Speakers at ILDC 2024
Dr. Sudhir Krishnaswamy
Vice-Chancellor & Professor of Law, NLSIU
Prof (Dr.) Sudhir Krishnaswamy is the Vice-Chancellor of NLSIU, Bengaluru and the Secretary-Treasurer of the Consortium of National Law Universities. He is a Member of the Independent Oversight Board that makes content moderation decisions on Facebook and Instagram platforms. He is the Co-founder and Managing Trustee of the Centre for Law and Policy Research that engages in law and policy research, social and governance interventions and strategic impact litigation; and the Founder of the Supreme Court Observer which is the most reliable guide to the work of the Indian Supreme Court. Previously, he was the Director of the School of Policy and Governance, and Professor of Law and Politics at Azim Premji University and a Professor of Law at the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Law degree from the National Law School of India, Bangalore and completed a postgraduate and doctoral degree at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. He is the recipient of the Infosys Prize 2022 in the Humanities category. His current research focuses on constitutional law, the empirical analysis of the legal, political and governance systems and the regulation of new and emerging technologies including artificial intelligence and automated decision systems.
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Mr. S B Dangayach
Founder Trustee, Innovative Thought Forum, Ex-CEO Sintex
Mr. S B Dangayach, an esteemed IIMA alumnus, boasts 45 years of corporate leadership. Currently, he is the Founder Trustee of Innovative Thought Forum, an India-centric “think+act” tank, and serves as National Vice President of Arogya Bharati. As an independent director on various boards, including GMDC, GIPCL, and GACL, his influence extends to IIM Udaipur and Auro University, Surat. An avid supporter of Homoeopathy, he is a patron member of GHF. Mr. Dangayach advocates integrating health sciences and promoting AYUSH. He passionately advocates green, clean, and sustainable development, emphasizing renewable energy integration. He empowers micro-enterprises with innovative initiatives like VyaparSutra and recently compiled “Pragmatic ways for Atmanirbhar Bharat” featuring articles from 75 India-centric thought leaders.
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Dr Nivedita Haran
Dr. Nivedita Haran, an IAS officer and Ex-Addl Chief Secretary of Kerala, also serves as adviser in NDRG and IMPRI. She holds a Graduation degree in Economics and Philosophy (Hons), a Masters in Philosophy from Jadavpur University, and a Sociology PhD from IIT, Delhi. Throughout her career, she held significant posts in various government departments, including Land Revenue, Disaster Management, Agriculture, Industries, and District Collector/Magistrate and Director (Delhi Div) and Joint Secy, Ministry of Urban Affairs. She was also part of the UN Peace-keeping Mission in Kosovo. Post-retirement, she engages in impactful research and academics, focusing on modernisation of Land Records, Disaster Resilience-building, Good Governance, Labour & Migration issues, and Water, Wastewater, and solid waste management and also mentors MSMEs. Dr. Haran was a member of the Committee of Experts for Dal Lake conservation and the chairperson of the Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development and Ente Bhoomi Trust.
Ex-Addl Chief Secretary of Kerala
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Dr Shekhar Shah
Dr. Shekhar Shah is the Vice Chair of the Academic Advisory Council and a member of the Board of Directors at the Indian School of Public Policy, New Delhi, and a Non-resident Fellow at the Center for Global Development, Washington, D.C. With nearly five decades of global experience as a development economist, he has worked on policies related to macroeconomics, trade, fiscal management, labor markets, and service delivery in health and education. As the Director-General of NCAER, India’s oldest and largest independent economic research think tank, he led its institutional transformation and research expansion over ten years, including initiating new research and data collection on land issues. Prior to that, he held key research and operational positions over nearly three decades at the World Bank in Washington D.C. and at the Ford Foundation. Dr. Shah remains keenly interested in policy solutions and evidence on what keeps some people and countries poor, the failure of markets, governments, politics, and development aid, climate change, and the promise and perils of new digital technologies. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University and a B.A. in Economics from Delhi University’s St. Stephen’s College.
Vice Chair, Academic Advisor Council, Indian School of Public Policy, New Delhi
Dr Serene Ho
Serene Ho is a Senior Lecturer in Land Administration in the Department of Infrastructure Engineering and co-leads the land administration theme in the Centre for Spatial Data Infrastructures and Land Administration at the University of Melbourne. She is also a member of the University's Oceania Institute. Her interdisciplinary research is interested in what land is, how we understand and govern this, and how digital technologies mediate this especially in the Global South. Her research also increasingly engages with the pressures of climate actions on land-dependent communities.
Senior Lecturer in Geomatics-Land Administration
Infrastructure Engineering, Melbourne university
Dr. Malcom Childress
Malcolm Childress is a multi-disciplinary land resources specialist with 30 years of global experience, including urban and rural property rights, and strategy for managing critical global ecosystems. His focus areas include land policy and governance, land markets, land registration, property taxation, cadastral systems and spatial planning.
Executive Director, Global Land Alliance
Vanessa Peter
Founder, Information and Resource Centre for Deprived Urban Communities (IRCDUC)
Vanessa Peter
Vanessa Peter is the founder of Information and Resource Centre for the Deprived Urban Communities (IRCDUC). She has 20 years of experience in the development sector. Vanessa has worked towards ensuring access to land and adequate housing for the vulnerable sections.
Having been associated with the office of the Advisor to the Supreme Court, Vanessa was monitoring the implementation of the 'Shelter for the Urban Homeless' programme. As a result of her lobbying and advocacy, there are nearly 100 shelters across all the Corporations and major Municipalities across Tamil Nadu. She was also instrumental in the designing and implementation of 'Shelter for Urban Homeless' for the Greater Chennai Corporation. Presently, she is a member of the Shelter Advisory Committee to monitor the programme.
Prof (Dr.) Jiju P Alex
Prof (Dr.) Jiju P Alex teaches at the Kerala Agricultural University. He was formerly Director of Extension of the university. He graduated from the Kerala Agricultural University and got his doctoral degree from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. He started his career as a scientist with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (Agricultural Research Service) and moved on to Kerala Agricultural University. He also served the Information Kerala Mission as the head of its human resource development division on deputation.
He has vast experience in subjects viz. agriculture and rural development, democratic decentralisation, technology- society interface, innovation management, entrepreneurship development, human resource development and e- governance. He was instrumental in designing the training methodology of the e- governance programmes of local self-government institutions. He has led several research projects and published on the above topics, guided PhD students and participated in many national and international conferences.
He is a member of the Board of Management of the Kerala Bank. He has also served as member of the academic/policy level committees of many academic institutions in the country. At the State Planning Board, he deals with decentralisation, housing and art and culture.
State Planning Board, Kerela
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Dr Usha Ramanathan
Independent Expert on Human Rights, Law, and Jurisprudence
Dr Usha Ramanathan is an internationally recognized expert on law and poverty. She studied law at Madras University, the University of Nagpur and Delhi University. She researches, writes and speaks on issues that include the nature of law, Bhopal Gas Disaster, mass displacement, eminent domain, manual scavenging, civil liberties including the death penalty, beggary, criminal law, custodial institutions, the environment, judicial process. She has been tracking, and engaging with, the UID project and has written, and debated extensively on issues of technology and the human conditions of freedom and liberty over the years.
Her work draws heavily upon non-governmental experience in its encounters with the state, a 6- year stint with a law journal (Supreme Court Cases) as reporter from the Supreme Court, and engaging with the state on matters of public policy.
She is a regular speaker at various universities, and at the National Judicial Academy in Bhopal and the Delhi Judicial Academy to address judges, on various issues of law and poverty, and on technology and the law.
Shanta Devi
Fellow, Housing and Land Rights Network
Shanta Devi has been a dedicated community leader and social activist working for the rights of urban poor communities in Delhi for over 35 years. She has been associated with the Housing and Land Rights Network since 2013 and is instrumental in the community-outreach, documentation, and capacity-building interventions of the organization.
Issac Arul Selva
Founder, Slum Jagatthu and Activist
Issac Arul Selva, is a Journalist Educator and human rights activist with focus on urban marginalised communities with experience of over 30 years. He is based in Bangalore. He is the editor of ‘Slum Jagatthu’ - a Kannada Monthly Magazine for and by Slum dwellers. He has organised many coalitions of Slum organisations in the state of Karnataka which were effective in preventing Slum evictions and securing land rights to the people living in slums. As a journalist, he writes on the issues of urban marginalised communities. Through his writings, he has contributed towards changing the narrative around urban marginalised communities from that of economic deprivation to culture-based marginalization.
Anisa Draboo
Co-Founder, Confluence Media
Anisa is a City Planner, development professional, and impact storyteller with a career rooted in capturing meaningful stories. She began as a young city planner in the conflict-affected region of Kashmir and soon became an early responder in disaster zones across South Asia. With over two decades of experience, she has worked in senior positions in the development sector, in programme, policy, advocacy, and communication space on themes of development and humanitarian programmes, women’s land rights, rural livelihoods and global policy for leading organisations like Landesa, Oxfam, and the World Bank.
In 2019, Anisa Co-founded Confluence Media, a unique impact storytelling platform focused on bringing untold stories from the Global South to light. Anisa has documented ground voices throughout her career, and more recently through podcasts, documentaries, and web series, collaborating with award-winning filmmakers, including National and Academy Award winners. Her work has earned critical acclaim, with projects screened at international festivals and platforms like Discovery, BBC, and Spotify. Currently, she is co-producing a web series with one of India’s top directors, set to release soon on an OTT
platform. Anisa is an international Ford Foundation fellow and holds Masters degrees in Geography from
Jamia Millia Islamia, Regional Planning from the School of Planning and Architecture, and City
Planning from Cornell University.
M. S. Shivakumar
Institute for youth and Development, Bengaluru
Shivakumar is a seasoned development professional and policy researcher with over three decades of experience focused on land and resource governance, indigenous rights, and sustainable development. His expertise spans from managing land tenure and natural resources to post-conflict reconstruction and biodiversity conservation, particularly in South and Southeast Asia. He has collaborated with international organizations like UNDP, World Bank, and UN-FAO to influence sustainable policies. Shivakumar’s work emphasizes community empowerment, disaster management, and humanitarian aid, including post-disaster relief and COVID-19 efforts. He currently works with the Institute for Youth and Development in India.
Seema Shastri
Foundation for Ecological Security (FES)
Seema currently leads the LME team in FES for Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. She holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Development Management and a Master’s degree in Economics. Her expertise includes business development, proposal writing, knowledge management, quality process management, and communications. Seema's work spans various sectors, including Natural Resource Management, the formation and strengthening of SHGs and village institutions, reporting, documentation, and research. She also specialises in sustainable agriculture practices and livelihood promotion, particularly through initiatives such as Crop Water Budgeting.
Narendra Jain
General Secretary, Seva Mandir
Narendra Jain is the General Secretary of Seva Mandir and holds a postgraduate degree in Agriculture with a specialization in Plant Breeding and Genetics from Rajasthan Agriculture University, Bikaner. During his time in the Natural Resource Development Unit, he worked on afforestation and pastureland development in the Udaipur and Rajsamand districts. As Director of Operations, he played a key role in overseeing the implementation of all rural development activities across Seva Mandir’s operational areas
Ms. Bhargavi Rao
Independent Researcher/Educator/Consultant
Bhargavi S. Rao has nearly 30 years of experience working at the intersections of community action, law and policy, focusing on human rights, governance and people-centred initiatives, and in advancing environmental and social justice. She is an independent researcher, educator, experiential learning designer, facilitator, and trustee at Environment Support Group. Bhargavi also serves as a Visiting Senior Fellow (Honorary) at the Impact and Policy Research Institute. With expertise in coordinating and teaching various educational programs, she also conducts corporate training. Her interdisciplinary research spans environmental decision-making, governance, and financial decision-making.
Mr Anand Jaiswal
National Facilitator, International Land Coalition-Asia
Anand is currently the National Facilitator for India with the International Land Coalition. With approximately 5 years of experience, he has worked closely with people's movements and organizations to develop a better understanding of land rights, land management, livelihood enhancement models, and Payment for Ecosystem Services. He holds a post-graduate degree from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
Dr. Madhushree Sekher
Professor, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai
Dr. Madhushree Sekher is a Professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, where she also serves as the Dean of International Relations and the School of Vocational Education. She holds a PhD in Political Science and received the World Bank Robert S. McNamara Fellowship for post-doctoral research. Her research focuses on institutions, governance, political economy, inclusive development, and policy implementation, with a particular emphasis on food security, inequalities, and social welfare systems in India. Dr. Sekher has received numerous prestigious grants, including from the Australian Research Council, IFPRI, and the Indian Council for Social Science Research. She is part of an international research consortium on ethnic power relations and has held visiting positions at institutions like IFPRI, University of Sydney, and Cornell University.
Hitesh Kumar S Makwana
bio
Surveyor General of India
Kunal Satyarthi
Mr. Kunal Satyarthi, currently serves as the Joint Secretary in the Department of Land Resources, Government of India. He has done his M.Sc & M.Phil in Botany from University of Delhi and Masters in Forestry from FRI Deemed University, Dehradun.
He brings a wealth of experience from his career in the Indian Forest Service, where he has held various key positions. Throughout his career, Mr. Satyarthi has been instrumental in driving significant initiatives aimed at improving land governance and resource conservation.
Joint Secretary, Department of Land Resources
Sanjay Upadhyay
Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India
Sanjay Upadhyay is the founder and managing partner of India’s first environmental law firm, Enviro Legal Defence Firm. Sanjay has been practicing environment and development law since 1993.
An India Vising Fellow at the Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley (Fall 1996) and a legal intern to the Earth Justice Legal Defense Fund, San Francisco, a Global Fellow in Marine Policy at the Duke University, North Carolina, he started his professional career at the World Wide Fund for Nature– India at the Centre for Environmental Law.
Sanjay has served as an environmental and development law expert to most well-known international, Multilateral, national and state Institutions including the World Bank, ADB, IUCN, DFID, AFD, FAO, UNDP, IIED, ODI to name a few. He has been in the drafting Committees of several laws in India and abroad including Wildlife Act, Forest Rights Act, Nagaland Biodiversity Rules, the Land Acquisition law of Afghanistan, the Forest Sector Policy of Himachal Pradesh, Medicinal Plant Policies of Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand among others. Sanjay practices in the Supreme Court of India and particularly in the National Green Tribunal.
M Shiva Kumar
Program Manager, Institute for Youth Development
Shiva Kumar is a seasoned Program Manager at the Institute for Youth and Development, bringing over 8 years of experience in health and rural capacity building. He holds a degree in Psychology and has completed both a Master's and a diploma in Business Administration. Kumar is committed to empowering rural communities, with a strong focus on fostering self-reliance through skill development, education, and sustainable practices. With a solid track record in strengthening rural livelihoods, he remains dedicated to driving impactful change in rural development.
Diya Uday
xKDR Forum
Diya leads the research work on land markets at XKDR Forum. Her interests are in the areas of regulatory governance, state capacity and access to finance. She has worked on projects with the National Council for Applied Economic Research; the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, the Department of Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Finance (Government of India) and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. She is also visiting faculty at the Tata Institute of Social Science in Mumbai, and has previously been an associate at leading law firms in India including Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
Kshitik Batra
CEO & Co-founder, Terra Economics and Analytics Lab (TEAL)
Kshitij Batra is the Co-Founder and CEO of TEAL, a technology startup digitizing land and property data in India. He previously served as Additional Private Secretary to a Union Cabinet Minister to advise on policy and data. He was a Junior Fellow at the IDFC Institute, where he led projects on housing, urbanisation and geospatial analytics. Kshitij has also worked with Housing.com as a Senior Economist, with the World Bank's Global Urban team in Washington DC and Africa, the MIT Jameel Poverty Action Lab and NERA Economic Consulting in New York. He holds his Masters in Public Administration & International Development from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
Annindya Banerjee
Partner , Capital Law Chambers LLP
Annindya is an experienced legal counsel with over 23 years of expertise in corporate law, including banking and finance, regulatory compliance, project finance, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial litigation. He began his career at Fox & Mandal, focusing on commercial litigation, before transitioning to an in-house role at HDFC Ltd., where he served as the National Legal Head for Retail Lending. In this role, he managed mortgage portfolios, crafted industry agreements, and advised on major infrastructure and real estate projects. Annindya also played a key role in policy development, regulatory compliance, and legal strategies. After two decades at HDFC, he became a Partner at Capital Law Chambers LLP, leading their Banking and Finance practice.
Dr. Moatosh Ao
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law at the University of Delhi
Dr. Moatoshi Ao is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Delhi and also serves as the Deputy Dean of Legal Affairs at the university. He graduated from Government Law College, Mumbai, and holds an LL.M from the University of Mumbai and a Ph.D. from the University of Delhi. Prior to joining academia, he practised law with Singhania & Co. LLP in Mumbai and worked at the High Court of Bombay. Dr. Ao also taught LL.B students at Rizvi Law College, Mumbai. He has authored numerous articles in reputable journals and magazines.
Manoranjan Swain
Indigenous People’s Land Life and Knowledge Collective
Manoranjan, from Jagatsinghpur district, Odisha, completed his Master of Social Work from Utkal University. His transformative journey began with two influential years as a Gandhi Fellow before venturing into various roles at Gram Swaraj, NCAS, and Thread.
These experiences led him to the BN Yugandhar Rainfed Agriculture Fellowship, where he conducted research on land alienation in Kalahandi
Kanchi Kohli
Researcher, Educator, Associate Editor , Current Conservation
Kanchi Kohli is a researcher, educator and communicator of environmental law and policy. Her work areas cover the fields of environment, forest and biodiversity regulation and governance in India. Her policy research and practice explores the links and gaps between law, development, sustainability and environmental justice. Kanchi has authored numerous reports, research papers, and articles. She teaches environmental law at various institutions and is an Associate Editor of Current Conservation. Kanchi was part of the US government’s IVLP program and received a Fulbright Fellowship at Berkeley Law in 2013.
Shipra Deo
Director, Women and Land - Landesa
Shipra Deo leads Landesa's work to strengthen women's land rights in India. She is a development practitioner with more than 20 years of experience in managing multidisciplinary programs addressing women's empowerment, women's land rights, violence against women, agriculture, collective action, livelihoods and institution building. She has worked closely with development projects in South Asia, Africa, and Central Europe with a focus on gender mainstreaming. Beyond her work at Landesa, Shipra has been a vocal advocate for women's economic empowerment and property rights in various forums, contributing articles and insights on the intersection of land and gender equity.
Dr. Geetanjoy Sahu
Professor at the Centre for Climate Change & Sustainability Studies, School of Habitat Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai
Dr. Geetanjoy Sahu is a Professor at the Centre for Climate Change & Sustainability Studies, School of Habitat Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. He holds MPhil from the Hyderabad Central University (HCU), Hyderabad and PhD in Political Science from the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bengaluru. He was also a Post-Doctoral Associate at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Environment and Development (CISED), Bengaluru. He served as a member of various government committees in different capacities and has been closely associated with South Asia's forest rights and environmental justice networks. His research and teaching interests include environmental jurisprudence, environmental regulation and policy, land and forest rights, the political economy of public policy implementation, and environmental movements.
Tushar Dash
Independent Researcher
Tushar Dash is a researcher working on forest rights and governance in India, particularly in advancing Community Forest Rights (CFR) under the Forest Rights Act. He is involved in the CFR Learning & Advocacy Process, a national initiative working with civil society organizations across states to implement CFR provisions. Tushar also engages in research and advocacy on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on indigenous communities, forest dwellers, and pastoralists, using findings to inform government bodies. He provides legal support and strengthens grassroots organizations' capacity to formalize community forest rights. Previously, Tushar worked with Vasundhara, an NGO in Odisha, on implementing the Forest Rights Act.
Neema Pathak Broome
Coordinator, Conservation and Livelihoods program at Kalpavriksh
Neema Pathak Broome is the coordinator of the Conservation and Livelihoods program at Kalpavriksh and the South Asia coordinator for the ICCA Consortium, a global movement on Areas and Territories Conserved by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. For over a decade, she has worked on issues related to governance, management, and conservation of biodiversity in India. Neema has contributed to policy analysis, lobbying for changes to conservation laws like the Wildlife Protection Act and Forest Rights Act. Her work includes researching, documenting, understanding, facilitating, and advocating for processes towards decentralized, equitable, diverse, and context-specific forms of conservation governance, especially decolonized and alternative forms of conservation within and outside government designated protected areas.
Sharachchandra Lele
Adjunct Professor, IISER Pune
Sharachchandra Lele is an Adjunct Professor at IISER Pune and a Distinguished Fellow in Environmental Policy & Governance at ATREE, Bengaluru. He holds a B.Tech. in Electrical Engineering from IIT Bombay, an M.Sc.(Engg) from the Indian Institute of Science, and a Ph.D. in Energy & Resources from the University of California, Berkeley. He has held positions at institutions like Harvard University, Tata Energy Research Institute, and Institute for Social & Economic Change. In 2001, he co-founded the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Environment & Development (CISED), which later merged with ATREE. Sharad has also been a visiting scholar at Cambridge, Stanford, and the University of Waterloo and is a Founder-Member and past-President of the Indian Society for Ecological Economics
Aditi Vajpayee
Independent researcher
Aditi is an independent researcher specializing in forest rights and
resource governance issues. Aditi has collaborated with various forest
rights groups across India, contributing both to implementation and research efforts. Aditi’s work explores the political economy of conservation governance and climate action policies, examining their impact on forest-dependent communities and the democratic governance of resources. Additionally, Aditi engages with children and women to develop community-led research and art pedagogies.
Kumar Sambhav
Founder, Land Conflict Watch
Kumar Sambhav is a social entrepreneur and award-winning journalist known for pioneering research in accountability investigations. He is the founder of Land Conflict Watch and currently serves as India Research Lead at Princeton University’s Digital Witness Lab. He co-founded The Reporters' Collective, a non-profit journalism initiative in India, and was a recipient of the inaugural Artificial Intelligence Accountability Fellowship from the Pulitzer Center. Kumar has contributed to prominent global and Indian media outlets, including Al Jazeera, Huffington Post, Business Standard, Hindustan Times, Down To Earth, and The Times of India. His work has earned him several prestigious honors, including the Red Ink Award, the Press Council of India’s National Award for Excellence in Journalism, and the Shriram Award for Excellence in Financial Journalism.
Mrinali K
Land conflict watch
Mrinali graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Economics and joined Land Conflict Watch. She works with researchers and journalists to update, understand and analyse the data gathered at Land Conflict Watch. She is keen on working to include gender, environment and the intersection of the two in public policy.
Sukriti Vats
Land conflict watch
Sukriti has formerly worked as a journalist at ThePrint, where she covered the urban beat and the railway ministry. She holds an undergraduate degree from the Lady Shri Ram College for Women and a postgraduate diploma from Asian College of Journalism.
Y Giri Rao
Executive director, Vasundhara
Mr. Y. Giri Rao is a social and rural development practitioner, having more than two decades of experience of working with various tribal communities of Odisha, particularly with the very poor, the underprivileged and the vulnerable. He is currently the Executive Director-cum-Secretary of Vasundhara, Odisha (a research and policy advocacy organization) with which he has been associated since 1995. Mr. Rao has a bachelor's degree in commerce with a specialization in Economics, and a master's degree in Rural Development. He started his career with Gram Vikas and later on joined Vasundhara in 1995. He coordinated various projects as a programme officer. He was initially involved in research on institutional issues and was actively associated with various peoples' fora and groups advocating on forestry issues in Odisha. He has served as member in many committees constituted by the State and Central government. Presently he is part of State CAMPA Committee and State Audit Advisory Committee.
Dilip Gode
Executive director, VNCS
Mr. Dilip Gode is a prominent environmentalist, conservationist, and development professional. He serves as the Executive Director of the Vidarbha Nature Conservation Society (VNCS) and is a former member of the State Wildlife Board, Government of Maharashtra. His passion for nature began in his school days as a birdwatcher, which later expanded to include extensive work on forest ecosystems, wildlife, and the livelihoods of forest-dwelling communities. With decades of experience in forest management and natural resource-based livelihoods, Mr. Gode has contributed significantly to biodiversity conservation, research, and advocacy. A key focus of his work has been the implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), particularly through the promotion of Community Forest Rights (CFR) in over 150 villages across the Gadchiroli, Gondia, and Nagpur districts. Notably, in 2013, he played a pivotal role in mobilizing and supporting Gram Sabhas from 12 villages in Gondia and Gadchiroli to successfully manage and sell tendu leaves under CFR—the first such effort in India. Mr. Gode has served on numerous state and central government committees, advising on issues related to environment, non-conventional energy resources, wildlife, and forest management. He is also a founding member of several networks, including the Vidarbha Livelihood Forum, FRA Collective-Maharashtra, and the Community Forest Rights Learning and Advocacy (CFRLA) network in India.
Seema Kulkarni
SOPPECOM, Pune
Seema Kulkarni holds MA degree in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. She is one of the founding members of Society for Promoting Participative Eco-system Management, Pune (SOPPECOM). She is presently a Senior Fellow in SOPPECOM, Pune and co-ordinates the gender and rural livelihoods activities within the organisation. She has co-ordinated various studies and programmes around decentralisation, gender and land, water and sanitation. She has published several articles/book chapters around issues of gender, water, sanitation and rural livelihoods. She has been associated with Stree Mukti Sangharsh Chalwal, the movement for the rights of Single women in Western Maharashtra, India and is involved in the Coalition of women's groups in Maharashtra, Stree Mukti Andolan Sampark Samiti.
She is currently the National Facilitation Team member of Mahila Kisan Adhikar Manch (MAKAAM) Forum for women farmers' rights, and anchoring the network at the Maharashtra level. The National secretariat for the network is also currently co-housed in SOPPECOM.
Richa Audichya
Director, Jan Chetna Sansthan
Richa Audichya, Director of Jan Chetna Sansthan, has been a passionate advocate for tribal human rights since 1991, with an impressive career focused on the welfare of indigenous communities, particularly the concerns of Adivasi women. Her work includes empowering tribal communities through education, health initiatives, and livelihood support, with a particular emphasis on leadership development for women and adolescent girls. Richa has been actively involved in campaigns for tribal land rights, forest protection, financial inclusion, and other critical issues.
Anil Zankar
Film Academician
Anil Zankar is a recipient of two national awards, one for a film script and the other for a book on cinema. An alumnus of FTII-Pune, he has made 21 short films on social issues and institutions, biopics and corporate themes, and is a film historian with 35 years of experience in film making, teaching and writing. He’s the author of Mughal-e-Azam (Harper Collins). He was editor of a magazine, ‘Lights Camera Action’ published in collaboration with BFI, UK. And has contributed to various academic journals, the Routledge Handbook Of Indian Cinema, and the Encyclopedia of Hindi Cinema
Ramesh Sharma
Ekta Parishad, National Coordinator
Ramesh Sharma is National Coordinator of Ekta Parishad, a mass movement for land rights of marginalised populations in India. He has collaborated with and assisted other nonviolent movements in Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, Brazil, Bangkok, and Uganda. Ramesh has also delivered lectures at Cambridge University, the London School of Economics, and Oxford University as well as the British Parliamentary Committee. He is an alum of the ICNC Summer Institute.
Sanjoy Patnaik
FES
Sanjoy Patnaik is currently work part time with Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), a non-profit focused on Commons and Climate Change throughout India with special focus in states of Rajasthan, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Gujurat and Madhya Pradesh. My key responsibilities are; to support FES in undertaking policy research and advocacy, strengthening partnerships and networks, capacity building and provide strategic guidance to elevate the debate on Commons and influence public policy and programme discourse in multiple States.
Subarat Singh
FES, Executive Director
Subrata Singh is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), bringing over 27 years of expertise in land and water commons, natural resource management, and community governance. His work focuses on creating instruments for community tenure, designing institutions for natural resource management, and facilitating multi-stakeholder processes. Singh is also passionate about leveraging technology to empower communities and strengthen local governance frameworks.
His core interests include polycentric governance and public policy, where he works to balance community needs with sustainable resource management practices.
Parthsarthi
GIDR
Dr. R. Parthasarathy is a Visiting Professor at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand. He has a PhD in Economics from the Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore. Till January 2023, he was the Director and Professor at the Gujarat Institute of Development Research, Ahmedabad. He was earlier a
Professor at the Faculty of Planning, and Dean Faculty of Rural Planning at the CEPT
University, Ahmedabad where he taught Natural Resource Management and Environmental
Economics to Postgraduate and Graduate students, besides guiding Masters and PhD dissertations. His research interests are natural resource management, environmental economics and urban planning. He has undertaken many studies relating to large-scale irrigation, river basins, water management, fisheries, mangroves, and the coastal cities. He has been focusing on the social distributions of power, leadership, economic development and the impacts of policy and
development organizations in these sectors with special focus on the interventions by
governments and NGOs both at policy and at the level of implementation.
Until recently, he was leading the MEGA Centre at GIDR as MEGA Chair Professor that worked
closely with the Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation in the setting up of Metro Rail in Ahmedabad and
Gandhinagar. He has coordinated a network of researchers and organizations involved in the
process research on participatory irrigation management programs in various states in India and
Nepal for over five years. He was also actively involved in the Urban Knowledge Network Asia
(UKNA). His collaborative work includes both Indian and overseas universities and institutions like IWMI. Besides serving as a consultant to ADB, DFID, London and the Centre for Development Studies, University of Wales, U.K, he has also served as a member in a number of
Governmental committees. He has also been a Visiting Scholar at the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley with a World Bank aided Post-doctoral research fellowship in Environmental Economics. As a Shastri Faculty Research Fellow, he has collaborated with the Department of Political Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. He has also been a Visiting Professor at the University of Bergen, Norway, Institute of Philippine Culture, Manila and IWMI, Colombo. He has co-authored and co-edited books and has published research papers extensively.
Sabistan Morris
IIMA
Sebastian Morris is a Senior Professor at the Goa Institute of Management (GIM), where he also chairs the Centre for Public Policy and Governance. He has an extensive academic background, having retired from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA) after over 25 years of teaching, research, and consultation. His areas of expertise include international trade and investment, infrastructure regulation, public sector governance, and macroeconomic policy. Morris has also designed executive programs for senior civil servants and consulted for national and international organizations.
He holds a Ph.D. (Fellow) from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, and an M.Sc. in Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. His recent publications include works on macroeconomic policy in India and urban planning and infrastructure development.
His career highlights include winning the EXIM Bank’s International Trade Research Award and serving as a visiting faculty member at institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania and Copenhagen Business School.
SB Dangayach
Founder Trustee, Innovative Thought Forum, FormerCEO Sintex
S. B. Dangayach is the Founder Trustee of the Innovative Thought Forum, an India-centric think-and-act tank aimed at addressing various societal issues. He is also the former CEO of Sintex, a company known for its innovative plastic products and building materials. After a distinguished career spanning 45 years in corporate leadership roles, Dangayach has shifted his focus toward contributing to social development through his leadership at the forum and his role as National Vice President of Arogya Bharati, an organization dedicated to promoting holistic health in India.
His work now revolves around fostering innovative ideas and actions that drive social change, reflecting his commitment to using his extensive experience for the betterment of society.
Anu Verma
ILC Asia, Regional Coordinator
Anu Verma is the Regional Coordinator for Asia at the International Land Coalition (ILC). ILC is a global alliance working to promote land rights, focusing on sustainable land use, equitable resource access, and the protection of vulnerable communities. Verma's role likely involves coordinating land-related initiatives across the Asia region, including efforts to empower women and marginalized groups in land governance.
Raman Kerti
FLAME, Student
Raman is an Economics (Honours) graduate whose research has focused on the implications of income inequity and capital flows in the context of subordinate financialization. In addition to his academic work, he has authored policy papers on the urban heat island phenomenon in India. Currently, Raman works as an Economics Research Analyst and Equity Research Analyst at Sequent Investments, where he applies his expertise in analyzing economic trends and equity markets.
Latika Adlakha
FLAME, Student
Latika Adlakha is an alumna of FLAME University, where she graduated from the four-year undergraduate program in 2024 with an Economics major and a Public Policy minor. She currently works as a research analyst at ESG Data and Solutions. Prior to this, Latika worked as a researcher at the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water alongside her studies, where she contributed to various research projects and published a paper on international trade and sustainability. Her research thesis during her fourth year at FLAME mapped the ecosystem of biofuels in India through a techno-economic analysis, providing extensive policy recommendations. Latika’s interests lie in energy systems, sustainability, ground-level policymaking, economic analysis and diplomacy. She is committed to developing sustainable policy solutions that bridge the gap between ideation and implementation, with an emphasis on collaboration to address both micro and macro-level challenges. Latika has also interned at organizations such as the Centre for Public Policy Research, the Asian Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs, and the Wage Indicator Foundation, further honing her skills in public policy analysis, economics and international relations.
Shreya SP
FLAME, Student
Shreya is a final-year Civil Engineering student at Government Engineering College, Bartonhill, Thiruvananthapuram. She is currently engaged in a project focused on designing a wastewater management and treatment system for Vizhinjam and nearby Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas. Shreya’s work aims to address environmental challenges and contribute to sustainable development in these coastal regions.
S M Vijayanand
Retd. CS Kerala, IAS, Government of India, Co-chair
S.M. Vijayanand, a 1981 batch IAS officer of the Kerala cadre, has had a distinguished career in Rural Development, Local Governance, and Decentralized Planning. He played a pivotal role in Kerala's People's Planning initiative from its inception in 1996, nurturing the Kudumbashree SHG program and transforming the Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) into a leading training institution for Elected Representatives. As Secretary of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, he introduced the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) across India. Post-retirement, Vijayanand chaired the Sixth State Finance Commission of Kerala and currently serves on the boards of NGOs such as PRADAN, Banyan, and Pallium India. He also chairs the Laurie Baker Centre and other prominent institutions.
Abebaw Abebe Belay
Land Law Expert, Ministry of Agriculture, Ethiopia, Panelist
Abebaw Abebe Belay is a seasoned land governance professional with over 11 years of experience at Ethiopia's Ministry of Agriculture. He specializes in land law and administration, focusing on real property law. Abebaw holds an LLB in Law from Debre Markos University, an MSc in Land Administration from Bahir Dar University, and an MA in Governance from the University of Yaounde II. His expertise lies in shaping and implementing land governance frameworks to support sustainable land management and equitable access.
Satish Gogulwar
Founder, Amhi Amchya Arogyasathi, Panelist
Dr. Gogulwar, an MBBS graduate from Nagpur University, has been a leading figure in the health sector since 1987, with a focus on preventive community health. He co-founded Aamhi Aamchya Arogyasathi (AAA) in 1984, an NGO working across 200 tribal and rural villages in Gadchiroli and Chandrapur districts, as well as 45 slums in Nagpur. As AAA's convener since 2010, he has led initiatives for adolescent health and women's empowerment, training over 120 women health workers. Dr. Gogulwar is also involved with progressive organizations as an advisor and board member, and has received multiple honors, including the M.B. Gandhi Trust Puraskar and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Indian Medical Association.
Neha Madhavan
Project Officer, Carbon Neutral Accelerator Lab, Thanal, Wayanad, Kerala, Panelist
Neha Madhavan is a B.Sc. (Hons) Agriculture graduate from Amrita School of Agricultural Science, with experience in community-based agriculture and rural development. Currently a Project Officer at Thanal Trust, she works closely with farming communities in Wayanad, Kerala. Neha has interned with various organizations, including Kollengode Agro Mills, KVK Nagapattinam, and the Central Institute of Cotton Research, gaining practical exposure to agricultural practices and industry operations. Passionate about supporting farmers with accessible technologies, Neha also engages in social work and entrepreneurship, promoting sustainable practices and creative solutions.
Anjana N S
Research Fellow, Carbon Neutral Accelerator Lab, Thanal, Panelist
Anjana N.S. is a Research Fellow at Thanal, an environmental NGO, where she works on the Carbon Neutral Meenangadi project, providing research and technical support for carbon neutrality initiatives. She holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Science from JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research. With a passion for environmental sustainability, Anjana is focused on building a career in the field, leveraging her research expertise to contribute to innovative solutions in climate action and environmental protection.
Manas Satpathy
Lead COE, Climate Action, PRADAN, Panellist
Manas brings a wealth of experience and insight to our event. As a member of the leadership team at PRADAN, he leads the Centre of Excellence on Climate Action, continuing a legacy of impactful work in rural development. From 2012 to 2017, he served as the executive director of PRADAN, guiding the organization with vision and dedication.
With a career spanning over three decades, Manas has been a cornerstone in the fields of irrigation and Natural Resource Management, leading crucial research and evaluations. His academic prowess is backed by a master’s degree in water resources development and management from IIT Kharagpur and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from NIT Rourkela.
Kunal Ray
FLAME University
Kunal Ray teaches literature and film at FLAME University, Pune. His writings on art & culture in India appear in a variety of publications such as The Hindu, The Indian Express, The Hindustan Times amongst others. His most recent publication includes Resistance in Indian Documentary Film – Aesthetics, Culture & Practice (Edinburgh University Press, 2024). He is also the co-founder and co-editor of On Eating - A Multilingual Online Journal of Food & Eating cultures in India
Shilpa Gupta
Artist
Shilpa Gupta studied at the Sir J. J. School of Art and has had solo shows at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Antwerp, Barbican in London, Museum voor Moderne Kunst in Arnhem, Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, OK Center for Contemporary Art in Linz and Arnolfini in Bristol and has participated in biennales in Venice, Berlin, Kochi, Lyon, Gwangju, Havana, Yokohama, Liverpool amongst others. Her work has been shown at leading museums such as MOMA, Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New Museum, Devi Art Foundation, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and Mori Museum.
Sameer Kulavoor
Artist
Sameer Kulavoor is a visual artist who has closely witnessed the rapid transformation of urban surroundings and culture in India in the 90s (results of economic liberalisation and the internet boom), Kulavoor’s innate approach is to constantly note and understand the impact that time, culture, politics and socio-economic conditions have on our visible and invisible surroundings. Through the early 2000s, Kulavoor became widely known for his design and illustration work and set up one of the earliest specialised studios of its kind in India – Bombay Duck Designs. Over the next decade, Kulavoor moved on to focus on his solo art practice that has taken the form of drawings, paintings, videos, sculptures, murals, books, zines and art-prints.
Teja Gavankar
BFA from L.S. Raheja School of Art, Mumbai & Master’s degree in Visual Arts
Teja Gavankar received her BFA from L.S. Raheja School of Art, Mumbai & Master’s degree in Visual Arts in Painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts, M. S. U, Baroda. She also holds a certificate in Indian Aesthetics from Mumbai University. She had her first international solo show at The Optica Centre for Contemporary Art in Montreal, Canada, 2017. She has been part of several residencies such as the Khoj International Artist Association, Delhi, 2015, What about Art, Mumbai, 2017, Space Studio Verticale Artist Center, Laval, Canada, 2016 and Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation supported International (India- Quebec) Residency at The Darling Foundry, Montreal, Canada, 2014. As part of a collaborative project with Case Design, she showcased her work at Venice Architecture Biennale in 2018. She also teaches Design at the Academy of Architecture, Mumbai.
Jayshree Kurup
Director of Verdemeister Real Estate & Cities.
E Jayashree Kurup is Director, Wordmeister Real Estate & Cities. She is an analyst and adviser on real estate and city governance trends across India and abroad. She is a well known columnist with various publications. She tracks markets, writes commentaries and also connects with business and consumers on how to navigate through this opaque industry in India. She analyses data and conducts periodic consumer and industry surveys to identify new trends and find solutions to existing problems. She works actively on advocating policy changes on the basis of ground level research. She connects. with industry leaders, consumers and influencer networks to effect social and commercial change. She uses her podcast Urban Insights to reach her audiences
Vasudevan Sures
IGBC - Policy & Advocacy Committee &
Former CMD-HUDCO, Chairman
Vasudevan Suresh is a Civil Engineer with over 50 years of experience in Housing, Urban Development, Infrastructure, Sustainable Development and Real Estate sectors.
Was former CMD HUDCO, contributing to its all-round growth in housing, innovative infrastructure development and financing, use of appropriate technology applications in the built-environment.
He was responsible for the formulation of the first National Building Code of India in 1970 and now the Vice Chairman for NBC 2015 version. He is Member of the Panel for the Part 11 of NBC dealing with Sustainable Development and Green Buildings.
Is the Chairman of Housing Committee and member of Smart Cities Committee of BIS and Member of many Committees of Central and State Governments on Housing Policies and CII and IMC Committees on Housing , Infrastructure and Real Estate .Development. He was Chairman, Government of India Task Forces for Chamoli and Rudraprayag Earthquake and Orissa Super Cyclone for the post reconstruction efforts.
He has received 15 awards including Industry Doyen Award from CIDC in 2011.
He is a strong advocate of sustainable development and passionately pursues disaster resistant, environment friendly, ecologically appropriate and energy efficient options in built environment and the green building movement. He is the Chairman of the IGBC Policy and Advocacy Committee.
He is working closely with Good Governance India Foundation as Advisor for good urban governance initiatives for meeting the challenges of urbanization and making smart, green and vibrant cities through work on MUNICIPALIKA and Urban News Digest.
He is working as a Director with the Hiranandani Group dealing with mixed used integrated and self-contained green township development.
Sanjay Rana
PE- professional engineer
Dr. Sanjay Rana is a geophysicist (holding the title of PE- professional engineer, conferred by Engineering Council of India) working in the field of engineering, mining, environmental and ground water geophysics for last 34 years. Dr Rana graduated in 1990 from University of Roorkee, now IIT Roorkee, in M Tech (Applied Geophysics), as Gold Medalist. Since 1995 he has been working tirelessly towards growth of geophysical industry in the country, exploring new & unique application areas in various fields like Utility Mapping, Leakage Detection, Hydropower, Dam Safety, Oil & Gas, Mining, Infrastructure, Roads & Highways etc.
Rashmi Deshpande
Senior Partner, Head of Real Estate Practice, K Law, Bengaluru
Rashmi is a Senior Partner in K Law’s Bengaluru office. She heads the real estate practice of the Firm advising clients on transactions across various locations in India Prior to joining K Law, Rashmi was working with Khaitan & Co LLP as partner in the Bangalore office, heading the real estate practice across South India. Rashmi joined Khaitan & Co LLP in 2013 and set up the real estate practice, growing from strength to strength every year.
Rashmi started her practice in 2001 with Mr. Ashok Haranahalli, Senior Counsel and former Advocate General of Karnataka. She has successfully handled cases in High Court of Karnataka and various courts and tribunals on varied subjects, primary among them related to property matters. She was also part of the team that drafted and finalized the Building Bye – Laws of BBMP in 2003. Rashmi also worked with Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A Shroff & Co in the real estate and dispute resolution team.
Rashmi comes with vast experience in the field of real estate and dispute resolution and has advised clients on a wide variety of matters ranging from title due diligence, leasing, setting up of integrated-township, SEZ development, private equity investment in real estate, debt funding, estate planning, RERA, disputes and arbitration in real estate transaction.
Sheetal Patil
Lead, IIHS School of Environment and Sustainability
Sheetal is a Lead at IIHS. Her work is focused on integrated agri-food systems, especially on urban and peri-urban food systems, food and ecosystem service, climate change adaptation and urban sustainability. Sheetal anchors work on immobility and non-migration in rural Karnataka and Odisha.
Liby Johnson
Gram Vikas, Executive Director of Gram Vikas
Liby is the Executive Director of Gram Vikas, Odisha. He has led large-scale, impactful efforts over nearly three decades in the community development sector in India with civil society and governments. His experience spans diverse sectors as natural resources, migration, livelihoods, local governance, disaster management, and institution development. Liby regularly contributes to policy making in rural drinking water and sanitation and livelihoods sectors at national and state levels.
Dhanmanjari Sathe
Gokhale Institute, Pune, Professor
Dhanmanjiri believes that the prism of political economy as a methodology to study India is rigorous, and it is most insightful. She reckons that results from such analysis are most meaningful and have policy implications. Her current research is in this domain. For her, a classroom–including the teacher–is one of the most egalitarian places in the world. She makes sure that every student learns something new in each class she teaches. She likes to reach in a jolly and humorous mood, as she thinks that learning is the best when it is fun.
Understanding society is very essential if one wants to be a good person and a good economist, she feels. This, she thinks, comes from fieldwork, reading creative literature, following newspapers, watching films and theatre, and engaging with different kinds of people around you.
Tara Nair
Work Fair and Free, Co-Founder and Director- Research
Tara is a prolific researcher with decades of work across various domains including livelihoods and labour, rural finance, and gender. Having completed MPhil and PhD in Applied Economics and Economics, respectively, from the Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum (Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi), Tara previously served as member of the faculty of the Gujarat Institute of Development Research (GIDR), Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA) and Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA). She also headed research at the Friends of Women’s World Banking (India). She was a visiting scholar at the Fondation Maison des Sciences de l’homme, Paris; Media Management and Transformation Centre, Jonkoping International Business School, Jonkoping University, Sweden; and the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, USA.
Dulari Parmar
YUVA, Consultant
Dulari Parmar, is an Architect based in Mumbai. She completed her Masters degree in Urban Design from Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies Mumbai. Currently she works as a consultant at Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action (YUVA), and actively contributes to YUVA's climate justice work. Dulari has played a crucial role in the Climate Hazard Mapping of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and facilitated the community-driven climate vulnerability assessment in Ambojwadi, Malad. Additionally, she has engaged in city-level advocacy on Development Plans (DP), where she has facilitated trainings on DP and mapping with community members and youth from bastis.
Previously at YUVA, she has also conducted research on the Impacts of urban infrastructure projects on climate and the urban poor in Vasai Virar Region. She has recently co-authored an article on Analysis of Mumbai floods in recent years with crowdsourced data with Interdisciplinary Program in Climate Studies, IIT Bombay.
Dulari currently supports the climate justice work in Navi Mumbai, Guwahati and Vasai Virar, for city level advocacy on climate justice issues. Through her work she emphasizes the need for mapping literacy for the marginalized groups, asserting that this tool can be leveraged by the communities to advocate for their rights. She is also an illustrator at Nirantar Trust, Delhi, where she is developing stories for drop-out or never-enrolled young adolescent girls for the Young People’s Education Program.
Venkatesh Panchapagesan
IIM-Bengaluru, Professor
Dr. Venkatesh Panchapagesan is a Professor of Finance and also heads the Real Estate Research Initiative at IIM Bangalore. He has more than 20 years of experience in academia and in global financial services industry after finishing his Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Southern California. Prior to joining IIMB in September 2011, he was with the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, where he led efforts to revamp trading analytical infrastructure. He has also worked with Goldman Sachs Asset Management in New York between 2005 and 2008 overseeing trading research for their quantitative hedge funds. He was a Finance Professor at the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis from 1998 to 2005 and has published in top peer-reviewed academic and practitioner journals of the world. He was also invited to be the NASDAQ stock market’s economist for a year. He is certified in India as a Chartered Accountant and a Cost Accountant, and holds a post graduate management degree from IIM (Calcutta) as well.
Ashutosh Limaye
Co-Head, Strategic Advisory & Valuations, Anarock
With 20 years of professional experience in the fields of real estate research, development advisory and asset valuations, he will establish ANAROCK’s Consulting business across India
Dishant Batule
YUVA, Consultant
Dishant Batule, is an independent Filmmaker based in Mumbai. He did his Bachelors in Architecture from D. Y. Patil College of Architecture, Mumbai.
He currently works as an independent consultant at YUVA and has worked on the Navi Mumbai and Panvel city Development plans and contributed in the outreach to increase participation of the urban poor in the process of the city’s Development Plan. He has also been part of and presented in various public meetings in the process of the Development Plan of Panvel city.
Additionally, He has worked on multiple Documentary short film projects with YUVA covering the impact YUVA has made through various people’s organisations and collectives. The topics of the films span from YUVA’s Childline Helpline work, Children and Youth collectives to Housing rights collectives, Building open spaces with Nature Based solutions and community participation.
Dr. Sheema Fatima
School of Architecture, NMIMS, Mumbai, Assistant Professor
Sheema Fatima is an Assistant Professor at Balwant Seth School of Architecture, NMIMS, Mumbai. An Urban Planner by training her interest lies in urban politics and governance in non-metropolitan urban centers. She has worked on numerous research projects in both Mumbai and small and medium towns of Bihar. Her recent publications are Fatima, S. (2024). Categorizing land: an account of leftover land in Patna. City, 28(1-2), 44-63 looks at the political history of housing in Bihar. And, Fatima, S., & Paiker, U. (2023). Memorialising and Forgetting in the City: Recovering Azimabad from the Many Pasts of Patna. Social Change, 53(2), 195-209.
Dr. Rishi Jha
FLAME University, Assistant Professor
Prof. Rishi Jha is Assistant Professor – Public Policy at FLAME University. He holds a Doctorate Degree in Social Work from Lund University, Sweden. He also has a Master’s Degree in Philosophy and a Master’s Degree in Arts from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. He has completed Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture from Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Delhi.
He completed pre-doctoral studies and Masters of Arts in Social Work (Community Organisation and Development Practice) from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, and MAU, Maharashtra.
His doctoral dissertation is titled “Unsettled City”. It explores the urban political economy of dispossession, transforming governance, and people’s struggles for housing within redeveloping Mumbai. Shortlisted for Lund University’s prestigious Oscar (II) Award in 2024, it reflects his profound research contributions.
His areas of interests are urban studies, public and social policy, inequality and governance, neoliberal state, politics and social change, employing qualitative methods. He is currently writing a monograph titled “Rehousing the City” with an international publisher.
He has over three years of professional experience in development governance, consultancy, and research. He served as a Young Professional in the World Bank-supported and Bihar government-coordinated poverty alleviation mission in Bihar. He has collaborated with civil society organisations in rural and urban India, and partnered in research with the University of Chicago, University of East London, Western Sydney University, Mahanirban Calcutta Research Group, and Tata Institute of Social Sciences.
Harshali Damodar Ghule
IIT Bombay, PhD Research Scholar
Harshali is a PhD scholar from IIT Mumbai. Her area of research is to understand how villages urbanize. The primary focus of research is on emerging census towns in Maharashtra. It would explore the nature of urbanization, socio-spatial and economic characteristics of the settlement form, and its policy issues. It would cover the role of agrarian-rural capital and the local elite in transforming villages into towns.
Balbir Singh Aulakh
PhD Scholar in Social Sciences and Community Development at TISS Mumbai
Balbir Singh Aulakh is a PhD Scholar at the School of Habitat Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. He has completed his M.Phil. in Social Sciences from Tata Institute of Social Sciences and graduated in public policy from the University of Mumbai. His broad research interests include sports development, land transformations, aesthetic politics and community development.
Aishwarya Ayushmaan
Aishwarya Ayushmaan is a graduate from the National University of Juridical Sciences is the Programmes Lead at the Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN). They have worked extensively for the last six years on laws and policies around housing rights, forced evictions, including of marginalized communities, including trans persons.
Programmes Lead, Housing and Land Rights Network
(Moderator)
Deepika Jha
Deepika Jha has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in planning from the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi. For over 10 years, Deepika has been part of a team studying land governance in different states in India. She has studied issues around land records management, their modernisation, related technical and institutional aspects, and their linkages to planning and municipal practices in urban and peri-urban areas. As part of various projects, she has also worked on recognising persistent gaps in the systems regarding land administration, identifying the good practices followed by different states, and suggesting ways to improve the transparency and reliability of the current systems.
More recently, she has worked on advising state- and city-level administrations on how land governance systems, particularly urban land information systems, can be improved and more aligned with urban planning processes.
Deepika is also interested in how real estate is regulated in various states of India, and in ways to improve functioning of real estate regulatory authorities.
Her work cuts across the rural–urban continuum, and in the process she has engaged with various officers from the urban administration and land records departments of various states, and has found the experience enriching and humbling. Trained as a physical and regional planner, Deepika’s research interests are around land governance and planning practices. She enjoys data visualisation, especially through simplified maps and graphics.
IIHS
Benoy Peter, Dr.
An expert on labour migration in India, Benoy is a co-founder and the executive director of CMID. He was a member of the international advisory committee that guided the preparation of the action plan for the implementation of Government of Bangladesh’s National Strategy on Internal Displacement. He led the consortium of organisations in the preparation of the policy paper Road Map for the Inclusion of Internal Migrant Workers in India’s Policy Framework for the ILO DWT for South Asia. Benoy has a PhD. in Population Sciences from the International Institute for Population Sciences
CMID, Co-Founder and the Executive Director of CMID
R.B. Bhagat
Prof. Ram B. Bhagat is Honorary Visiting Professor at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune, and Visiting Professor, School of Development Studies, Tata Institute for Social Sciences, Mumbai.
Earlier Prof Bhagat served as Professor and Head, Department of Migration and Urban Studies, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, India until his superannuation in 31 st October 2022. His
research interest includes migration and urbanization; environment and sustainable development;
demography, ethnicity and politics. He has published ten books and about 200 research papers appeared in
national and international journals of repute (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/R-Bhagat). He has guided
IIPS, Professor
Purnendu Kavoori
Prof. Purnendu Kavoori is one of the first researchers to have engaged with the study of pastoralism in India. At a broader level he is a student of dry land landscapes and adaptive institutions associated with them. Having a PhD in Development Studies from the ISS, and a Masters and MPhil in History from Jawaharlal Nehru University Prof Kavoori is an interdisciplinary academic who combines ecological, anthropological and Historical perspectives in his work. Dr. Kavoori was until his retirement Professor in Ecology and Development at the Azim Premji University. Thereafter he has been associated with the Foundation for Ecological Security, Anand as a Senior Advisor and is Director (Hon.) of the Centre for Social Ecology, a start up for young researchers in Jaipur. He is also Convener of the Indian Commoner forum a digital platform for conversations on the commons. With a strong emphasis on field-based research Prof. Kavoori has, through his personal example sought to encourage communication and exchange of knowledge between the academic and practitioner communities.
Interdisciplinary Scholar and Senior Advisor in Pastoralism, Dryland Ecology, and Adaptive Institutions
Dr Manju Vasudevan
Dr(Ms.) Manju Vasudevan spent the first years of her career researching canopy pollinators and advocating bee habitat conservation, with organisations such as ATREE, FES and Keystone Foundation. She holds a PhD in Pollination Ecology from Imperial College London. She was a Fulbright Nehru post-doctoral Fellow (2014) at the University of California Santa Barbara. She spearheads the Conservation and Livelihoods Program at River Research Centre, Kerala, and consults with grassroots NGOs and conservation groups across the country. She was one of the Duleep Matthai Nature Conservation Fellows, 2021.
Interdisciplinary Scholar and Senior Advisor in Pastoralism, Dryland Ecology, and Adaptive Institutions
Shri Narendra Jain
Narendra Jain is working as General Secretary of Seva Mandir since May 2022. Narendra Jain joined Seva Mandir in 1991 as a Development Associate in the Natural Resource Development Unit of Seva Mandir . He is a Postgraduate in Agriculture with a specialization in Plant Breeding and Genetics from Rajasthan Agriculture University, Bikaner.
In Seva Mandir, he led the Afforestation and Pastureland Development Programme in Udaipur and Rajsamand districts of south Rajasthan. He worked on regeneration of more than 200 Pasture-lands, 29 Joint Forest Management sites and hundreds of parcels of private non cultivable land. He has also been involved in the work of assisting more than 250 villages in getting Community Forest Rights over their village forestland.
Before appinted as a General Secretary, he worked as the Director Operation of Seva Madir. As a Director Operations , he was involved in the implementation of all the developmental activities in the Seva Mandir`s working area.
Veteran Development Professional and Leader in Afforestation and Community Forest Rights with Seva Mandir
Shri Laxman Singh
Shri Laxman Singh is the founder and secretary (GVNML) a non-government registered voluntary organisation. He is well-known for initiating community led collective efforts for example, the “Chuaka System”, saving environment (Hariyalli bachao) through Eco-parks and “Khulla- Chidiyaghar” or open aviary. His initiatives and efforts for water harvesting and management, in his native village, is recognized as the famous “Laporiya Model” for ground water recharges thus strengthening rural livelihood.
Veteran Development Professional and Leader in Afforestation and Community Forest Rights with Seva Mandir
Shri Laxman Singh
Shri Laxman Singh is the founder and secretary (GVNML) a non-government registered voluntary organisation. He is well-known for initiating community led collective efforts for example, the “Chuaka System”, saving environment (Hariyalli bachao) through Eco-parks and “Khulla- Chidiyaghar” or open aviary. His initiatives and efforts for water harvesting and management, in his native village, is recognized as the famous “Laporiya Model” for ground water recharges thus strengthening rural livelihood.
Veteran Development Professional and Leader in Afforestation and Community Forest Rights with Seva Mandir