Dr. Damodar Acharya

Chairman / Director

Dr. Damodar Acharya is a renowned academician, engineer, and education leader with over four decades of experience in technical education, research, and institutional development. He holds a B.Sc. (Engg.) in Mechanical Engineering from NIT Rourkela and an M.Tech. and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering & Operations Research from IIT Kharagpur.

He has served as Director of IIT Kharagpur, Chairman of AICTE, and Founding Vice-Chancellor of BPUT, Odisha, and was nominated to the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India in 2012. A Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India. Dr. Acharya has guided numerous doctoral scholars and published widely. His leadership is marked by reforms in technical education, promotion of research and innovation, and strengthening of industry–academia collaboration.

Dr. Damodar Acharya

Chairman / Director

Dr. Damodar Acharya is a renowned academician, engineer, and education leader with over four decades of experience in technical education, research, and institutional development. He holds a B.Sc. (Engg.) in Mechanical Engineering from NIT Rourkela and an M.Tech. and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering & Operations Research from IIT Kharagpur.

He has served as Director of IIT Kharagpur, Chairman of AICTE, and Founding Vice-Chancellor of BPUT, Odisha, and was nominated to the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India in 2012. A Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India. Dr. Acharya has guided numerous doctoral scholars and published widely. His leadership is marked by reforms in technical education, promotion of research and innovation, and strengthening of industry–academia collaboration.

Shri Anupam Bhatnagar

• Secretary General, GESIA IT Association
• Having rich industry experience of over 26 years comprising of Media, Multinational company, Information Technology in India, and United States of America.
• Management Consulting Advisory, and Business Strategy Consulting at DST-Gujarat and Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology. Worked with State E-governance Mission Team under National e Governance Program at various capacity.
• As ICT expert worked for for Middle East, MENA(The Middle East and North Africa) and South East Asia region.
• Recipient of Global ICT award from Suryadatta Group of Institution. Active contributor to ICT sector development, skill empowerment, and startup mentoring.

Shri. Rabi Ranjan Panda

• Director- MME Infracon Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad
• 22 years plus experience in various sectors.
• He is also the Director of Dhanvin Industrial Products Pvt. Ltd. where he contributes his extensive experience to guide and enhance their respective operations.
• After finishing his Engineering degree, and based on his expertise, Shri Panda gained 12 years of valuable experience in different multinational and limited firms.

Dr. Sudipta Banerjee

Vice President

• Gesco Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. Chennai and
• MD at ALLIGN CONSULTANCY SERVICES PVT.LTD
• 30 years plus experience in healthcare sector.
• Also worked senior Management position at MJ SURGICAL (Ahmedabad), S H PITKARORTHOTOOLS (Kolkata),GREENS SURGICAL PVT. LTS (Vadodara, India).. Professional member of Institute of Scholars.
• Mentor for Career Point University, Rayat Bahra University, EIC University, CT University, Center for Entrepreneurship Development, AIESA in collaboration with IIR Hyderabad, Ministry of Science and Technology, and Foundation of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (FIED) of IIM.

Dr. BS Deora

• Director of Research & Dean, P.G. Studies at
• S D Agricultural University also.
• Former Dean at College of Renewable Energy & Environmental Engineering.
• 30 years plus experience in Agriculture and Education.
• Received several awards for the contributions to the scientific community across the world.
• Strong education professional with B.E. in Agriculture, M.Tech. in Water Resources Development & Management and a Ph.D. focused in Soil & Water Conservation Engg.

Shri Mohinder Singh Tonk

• Former Group General Manager, ONGC
• 40 years plus experience Energy Sector.
• Former Group General Manager at Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC), excelling in strategic HR, CSR, Corporate Communications, PR, L&D, and Skill Development. Currently an Advisor at Indian Institute of Petroleum & Energy (IIPE), their 2+ years there focus on enhancing industry-academia connections, primarily in HR and personnel administration.
• Holds M.Phil in Business Administration from School of Management. Holds MBA from Kurukhetra University.

Shri Pawan Kumar Kaushal

• Energy, Power, T&D, Renewable Expert
• An Engineering Graduate with over 45 Years exp. in Power, Renewable Energy & Skill Development Sector.
• Worked in a senior position at Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, Bhakra Beas Management Board, Punjab State Electricity Board, National Hydro-electric Power Corporation, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, Premier Solar Powertech Hyderabad and as a Solar Consultant across the country.
• Currently serving as a Technical Advisors in various organisation in the area of Skill Development, Non-conventional Energy and Power Sectors.

Shri MM Singh

• Former COO of Maruti Suzuki India Limited and former CEO of International Automobile Centre of Excellence (iACE) at Gandhinagar Experienced CEO with a successful track record in the automotive industry. Led the Production vertical at
• Maruti Suzuki India Limited, responsible for rolling out 1.2 million cars from Maruti stable every year with assets under control (AUC) of USD 5 billion. Currently leading the International Automobile Centre of Excellence (iACE), a state-of-the-art automotive research and development center in Gujarat, India.
• 32 years plus of experience in the automotive industry. Holds a B.E. from Birla Institute of Technology, Meshra.

Ms. Shilpa Sahu Kaushal

Executive Director

Ms. Shilpa Sahu holds a Graduate degree in Economics (Honors) from Jesus and Mary College, Delhi University, and an MBA in Marketing from the Institute of Management, Nirma University. She has extensive experience in the telecom sector, having worked across multiple states in various roles at Vodafone and Reliance Jio.

Dr. Chandan Chatterjee

Executive Director

Dr. Chandan Chatterjee, PhD (Technology), Mumbai University, and PGDBM, Marathwada University, brings over four decades of experience across industries, research, academia, and government. He has published 200+ articles on government policies, industries, and technology, and presented internationally in countries including Canada, Israel, Germany, Italy, and Myanmar.

He has served as Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship Development, Government of Gujarat, CEO of Atal Incubation Center, GTU, and Member of the Doctoral Progress Committee, GTU. Dr. Chatterjee contributed to the Gujarat Industrial Policy 2009 and Gujarat Textile Policy 2012–13, with expertise in technology enhancement, skill development, and policy implementation.

Shri. Pawan Kumar Kaushal

Technical Advisor

• 45 Years plus exp. in Energy & Skill Development Sector
• Worked in various senior positions in Energy &
• Electricity Board i.e. BBMB, PSEB, NHPC,
• Powergrid and Private companies.
• Currently serving as a Technical Advisors in Skill Development, Energy and Power Industries.

Mr. Sobhan Sahu

Director

Mr. Sobhan Sahu is an honors graduate in Information Technology from the Queensland University of Technology, Australia. He brings over two decades of cross‑functional, multi‑industry experience spanning IT consulting, telecommunications, mining, manufacturing and services in both Australia and India.

He has worked across industry verticals including skill development, biogas, networking and telecommunications, bringing a versatile perspective to enterprise transformation, technology implementation and organisational growth. He currently holds directorial and senior leadership roles in several industries, guiding strategy execution and corporate governance.

With his broad domain understanding and international exposure, Mr. Sahu adds value through his expertise in aligning technology initiatives with business goals, promoting cross‑industry synergies and fostering innovation‑driven growth.

CMDE.(Retd.) (Dr.) Jadumani Jena

 Director

Cmde Dr. Jadumani Jena (Retd.), is a veteran technology and telecom leader with over four decades of experience spanning Indian Navy R&D, indigenous electronics and communications systems, and the corporate telecom sector. He holds a B.Tech in Electrical Engineering, M.Tech in Satellite Communications, M.Sc in Defence Studies, an MBA, and a PhD from IIT Delhi.

He served as Founding CEO of the Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC), helped establish Telecom Centres of Excellence at premier institutions, and fostered multiple start-ups under innovation-led models. Dr. Jena currently serves on advisory and corporate boards, specializing in strategic planning, innovation-driven institution building, telecom standards, and industry-academia collaboration.

Mr. Maheswar Sahu

Vice Chairman / Director

Shri Maheswar Sahu holds a B.Sc. (Engg.) in Electrical Engineering from NIT Rourkela and an M.Sc. from the University of Birmingham. He joined the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1980 and served the Government of India and Government of Gujarat in various capacities for over three decades, retiring as Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Gujarat in 2014.

During his career, he spent more than two decades in industry and over 10 years in active PSU management, including leadership roles as Director and Chairman in several central and state public sector enterprises. He also worked for over three years with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and played a key role in organizing four Vibrant Gujarat events.

Currently, Shri Sahu serves as Chairman, Director, and Independent Director in several companies and government ventures, including Adani Gas, MSIL, Diamond Power, GVFL, and others. His expertise lies in strategic planning, leadership, organizational development, large-scale project management, and corporate social responsibility.

Shri Amitava Bhattacharya IAS (Retd.)

• Former Central Information Commissioner
• Former Independent Director – ONGC
• 30 years plus experience in various sectors.
• Distinguished Fellow at TERI’s Environmental & Industrial Biotechnology Division. Ex-Chairman, Staff Selection Commission, Government of India. Handled crucial environmental issues under the Ministry of Environment & Forest. Mission Director of Water Conservation and Sanitation (2006-2009). Key roles in Government of Gujarat and Govt.of India
• Post-graduate from University of Delhi. Bachelors in Physics from Presidency College, Kolkata. Completed Human Resource and Public Administration course from Maxwell School, USA.