NTU Singapore
Prof U Ramamurthy is Professor in the School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, NTU Singapore. He earned a Bachelor of Engineering (Metallurgy) degree from Andhra University, India in 1989 and a Master of Engineering (Metallurgy) degree from Indian Institute of Science, India in 1991 both with Metallurgy specialization, and a Doctorate of Philosophy degree in Engineering, from Brown University, USA in 1994. His post-doctoral work was conducted at University of California-Santa Barbara and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A highly accomplished researcher, Professor Ramamurty has co-authored more than 250 papers in peer reviewed international journals, that are cited more than 9000 times (with Hirsch index of 46) in both Web of Science and Scopus databases. His research contributions are recognized through a number of awards such as the Lee Hsun Lecture award of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, TWAS Prize (Engineering Sciences), CNR Rao Prize Lecture in Advanced Materials of Materials Research Society of India, J.C. Bose National Fellowship and Swarnajayanthi Fellowships of Government of India, Metallurgist of th Year Award by Indian Institute of Metals, and Scopus Young Scientist Award. He is an elected fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, the Indian National Academy of Engineering, Indian Academy of Sciences, and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). He held many distinguished/invited professor/scientist positions world over, some of which are at Institute of Materials Research (IMRE), Singapore, Zhejiang University (Qiushi Distinguished Visiting Professor) China, Université de Lorraine, France (Exceptional Class Professeur invité), Jawharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, India, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (EMPA), Switzerland, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, Université de Rennes, France, Hahn-Meitner-Institute, Germany, Corporate Strategic Research Centre of ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, and The Gordon Laboratory of University of Cambridge, UK. Professor Ramamurty has been an Editor of Acta Materialia and Scripta Materialia since 2014.
Interim CEO, Telangana Innovation Cell
Mr. Meraj is a dynamic entrepreneur and growth strategist with a track record of founding and leading impactful ventures in coding education, startup incubation, and innovation. As the founder of The Hacking School, India's first coding bootcamp, and Code For India Foundation, a not-for-profit democratizing coding education, he has been instrumental in shaping the tech ecosystem. His leadership at Trillion Ventures and EdVenture Park has empowered student entrepreneurs, fostering over 200 ideas and 450+ founders from Tier 2 and Tier 3 institutions. With experience as a senior consultant at PwC India, he played a key role in executing a $240 million ADB-funded incubator project at the Global Skills Park. Meraj specializes in end-to-end growth strategies, leveraging data-driven marketing, technical solutions, and user-centric product development. Passionate about entrepreneurship, people management, and customer success, he is committed to building products and ecosystems that drive innovation and sustainable growth.
Afe Babalola University, Nigeria
Dr. Ayodeji Olalekan Salau received a B.Eng. degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering from Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria. He received his MSc and PhD degrees in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He is a registered professional engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and a member of the International Association of Engineers (IAENG). Dr. Presently, Dr. Salau works at Afe Babalola University in the Department of Electrical/Electronics and Computer Engineering.
Email: ayodejisalau98@gmail.com, ayodejisalau@abuad.edu.ng
Federation University, Australia
Dr. Prudvireddy Paresi is an accomplished mechanical engineering academic and researcher with expertise in sustainable machining, advanced manufacturing, and numerical modelling of high-speed machining. He currently serves as a Lecturer and Program Coordinator at Federation University, Australia, where he teaches and coordinates multiple engineering courses in Diploma of Engineering (Higher Education). Dr. Paresi has a strong research background in the machining of difficult-to-cut materials, and presently working on projects focusing on enhancing machining efficiency through innovative cooling, lubrication, and tool design strategies. His research explores cryogenic cooling, minimum quantity lubrication (MQL), and hybrid cooling techniques to improve machining performance and reduce environmental impact. He has conducted extensive experimental and numerical investigations on the machining of aerospace materials, and difficult-to-machine materials like Inconel alloys and composite materials, using finite element modelling (FEM) and digital simulation techniques. Beyond machining, he has also worked on government-funded projects related to carbon accounting and sustainable design in the signage industry. As a member of Engineers Australia, Dr. Paresi also plays a key role in the peer-review process for international journals and conferences. He serves as a reviewer for high-impact journals, including the International Journal on Interactive Design and Manufacturing (Springer, Q2), Cogent Engineering (Q2, Taylor & Francis), Heliyon (Q1, Elsevier), and Advances in Materials Processing Technologies (Q2, Taylor & Francis). Additionally, he contributes as a reviewer for prestigious international conferences, such as Materials Today: Proceedings and the Thermal and Fluids Engineering Conference. Dr. Paresi has published in leading international journals and conferences and has successfully secured competitive research grant. He actively collaborates with industry and academic institutions to advance research and teaching methodologies in engineering.
Lead – Grassroots Innovations, Telangana Innovation
Sohel Khan is a dynamic professional with expertise in grassroots innovation, rural entrepreneurship, and public policy. Currently leading the Grassroots Innovation vertical at the Telangana Innovation Cell, he focuses on fostering rural development and livelihood generation through impactful programs. With a background in Civil engineering and certifications in public policy from IIM Udaipur, Sohel has served as a Mahatma Gandhi National Fellow under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, where he advised the district administration of Peddapalli, Telangana, on skilling, employment, and livelihood initiatives.
Founder & CEO, Aigen Labs LLP., Hyderabad.
Dr. Adarsh Kodhanda is the visionary founder and CEO of Aigen Labs LLP, based in Hyderabad. With a focus on cutting-edge research and innovation, Dr. Kodhanda has been instrumental in driving advancements in technology and fostering growth in the industry. His leadership at Aigen Labs emphasizes a commitment to excellence, strategic problem-solving, and the development of transformative solutions. Dr. Adarsh is a Post-Doctoral Fellow, NMICPS-TiHAN, IIT Hyderabad, currently faculty at Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune and also a Visiting Faculty at Ashoka School of Business (ASB), Hyderabad.
Email: adarshkodhanda@hotmail.com
Thanikanti Sudhakar Babu (Senior Member, IEEE) received the M.Tech. degree in power electronics and industrial drives from Anna University, Chennai, India, in 2011, and the Ph.D. degree from VIT University, Vellore, India, in 2017. He has completed his Postdoctoral Research fellowship from the Department of Electrical Power Engineering, Institute of Power Engineering, University Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), Malaysia. Currently he is working as Associate Director R & D, and Associate professor in the Department of EEE, Chaitanya Bharati Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, India. He has published more than 240 research articles in various renowned international journals. He has received various awards like IEI Young Engineer award, Vice-Chancellors Research Excellence Award, and Listed among the top 2% of researchers in the world - electrical & electronics engineering, power, and energy areas, Information provided by Elsevier BV, Stanford University. He has been acting as an Editorial Board Member and a Reviewer for various reputed journals, such as the IEEE and IEEE Access, IET, Elsevier, EPCS and Taylor and Francis.
Founder, Palle Srujana
Brigadier Pogula Ganesham, an engineering graduate and MBA, served the Indian Army for over 35 years, specializing in Armoured Fighting Vehicles and commanding a battalion in Kashmir during counter-insurgency operations. He played a key role in Project Gulmohar and developed the multi-role weapon platform “Windy,” earning the first-ever patent for the Indian Army. For his distinguished service, he was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) in 2005. Post-retirement, he served as Director (Production) at Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) and contributed to advisory boards for ECHS and Telangana's Rajya Sainik Board. In 2005, he founded Palle Srujana, a voluntary group promoting grassroots innovation and traditional knowledge, publishing a bi-monthly magazine and conducting Chinna Shodha Yatras across Telugu states, engaging over 1,200 participants and 750 villages. Over 18 years, he has addressed over a lakh students, walked 8,000 km, and led rural internships for 1,800+ students from institutions like TISS and IITs. His efforts have built a 3,000-strong voluntary network, identified 500+ grassroots innovators, documented 1,000+ traditional practices, and facilitated 13 President of India awards, 36 patents, and 7 international awards. His Grassroots Entrepreneurship model, launched in 2018 under "Creative Minds," has achieved a ₹18 crore turnover, supporting 30+ rural production units. His initiative, Palle Srujana Pennidhi, has provided ₹40 lakh in zero-interest financial aid. He has championed projects like “Gram Swayam Samruddhi” and “Gyan Shodh” and was a speaker at TEDx Hyderabad 2023. His mission is to promote grassroots creativity for equitable national growth.
Co-founder , Electro Curietech Pvt. Ltd.
Founder CEO, Atal Community Innovation Centre (ACIC), ACIC MIET Meerut Foundation
Shashwat Pathak did his graduation in Electronics and Communication Engineering in the year 2009. Later, he completed his Masters in Communication Technology from the Department of Electronics and Communication, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, India in the year 2012. He earned his Ph.D. from the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj, India (MNNIT Allahabad) in December 2017. His research interests include Wireless Communication, Telemedicine Systems, Digital Image Processing, designing Medical Diagnostics and Assisting Devices for patients. He has received Incubation Offer from Incubation centre, IIT Patna , seed funded by Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), GoI for his thesis problem’s solution “Automated Cataract Detection System”. He is co-founder of Electro Curietech Pvt. Ltd. which works in the area of Medical Electronics, Telemedicine solutions, office IT solutions and consultancy on sustainability and Watershed Management. He hold two Indian utility patents in medical devices, developed in collaboration with Department of Neurosurgery, AIIMS New Delhi. One patent he technology transferred to Siemens. He is successfully established nd lead one Atal Community Innovation Center (ACIC), ACIC MIET Meerut Foundation, as Founder CEO. This ACIC is one of the first to be operational in the country and is funded by NITI Aayog under Atal Innovation Mission. He is currently leading Atal Incubation Center at GNITS Hyderabad as Founder CEO. Shashwat is actively helping the innovators and startups by tapping, nurturing and refining their ideas and helping them prepare for pitching at various investment platforms.
Professor, NIRDPR, Hyderabad
Dr R Ramesh earned his PhD from Gandhigram Rural University, Tamil Nadu. He is currently working as Associate Professor, at the National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Hyderabad - popularly known as NIRD. NIRDPR is a central autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Rural Development. He is heading the Centre for Rural Infrastructure, where his focus is on working for two important programmes of the Government of India. They are Jal Jeevan Mission, and Swachh Bharat Mission. He works closely with the Ministry of Rural Development and Ministry of Panchayati Raj. He has training projects from Ministry of Jal Sakthi. He is SEG Coordinator under the UBA Programme of the Ministry of Education rolled out by the IIT Delhi.
National Institute for MSME (NI-MSME), Hyderabad
With a strong background in entrepreneurship education, startup ecosystem support, and digital branding, he currently serve as the Center Head - Centre for Digital Branding and Marketing at the National Institute for MSME (NI-MSME), leading a first-of-its-kind initiative supported by NABARD to help MSMEs, FPOs, OFPOs, and SHGs leverage digital technologies for market access. Simultaneously, he continue his role as an Associate Faculty Member at NI-MSME, contributing to areas like the circular economy and startup consulting. Previously, he took on additional responsibilities as Assistant Registrar to support academic and administrative functions. His experience includes serving as Program Manager at Atal Incubation Centre, ALEAP WE-Hub, where he fostered the startup ecosystem, and Entrepreneurship Educator & Assistant Professor at Swarnandhra College of Engineering & Technology, mentoring students in entrepreneurship. Additionally, he contribute as a Global Jury Member for Wadhwani Foundation, evaluating innovative ventures. Academically, he hold an M.Tech in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Vishnu Institute of Technology and a B.Tech in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Bhimavaram Institute of Engineering & Technology.
Senior Counsellor at CII- Indian Green Building Council, Hyderabad
With over 15 years of experience spanning business development, sales, and sustainability, he currently serve as a Senior Counsellor at CII - Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), leading the marketing and promotion of 31 IGBC Green Building ratings across India. His role involves collaborating with government bodies, architects, developers, corporates, and institutions to facilitate high-rated green building projects. Prior to this, he worked as a Counsellor at IGBC for nearly seven years, driving green initiatives. His experience includes business development roles at Radials International, Godrej & Boyce, Standard Chartered Bank, and Info Edge India (99acres.com), where he managed corporate sales, key accounts, and strategic partnerships. He hold a PGDM in Marketing & Finance from Ramaiah Institute of Management and a BE in Mechanical Engineering from Anna University Chennai.
Founder, Navam Foundation, Hyderabad
With over 13 years of experience in the education sector, Shravan Kumar Mogilishetti has been a driving force in fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and design thinking. His journey spans collaborations with educational government bodies, CSRs, NGOs, and visionary individuals, shaping impactful programs that align with organizational values and long-term growth. As an Entrepreneurship Coach and Startup Mentor, he has guided thousands of innovators and entrepreneurs, equipping them with the mindset and skills to build sustainable ventures. His expertise in strategic leadership, project management, and educational program design has enabled him to spearhead transformative initiatives across diverse communities. Shravan’s work is deeply rooted in empowering individuals to think beyond conventional boundaries, ensuring that innovation becomes a catalyst for social and economic development. His passion for mentoring, strategic innovation, and ecosystem-building makes him a valuable panelist, bringing insightful perspectives on the role of education, entrepreneurship, and design thinking in shaping the future.