Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood serves as the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India since April 2022, concurrently holding the role of Chairperson for the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology & Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC). Previously, he was a member of PM-STIAC and served on the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India.

With a Doctorate in Physics from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, Prof. Sood's research focuses on Quantum materials and soft matter physics. He has authored over 450 papers in peer-reviewed journals and holds numerous patents.

Recognised for his contributions, Prof. Sood has received prestigious awards including the Padma Shri and was elected Fellow of the Royal Society, UK. He has also served as President of the Indian National Science Academy and the Indian Academy of Sciences. Additionally, he has been conferred with several honorary doctorates and awards for his outstanding contributions to science.

Mr. Amitabh Kant, serving in the Office of G-20 Sherpa for the Government of India, is renowned as a governance reformer and public policy change agent. His impactful leadership spans various key roles, notably as the CEO of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) from 2016 to 2022 and as the Secretary of the Department for Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) from 2014 to 2016.

During his tenure, Mr. Kant spearheaded transformative national initiatives including Startup India, Make in India, and the Aspirational Districts Program, repositioning India and Kerala as global leaders. As CEO of NITI Aayog, he drove a plethora of developmental and policy initiatives, catalysing India's social and economic growth.

As Secretary, DIPP, Mr. Kant was instrumental in the Start-up India movement, propelling India to emerge as the third-best startup ecosystem globally with over 70,000 startups and 110+ Unicorns. He championed Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) reforms, leading to India's significant jump in global rankings. Additionally, he introduced competition and ranking among Indian states based on EoDB indicators, fostering a culture of competitiveness and driving transformative change at the state level.

Dr. Manindra Agrawal, a distinguished Professor at IIT Kanpur, holds a BTech and PhD in Computer Science from the same institution. With a rich academic background, he served as a Humboldt Fellow at Chennai Mathematical Institute and University of Ulm (Germany) before joining the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Kanpur in 1996.

Currently, Dr. Agrawal serves as Professor and Program Director of the Technology Innovation Hub in Cybersecurity at IIT Kanpur. His research spans complexity theory, computational number theory, cryptography, and mathematical modelling.

Recognised for his exceptional contributions, Dr. Agrawal has been honoured with prestigious awards including the Gödel Prize, Fulkerson Prize, Humboldt Forschungspreis, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, Infosys Prize in Mathematics, and Padma Shri. He is also a Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences (US) and a Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences, Indian National Science Academy (INSA), Indian Academy of Sciences (IASc), National Academy of Sciences India (NASI), and Indian National Academy of Engineers (INAE).

Mr. Sriram Rajamani, Corporate Vice President and Managing Director of Microsoft Research India, boasts an illustrious academic journey with a bachelor's degree from Anna University College of Engineering, Chennai, India, a master's degree from the University of Virginia, USA, and a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, USA, all specialising in Computer Science.

As a distinguished researcher, Sriram's expertise spans various domains within computer science, including hardware and software verification, programming language design, distributed systems, security and privacy, cloud security, and probabilistic programming. Currently, he focuses on revolutionising the future of programming and software engineering by leveraging ML models to enhance productivity, agility, and user experience, while maintaining reliability and security.

Recognised for his contributions, Sriram has been elected ACM fellow and is a fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering. He has also received the Computer Aided Verification award. As Corporate Vice President and Managing Director of Microsoft Research India Lab, he leads groundbreaking research initiatives aimed at shaping the future of technology.

Dr. Chintan Vaishnav is a socio-technologist, blending engineering expertise with a deep understanding of human complexities. Currently, he is the Mission Director for Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), a pivotal initiative of the Indian government under NITI Aayog. Chintan is on leave from his role at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to fulfil this responsibility.

Balancing roles as a teacher, innovator, and entrepreneur, Chintan has dedicated himself to bridging the gap between academia and real-world challenges. His endeavours span teaching and research at MIT, alongside hands-on engagement with rural communities in India. Through this multifaceted approach, he aims to craft solutions that address fundamental constraints and uplift human conditions.

With over three decades of experience in enterprise technologies, Rajesh has worked with some of the largest IT services providers in the world in driving digital transformations and building thriving businesses.

He has been designated as the President of NASSCOM with effect from 1st October 2024. He is currently the Chairman and Managing Director of Cognizant India and a member of Cognizant’s global executive council. In this role, Rajesh leads decision-making for key company priorities in the region, provides overall leadership to over 250,000 associates across India alongside engagements with government and industry leaders, business partners and clients.

Prior to Cognizant, Rajesh served as Chairman and President of Ciena India. In this role, he led Ciena’s transformation to become a leading network solutions partner, setting the company’s benchmarks for a highly mature organization. Before joining Ciena, Rajesh held a series of global leadership roles at IBM in which he steered several major transformations, spearheaded an $8 billion application service practice, built the next generation of globally integrated delivery capabilities, and led a team of 90,000 across Asia Pacific. Before IBM, Rajesh spent over 18 years at Tata Consultancy Services which culminated in him leading the company’s business across Eastern US.

Prior to being designated as the President, Rajesh has been part of the board and served as Chairperson of NASSCOM, India’s leading technology industry association, committed to setting the strategic direction for the IT sector at local, national and global levels. He also chairs the Cognizant Foundation in India.

Rajesh holds a master’s degree in Statistics from the Indian Statistical Institute and is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.

Dr. Ganesh Natarajan, Founder and Chairman of 5F World and Global Track, also holds the position of Chairman at Honeywell Automation India Ltd. and the Lighthouse Communities Foundation. With a rich entrepreneurial journey spanning three decades, Ganesh has excelled in both business and social entrepreneurship. His extensive board experience includes roles at State Bank of India, Hinduja Global, Principal, Educate Girls, SVP Seattle, and Asian Venture Philanthropy Network Singapore. Notably, Ganesh led APTECH and Zensar Technologies as CEO, propelling them to global prominence during his stellar tenures spanning over 25 years.

An accomplished author with thirteen published books, Ganesh has also chaired prestigious organisations like NASSCOM and the HBS Club of India, showcasing his leadership prowess across diverse domains.

Over his distinguished 40-year career, Mohandas Pai has made significant contributions across diverse fields including finance, accounting, information technology, human resources, education, corporate governance, and social impact innovation. Currently serving as the Chairman of Aarin Capital and a board member of Havells India and the Institute of Public Enterprises, Mohan also sits on the Board of Governors of the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF). Additionally, he chairs the Regulatory and Financial Technology Committee of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (“SEBI”).

Recognised for his outstanding achievements, Mohan received the Padma Shri award in 2015 and the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 2008. His previous roles include serving as CFO and board member at Infosys for 17 years, and as a member of various prestigious boards including SEBI, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) of India, and the Ascendas Property Fund.

A distinguished academic, Mohan holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce from St. Joseph’s College of Commerce, Bangalore, a bachelor’s degree in law (LLB) from Bangalore University, and is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. He is based in Bangalore, India.

Parag Amin is a versatile global entrepreneur with diverse business interests spanning technology, banking, retail, and real estate. As the President and Principal of two technology companies, Radiqal in Horsham, PA, USA, and Surya InfoTech Pvt. Ltd. in Baroda, India, Parag spearheads innovative software products and services catering to gaming, digital television, and software development domains.

Notably, Parag was part of a pioneering team that secured the '95 EMMY for their groundbreaking work on Direct To Home (DTH) Satellite TV. With a strong foothold in technology, he offers strategic counsel to businesses and government entities worldwide. Parag holds a B.S in Computer Science from Stockton State College and an M.S in Computer Science from Drexel University. His company, Radiqal, is a leading provider of digital TV and gaming solutions, headquartered in Horsham, PA.

Dr. AK Garg, an Electrical Engineer with a Doctoral Degree from IIT Kanpur, brings over 25 years of extensive experience and a commendable track record of professional excellence. Renowned for his target-oriented approach and pioneering spirit in innovation, Dr. Garg has spearheaded numerous mission-critical digital transformation initiatives at MeitY. He has been instrumental in shaping various strategic forums of the Government of India, focusing on AI, Data, Cyber Security Technology Regulations, and Emerging Tech.

Currently, as the head of the Digital Tech and Law Group at Anand and Anand, Dr. Garg leads the firm's efforts in developing expertise in Legal and Advisory aspects of Emerging Tech, recognising its pivotal role in future innovation and economic growth.

Previously, as a Senior Director at MeitY, Dr. Garg played a pivotal role in divisions including Startup, Innovation, IPR, and International Cooperation. He led groundbreaking initiatives such as the MeitY Startup Hub and formulated key policies like the National IT policy and National Policy on Software Products.

Dr. Garg's strategic negotiations and management of agreements with over 50 countries, coupled with his role as the Lead Negotiator for Digital Trade Chapter in various FTAs, have significantly enhanced India's position in global ICT forums. He is deeply committed to fostering the startup-entrepreneurial ecosystem, particularly in emerging technologies, across the nation.

Mr. Avinash Punekar brings with him 30 years of experience in leadership roles in technology and operations with various organisations, both startups and large businesses. He is a BTech in Aeronautical Engineering from IIT Bombay, and has more than 60 IPRs in diverse domains and technologies. He has worked extensively in the startup ecosystem as an entrepreneur, mentor, facilitator and enabler.