Welcome Address by Conference Chair

Niranjan Hegde hails from a culturally rich place called Manchikeri, a small hamlet tucked away in the greeneries of the Western Ghat region in the Uttara Kannada district.
Manchikeri has gifted many well-known artistes like Pt. Ganapathi Bhat, Hasanagi, Pt Shripad Hegde Kampli, and Pt Nagaraj Hegde Shirnala to the music world. Now Niranjan is showing all
signs of a very promising budding flautist.
Born on 24th March 1992 to Shri Raghupati Hegde and Shrimati Mahadevi Hegde, Niranjan grew up listening to the sound of music that was in the air all the time at his birth place. People in and
around Manchikeri get to enjoy music in a range of forms, from Yakshagana shows to Hindustani Classical Music concerts.
Niranjan’s parents supported his interest and his training in flute in Hindustani music commenced in the Gurukul tradition under the able guidance of Pt Nagaraj Hegde (one of the senior most
disciples of Pt Venkatesh Godkhindi) at Gokula Bansuri Gurukula, Shirnala.
Under his Guru Nagaraj Hegde, Niranjan has been training for the past fifteen years in Gurushishya parampara
Performances and Achievements:
Niranjan Hegde has grabbed first place in state level youth festival.He is B high grade artist of Akashvani and Doordarshan .
He has given solo performances on various platforms, including Pt. Vinayak Torvi Music Foundation, Bangalore, Oudumbar, Sangli, Maharashtra and Drupad festival at valley school Bangalore, Girinagar Sangeeth sabha and many more in and out side the Karnataka.
He has also accompanied his Guru on various stages in and outside Karnataka. And the sound of his flute reverberated in innumerable events in and around his native place in
the past few years. As a Guru/Tutor he has been teaching to many students in his house and also via online. He also Kala Acharya at
Vidyakshetra Gurukulam

Sharad Sharma co-founded iSPIRT Foundation, a non-profit technology think tank that has conceptualized India Stack, Health Stack, and other digital public goods. Sharad co-founded Teltier Technologies, a wireless infrastructure startup now part of CISCO. An active angel investor with over two dozen investments, he was also instrumental in the success of India’s first IP-focused fund, the India Innovation Fund. Sharad is a National Startup Advisory Council member and SEBI’s Financial and Regulatory Technology Committee member. He Chairs the IFSCA’s Expert Committee on Asset Tokenization and is a UN’s AI Advisory Body member. An alumnus of Delhi College of Engineering, he previously held R&D leadership positions at Yahoo, VERITAS, Symantec, Lucent, and AT&T.

Group Captain Angad Pratap joined the National Defence Academy in Dec 2000 and got commissioned as a Fighter Pilot in Dec 2004.

In his operational career he has flown the Mig-21 Bison and the Sukhoi-30 MKI* aircraft. He became a Qualified Flying Instructor in 2014 and an Experimental Test Pilot in 2017. In Dec 2017, he was a part of the first launch of the Brahmos-Air Version Missile from Sukhoi aircraft and in Jan 2019, he test fired India’s first Anti-Radiation Missile, the Rudram-1 or NGARM from the Sukhoi aircraft.

He has a total of 2300 hours across 19 different types of aircraft including fighters and transport class. He has completed 6 different types of survival trainings in both India and abroad.

He has a keen interest in Physics & Aerodynamics. He is an “IRONMAN”, having completed the Full Ironman Triathlon 2023 at Subic Bay, Philippines completing a continuous 4 km swim in the ocean followed by a 180 km cycle followed by a full 42 km Marathon run. He is a trained skydiver, a certified Level-4 Scuba Diver, has completed a 100 km Ultra Marathon and has a 7 km non-stop swim to his credit. He is an advanced level mountaineer and has climbed an 18,000ft peak in Sikkim. Gp Capt Angad is presently pursuing an M Tech (by research) from IISc, Bengaluru.

Shreya is the Director & Head at Nasscom Deeptech, leading the organization’s vision for India’s technology future with over 15 years of experience.

For the past six years, Shreya has been instrumental in shaping the Deeptech ecosystem. In her current capacity, she drives Deeptech & Startups initiatives, advancing national IP strategies, and building a stronger foundation for India’s technology-led future. Her commitment is focused on ecosystem building, fostering innovation, nurturing entrepreneurship, and championing diversity in tech. She also established and scaled major Nasscom programs, including Emerge50, Product Skills, and the Nasscom Women Product Champions (NWPC).

Shreya’s leadership is grounded in a strong scientific foundation. Her career began following an MSc in Biotechnology with a pivotal decade spent in the pharmaceutical industry. This early experience provided her with crucial, disciplined insight into research and innovation within regulated sectors, which she now applies to championing entrepreneurship and diversity in the Deeptech landscape.

Smitha Hemmigae is a distinguished thought leader in the Global Capability Center (GCC) sector and a leading expert in GCC employer branding. As the Head of Marketing and Employer Brand at ANSR, Smitha has successfully consulted with over 100 enterprises, guiding them in building robust employer brands for their GCCs in India. Her deep expertise in shaping and enhancing employer brands addresses one of the biggest challenges GCCs face today: attracting and retaining top talent in a competitive market.

Smitha’s extensive experience uniquely positions her to offer a fresh and insightful perspective on the panel. She will provide valuable insights into the critical role of employer branding in GCC talent strategy, sharing practical strategies and innovative approaches to overcoming this challenge. Her contributions will be instrumental in discussing how GCCs can effectively nurture and grow tomorrow’s talent pool.

Srivardhini K. Jha is Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) and Chairperson of NSRCEL, IIMB’s startup incubator. Her research and teaching interest is in Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the emerging country context. She has published extensively in top-tier international journals, written books, and authored several reports, white papers and thought leadership articles. She has also contributed to policy formulation on innovation and entrepreneurship at both the State and National levels. In recognition of her teaching excellence and her contributions to shaping India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, she was conferred the National Teachers’ Award in 2025.

Srivardhini holds a Ph.D. in Corporate Strategy and Policy from IIMB, an MS in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University and a BS is Information Science and Engineering from VTU. Prior to entering academia, she held senior managerial positions at Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, and Infosys.

Dr. R. Balasubramaniam is a development scholar, public policy advocate, and leadership educator with over four decades of grassroots experience. He is the founder of the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM), a development organization working at the intersection of health, education, and community empowerment in India. A physician by training and a Harvard-educated public leader and former faculty at Cornell University, Dr. Balu brings a unique blend of experiential knowledge and academic insight. He is also the founder of GRAAM, a public policy think tank.

His work spans advising governments on governance reforms, strengthening democratic institutions, and building state capacity. He is the author of several acclaimed books, including i, the citizen, Leadership Lessons for Daily Living and Power Within: The Leadership Legacy of Narendra Modi, reflecting his ability to bridge spiritual wisdom, public policy, and leadership practice. His current writing explores leadership lessons from the Bhagavad Gita, integrating Indian philosophical thought with contemporary leadership theory.

He is currently the Member-HR in the Capacity Building Commission of the Government of India. He is also the Chairperson of the Social Stock Exchange Advisory Committee of SEBI.

Alina Alam started MITTI CAFE at the age of 23, with the dream of showing the world the magic of abilities. MITTI CAFEs work towards economic independence and dignity for persons with disabilities. The organization’s outreach initiative helps create awareness about inclusion and disability rights.

Alina is a 4 time TEDx speaker and has been featured in the Forbes list of 30 under 30 Asia.

In 2024, Alina received the National Award for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities from the President of India. She is also a Commonwealth Youth Awardee and has received the Niti Ayog-Women Transforming India Award, Helen Keller Award, and United Nations Intercultural Innovation Award.

Also, she has received Future Female Icon Awards from CNBC, Times of India-She Unlimited Award, Rotary Exemplar Award, and Tiecon Young Female Entrepreneur of the Year Award, amongst the others.

Alina’s journey with Mitti Café began with a dream to showcase the abilities of individuals with disabilities and a belief in equal opportunities for all. At 23, with no startup capital and facing countless rejections, she relied on community support to bring her vision to life. From donated equipment to a simple table under an umbrella, her initiative grew into the world’s largest chain of cafés run entirely by persons with disabilities.

Today, Mitti Café operates in nearly 50 locations across India, including prestigious sites like the Supreme Court, Rashtrapati Bhawan, and major airports. Leaders such as Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, President Droupadi Murmu, and Infosys founder Narayana Murthy have lauded her efforts, with the Defence Minister and Lok Sabha Speaker inaugurating Mitti Cafés, sending a powerful message of inclusion. In 2024, Alina received the National Award for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities from the President of India. She has also been listed on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list and has received national and international recognition from the United Nations, Commonwealth, NITI Aayog, UNESCO, Rotary, and TieCon for her impactful work.

Under her leadership, Mitti Café has created over 6,000 livelihoods, served 11 million meals, and provided 6 million “Karuna Meals” to vulnerable communities. For Alina, Mitti Café is not just a café—it’s a global movement for dignity, empowerment, and inclusion, aiming to transform a billion lives.

Session 1

Welcome Address by Conference Chair