Speakers

Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda

Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda was born on December 2, 1960, to Dr. Narain Lal Nadda and Shrimati Krishna Nadda. He received his early education at St. Xavier's School, Patna. His father was a professor at Patna University and later became the Vice-Chancellor of Ranchi University. As a child, he participated in the relay fast as part of the J.P. movement against then Congress regime of Bihar.

Shri Nadda completed his B.A. from Patna College, Patna University, and obtained an LLB from Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla. He became active in the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Patna and played a significant role in the student movement during the Jai Prakash Narayan movement of 1975.
He was elected as the President of the Student Central Association of Himachal Pradesh University in the year 1983. He became a full-time activist of ABVP in 1985. During the period from 1985 to 1990, he held various positions in ABVP including National Secretary and Organising Secretary of Delhi Metropolitan Council. He also led various student movements through the Rashtriya Sangharsh Morcha during this period.

+In 1990, he joined the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) as the General Secretary of Himachal Pradesh BJP. In 1991, he was given the responsibility of National President of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and worked under the leadership of the then National President, Shri Murali Manohar Joshi, participating with the youth during the Ekta Yatra. He was re-elected in 1993 and also served under the leadership of Shri Lal Krishna Adwani.

In 1993, Shri Nadda was elected as an MLA from Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, and became the Leader of the Opposition in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly. He was awarded the best legislator in 1995. He was re-elected as an MLA from 1998 to 2003 and served as the Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Parliamentary Affairs in the Himachal Pradesh State Government. In 2007, he was elected as an MLA for the third time and became the Minister of Forest, Environment; Science and Technology; Law and Parliamentary affairs.

In 2010, Shri Nadda became the National General Secretary of the BJP after resigning from the Council of Ministers in Himachal Pradesh. Working under the then National President Shri Nitin Gadkari, he was in charge of the Central Office and served as Election in-charge for several states.

In 2012, he was elected a member of the Rajya Sabha from Himachal Pradesh. In 2013, he was re-elected as National General Secretary. In 2014, he became Secretary of the Central Election Committee and was elected National General Secretary for the third time under the leadership of Shri Amit Shah. He was also appointed as Secretary of the BJP Parliamentary Board, the highest decision-making body of the party.

In November 2014, Shri Nadda became the Union Minister of Health in the PM Shri Narendra Modi government. He was instrumental in launching the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, providing free health insurance of up to five lakh rupees annually to about 55 crore people. He also improved the healthcare system by ensuring the availability of medicines, opening Jan Aushadhi Kendras, and digitising hospitals.

Shri Nadda was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2018 from Himachal Pradesh. After the BJP's success in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he was appointed the National Working President of the BJP on June 17, 2019, to share responsibilities with National President Amit Shah, who took the role of Union Home Minister. In 2019, he was made the election in-charge of the State of Uttar Pradesh. On 20 January 2020, he was elected unanimously as the BJP National President.

Under his leadership, the BJP achieved significant success in various elections, including the Kashmir BDC elections and the GHMC elections in Hyderabad, as well as local body elections in several states like Assam, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Goa, Ladakh and Karnataka. The party also broke records in Legislative Assembly elections in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur, West Bengal, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.

During his tenure, the BJP launched a massive membership drive, bringing in over 180 million new members. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Shri Nadda initiated the 'Sewa Hi Sangathan' mission, distributing over 220 million food kits, 50 million ration kits, and 56.6 million face masks across over 900 districts in India.

On January 17, 2023, during the National Executive Meeting in New Delhi, Shri Nadda's tenure as National President of the BJP was extended until June 2024. He was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat and took oath on April 6, 2024. On June 11, 2024, Shri J.P. Nadda assumed the role of Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers.

Prof Sunil Maheshwari

B.Tech. (IIT, Delhi); Fellow (IIM, Ahmedabad)

Professor of Human Resource Management

IIM Ahmedabad

Sunil Maheshwari is Professor of Human Resource Management and Strategic Management at IIM Ahmedabad. He is an Alumni of IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad. He is a former IRPS officer. He switched to academics in 1998. His research, consulting and teaching interests are strategic human resource management, international human resource management and business turnaround. His book titled “Turnaround Excellence,” is published by Penguin Books India. The book is based on his research study of six turnaround cases. He has widely published his research articles in both national and international journals of repute. He has written more than 30 cases. He has been a consultant to many large national and international organizations. He has served on the boards of many organizations including Andhra Bank and UCO Bank.

Sudarshan Jain

Sudarshan has a strong passion for healthcare and the education sector. He is currently the Secretary General of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), and the Chairman of the Indian Institute of Health Management and Research (IIHMR), Jaipur. He also serves as a Board Member of Abbott India, Sunshine Holdings PLC and various educational institutions.

Sudarshan is on the Advisory Committee of the Biotechnology Ignition Grant, Government of India and a Visiting Faculty at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM A). He is  a Certified Executive Coach from the Coaching Foundation of India.

Sudarshan has a rich healthcare business experience of over 45 years and has contributed to shaping healthcare policy and improving access to healthcare in India. He has held several leadership positions in Abbott, J&J, Boots and leading Indian companies and last served as the Managing Director at Abbott Healthcare Solutions. His experience spans across Pharmaceutical, OTC, Hospital, Diagnostic and Nutrition businesses. He has been associated with over 30 brands which are among the top 300 in the Indian pharmaceutical market. He also served as Chairman of the Life Sciences Skill Sector Development Council (LSSSDC) of India under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.

He is the first Indian recipient of the Global Chairman’s Award at Abbott.

Sudarshan is an alumnus of St. Stephens College, Delhi, and the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA).

Prof Bharat Bhasker

Prof. Bhasker obtained his Ph.D. and master’s degree in computer science at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA. He earned his Bachelor of Engineering from IIT Roorkee.

Prior to accepting the position of Director, IIM Ahmedabad, he served as a Professor of Information Technology and Systems at IIM Lucknow. He has also served as Director of IIM Raipur from March 2017 to March 2022, Acting-Director of IIM Lucknow during July 2015 to November 2015, as a Mentor Director/Convener (Nodal Prof.) at IIM Sirmaur in 2015. He was honoured with 'Best Director of Business  Schools' award for transforming IIM Raipur to a great place to work and its exponential growth.

Prof. Bhasker has held various visiting academic positions such as International Expert Advisor at the University of Tenaga Nasional, Malaysia, International Expert,  Research Grants at the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada  (NSERC), Visiting Professor at the ESSEC Business School, Paris, France,   Distinguished Professor at the Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea, Research  Professor at the University of California, USA, Visiting Professor at the University of Texas, USA and Adjunct Faculty at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Prof. Bhasker has acquired rich industry experience in addition to his academic experience. He has held senior positions at multiple organizations such as Connectix  Corp., USA, SYBASE Inc., USA, MDL Information Systems Inc., USA, Hughes STX Inc., USA, and Tata Steel Ltd., India. He has also been associated as the Chairman at the Services Sector Development Council, Bureau of Indian Standards, President at the Indian Sub-continent Decision Science Institute, USA, Chairman at the Computer Society of India, Lucknow and as a Member of the Board of Governors at various organizations.

Education:

• D., computer science, The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA
• Master’s degree, Computer science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA

Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi

Dr. Raghuvanshi is a renowned expert in the pharmaceutical industry, with over 32 years of unparalleled experience in drug quality, drug regulatory affairs, and drug development. His leadership and scientific acumen have significantly advanced the global pharmaceutical landscape.

Key Achievements and Contributions:

Product Development: Dr. Raghuvanshi and his team have successfully developed over 200 pharmaceutical products that are currently marketed globally, contributing to improved healthcare outcomes across multiple countries.
US Patents: Holder of 9 granted US patents, underscoring his innovative contributions to the pharmaceutical sciences.
Publications: Authored 60+ research papers in esteemed peer-reviewed journals and co-authored 6 chapters in books, reflecting his commitment to academic excellence and scientific advancement.

Twice honored with the prestigious Dr. Reddy’s Lab Excellence Award for his outstanding contributions to pharmaceutical research and development.

Dr. Raghuvanshi has been entrusted with the pivotal role of Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) by the Government of India. As the nation's top drug regulatory authority, he leads India's drug regulatory processes, ensuring the quality, safety, and efficacy of medicines for the public. His work directly impacts millions, fostering trust and credibility in India's pharmaceutical sector.

His journey has been defined by his dedication to advancing drug development and ensuring drug quality. His contributions continue to set global benchmarks in regulatory practices and pharmaceutical innovation, positioning India as a leader in the pharmaceutical domain.

Mr Pankaj Patel

Mr. Pankaj Patel is the Chairman of Zydus Lifesciences Ltd., a discovery-driven, global Lifesciences company with operations in 55 countries worldwide. Mr. Pankaj Patel combines both research and techno-commercial expertise and has published over 100 research papers in peer reviewed journals and is a co-inventor in more than 64 patents.

Mr. Patel has been appointed as the Part Time Non-official Director in Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India. He is on the board of several institutions, including Chairman of IIM Udaipur and Member of the Board of Governors of IIM Ahmedabad and Invest India. He is also a Member of the Governing Board of India Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. He is also a Member of the CEO Advisory Committee of International Generics and Biosimilars Association (IGBA). Mr. Patel is a Past President of the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI). He also officiates on the board of several Not-for-Profit & charitable institutions. Mr. Patel is the Executive Chairman, Vice President and Trustee of the Gujarat Cancer Society and Chairman of the Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute, a Regional Cancer Centre and one of the largest cancer centres of India, reaching out to the needy and underprivileged cancer patients. He also officiates as the Chairman of the Deaf and Mute School, Ahmedabad. He is also a Director and Chairman on the Board of Zydus Foundation which set up Zydus Hospital and Medical College, Dahod.

In recognition of his contributions to the healthcare industry in India, Mr. Pankaj Patel is a recipient of several awards including the Acharya PC Ray Memorial Gold Medal Award and the Eminent Pharmacist Award, the India Innovator Award at the India Business Leaders Awards instituted by CNBC. For his entrepreneurial vision, Mr. Patel was awarded the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Life Sciences category. Through his various associations with educational institutions and not-for-profit organisations that serve at the grassroots, Mr. Patel champions and supports the causes related to education, health and innovation.

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Sathya Prathipati

Sathya Prathipati is a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company and is part of the Firm’s global leadership team.

Sathya leads our integrated Life Sciences Practice in Asia and McKinsey’s Pharmaceuticals Generics Practice globally.

Sathya is also the chair of McKinsey’s Investment committee in India.

Over his career spanning two decades, Sathya has served over 45 pharmaceutical companies on themes spanning strategy, performance improvement and technology enablement across China, India, Rest of Asia, Western Europe and the Americas. He is the co-convener of the seminal Global Pharmaceuticals Generics industry CEO conference.

Sathya has been a speaker at the Harvard Business School on Changing Landscape of Indian Healthcare, the International Generics CEO conference (Munich) on the future of the global Pharmaceutical industry, a key note speaker at the Google-McKinsey digital health summit, the Asia Generics conference (Singapore) and a panelist on several conferences on topics that relate to the Asian healthcare opportunity.

He is the co-author of the CII-McKinsey publication on ‘Healthcare 3.0’, the FICCI–McKinsey report on the Indian Lifesciences industry and several globally disseminated whitepapers on the pharmaceutical generics industry.

Prior to joining McKinsey, Sathya interned with the Technology, Media and Telecommunications desk of the Investment Banking Division (IBD) at Goldman Sachs & Co. in London.
Sathya received a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore (IIMB) and is a mechanical engineer by qualification.

Bhushan Akshikar

Bhushan Akshikar is Vice President – South Asia & Managing Director of the listed entity at GSK India.

Over the last three decades, Bhushan has worked in local, regional & global roles within the pharmaceutical industry. Since 2011 at GSK, Bhushan has worked in a variety of commercial roles in diverse geographies of India, Africa & Middle East driving the transformation agenda for GSK biopharma.

Bhushan also leads the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI) as the President.

Before joining GSK, Bhushan spent 15 years with Janssen, Johnson & Johnson, in various commercial roles leading both specialty and primary care business units in local and regional positions living in India, S. Korea and Belgium.

Bhushan has his postgraduation degree in Marketing from S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai and is a Pharmacy graduate from University of Pune.

Anish Bafna

Anish Bafna took over as the CEO & Managing Director of Healthium Medtech in August 2018, when he returned to India with the dream of creating India’s most trusted Medtech company.

Under Anish’s leadership, Healthium has undergone a transformational journey and emerged as India’s foremost Medtech company with a presence in 90+ countries across the globe, 700+ districts in India, and a strong team of 3,000+ employees.

Anish, along with the Healthium team has pursued the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” agenda by promoting indigenous technology and innovation. Under his aegis, Healthium owns 85+ patents across India, US, and Europe [including pending applications]. The 7 manufacturing facilities of Healthium have also continued the thrust on high quality with 510 (k) (US FDA), CE under the stringent new EUMDR norms [1st Indian medtech company to receive CE certification under the new EU-MDR norms for Class III implants], TGA and ISO accreditations.

Anish‘s career spans 30+ years with a strong focus on the Healthcare and medical devices sector, with stints in multiple countries.  In his last assignment, he was President Japan, for Baxter International.

In his earlier stints, he also served as the Regional Head - Emerging Asia at Baxter International in Singapore, overseeing the operations of India and Southeast Asia from 2015 to 2017.

He along with his family lived in Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Singapore, and Japan before relocating to India. He has a proven track record of building sustainable and profitable businesses, with a strong focus on continuous business improvement.

Anish plays tennis, is an avid reader, and likes to delve into history.

Gautam Khanna

Mr. Gautam Khanna boasts a 33-year career in leadership roles within the business sector. Presently, he serves as the CEO of P.D. Hinduja Hospital & Medical Research Centre, achieving global recognition in Newsweek World's Best Hospital Rankings. Simultaneously, he leads Hinduja College of Nursing and participates in the governing council of K P B Hinduja College of Commerce. His previous tenure of 22 years at 3M, a multinational conglomerate, saw him as the Executive Director and Country Business Leader for 3M Healthcare Businesses in South Asia. He is actively engaged in numerous Indian industry associations, including QCI (Quality Council of India), AOH (Association of Hospitals) Mumbai, Nathealth, and FICCI. With multiple accolades and affiliations, Mr. Khanna is an alumnus of IIT Kanpur and IIM Calcutta.

Marc Matar

Dr. Marc Matar is a Partner based in the Dubai office of Simon-Kucher, leading the Healthcare and Life Sciences division’s operations in Asia. With over 20 years of experience in the life sciences industry, he specializes in commercial strategy, pricing, and market access for pharmaceutical and biotechnology businesses.

Marc’s expertise includes:

• International market entry and access strategies.
• Pricing models tailored to the healthcare sector.
• Strategic pharmaceutical marketing and product lifecycle management.
• Value communication for pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients.

He has successfully supported a diverse clientele, ranging from leading healthcare conglomerates to emerging biotech firms, helping them achieve sustainable growth globally with a particular focus on emerging markets.

Marc holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from Saint Joseph University in Lebanon. He further enhanced his qualifications with a master’s degree in marketing and strategy for the Life Sciences industry from ESCP in Paris.

Dr Om Manchanda

Dr. Om Manchanda is the Managing Director of Dr. Lal PathLabs Ltd. (LPL).

In 1990, Om joined the Unilever Group of Companies (now Hindustan Unilever) as a management trainee. He worked for HUL for nearly 10 years in various positions.

In Nov’99, he moved to Monsanto India Limited as their National Marketing Manager and thereafter as their National Sales Manager.

Early 2003, he joined Ranbaxy Laboratory Limited in their Global Consumer Healthcare division before joining Dr. Lal PathLabs in October 2005.

He has successfully led the transformation of Dr Lal PathLabs Ltd in the last nearly 20 years from a small business to a professionally run listed company.

He has done MBA from IIM Ahmedabad and has nearly 35 years of work experience. He has also done Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School.

He has won the prestigious award of “EY Entrepreneur of the Year” for 2019 in the Healthcare and Life Sciences category. He has also received the ‘Healthcare Personality of the Year-2020’ award in the FICCI Healthcare Excellence Awards, organized in Sept. 2020.

Siddharth Gadia

Driven by the vision of democratizing healthcare for all Indians, IIT Bombay alumnus Siddharth Gadia and Girish Agarwal founded Zeno Health in 2017. Zeno Health is a leading chain of generic medicine stores headquartered in Mumbai, operating over 180 stores across Mumbai and Pune, along with a growing network of 180+ community partners in West Bengal. In just seven years, more than 25 lakh customers have saved over ₹800 crore through Zeno Health.

Siddharth oversees Retail Operations, Finance, HR, Brand, and Investor Relations at Zeno. A mechanical engineer by education, he began his career with Electrometals Technologies, an Australian publicly listed company. He quickly rose to the position of Country Manager and later Regional Business Manager, responsible for developing business across Europe and Southeast Asia. In 2014, he left the company to start his own tech venture, ‘Triptainment,’ which provided media delivery services without the need for internet, catering to the travel segment. However, due to the limited market size, Siddharth decided to close the venture and, in 2017, joined hands with Girish to establish Zeno Health.

Under his sharp leadership and visionary direction, Zeno Health has emerged as a trusted name in the generic medicine segment in India. Siddharth has been ardently advocating for raising awareness about generic medicines among common consumers. He envisions impacting 10 million lives per month through Zeno Health and is confident about bringing a significant change to the healthcare system in the near future.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Siddharth has a keen interest in reading about global political, geopolitical, and social issues.

Mandar Vaidya

Dr. Mandar Vaidya is both an MBBS (from Sir JJ Group of Hospitals and Grant Medical College), and an MBA (from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies in Mumbai). His unique profile forms a robust foundation for his role in the healthcare sector. He currently leads Cloudphysicianʼs core businesses as CEO.

His professional journey began at McKinsey & Co., where he spent 15 years, including 8 as a partner. He co-led the healthcare practice in India and established the Hospitals practice for Asia. He has worked across India, Singapore, and London. His return to India in 2007 saw him driving impactful engagements in hospital operations, strategy, and public health.

At OYO, Dr. Vaidya held pivotal roles, including CEO of Southeast Asia & Middle East and CEO of OYO Vacation Homes, Europe. His strategic acumen led to profitable growth, even as the organization survived and then thrived through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently, Dr. Vaidya serves as an independent director at Cipla Pharmaceuticals. He is an avid reader and outdoor enthusiast. Under his leadership, Cloudphysician is poised to deliver high-quality, tech-enabled care to hospitals looking to further their quality journey.

Krishna Veer Singh

Krishna Veer Singh is a seasoned entrepreneur and thought leader with over 17 years of professional experience across diverse domains, including health-tech, digital marketplaces, and semiconductors. He is the CEO and Co-Founder of LISSUN, a pioneering mental health platform that is transforming how mental health care is delivered and perceived in India. His vision is rooted in addressing mental health challenges at scale through the integration of technology and a holistic, full-stack approach to care.

An alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad and IIT Delhi, Krishna also holds a PhD from the University of California, Riverside. His multidisciplinary academic background has been instrumental in designing innovative, sustainable solutions for complex challenges, combining technical expertise, strategic acumen, and a deep understanding of societal issues. Before founding LISSUN, Krishna held leadership roles at renowned organizations such as Uber and Flipkart, where he spearheaded operations, strategy, and large-scale growth initiatives. His early career in the semiconductor industry also provided a strong foundation in analytical and problem-solving skills.

Under Krishna's leadership, LISSUN has become one of India’s most impactful mental health platforms. It has partnered with 350+ B2B clients, supported over 38,000+ individuals, and delivered more than 117,000+ interventions. Among its most distinguished initiatives is Sunshine by LISSUN, a specialized program that addresses the unique needs of children with neurodevelopmental challenges. Sunshine provides comprehensive therapeutic services, including speech therapy, occupational therapy, behavior therapy, child psychology, and special education. The program has expanded to multiple centers, offering personalized care that empowers children and supports parents.

Krishna’s strategic vision extends beyond mental health care, focusing on integrating it into broader ecosystems such as healthcare, education, and corporate frameworks. His contributions have earned him accolades, including the ET Health Award for Mental Health App of the Year and recognition as one of the Top Emerging Startups Globally by TGS100.

Committed to raising awareness, dismantling stigma, and fostering inclusivity, Krishna is building a brighter and more equitable future in mental health care.

Alka Goel

Alkemi Growth Capital is an early-stage venture capital fund in Delhi, focused on healthcare and consumer wellness sectors. Alkemi is led by Ms. Alka Goel, founder & managing partner. She has led investment in multiple sub-sectors over the last 6 years. Prior to that, Alka was a Partner in McKinsey & Co., New York office, where she primarily served clients in the life science and private equity industry.

At McKinsey, she served more than 350 Clients across all major geographies. She completed her business school from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad in 2000 and Bachelor of Economics from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University.

The mission of Alkemi is to elevate the Health and Well-Being of the Indian consumer while maximizing returns to the shareholders. Leveraging deep expertise in Indian venture capital.

Alkemi actively invests and supports entrepreneurs who are building companies making an out-sized difference in the Indian Healthcare industry.

Alkemi typically invests ~$1M-$5M across Pre-Series-A to Series-B stages. Some portfolio companies include Redcliffe Labs, Doceree, Docquity, Medulance, Slurrp Farm, Saveo, Farmley.

Amit Makoom

A seasoned business leader with a strong focus on innovation, collaboration and policy, driven by a purpose to improve healthcare access and outcomes.

Experienced business leader with a blend of consulting and operating experience in a career spanning 24 years with extensive work across Healthcare, Technology & Analytics and Private Equity Advisory. Most recently affiliated with, Managing Director at IQVIA, a Fortune 500 organization and a leading healthcare information, technology and research organization. Overseeing operations across 20,000+ professionals and significantly expanding the commercial business.

Prior to IQVIA, Amit headed healthcare at KPMG India, where he built the practice from the ground up, working with hospitals, PE funds, and global healthcare companies to establish their presence in India. His contributions as an advisor to national bodies and industry organizations have made him a respected thought leader in healthcare strategy and market access. In the field of life sciences, he chipped in to guide the National Health Authority on creating market access for start-ups in PMJAY and has advised industry organizations such as the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, APACMED, OPPI, FICCI, and NATHEALTH on universal healthcare, market access, pricing, and innovation. Additionally, he has been involved in leadership committees and task forces to drive collaborative programs between industry and regulators. He possesses deep knowledge of commercializing new business models and expanding organizations and has worked across South Asia, APAC, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Europe.

• Other/Achievements, if any: On the Board of several National Industry Forums on Healthcare & Private Equity/ Venture Investing. Mentor to start ups and actively promotes the cause of entrepreneurship and innovation in healthcare. Mentor to start ups and actively promotes the cause of entrepreneurship and innovation in healthcare.
• Amit is a Global Trustee at TIE Global - a nonprofit for fostering entrepreneurship across the planet. TIE is present across 65 chapters in 14 countries and has supported more than 30,000 startups.

Sanjiv Navangul

A widely recognized and accomplished healthcare professional, Sanjiv Navangul has led a host of global pharmaceutical companies successfully and has been acknowledged for his contribution towards creating organizations with a rich values-based culture.

Sanjiv has served on the board of several reputed multinational pharmaceutical organizations and has been a recipient of a number of industry awards on Public Health, Marketing and Diversity. Recently he was recognized as “Impactful CEO of the Year 2023”  by The Economic Times.

Rahul Agarwal

Rahul has 18 years of private equity and corporate finance advisory experience across deals in Asia and US. At Quadria, he is responsible for investments, portfolio management, and divestment for South Asia portfolio. Previously, he served at Religare Global Asset Management, Evolvence India Fund, and EY. He also serves as a Community Leader – Healthcare, Pharma and Healthtech at Aspire Impact Future Project. He is a recipient of 40 under 40 Alternative Investment Professionals award for 2020 in India. He is a rank holder Chartered Accountant (CA) and an MBA graduate from IIM Lucknow. Beyond work, he likes to keep fit via cycling and squash. He also mentors MBA students on career guidance and networking opportunities.

Varun Khanna

Varun brings over 28 years of diverse industry experience across Telecom, Retail, MedTech and now Healthcare and brings a formidable leadership commitment to Value Creation in the evolving healthcare landscape. As the Group Managing Director of Quality Care India Ltd (he is at the forefront of driving transformational growth and synergy through the brands of CARE, KIMSHealth
Evercare.

Building strong foundations of Clinical Service Excellence powered by technology, he focuses on community centred performance, leadership, and innovation Unlocking value through new business synergies between the Group Companies of CARE Hospitals, KIMSHEALTH Evercare Hospitals, Bangladesh, marks the beginning of transformation for the group through C linical outcomes with Patient Centric Care

A turnaround specialist with cross border experience across India and Southeast Asia, Varun has significantly advanced his expertise in managing diverse multi cultural business environments. Notably, in his recent role as Managing Director of Siloam Hospitals in Indonesia, he played a pivotal role in driving Siloam Hospitals to deliver 5 X growth in EBITDA, while leveraging Technology, Digital Healthcare to impact the business outcomes.

Previously, Varun has held positions as Chairman at Sahyadri Hospitals in India, Managing Director at Becton Dickinson Co India, and Executive Vice President Chief Commercial Officer at Fortis Hospitals His leadership experience also spans retail and telecom, with significant contributions at Reliance Retail and Bharti Airtel His expertise in med tech and healthcare delivery is further evidenced by his prestigious roles, including Co Chair of the FICCI Health Services Committee, Chairman of the AdvaMed India Working Group& National Executive Board Member of AMCHAM.

Other notable accolades include participation in the Guinness World Records, being named Best CEO in the Med tech category in 2015 receiving the ET Best Healthcare Brand award, and earning the Aon Best Employers 2016 recognition for BD India. Varun enjoys photography, is an ardent golf enthusiast, and has a refined taste in music, all of which define his hobbies.

Prof Viswanath Pingali

Dilip Shanghvi

Dilip Shanghvi, 69, is the Chairman and Managing Director of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (Sun Pharma), world's 4th largest and India's No. 1 specialty generic pharmaceutical company. He is also the Chairman of Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Ltd., which is engaged in R&D of new innovative drugs and delivery technologies.

He was honoured with India's fourth highest civilian award, the Padma Shri, in recognition of his distinguished contribution to the Indian Trade & Industry, in 2016. In 2018, the Indian Government appointed Mr Shanghvi to India's central bank, Reserve Bank of India’s 21-member central board committee. He is part of the Economic Advisory Council formed by the Government of Maharashtra, India to achieve rapid and comprehensive development in the state. The Government of Gujarat, India appointed him as the Chairman of Gujarat Biotechnology University in 2022.

Mr Shanghvi has been conferred with many awards and recognitions. In 2024, the Institute of Directors in India conferred the award of” Distinguished Fellowship” to Mr Shanghvi for his outstanding contribution to public service and society. In 2023, 2021 & 2020, India’s leading magazine, India Today included him in its annual Power List of 50 influential personalities in India. Some of the other awards and recognitions bestowed on him include: Moneycontrol Lifetime Achievement Award (2023), All India Management Association (AIMA) Entrepreneur of the Year (2017), NDTV Business Leader of the Year (2015), Forbes Entrepreneur for the year (2014), Economic Times’ Business Leader of the Year (2014), CNN IBN’s Indian of the Year – Business (2011), Business India’s Businessman of the Year (2011) and Ernst and Young’s World Entrepreneur of the Year (2011). He has also been awarded the Economic Times’ Entrepreneur of the Year (2008), Business Standard’s CEO of the Year (2008) and CNBC TV 18’s First Generation Entrepreneur of the Year (2007)

He is a former President of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) and has also served as the chairman of the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Technology (Bombay). He is a former trustee of the Rhodes Scholarship Program at Oxford University.

In 2019, he was conferred with an honorary doctorate by the Tel Aviv University, Israel’s largest and most comprehensive institution of higher learning.

Mr Shanghvi has played a vital role in the globalisation of the Indian pharmaceutical industry and continues to inspire generations of entrepreneurs in their journey to success.

Samir Mehta

Mr. Samir Mehta, 61, is the Chairman of the Torrent Group. The Torrent Group with revenues of Rs 41,000 crores and market cap of approx. Rs 2 lac crores has a deep presence in the Pharmaceuticals, Power and Gas sectors.

Under his leadership, Torrent Pharma took several strategic initiatives, including forays into new therapies and geographies, large investments in product development infrastructure and capabilities, building state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and acquisitions, thus establishing Torrent as one of India’s fast growing and well respected Pharma majors. His emphasis on professional organisational design, precise execution and operational efficiencies has built a strong and globally competitive generic business platform in Torrent Pharma.

Mr. Mehta has also guided the Group’s entry and growth in the Power sector. Torrent Power has systematically improved its performance on all efficiency parameters and ranks amongst the best run power utilities in the country. His emphasis on efficiency and reliability has led the Company to demonstrate exemplary operational capabilities and high customer orientation thus, setting new benchmarks in the sector and attracting many accolades. Torrent Power has plans to invest approx. Rs 1 lac crores over the next few years; with significant part of the capex program going towards scaling up the Company’s Renewables business to 10 GW.

In a move to expand its business presence and capitalizing on the experience in energy sector particularly in gas sourcing, Mr. Mehta mentored the Group’s entry in the emerging City Gas Distribution (CGD) sector. Torrent Gas has authorisations to distribute gas in 17 geographical areas covering 34 districts across 7 States. In a short span, Torrent has established itself as a leading CGD entity in the country with an investment plan of approx. 10,000 crores.

Much before the current emphasis on CSR, Mr. Mehta always conducted businesses in a socially responsible way, giving a new dimension to the traditional meaning of CSR. He has emphasized environmental responsibility in industrial operations and creation of local livelihoods in the influence areas of Torrent establishments. His belief that improving community health and school education of the underprivileged class are powerful instruments for social empowerment and upliftment, has driven much of the Group’s investments in CSR activities.

A fine blend of business acumen and cautious entrepreneurial optimism, Mr. Mehta has positively influenced all aspects of the Group culture with his contemporary outlook and innovative ideas. Torrent Group has established a reputation for being employee-centric, and above all fair and humane in all its dealings.”

Ulhas Joshi

Ulhas Joshi, MBA from IIM Ahmedabad (Batch of 1977), is Director at Stratex Enterprises, providing consultancy services for Business Strategy & Execution. As a Senior Corporate professional, Business Advisor, Mentor and Academic faculty, he has over four decades of multi-industry, multi-functional leadership experience in Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Healthcare and FMCG sectors.

His rich corporate experience includes tenures in both MNCs and Global Indian companies, such as Procter & Gamble, Colgate Palmolive, CPC International, Piramal Enterprises, Unichem Labs, Micro Labs and others.

Ulhas has nurtured and grown healthcare and consumer brands, launched new businesses, revived disbanded businesses, and helped to transform B2B & B2C organizations, through focus on crafting strategy and ensuring its execution.

He has been a sounding board for top management in various companies, and a mentor to budding professionals. He is also engaged in academia, as Visiting Faculty at IIM Ahmedabad and a few other business schools.