IFIA Bharat Team
Anand Kannan- National Director-IFIA Bharat
Anand Kannan is leading the IFIA Bharat in India.
He is the CEO of Avas Digitech a startup specializing in Innovation management which deals in complete process from ideation to commercialization.
He holds double post-graduation in Marketing & international trade, a packaging design specialist from NID, Certified Business analyst from Automation Anywhere in the area of Artificial Intelligence & Certified Innovation management consultant from Erasmus University.
Dr.Vishal Rao U S -Director Health care Innovation
Dr (Prof) U S Vishal Rao - MS, FRCS (Glasgow) FACS (USA) and Fellow of Royal Society of Medicine.
Dr. Vishal Rao is a distinguished professional who currently serves as the Country Director for Head Neck Surgical Oncology and robotic surgery at the HCG Cancer Centre in Bangalore, India. He is widely recognized as the inventor of the Aum Voice Prosthesis, a cost-effective speaking device for individuals with throat cancer, which has received accolades from numerous global organizations, including BBC, Harvard Business Review, and Forbes. With more than 18 patents to his credit, he is a member of consultative groups for the Indian government and Karnataka and has been the recipient of prestigious awards such as the Kempegowda Award, Varshada Kannadiga Award, and Rotary vocational training award.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drvishalrao
Dr. Jitendra Kumar- Director-Bio Innovation
Dr. Jitendra Kumar is an accomplished and highly experienced leader in the field of Biotechnology, currently serving as the Managing Director of Bangalore Biotechnology Center. He has expertise in various areas such as technology evaluation, incubation, innovation, and entrepreneurship in life sciences, including healthcare, agriculture, environmental biotechnology, and industrial biotechnology. He has practical experience in establishing and managing a life sciences incubator/park and ensuring its financial sustainability. With a background as a trained biotechnology researcher, he has extensive knowledge and experience in product development and commercialization through his own start-up biotech venture. He is also a mentor for numerous biotech start-ups, helping them become investment-ready. Dr. Jitendra Kumar has hands-on experience in technology entrepreneurship and commercialization.
Dr. Sapna Poti- Director-Collaborations & Government Partnerships
Dr. Sapna Poti is a highly accomplished scientist and leader with over 30 years of experience in industry, consulting, and government. She is currently the Director of Strategic Alliances in the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, where she is responsible for promoting scientific research and innovation. She has also played a key role in the development of Manthan, India's platform for research and innovation. Dr. Poti is a Chevening Awardee, a Forbes contributor, and a member of several national and international committees. She is a true leader in the field of science and innovation, and her work has had a significant impact on India and the world.
Here are some of her specific achievements:
Developed Manthan, India's platform for research and innovation
Engaged science and technology institutes and the entire startup ecosystem to meet national missions, United Nations’ sustainable development goals, and national priorities
Played a vital role in the development of the Indian startup ecosystem
Led the development of several national and international programs and initiatives
Dr. Sapna Poti is a role model for women in science and technology. She is a brilliant scientist, a dedicated leader, and a tireless advocate for innovation. Her work has made a significant impact on India and the world, and she is an inspiration to us all.
Mr. J A Chowdary- Director
JA Chowdary is a highly accomplished entrepreneur, innovator, and industry leader who has made significant contributions to the Indian IT industry. With a career spanning over 35 years, he has held leadership positions, advised state governments, and served as the Special Chief Secretary to the Andhra Pradesh Government. He has co-founded notable technology companies such as TalentSprint and Portal Player, and has been actively involved in industry forums and organizations. Recognized for his achievements, he has received prestigious awards and currently chairs the Blockchain Committee at the Bureau of Indian Standards. With his diverse accomplishments and visionary leadership, he is widely respected in India's entrepreneurial and technology landscape.
IFIA Bharat Board of Advisors
Dr. Shivakiran M .S.
Doctorate in Biotechnology from Defence Food Research Laboratory, DRDO, Mysore and DRDO post-doctoral fellowship, DRDO-BU Centre for Lifesciences, Coimbatore.
14 years' experience in research, innovation, entrepreneurship, research, mentoring, technology development, and intellectual property.
He has 04 patents granted, 04 patents filed, 12 research articles published, 05 technologies developed, and led 03 research projects funded by different agencies.
Currently, the Chief Executive Officer, at Atal Incubation Centre at Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh supported by NITI-Aayog, Govt of India.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-inv-shivakiran-makam-5006a350
Dr. Prasun Mishra
Dr. Prasun Mishra is a leading life science, technology, and healthcare thought leader and an Impact Investor. He chairs WISE: World Investors and Entrepreneurs Society, an investment collective with a global footprint.
He is a renowned scientist with numerous publications/ patents to his credit and has contributed to developing several drugs and combinations in trials and approved. During his career, he served at several prestigious institutions, including pharma giant Genentech, Roche, Rutgers University, National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Government. His research work has been recognized globally, with over 40 prestigious awards, over 50 keynote talks & invited lectureships and candidacy for the most prestigious Trans-NIH Earl Stadtman Investigator Tenure Track position. He is also a recipient of "two" NCI Director's Innovations Awards, one from Dr. Harold Varmus, the Nobel Laureate.
A serial entrepreneur, Dr. Mishra is also a co-founder of Precision BioPharma Inc., an antiviral drug development company, and Agility Pharmaceuticals, a technology-driven pharmaceutical company. Among his professional associations, he serves The American Association for Precision Medicine (AAPM) as the founding president. He also served as a founding investor/ advisor to Barcelona Ventures, is part of a few angel groups, and is an advisor to a few venture capital and private equity firms, including Legacy Health Capital, Elysium Ventures, and Global Health Impact Network and Funds. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Health Hub. He is an advisor to UCSF's Catalyst Program, Innovation Ventures, and InVent Fund.
Dr. Mishra is also a founding partner in the Silicon Valley-based M7 Healthcare Accelerator and advisor to H7-BioCapital Accelerator Fund. And has been an advisor to several leading startup accelerators, including Indie-Bio, California Life Sciences, JLabs / Johnson & Johnson Innovation, HIMSSS Health 2.0 Zygote accelerator, and Med Labs. Due to his unique perspective and selfless service, he is a highly respected and sought-after mentor to many.
Sanjay Palsamudram
Sanjay Palsamudram is a successful entrepreneur, technology investor and a mentor with more than 28 years experience in semiconductors, software and systems. He cofounded SmartPlay, a chip design and embedded software company, and grew its operations to 1300+ employees across India, USA and Southeast Asia. The company was successfully acquired by Aricent for USD 180M in 2015. Prior to SmartPlay, he held several executive, management, and technology roles at Texas Instruments and Sun Microsystems.
As the Managing & General Partner of a Mauritius venture fund, he has invested in multiple deep-technology companies across various industry verticals like automotive, biotech, semiconductor, AI, cloud, IoT, etc. He serves on the board of several of these companies. He’s also a member of the Investment Committee for Canbank Ventures.
He’s an active resident mentor, guest speaker and has served on multiple panels at NSRCEL, IIM-Bangalore. He’s also an advisor to IISc’s BioSystems Science and Engineering department. He enjoys mentoring entrepreneurs and start-ups that have a focus on innovation
Dr. Shyam Vasudeva Rao
Dr.Shyam Rao, Founder and Director of Forus Health Pvt Ltd. is also the Technical Director of Maastricht University, Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences in the Netherlands, as well as the Co-founder and Director of Renalyx health systems, eHealth enablers, and Rx Digi Health Platform, all located in Bangalore. With a background in High-Performance Computing from the Indian Institute of Science, he has held positions at CG Smith, Ericsson, Tata Consultancy Services, and Philips Medical Systems. He invented Knox card, a hardware antivirus solution, which led to the creation of Knoxware, one of the first startups to offer a generic computer virus protection solution. He has won several awards, including gold medals for his thesis and numerous innovation awards, such as the DST Locked Martin Gold Medal, Perimal Award, Sankalp Award, CNBC TV18 Award, Samsung Innovation Quotient Award, NASCOM Innovation Award, and Anjani Mashelkar Inclusive Innovation Award. He has also published over 40 technical papers and filed more than 25 international patents, with 5 US patent grants.
Sudanshu Mani-IRSME (Retd. General Manager/CF, Chennai),Fellow of Institute of Mechanical Engineers, London
Sudhanshu Mani had a distinguished career of 38 years in the Indian Railways, serving as the General Manager of Integral Coach Factory and later as a Railway Advisor in the Embassy of India in Berlin. As a Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in London, he played a pivotal role in overseeing the development of India's first indigenous semi high-speed train, the Train 18/Vande Bharat Express. Following his retirement, Sudhanshu Mani has utilized his expertise in technical, strategic, and investment consulting in the corporate sector. He has authored books, including the popular 'My Train 18 Story,' and contributes to newspapers and journals on engineering, project management, and various national issues.
Ganesh Ramachandra Hegde
An entrepreneur brings hands-on experience in Entrepreneur Development Programs and Rural Development initiatives. With a track record of establishing successful enterprises from scratch, they have effectively promoted and marketed innovative products and services. With over 25 years of professional experience in production, marketing, services, and management, they hold an executive master's degree in business administration and a Graduate Diploma in Polymer Science & Technology. Their expertise lies in developing application systems for Polymer coatings, Engineering plastics, and Nanotechnology. Additionally, they have a strong passion for rural development and have collaborated with NGOs to provide training and support for rural enterprises through Self-Help Groups or Working Groups, aiming to empower individuals at the grassroots level and foster sustainable social economies.
Dr Satish M. Bhavankar
He is the Director of Open Innovation and Experience Design at Avas Digitech and has hands-on knowledge of the startup ecosystem.
He holds a Doctoral degree in management and is certified in Design Thinking for Innovation from the University of Virginia and Human-Computer Interaction and User Experience: Research and Prototyping from the University of California
Ganapuram Venu
He is a Padmashri Award nominee, Scientist, TEDx Speaker, Mentor, Philosophical motivator, Sports person, Actor, Leader and A Human being.
He has around 20 years of professional experience in the field of Aerospace propulsion, gas dynamics, experimental evaluation of aerospace propulsive systems (GTE and Scramjets), design, fabrication and establishment of test facilities. He has worked with teams from ISRO, DRDO, GTRE, ADA, GE, etc. for the R&D programs.
He has Masters by research in Aerospace Engg., IIT madras and a mechanical engg graduate from Osmania University, Hyderabad. He is a PhD (Management) scholar at GITAM University, Bengaluru. He is research enthusiast of METAVERSE and its applications.
He is one of the peer reviewers for Journal of Combustion Science and Technology, University of Pennsylvania, USA.
He has developed JeeVam- An UVSC, to safeguard doctors during this pandemic COVID-29, in his personal capacity to serve the society and nation. This invention has saved THOUSANDS of DOCTORS from getting infected by the CORONA virus.
He holds patent, publications in international journals, conferences, awards and life member in many professional bodies.
Awards:
1. Padmashri Award nominee
2. Asia's Top 100 Powerful Leaders in Technology
3. Atmanirbhar Bharat Award
4. Man of Excellence
5. Life member of Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA)
7. Life member of Indian Society for Advance of Materials & Processing Engg (ISAMPE)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/venu-ganapuram-human-being-b3ba81223/
Anuraag S
Anuraag S is an accomplished entrepreneur and innovator who has dedicated more than 25 years to the fields of Creativity and Visual Merchandising. He has held significant positions in renowned organizations such as Aditya Birla Group, Landmark Group, Shopper Stop Ltd, and Future Group, setting high standards in his profession. Anuraag's exceptional achievements include being recognized in the 'India Book of Records 2023' as the sole Indian author to have written books on Visual Merchandising. He has also served as the editor of India's first online newsletter, ThinkTank, and has published numerous articles in both national and international magazines. Anuraag's expertise has led him to be invited as a guest lecturer at prestigious design and management institutes. Additionally, he has created specialized learning programs and continues to explore new ideas and skills to enhance his role as a Visual Merchandiser & Creative Consultant
Dr. Karthik Ramesh
Dr. Karthik Ramesh (DBA)| Alumni of Premier institutes (IITs, IIMs, XLRI Jamshedpur, IISc BLR) IIM Best Alumnus Nagpur
Harvard Business Review Advisory Council| Wharton Online
Member
Former President of India Awardee 2023- Excellence in R&D, Disruptive Innovation & Startup Mentoring
Former Prime Minister of India Memorial Awardee 2022 – Academic Brilliance and Industrial Innovation
D I G I T A L T R A N S F O R M A T I O N ( B I G D A T A & A N A L Y T I C S , A R T I F I C I A L I N T E L L I G E N C E , M A C H I N E
L E A R N I N G , C Y B E R S E C U R I T Y ) | | S T R A T E G I C L E A D E R S H I P | | O P E R A T I O N A L R I S K
Key Highlights
1. Global Leadership: Spearheaded & acclaimed for award-winning digital transformation initiatives for Fortune 100 and
Fortune 500 clients in healthcare, banking, financial services, and logistics sectors using Big Data, Analytics, Artificial
Intelligence, Machine Learning & Industry 4.0.
2. Strategic Roles supporting Global CXOs: Held pivotal onsite long-term leadership positions internationally at Dun &
Bradstreet (New York| South Asia| Middle East), Infosys Malaysia, Standard Chartered Bank (UK| Singapore),
EMIDS (USA| Middle East), Highmark Health (USA) and DAMAC Holdings (UAE| Saudi Arabia | Oman).
3. Innovation at Emids & Standard Chartered Middle East, India Africa: Led global digital transformations at Emids, a
healthcare company backed by 32 Bn US Private Equity firm New Mountain Capital as well as at SCB Middle East,
Tanzania, Kenya focusing on customer experience and operational excellence leveraging Open Banking, Disruptive
Innovation.