THE JURY

Smt. Najma Akhtar holds the esteemed position of Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, a role she has held since April 2019, marking her as the first woman to ever lead the institution in its nearly 100-year history. A distinguished academic and administrator, Smt. Akhtar has contributed significantly to the Indian educational landscape. Her leadership has been instrumental in propelling Jamia Millia Islamia to achieve remarkable milestones, including securing a 6th rank in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) and receiving an A++ accreditation from the National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC).

An alumna of Aligarh Muslim University, where she excelled as a gold medalist, Smt. Akhtar's career includes pivotal roles such as the head of the Department of Educational Administration at the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), and various leadership positions at Aligarh Muslim University and IGNOU. Her academic credentials are extensive, including an MA in Education, an MSc in Botany, and a Ph.D. in Education from Kurukshetra University. She has also benefited from international exposure, holding a Commonwealth Fellowship and training at the International Institute of Educational Planning in Paris.

Smt. Akhtar's tenure has been marked by her advocacy for gender equity and her efforts to enhance the employability and research capabilities of the university. Her initiatives have included the introduction of new courses, the establishment of research facilities, and the development of partnerships with international institutions. Recognized for her contributions, she was awarded the Padma Shri in 2022 and was appointed "Colonel Commandant" of the University in 2023. Through her visionary leadership, Smt. Akhtar continues to guide Jamia Millia Islamia towards excellence, setting a benchmark for higher education in India.

Roma Balwani is currently Director, Strategic Resources, Brand & Communications, an advisory firm specialised in ESG, Sustainability, CSR, stakeholder engagement & CEO, Indian Deaf Cricket Association. Former Sr. Advisor & President, Vedanta Group. Her role encompassed advising on a robust brand strategy for the group which has focus on giving back to communities & society at large and as a natural resource major contributing towards nation building that will help in economic development of our country and position One Vedanta brand to diverse stakeholders across India and globally.

She is also an Independent Director of John Cockerill, India (formerly CMI FPE Ltd.) Chair, CSR & NRC Committees. The Indian hub of John Cockerill, Industry Metals vertical, which is the world leader in the conception, manufacture and installation of reversible cold rolling mills, headquartered in Belgium. Roma has over three decades of experience in various aspects of strategic communications. In her previous role as President, Group Communication, CSR and Sustainable Development at Vedanta Resources plc. She was instrumental in bringing sustainable development goals as a key focus area for the group. She has been the member of the Group Executive Committee which comprises the leadership team at Vedanta. She personally believes in giving back. She is actively associated with disability cricket and promotes deaf cricket as an enabler to instil a sense of pride and purpose for the hearing -impaired youth with sporting talent.

She speaks at several summits on Brand, Sustainable Development & Communications. In over 30 years of experience, she has won several Indian and International awards and accolades. She is the recipient of the Adgully, Exchange4media, Lifetime Achievement awards 2022, 2020 and PRCI, Lifetime Achievement award, 2018. Roma has the distinction of being included in the PR Week Global Power Book 2015, South East Asia. For the last seven years at Vedanta, Roma has been recognized as among the most important and influential In-House communicators from around the world by the Holmes Global Report's Influence 100 now Provoke Media: from 2015 to 2021.

Siddharth (Sid) Pai is a technology consultant who has personally led over $20 billion in complex, first-of-a-kind outsourcing transactions. He now advises boards, CEO’s and investors to help them strengthen and execute their global technology strategies in an increasingly uncertain and volatile world. He has significant international technology P&L leadership experience (over $500 mn). Sid has held Senior Executive, Partner & Board Member positions at organizations like IBM, KPMG and ISG. He is a respected newspaper columnist and industry expert on deep technology issues. Sid is the Co-founder and Managing Partner of Siana Capital Management.

Parag Diwan was raised in a scholarly family in Chandigarh, with parents who were law and literature professors at Punjab University. He earned a degree in Chemical Engineering from Punjab University, a Master’s in Chemical Engineering from Clemson University, USA, and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Punjab University, graduating with top honors in all programs.

Dr. Diwan began his career in a public sector high technology company, developing integrated circuits for consumer, space, and defense applications. He then joined the All India Management Association (AIMA) as Dean and Director, creating affordable, distributed management education. Under his leadership, AIMA-Centre for Management Education (CME) became India's largest private autonomous business school.

In 2001, Dr. Diwan became the youngest Vice Chancellor in India, founding the University of Petroleum & Energy Studies (UPES). UPES, the first domain-focused university in India, offers over 80 specialized courses in energy, transportation, and related sectors. Dr. Diwan emphasized sustainable energy, solar and biofuel research, and community development, leading UPES's alliance with Laureate Education International USA.

Post-UPES, Dr. Diwan worked with Laureate International Universities to establish programs in the energy sector globally and helped develop Great Lakes International University in Andhra Pradesh. Currently, he advises institutions on Education 4.0, adapting education to the 4th industrial revolution. Dr. Diwan has received numerous awards, including a Hewlett Packard fellowship for online education, for his contributions to education and social causes.

Ravi Bapna is the Curtis L. Carlson Chair in Business Analytics and Information Systems at the Carlson School of Management where he also serves as the Academic Director of the Analytics for Good Institute and the Carlson Analytics Lab (CAL). He is an award-winning scholar with expertise in analytics, AI and ML, digital transformation, social media and economics of information systems. He has been awarded the INFORMS ISS Distinguished Fellow award, the INFORMS ISS Inaugural Practical Impacts Award, the INFORMS ISS Haim Mendelson Teaching Innovation Award, and multiple best paper awards in journals such as Management Science and Information Systems Research. As a co-founder of the Carlson School’s top-ranked MS-Business Analytics (MSBA) program Bapna runs the Carlson Analytics Lab (CAL) which facilitates industry-academia connections in cutting-edge AI and ML applications. CAL’s holistic experiential learning model has been widely recognized and its work has been featured in prestigious outlets such as Sloan Management Review, the Star Tribune, and by clients’ communications. Bapna also served as Chief Data Scientist at Mississippi River Capital LLC, a Minneapolis-based hedge fund, and is on the executive education faculty for NYU Stern’s open and MSBA programs, as well as the area leader for Information Systems at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.

Bapna teaches graduate students, executives, CIOs, and CMOs how to leverage analytics and the broader digital revolution for competitive advantage. He has developed the CIO Academy at the Indian School of Business as well as analytics-oriented leadership academies at F500 companies such as Optum, Ameriprise and M Health Fairview. His work has been published in numerous journals, including Management Science, Informs Journal on Computing, Statistical Science, Information Systems Research, Journal of Retailing, MIS Quarterly, and Decision Sciences. His views have also been featured in the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, Knowledge@Wharton and The Economic Times, among others. Bapna has two decades of industry consulting, executive education, keynote speaking and board experience. He is on the board of iPondr.com, the Academic Advisory Board, Indian Institute of Management, Udaipur, and a founding Governing Board Member, International Centre for Information Systems and Audit under the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

Dr. Leena Chandran Wadia is Professor and Dean (Education and Outreach) at The University of Trans-disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU), Bangalore. She received her PhD in Physics from the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore. Since then, she has been a researcher at several places in India and abroad including the National Centre for Software Technology (NCST, now CDAC), TIFR, and IIT Bombay, all in Mumbai, CERN and EPFL in Switzerland, and most recently the Observer Research Foundation, Mumbai, a public policy think tank. She has also served in the corporate sector, as Senior VP and CTO, of a start-up company in the Telecom sector.

Leena was a member of the technical secretariat to the Dr. Kasturirangan committee on India’s new National Education Policy (NEP). She also served as a member of the drafting committee of the Draft NEP 2019 that was a precursor to NEP 2020, released by the Government of India in July 2020. Her present focus is in the area of vocational education and its implementation, in the spirit of NEP 2020. She has co-authored a recent report for UNESCO on this topic, titled ‘Vocational Education First’ in their ‘State of the Education Report for India’ series.

Chandan Chatterjee stands as a distinguished figure in the realm of education and industry with a robust experience spanning over three decades. His career is a testament to his expertise in market research, business development, and strategy, making him a revered adjunct professor at IME IIT Kanpur and a consultant revered for his innovative approach.

Born out of his profound passion for teaching and institution building, Chandan has left an indelible mark in education management. His commitment to enhancing academic systems through student and industry focus is evident in his curriculum design, pedagogy, and assessment methods, which have been implemented across prestigious institutes including IIMK, IIML, MICA, SIBM, and SCIT, among others. With a knack for fostering industry-academia partnerships, he continues to guide students and professionals alike, bringing real-world insights into the classroom.

In the industry sphere, Chandan's acumen spans across profit centre management, operations, business strategy, and system planning. His leadership roles across organizations have been characterized by a keen focus on driving business growth, process optimization, and team development. As a senior management consultant, he has been pivotal in providing strategic business consulting, process modeling, and implementation support to various sectors including IT, telecom, and manufacturing. Chandan's multilingual proficiency in Hindi, Swahili, and Bengali is a reflection of his global perspective and ability to connect with diverse groups. A gold medalist in Marketing from the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, his academic prowess is as commendable as his professional achievements. Beyond his professional and academic roles, Chandan is a mentor and a thought leader, continuously engaging with the community through seminars, publications, and as a panel reviewer for prestigious works in marketing management. His dedication to continuous learning and development, coupled with his extensive experience, makes him a visionary in both the educational and business landscapes.