PRINCIPAL SECRETARY TO CM BIHAR AND ACS HOME AND CABINET, GOB
Dr S.Siddharth is a 1991 batch IAS officer. He obtained his Doctoral Degree in Information Technology from the IIT, Delhi. He had graduated in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT, Delhi (1987), and also an MBA to his credit from IIM, Ahmedabad (1989).
He is presently the Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department, Government of Bihar. He also holds the additional charge of Principal Secretary, Industries Department and also Industrial Development Commissioner.
He has held various posts in his long career of more than 25 years as District Magistrate of Districts of Muzzafarpur, Bhojpur, Aurangabad and Lohardaga. He served in the Government of India as Director, Ministry of Heavy Industries. The officer also worked in the capacity of Secretary to Hon’ble Chief Minister, Bihar, Secretary Urban Development, Secretary Rural Works Department, Secretary Labour, Secretary Info & Tech Dept. and Principal Secretary Industries Department. He was responsible for drafting the Bihar Urban Planning and Development Act 2014, Bihar Urban Planning and Development Rules 2014, Bihar Building Bye-laws 2014. He was very instrumental in initiating the process of preparation of DPR for the Patna Metro and the master plan for Patna Metropolitan Area.
Dr Siddharth was the one who drafted the Bihar Industrial Policy 2016, Bihar Investment Act 2016, Bihar Investment Rules 2016 and Bihar Startup Policy 2017. The officer was also responsible for guiding Ease of Business reforms in all other departments which are responsible for giving clearances with respect to setting up of Industry.
The officer was also the Principal Secretary, Sugar Cane Department, Chairman BIADA, Chairman Bihar Khadi and Village Industries Commission and CEO Bihar Foundation.
Dr. Siddharth specializes in areas of Commerce, Industrial Investments and E-Governance.
He is also a professional wild life photographer, loves to play badminton, and has recently edited a book on Handicrafts in Bihar.
MANAGING DIRECTOR, PUMA INDIA & SOUTHEAST ASIA
Abhishek Ganguly is a passionate
consumer-focussed business leader
with an ambitious bent for strategy,
action, speed, and team-building. As a
key member of the global leadership
team at PUMA, Abhishek has been
instrumental in establishing PUMA as the
No.1 Sports Brand in India and has a proven track record of driving the successful business in
the Sports & Lifestyle ecosystem of 19 growth markets such as India, Singapore, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Philippines.
As a member of the founding team of PUMA in India in 2006, he built the Sales, Marketing,
Retail, Product, Sourcing, and Operations functions of the company. Realizing that there was
a significant technology led opportunity in the sports and lifestyle retail in the region, he led
digital transformation breakthroughs ahead of the times enabling the brand to cement its
market leadership position in India. Keeping the brand relevant, relatable and connected has
been key to the success of the PUMA brand.
An active Angel Investor, Abhishek funds and mentors promising start-ups. He is part
of the Indian Angel Network and an LP in Stellaris Venture Partners. An alumnus of the
Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow, Abhishek was recognized by
The Economic Times on it’s 40 under Forty list of India Inc.’s top business leaders in 2018.
In his leisure time, Abhishek loves following and playing Sports. He believes in holistic
approach to fitness and wellness.
PUBLISHER ADULT PUBLISHING GROUP, PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE INDIA
Milee Ashwarya is the Publisher of the Adult Publishing Group at Penguin Random House India. During her career, she has published a range of bestsellers across genres. An award-winning publisher, her focus has been on championing diverse voices, discovering talented debut writers, and building on the inclusive programme at Penguin Random House India.
CEO - TRENDS FOOTWEAR, RELIANCE FOOTPRINT, PERFORMAX, PAYLESS, LEE COOPER & CATWALK.
A thorough retail professional who has worked as MD/CEO/Footwear Business Head with 20+ years of experience in India, Thailand, Bangladesh and Middle East. Nitesh is a customer-centric/focused business leader with the ability to build new business and forge loyalty with clients, vendors and external business partners. Worked with MNC like Bata for 14+ Yrs holding various senior positions in India, Bangladesh and Thailand. Also, Middle east experience with international player like Hush Puppies, Dune London, Crocs, DSW, CCC, Naturalizer.
“People do not buy products. They buy stories, experiences, and magic”
That’s the driving thought on which Nitesh has built, scaled, and accomplished exemplary business results for global retail giants in Indian and South Asian markets by shaping sustainable business models. With nearly two decades of intensive retail experience, Nitesh has helped Bata, the Swiss footwear global brand and Apparel Group, the Dubai headquartered global retail giant to widen its footprint profitably in some of the evolving economies of south, south-east, and western Asia, like India, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Middle East.
Now at Reliance Retail, Nitesh is scaling up footwear business for Reliance Footprint, Trends Footwear and Payless businesses. Furthermore, with his in-depth knowledge and understanding of products and consumer, he is setting the stage for Reliance Retail Fashion Brands (own brands) to become large players in the footwear space.
With an innate understanding about the dynamics of the organized Asian markets, he has spearheaded inter and intra-country business expansions heading import and export, sales, marketing, merchandising, and operations to drive businesses from US$ 100 million to US$ 400 million of revenues.
Retail Specialized Course [RETAILCO] from Singapore sharpened his knowledge about South Asian countries behaviour and best practices, while the ADVANCO course from Europe allowed him to better understand the functionalities of the European markets. While having a thorough data-hungry mindset, Nitesh is a compassionate people’s person by his very nature who inherently believes in human-relation principles and its multi-dimensional impact in creating, nurturing, and retaining winning teams.
His accomplishments and consistent steep trajectory in his career is majorly linked to his spiritualism that has helped him to operate with a laser-sharp focus, being innovative, and staying curious.
IG OF POLICE
Vikas Vaibhav, IPS (2003 batch), an alumnus of IIT Kanpur (1997-2001) currently IG of Police and serving as the Special Secretary, Home Department, Government of Bihar, Patna, is one of the most Popular and Successful Police Officers from Bihar, highly applauded by the public at large for his utmost dedication in service. Awarded by IIT Kanpur with the prestigious Satyendra K Dubey Memorial Award in 2019 for his unshakeable integrity, Vaibhav is known as an icon of change and a hard task master in all the regions he has been posted to with crowds erupting spontaneously upon his transfer. As a young SP, he is credited with control of crime in Bagaha Police district of Bihar, which had earned the infamous reputation over decades as “Mini-Chambal”, and also for control of Maoist activities in Rohtas district, where by conducting police operations along with effective community oriented policing, he virtually restored freedom for the historic Rohtas Fort, then reeling under the grip of the Maoists marked by the significant hoisting of the Indian Tricolour, for the first time post independence, on 26th January, 2009. He also served with the National Investigation Agency (NIA), where he investigated important cases related to the activities of the Indian Mujahideen including the infamous ‘Yasin Bhatkal’ and the Bodh Gaya Blasts of 2013. Remembered and known for his tough action against deviant politicians found on the wrong side of law in most regions and especially as the SSP of Patna in 2015, he is also known for having earned the trust of the common people at large as the DIG of Bhagalpur Range, where he regularly conducted Janata Darbars and Police-Public Meetings for the resolution of public grievances. Apart from his professional work, Vaibhav is an avid traveller and has visited more than 200 heritage sites and has been blogging on the neglected aspects of history at his famous blog titled as ‘Silent Pages’. Widely followed on social media, he has also shared experiences from field policing at his blog titled ‘Cop in Bihar’ and regularly addresses youth in schools and colleges inspiring them to contribute positively towards society for a better future
POLITICAL EDITOR AND SENIOR ANCHOR, CNN-NEWS18
Marya Shakil, political editor and senior anchor with CNN-News18, is an award-winning journalist with over 16 years of experience. Her show on the Muslim yearning to be part of the mainstream earned her the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Award in politics and government category in 2012. She also received the award in the same category for her coverage of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Her show NewsEpicentre has won multiple ENBA and News Television awards.
Recently she won the best anchor award from two agencies
CEO DROOLS
Dr Shashank Sinha, has always wanted to contribute positively towards the welfare of animals which made him take up veterinary studies and become a veterinarian. He calls himself a pet lover first, then a doctor, followed by a CEO.
A veterinarian by profession and an IIM alumni, he is a strong business leader with 14+ years of diverse and rich experience in Retail, FMCG & Agriculture. He is an extremely passionate, result-oriented and seasoned retail professional. His exemplary business acumen helped the brand garner a 38% market share in the Indian pet food industry. His visionary leadership has taken the brand to a global platform and Drools has now spread its footprint across 18+ countries and is now aiming to take it up to 30+ countries within the next year, where south-east Asia will be the key focus.
He is an inspiration to many pursuing veterinarians who now understand that careers are not just restricted to being practitioners but also a CEO of a leading MNC.
Realizing the gap in the Indian market has always made him want to give back to the ecosystem that help flourish his career. He has initiated multiple programs for students and mentors. veterinarians to encourage them build their career path.
DDG, ICCR, G20 (POET - DIPLOMAT)
Abhay K. is a poet, diplomat, editor and translator. He is the author of a dozen poetry books including ‘Monsoon’ (Sahitya Akademi) and the editor The Book of Bihari Literature (HarperCollins India). He received the SAARC Literature Award 2013. His poem-song 'Earth Anthem' has been translated into over 150 languages.
FOUNDER & CEO LEGALPAY
Mr. Kundan Shahi isthe founder and CEO of LegalPay, LegalPay is a fintech operating in legal domain. We are the only company in India which provides different financing solutions to businesses for their legal services and/or litigations. Started with just Kundan Shahi, now we are a team of more than 100 amazing and talented people.
He is also the founder and former CEO of advok8, a platform for law students and professionals, which helps this fraternity to collaborate and connect with India's fastest-growing online professional network of lawyers, and he is an alumnus of IIM Bangalore's startup incubator, NSRCEL.
Mr. Kundan Shahi is a 1st generation serial entrepreneur and is resolving major business problems by funding their legal and insolvency concerns.
FOUNDER- NIROGSTREET
Ram's connection with Ayurveda was ignited when he personally experienced the curative capabilities of Ayurvedic treatments during his battle with hepatitis. This life-altering experience fueled his mission to bridge the technological gap within the Ayurvedic realm, culminating in the establishment of NirogStreet. Ram's profound belief in collaborative competition is paralleled by his unwavering passion for integrative medicine, rural healthcare and the preservation of indigenous healthcare systems across the globe including African, Japanese and south-east Asian systems of medicine.
EX- CURATOR, SHARK TANK INDIA & INDIA REPRESENTATIVE, ROYAL FAMILY OF DUBAI
Ex- Curator & Business Advisor Shark Tank India
India Representative for Royal Family of Dubai
Government Advisor (Entrepreneurship)
Entrepreneurship Evangelist
DIRECTOR CIMP
DIRECTOR - CIMP, PROFESSOR AND DEAN ACADEMICS, PHD, MBA (GOLD MEDALIST)
Research Areas
Corporate Finance, Securities Analysis and Portfolio Management, Treasury and Forex Management, Strategic Finance, CSR, Financial Modeling
FOUNDER, TEAFIT, SHARK TANK INDIA, TOP 100 D2C BRAND 2021
Founder | CEO
Battlestar Food Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
M: 8884304304
Founder – TeaFit
Shark Tank India, Inc 42 top 30 startups, Top 100 D2C Brand 2021
BRAND IMAGE | REPUTATION | ETHICS I MEDIA | COMMUNICATION
Neeraj a financial journalist turned communications professional turned Reputation Evangelist. He has straddled multiple roles in his career spanning over two and a half decades, 17 of them at leadership positions in marque companies such as Bajaj, Bharti Airtel, HDFC Bank and Reliance Communications where he spearheaded their Communications, Media, Advocacy and Reputation building efforts. Neeraj is currently Group President & Chief Communications Officer at Bajaj Group. Prior to this, he was Head, Corporate Communication & Corporate Affairs at Bharti Airtel which he had joined after 14 years at HDFC Bank that saw it grow into an iconic brand. Reliance Communications prior to that.
Neeraj is a life-long student of Corporate Reputation. That’s the quest that took him to Columbia Business School in 2015, and soon thereafter to Law school (Mumbai University). As a financial journalist, he has worked with some of India's leading publication groups such as the Times, Indian Express and Asian Age reporting on a range of sectors/ industries across the print, television and wire genres. He has had the rare opportunity of knowing some of the country’s top business leaders as a journalist, and later, working with them as a co-worker. His over two decades of professional journey has been a saga of experiments, mistakes, and learnings.
Neeraj loves to read, travel and meet new people when he’s spending time with family and close friends. A keen sportsman in hey days, he’s more into Yoga and Cycling to keep himself fit. Singing is one childhood passion that he’s taken to. Currently, he’s learning Hindustani classical music.
CEO, BIHAR RURAL LIVELIHOODS PROMOTION SOCIETY- JEEVIKA
Shri Rahul Kumar is an IAS officer of 2011 batch of Bihar cadre
He is presently the CEO, Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society- JEEViKA, a flagship women empowerment program of Bihar. He holds the additional charges of Commissioner MGNREGA, Mission Director Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Mission, Mission Director Lohiya Swachchh Bihar Abhiyaan, Department of Rural Development, Government of Bihar.
He has been instrumental in initiating various exemplary programs for social change as District Magistrate of Gopalganj, Begusarai and Purnea districts of Bihar. He was also the Additional Executive Director in State Health Society, Bihar and Project Director, Bihar State AIDS Control Society.
He is the recipient of the Champion of Change Award, NITI Aayog in 2019; Governor’s award for skill development in 2018; Chief Minister’s Award for 100% electrification and best sanitation initiatives in 2018; Chief Minister’s Award for conducting fair board examinations consecutively in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 and for best performance in Jal-Jeevan- Hariyali Mission on Civil Services Day in 2022.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR FOR TV9 BHARATVARSH
Twenty two years of experience in journalism and worked with TV18, Sab Tv, Zee News and Sahara samay. I am presently working with TV9 Bharatvarsh as Executive Editor.
Headed Sahara samay Bihar Jharkhand channel.
DIRECTOR PRIMARY EDUCATION GOB
IAS of 2016 batch of Bihar Cadre, Serving as Director Primary Education GoB
CHEVENING SCHOLAR, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, JINDAL GLOBAL LAW SCHOOL, AUTHOR & COLUMNIST OF COUNSEL, SCRIBOARD, NEW DELHI
Nikhil has completed his undergraduate degree in Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws [B.A.LL.B] from Symbiosis Law School, NOIDA in the year 2020. He holds the qualification to practice law in India and is currently enrolled as an Advocate with the Bihar State Bar Council. He is currently an Assistant Professor at the prestigious Jindal Global Law School, Sonipat. His interest areas lie around the intersection of law and technology and its impact on the society. Apart from having his articles featured in leading national dailies such as- LiveMint, The Hindu, The New Indian Express, etc., he has co-authored two books with leading corporate, technology, and intellectual property lawyer, Mr Rodney D. Ryder. His maiden book was released when he was still a student and in his final year of law school at the age of 23. Internet Law: Regulating Cyberspace and Emerging Technologies [published by Bloomsbury Professional India] carries the Foreword by Hon’ble Justice (Retd.) Shri Dipak Misra, Former Chief Justice of India; and his second book- Artificial Intelligence and Law: Challenges Demystified [published by Law & Justice Publishing Co.] carries the Foreword by Hon’ble Justice (Retd.) A K Sikri, Judge, Supreme Court of India; and presently an International Judge at Singapore International Commercial Court.
Just after the completion of his law school in the year 2020, and after months of trepidation, Nikhil became one of the youngest awardees of the prestigious and highly coveted British Chevening Scholarship for pursuing his Master's from the United Kingdom at the age of 24 (twenty-four). He pursued his Master of Laws [LL.M.] specialising in Technology, Media and Telecommunications law from the Queen Mary, University of London. Nikhil was also one amongst the 7 Chevening scholars to have been awarded with the ‘Gold Award’ by the Chevening Secretariat and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, for putting in 100+ hours of volunteering work in the United Kingdom out of a total of 1600 scholars from close to 140 countries in the 2021-22 cohort.
As an Advocate at Scriboard, he received an opportunity to advise leading Social Networking, e-Commerce, Public Sector Undertakings, Start-Ups, and Fortune 100 & 500 companies on handling disputes and maintaining compliances pertaining to the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the rules made thereunder, Intellectual Property, Contractual Disputes, Brand Management, Privacy, and Emerging Technologies.
Nikhil is a public-speaker, and has been invited by various universities and forums to speak on education, digital literacy, technology and society,etc. He also holds a Diploma in Cyber Laws from Government Law College, Mumbai and Asian School of Cyber Laws, Pune and a Certification in Intellectual Property Law and Competition Law from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), New Delhi.
INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
CO-FOUNDER & DIRECTOR – DEHAAT
Amrendra Singh, an alumnus of NIT Jamshedpur (’11), co-founded the full-stack, business-to-farmer (B2F) agritech platform DeHaat, in 2012, and currently serves as its director. DeHaat is a one stop destination for small farmers, catering to all their agricultural needs. Under his leadership, DeHaat is grown into one of India’s fastest growing AgriTech startups employing a brigade of 2000+ professionals and working with over 1.8 Million farmers and 11,000+ micro-entrepreneurs.
Amrendra has led his team to many milestones including winning The Company of The Year (Agro) award at The TV9 Dare 2 Dream Awards (2021), AgriTech Company of the Year at TechCircle Awards hosted by VC Circle, a unit of HT Media Group & Best Online B2B Market Place Solution Provider at Startup 2022 by Entrepreneur India.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & REFINERY HEAD, INDIAN OIL CORPORATION LTD, BARAUNI REFINERY
Born on 18th November 1963, Mr R K Jha grew up in Barauni Refinery Township. He completed his schooling at Barauni, higher secondary from Science College, Patna and B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from BIT, Sindri.
Mr Jha holds national certification for Energy Manager and has completed online Hybrid Certificate programme on Business Leadership from U21 Global Graduate School, Singapore. He is also Lead Auditor for EnMs (Energy Management System) ISO 500001:2011.
With over 33 years of experience in Oil & Gas industry, he has significantly contributed in mainstream operations, technical services and energy conservation. He joined Bongaigaon Refinery & Petrochemicals Limited in the year 1989 as a Management Trainee which was merged with IndianOil in the year 2009. Mr Jha has been instrumental in achieving significant milestones for Bongaigaon and Barauni Refineries of IndianOil. He has been a champion of Energy Management and Environment Consciousness. He is an ardent believer that, the value of any organization is established by its care towards its people which includes providing safe work set-up and concern towards the environment which includes nurturing and conserving our mother earth and its biodiversity.
His technical achievements include:
He is married to Ms. Kamna Jha who is a social activist and actively engages in socio-economic upliftment programmes for the underprivileged and needy in Begusarai. She is also the president of the ladies club of Barauni Refinery. They have two wonderful daughters who are well-settled and creating their niche in respective professional and personal lives.
MANAGING PARTNER - STARTUP BANKING, IDFC FIRST Bank
Graduated from IIT Madras & XLRI Jamshedpur
Has immense passion for fostering growth of Startups and founders.
15 years experience in Finance and built several verticals for Yes Bank.
Currently leading IDFC FIRST Bank Startup Banking team in North & East
COUNTRY HEAD - BUSINESS HR BANDHAN BANK
DIRECTOR - AISHWARYA HEALTHCARE & FOUNDER/CEO - GLOBAL BEAUTY SECRETS
Aishwarya sawarna nir is a second generation entrepreneur. A PGD Mass Communication and Journalism, XIC, St.Xaviers’ Mumbai. A PCBM in General Business Management XLRI, ex-Times of India, CNBC-TV18.
With 8 years of work experience she is currently a Director at pharmaceutical group Aishwarya Healthcare and Founder/CEO at wellness brand Global Beauty Secrets.
Asides having been mentioned in major publications like Vogue, Grazia, Humans of Bombay, Elle etc she and her brand have together recieved the recognitions below
-Times She Unlimited- Female Entrepreneur Awards2019
-YourStory- Emerging Female Leaders to watch out for 2021
-Amazon Cosmopolitan Best Body Lotion 2019
-Grazia- Emerging Female Entrepreneurs to watch out for 2022
She also writes a column in CNBC-TV18.com for women, called The Third Eye.
HEAD CORPORATE AFFAIRS - DALMIA BHARAT CEMENT
Rajesh leads the Corporate Affairs department of Dalmia Cement Bharat Ltd. in Bihar. He has held
several important profiles in his career spanning more than 21 years such as General Manager
Kalyanpur Cement Ltd., Chief co-ordinator Prabhat Khabar, Vice President CNEB TV channel,
Associate Vice President Live India & Janmat TV channel and Mukund Ltd. (a largest manufacturer of
steel). He is a law graduate and holds a MBA degree too. He is fond shooting and has secured
second position in Bihar State Rifle shooting championship. He has attended several training
programs conducted by Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI) at Delhi and that too of FICCI on single
window system.
Policies can be thought of as ‘rules of the game’ of everyday life. These rules affect
the way people choose to pursue their goals and thus influence the combined,
overall, and unintended results of everyone’s actions
