Prof. M. H. Bala Subrahmanya is a Senior Professor at the Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. His academic expertise spans Managerial Economics, Macroeconomics, and Industrial Economics. A seasoned scholar with global recognition, he was awarded the Fulbright-Nehru Senior Research Fellowship at the University of California, Davis (2009–2010). He has also served as a Visiting Research Fellow at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Tokyo (2005–2006), and at the University of Durham, UK (2000), focusing on SME development.

Prof. Subrahmanya has led several major research projects funded by national and international agencies, covering topics such as R&D and technology, business incubators in India, SME internationalization, and the impact of technological innovation on manufacturing SME growth. His work is widely published in reputed economic and policy journals and is recognized for contributing to entrepreneurship, innovation, and SME development in emerging economies.

Professor Noel Lindsay is the Dean of Business at Adelaide Business School and Pro Vice-Chancellor (Entrepreneurship) at the University of Adelaide, where he also serves as Professor of Entrepreneurship and Commercialisation. He holds a BCom (Hons) and PhD, is a Member of the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners and Chartered Accountants ANZ, and is a Fellow of CPA Australia.

Prof. Lindsay provides strategic leadership to the Adelaide Business School and the University’s ThincLab Innovation Hubs, driving institutional change toward a more entrepreneurial university culture. He has previously served as Academic Director of the University’s Ngee Ann-Adelaide (NAA) Campus in Singapore, Head of the School of Marketing and Management, and Acting Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion. Internationally experienced, he played a key role in developing an Australian university presence in South Africa with campuses in Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Cape Town. Beyond academia, he has founded and scaled ventures in Australia, Malaysia, and South Africa, with active involvement in venture capital fundraising and investment.

His outreach interests include community engagement through online education, blended learning, and digital platforms like MOOCs and SPOCs. His research focuses on business and social entrepreneurship, emphasizing the empowerment of disadvantaged communities through entrepreneurial activity.

Dr. Shashi Jain is an Associate Professor in the Department of Management Studies at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. With a rich academic background that includes a Ph.D. from TU Delft and both M.Tech and B.Tech degrees from IIT Madras, Dr. Jain brings a unique interdisciplinary approach to research and teaching in management science.

His primary research interests lie at the intersection of computational finance, Monte Carlo methods for derivative pricing, financial risk management, and real options. Between 2009 and 2024, Dr. Jain authored over 23 publications, including journal articles and conference proceedings, and collaborated with a diverse network of over 70 co-authors globally.

At IISc, Dr. Jain has been instrumental in advancing research in quantitative finance and decision sciences. He also mentors graduate students and contributes to the broader academic community. His combination of analytical rigor and real-world relevance informs policy, strategy, and financial modeling in complex business environments.

Dr. Ganesaraman K is a seasoned academic and accomplished industry professional who is a Professor of Practice in the Department of Management Studies, Faculty of Management and Commerce, at M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences (MSRUAS), Bangalore. In addition to his academic role, he is the Vice President and Head of Global Internal Audit at [24]7.ai, where he plays a strategic role in corporate governance and is a CSR trustee. He earned his Ph.D. in Management Studies from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. His academic journey is distinguished by a Cost and Management Accounting (CMA) qualification from the ICWA Institute, a Triple Gold Medal in his Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (PGDBA) from LIBA, Chennai, and a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Bharathidasan University, where he graduated as the university topper and gold medalist. He has over two decades of rich industry experience across global corporations. His research interests span entrepreneurship, startup ecosystems, risk and audit governance, and quality systems in corporate environments. He is particularly passionate about bridging industry and academia, and empowering future leaders with practice-oriented insights grounded in rigorous research.

Prof. K.M. Sharath Kumar is a Professor & Dean for the Faculty of Management and Commerce at Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences. He was also the founding director of research at the university from 2014 to 2022. He has over 20 years of teaching, research, and service experience. He has been working with the Ramaiah Group since 2008. He is an eminent management education figure well-known for his impeccable contributions to academia, research, and industrial consultancy. His areas of specialization include Supply Chain Management, Operations Research, Data Envelopment Analysis, and Entrepreneurship. He has completed a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering, an MBA specializing in Marketing, and a Ph.D. from Coventry University, U.K. He has executed Sponsored Research Projects from the Ministry of MSME, IIIPI, ICSSR, TIFAC, etc., and carried out 10+ Industrial Consultancy Projects. Dr. Sharath has more than 30+ Peer peer-reviewed publications, and 05 Students have been awarded Ph.D.s under his guidance. He is one such STEM Professional who was shortlisted and sponsored by the National Bio-Pharma Mission of DBT, Government of India, for the Training Programmes on ‘Technology Transfer’. One of his remarkable strengths is his ability to assemble high-performance teams. His leadership style focuses on setting précised goals and achieving them via mergers and advancements. By leveraging his enormous experience, he promotes a culture of excellence within Academia, encouraging faculty and students to envisage phenomenal results. He is a ‘Management Committee’ Member of Bangalore Management Association for the Year 2024-25 and a Steering Committee Member of ‘Asian Society of Innovation and Policy’, South Korea. He is also a Life Member of ISTE and ORSI. He has extensively travelled to Countries like the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Ghana, and the Middle East.

Dr. Basab Chakraborty is an Associate Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur. He holds a Ph.D. from IIT Madras (1999) and has been with IIT Kharagpur since 2013, where he blends engineering innovation with entrepreneurial thinking. He researches the critical domains of energy storage science and technology, new materials for energy storage, renewable energy management, and the role of smart grids in the Indian context. Between 1996 and 2025, he published several journal articles, conference papers, and reviews, establishing himself as a leading voice in sustainable energy systems. His work reflects significant scholarly impact. Dr. Chakraborty has worked on interdisciplinary research projects, contributing meaningfully to India’s energy innovation landscape. His current work addresses the urgent need for efficient, scalable, and context-sensitive energy solutions that align with India’s evolving energy infrastructure.

Dr. Lina Sonne is an Innovation Economist and Associate Professor at the Desai Sethi School of Entrepreneurship (DSSE), Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. Her research focuses on the intersection of technological change and digitisation and their societal implications, particularly within the contexts of AI in business, entrepreneurship, innovation systems, and sustainable development. She has a strong interest in social entrepreneurship, gender and technology, and the creative industries in India.

She brings over two decades of academic and advisory experience, having previously held faculty positions at FLAME University, O.P. Jindal Global University, and Azim Premji University. Beyond academia, she has served in leadership roles at Inblick Innovation Advisory and Okapi Advisory Services, guiding innovation and entrepreneurship strategy in emerging markets.

Her academic training includes a PhD from United Nations University-MERIT, an MSc from City, University of London, and a BA (Hons) from London South Bank University, with an Erasmus exchange at HEC Lausanne. At IIT Bombay, she teaches social entrepreneurship, business model innovation, and research communication courses while actively contributing to policy and academic discourse on inclusive and sustainable innovation.

Prof. Phani has had an illustrious and impactful 15-year journey at IIT Kanpur, where he currently serves as the Head of the Department and Professor. His administrative roles include Professor-in-Charge of the Syndicate Bank Entrepreneurship Research and Training Center (SBERTC), the Information and Media Outreach Cell, and Chief Investigator at the E&ICT Academy, IIT Kanpur.

Over the years, he has held key leadership positions such as Dean of Resources & Alumni, Head of the SIDBI Innovation and Incubation Center, and Associate Dean of Innovation & Incubation. He has led the design and implementation of several strategic initiatives, including IIT Kanpur’s entrepreneurship and seed fund policies, and large-scale innovation ecosystems involving 11 incubators, five labs, and a 400,000 sq. ft. S&T park.

With more than 3,000 hours of teaching across premier Indian and international institutions (including IITs, IIMs, Copenhagen Business School, and the University of Connecticut), his teaching interests span finance, risk management, and innovation. He has guided over 75 graduate theses and postdoctoral researchers and mentored more than 100 startups.

He has delivered more than 150 invited talks globally, and his excellence in teaching has been recognized with over 15 Senate commendations. His research and policy contributions span finance, ICT-driven innovation, entrepreneurship ecosystems, and startup policy. He remains deeply engaged with industry, government, and academia in institution building and innovation leadership.

Dr. Arun is currently a Professor of Finance & Accounting at the Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India. Arun holds a Ph.D from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India. His research interests are “Corporate Governance, Start-up Valuation, and Development Finance.” He has co-authored a few books, viz. “Management Accounting”, “Public perception of security” which encompasses food and health security, and on social issues, “Muscle to the Mind”, and another in vernacular titled “In search of the Horizon”. He has undertaken a host of consulting and training assignments ranging from Corporate Restructuring to Economic analysis of infrastructure projects. His current focus is on ‘Evidence-Based Impact Assessment’ for various development agencies worldwide, including the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Government of the UK. His works extend to the assessment of field-level interventions on developmental issues. He is a certified social impact assessment practitioner.

Prof Kulbir Lamba is a deep-tech entrepreneurship scholar with 15+ years’ experience spanning industry, incubation leadership and academic research. An engineer from NIT Jalandhar and MBA from IIT Delhi, he is completing his PhD at IIT Jodhpur on technology commercialization. Kulbir has been part of leadership team of incubation centres at IIT Jodhpur and IIIT-Delhi, building ecosystems, winning multimillion-rupee grants, and mentoring budding entrepreneurs. His practitioner insight underpins refereed contributions, including two teaching cases for Ivey Publishing on commercialising Indian deep-tech innovations. Now at BML Munjal University, he is part of the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. His teaching interests span Managing Technology & Innovation, Design Thinking, Corporate Entrepreneurship, and Building corporate-startup synergies. He is involved in various other key initiatives for steering academia-industry partnerships and technology commercialization.

Brings 25 years of exemplary academic and administrative leadership.

A NAAC and NIRF Peer Assessor, he has guided 12 Ph.D. scholars, authored four management textbooks, and published over 80 research papers.

His global collaborations span institutions in Germany, the UK, and Switzerland. As a mentor, keynote speaker & Chaired the session at leading institutions, including IISc and IIMs and as Editor of the IMED Research Journal with Patents on Industrial Human Resources.

He remains deeply committed to advancing management education. Recognized nationally and internationally for undertaking research on SSI & Entrepreneurship with higher recognition of Publishing Paper on M & A in London School of Business

Dr. Vinaya S is AVP – SAARC Region at ABS India Pvt Ltd, with over 25 years of experience in the field of marketing, international sales, channel sales, corporate strategy and partner / OEM relationships. Currently he is responsible for marketing & channel revenues from SAARC region.

At the helm of ABS India’s marketing endeavors for over two decades, he has excelled in driving robust ROI from marketing campaigns. As a channel revenue leader for overseas business, his current role emphasizes not just the growth of channel revenue but also the strategic expansion within key markets such as the Maldives, Nepal, and Bangladesh. With a strong dedication to the practical application of marketing theories, he has successfully cultivated deep expertise in enhancing channel performance and delivering tangible business results.

Before joining ABS India, he has worked with the major telecommunication companies, Alcatel Business Systems India Pvt Ltd, Pacific Internet India Pvt Ltd, Bharti Telenet Ltd & Tata Teleservices Ltd.

Recipient of Emerging CMOs at Enterprise IT World CMO Leadership Awards 2021 for marketing and communications. Covid 19 Superhero Award 2020 for innovative marketing strategies and contribution at Global CMO Summit and Awards 2020 by Enterprise IT World. And recipient of Most Talented Marketing Professional Award – 2014, endorsed by CMO Council, CMO Asia and World Federation of Marketing Professionals.

Apart from professional work, he has been actively involved in academics. He has held positions like Adjunct Faculty, Member - Board of Studies & Member - Research Advisory Committee with various management schools.

Dr. V. Saravana Kumar is a Professor & Program Manager at AIMS Institutes, Bengaluru, where he has been serving since June 2013. He has over 19 years of experience in academics and industry. He has successfully led and contributed to several funded research projects supported by ICSSR, Indian Customs Department, and KSCST. He is a recipient of the Shri P. K. Das Memorial Best Faculty Award (2022) and the Best Researcher Award (2023). He has published research articles in reputed national and international journals, authored books and book chapters

Mr. Mohamed Meeran is an Administrative Assistant at the Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Science having an experience of more than three years in handling financial budget operations, inventory management and student's affairs through SAP. He also has experience with the IT sector on software development and cloud infrastructure services

He has obtained BSc (PCMB) degree from Bangalore University and PG Diploma in Computer Applications from Karnataka University. He has been working as a Systems Administrator in the Department of Management Studies, IISc since May 2006.