreign aid, corporate governance as well as procurement for defence equipment. Recently, Mrs. Bhide also Chaired the Committee appointed to oversee distribution of assets and liabilities of government companies & corporations as part of the bifurcation between the Indian states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. She holds multiple honors & awards including the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration. Mrs. Bhide also brings extensive consultancy experience including with the MSME sector and sustainable development.

Mrs. Bhide holds an MBA in Financial Management from the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU); PhD in International Trade from Institut de Hautes Etudes Internationales, Universite de Geneve; M.A. Economics from George Mason University; Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from the John F. Kennedy School of Government- Harvard University; M.A. Political Science, Poona University, India and a B.A. Political Science, History, French, from Fergusson College.

Rajni Sekhri Sibal is an IAS of the Haryana cadre; 1986 batch. She recently retired as Secretary, Government of India covering diverse portfolios including Fisheries, Agriculture Home Affairs and Skill Development. She is the first lady to have topped the All India Civil Service Examinations. She also brings experience of working in the private sector and is a widely published author. At present Ms. Sekhri is the Independent External Monitor of SEBI, the Security Exchange

Mr. M Ramsekhar brings over two decades experience in the Indian Administrative Service, having worked extensively in the areas of urban development, industrial and economic development, infrastructure, transport, and governance. He also possesses experience working in senior positions in private sector and consulting.

Widely respected for leading large and complex organizations, Mr. Ramsekhar is also known for stabilizing and growing businesses and helping strengthen reforms and improving governance. He has served as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Limited, and led IPE Global, a leading player in the development sector in South Asia. Prior to this, he was CEO of CRISIL Risk & Infrastructure Solutions and Chief Strategy Officer for GVK Power & Infrastructure Ltd.

Mr. Ramsekhar holds a MPA Public and Economic Policy, Urban Development from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE); MPA Infrastructure Finance and Regulation, Columbia University in the City of New York. He also holds a B.Tech (Mech Engg) from SV University College of Engineering.

Mr. Navin Kumar Maini brings over four decades of extensive experience in commercial and development banking. A career banker , he has worked with UCO Bank, IDBI, and retired as the Deputy Managing Director of the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), the premier financial institution for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in India. Simultaneously, he was Chairman of the Boards of SIDBI Venture Capital Ltd, SIDBI Trustee Co. Ltd, Indian SME Asset Reconstruction Co. Ltd, Indian SME Technology Services Ltd and Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises.

Mr. Maini is currently, amongst others, on the Boards of NSE Clearing Ltd, Capital Small Finance Bank Ltd, Ugro Capital Ltd, AYE Finance Limited and Access Assist; he is also on the Advisory Boards of IvyCap Venture Fund and Lok Capital Group, besides being a Member of the Innovation and Transformation Board, Govt of Tripura. Mr. Maini is widely sought after for his expertise and is an eminent speaker in the fields of development banking and microfinance. He is a recipient of the prestigious “Award for Lifetime Contribution to the Micro Finance Sector” instituted by HSBC and Access Development Services.

He is a graduate from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi and holds a Degree in Law. He also has postgraduate qualifications in Management from MDI and in International Trade from IIFT, besides being a Certified Associate of Indian Institute of Banking & Finance (CAIIB). He has undergone top management programmes at Harvard, Stanford and Cranfield Schools of Management.

Mr. S.K.Barua in his experience of over three decades in the energy sector, has held diverse leadership portfolios across public sector enterprises and government, and superannuated as the CEO & Managing Director of Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL), a Government of India Undertaking. He led NRL through a defining period of growth, transforming it into a consistently profitable and strategically expanding organisation, and is widely recognised for his contributions to greenfield project execution, corporate governance, and energy policy engagement across both Central and State spheres.

After his tenure at NRL, Mr. Barua was appointed as CEO of North East Gas Distribution Company Ltd (NEGDCL), a Government of Assam Undertaking. He has also contributed as a Senior Consultant with the Ministry of Skill Development, Government of India.

Over the course of his career, he played a foundational role in multiple joint ventures across petrochemicals, gas transportation, and bio-refining, and spearheaded large-scale projects that significantly expanded the energy infrastructure of the North East. He has also served as Chairman of the CII North East Council and the Assam State Council, is a Member of the Assam State Innovation and Transformation Aayog (SITA), and is a Professor of Practice at leading universities in Assam. He is an empanelled Arbitrator with the Standing Conference of Public Enterprises and is actively associated with academic, industry, and sports bodies in the region.

Mr. Barua is a Fellow of the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of India and holds a Bachelor of Law from Dibrugarh University. He has also completed advanced executive programmes including the International Directors Programme at INSEAD, France, a programme in Petroleum Management at the University of Alberta, Canada, and a programme on International Gas Contracts at the Oxford Princeton Programme, Argentina.

Dr. Amiya K. Sharma brings on board several years of vast experience across academia, both in India and the United States. He is Executive Director, Rashtriya Gramin Vikas Nidhi (RGVN), an organization working on creating an enabling environment where the poor and underprivileged can ensure sustainable livelihood with dignity.

Dr. Sharma, leads a diverse team in implementing projects with a vision to empower local communities, contribute towards sustainable well-being and economic empowerment. This, across the realms of institution building & women cooperatives, food security, skill development for livelihood and enhancing market linkages for weaver communities. He also brings in depth expertise of nurturing and strengthening grassroots level initiatives of NGOs and community owned institutions.

Dr. Sharma is a Member of various Committees including National Committee on Social & Economic Development, Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India and Executive Member of Centre for Micro Finance & Livelihood (CML) set up by Sir Dorabji Tata Trust in the NER. He holds an M.A. degree from the Delhi School of Economics and a Ph.D. from Rutgers University, U.S.A.

Prof. Bhagat Oinam is well respected in the academic fraternity having held multiple teaching positions in his illustrious career of over three decades. He is currently Professor, Centre for Philosophy, School of Social Sciences and Chairperson & Concurrent Faculty, Special Centre for the Study of North East India Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

Prof. Oinam is credited with expanding the horizons of research and teaching on North East India – a rarity in the country. He has facilitated a holistic understanding of the region across diverse aspects including social, economic & political change, livelihood studies, border trade, global capital and institutions, conflict, peace and security studies, amongst others, bringing together different epistemic perspectives with strong commitment to multi-disciplinary research.

Prof. Oinam also has extensive international exposure delivering multiple lectures and is widely published in journals and anthologies on diverse topics across the country. He is a well-respected author, having co-authored Northeast India: A Reader, Perspectives on Manipuri Culture. His areas of specialisation include Phenomenology and Existentialism; Moral, Social and Cultural Philosophy; Philosophical Anthropology; Aesthetics. He holds a M.A., M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Philosophy.

Mr. Mrinal Talukdar is a Seasoned Journalist, Filmmaker, with a passion for the development sector. Spanning a career over three & a half decades, across all platforms of Print, News Agency, Television, and Digital, he has emerged as one of the most trusted face of Assam’s television.

With fourteen books, both in Assamese and English, seven of which are best sellers, Mr. Talukdar is considered one of the most respected writers of Assam. He specializes on the Post-independence Assam and most known for “Mautam” & “Post-Colonial Assam”. Within the development sector, he brings expertise in improving the quality of life for children, and is credited for setting up the first smart village in the North Eastern state of Assam, empowering local communities and bringing access to sanitation, solar and drinking water.

Mr. Talukdar is a regular guest faculty, teaching conflict situation of North East, Mass Communication and Connectivity of ASEAN countries. He holds a post-graduation in Mass Communication through Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and a Bachelors’ Degree from Gauhati University. He is an agriculturalist by passion, with interest in tea and Biofloc fishery, is involved in Organic Community farming.

Mr. Rohinton Babaycon brings over four decades of rich & diversified experience in the plantation sector spanning across Tea, Rubber, Cash crops, Horticulture.  As Chief Executive (Tea Division) of Andrew Yule & Co. Ltd. , a Public Sector Undertaking of Govt. of India, under the Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, Mr. Babaycon played a key role in turning the division out of the out of BIFR and Draft Rehabilitation Scheme.

Mr. Babaycon has deep understanding of implementation of ISO 9001:2015, 14001, 22000 & HACCP related projects & Quality Control, ETP and Rainforest Alliance Compliance, Organic conversion both in Darjeeling and Assam Gardens. With IDH India, Mr Babaycon assisted in developing and scaling ‘Agri Entrepreneurs’ in the Assam Bengal and South India on the Small tea Growers Platform and developing alternate income strategies.

He is possibly one of the first Tea Executives’ from Assam to take a sabbatical to pursue his MBA, which he earned in International Business from Western Sydney University.

Mr. Pradeep Bhide (IAS, Retd.) brings with him close to four decades of experience. While in the Indian Administrative Service he has held a series of positions at the State and Central levels.

Mr. P. Bhide retired as Revenue Secretary, Government of India. Mr. Bhide is well respected for his vast experience and in depth understanding of diverse sectors & administration, including large international aid organisations. He has also served as Advisor to India’s Executive Director to the International Board for Reconstruction and Development, Washington. Mr. Bhide is also on the boards of various companies including GSK, Gujarat Borosil Limited, Tube Investments of India Limited, L&T Finance Holdings Limited, amongst other public Companies.

Mr. Bhide is a Science and Law graduate from Delhi University, has done his Master’s in Business Administration from IGNOU. He is enrolled as an Advocate with the Delhi Bar Council.

Mr. Samuel brings over two and a half decades of commercial leadership experience in the biopharmaceutical industry.

He served as Senior Vice President, Global Patient Solutions for Gilead Sciences. Mr. Samuel was responsible for sales, managed markets, global health policy, global commercial operations and access in more than 140 countries.

Mr. Samuel’s successful strategies in resource-challenged, emerging markets drove both access to medicines and ROI in geographies spanning Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, South/Southeast Asia Pacific and Eastern Europe. Clifford is internationally recognized for major advancements in engineering and developing and implementing innovative approaches to engineering STEM education.

A graduate of the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, he received an honorary PhD from his alma mater. He is also the recipient of an Edward F. Weston Medal for Professional Achievement (NJIT) and a member of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). Clifford also a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering in 2019.

Having joined in 1986 and spent over three decades in the Indian Foreign Service, Ambassador Gaitri Kumar has served in various capacities including at the Office of the President of India, Ministry of External Affairs and Indian Missions abroad. She retired as the High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom. During this time, Ambassador Kumar enhanced co-operation between India and the UK - reflected in the India UK Road Map to 2030 (launched on May 2021), the first such document signed by the UK with any country.

Ambassador Kumar has worked to promote India’s political, trade and economic as well as cultural partnerships through strengthened bilateral co-operation with partner countries - including the UK and EU, US, Canada, France, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Myanmar. She has also pursued India’s key objectives in multilateral fora including the UN Offices in Geneva’s Conference on Disarmament and UNGA First Committee in the UN Offices, New York, European Parliament, European Commission and European External Action Service, multilateral organisations including the OECD (Paris), World Customs Union (Brussels), Commonwealth Secretariat (London) and International Maritime Organisation (London).

With family origins in Punjab, Ambassador Kumar was born in Bangalore, Karnataka. She completed her graduation from Bangalore University (History, Economics and Political Science).

Having spent over three and half decades in the Indian Foreign Service, Ambassador Navdeep Suri has served in various Indian diplomatic missions abroad including Cairo, Damascus, Washington, Dar es Salaam and London and as India’s Consul General in Johannesburg. He was India’s High Commissioner to Australia and Ambassador to Egypt and UAE and has been acknowledged for his role in promoting trade and investment links with these countries. In a rare gesture, the President of UAE conferred on Ambassador Suri the Order of Zayed II, the country’s second-highest civilian award. His innovative use of social media in public diplomacy also received extensive recognition and two prestigious awards.

Ambassador Suri is a respected commentator on geopolitical and geoeconomics developments in the Middle East. He has co-edited the ORF-Global Policy books ‘A 2030 Vision for India’s Economic Diplomacy’ and ‘I2U2: Pathways for a new minilateral.’ His English translations of his grandfather Nanak Singh’s classic Punjabi novels have been published by Penguin as ‘The Watchmaker’ and by Harper Collins as ‘A Life Incomplete,’ ‘Khooni Vaisakhi’ and ‘Hymns in Blood.’

Ambassador Suri is Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation. He is on the Board of several reputed companies and an advisor to several prestigious international organizations. He is also Professor of Eminence at Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar. He has learnt Arabic and French, holds a Master’s Degree in Economics.