Mana Al Suwaidi, Commercial Attache of the UAE to India, Ministry of Foreign Trade. Embassy of UAE - New Delhi.

Mana Al Suwaidi is a young, dynamic UAE national with over 10 years of experience in the fields of senior management, event management, public relations, research & development, marketing, International Business and technical areas. In his current position as the Commercial Attache of the UAE to India, Mana Al Suwaidi has the responsibility of furthering trade between the UAE and India, a job he is well suited to handle, as he has had long-standing business relations with non-resident Indians (NRIs) as a UAE-based entrepreneur. With experience spanning the government sector and the private sector, Mana belongs to the young breed of Emiratis who are comfortable in dealing with people of different nationalities and communicating with ease with audiences of all communities.

Tony White, Regional General Manager, Gloria Jean's Coffee

As Regional GM in Gloria Jean's Coffees Tony represents one of the fastest growing franchise brands in the world. Tony has been instrumental in the development of the brand across 23 countries in the past 5 years. Tony leads a team that has responsibility for brand representation, master franchise recruitment and new market entry strategies. Tony has been actively involved with 11 Asian markets and recently has taken over responsibility for the development of the brand in the Middle East and Africa where he supports 12 master franchise partners to develop the brand in their market. Tony has lived in India for 8 years and during this time has developed an excellent understanding of the Indian entrepreneur and the needs of the market. Tony has a passion for SME entrepreneurs and is a firm believer in the franchise model for business growth.

Dawn Stallwood, Danetree Associates

Dawn Stallwood, LLB (Hons) leads Danetree Associates, a commercial consultancy based in London providing commercial counsel and strategic advice for clients in UK, India, Australia and Hong Kong. Dawn is a business angel investor and holds a number of non-executive directorships. Dawn and team work with boards of directors, family owners, PLC's, MBO teams and private equity. Danetrees' work with enterprising and ambitious businesses in Aviation, Hospitality, Retail, Leisure (including Fast Food), Travel, Publishing, Social Media and Healthcare Technology brings Dawn to India regularly. Dawn provides insight and a no-nonsense approach to clients wishing to develop, scale their growth or secure investment, through franchising. Danetree wants to work with Indian clients, with strong management teams and ambition.

Federico Fiorentini, Managing Director , BRD Consulting

Mr. Federico Fiorentini is currently the Managing Director of BRD Consulting. Mr. Fiorentini has a career span of over 20 years of activity in the Franchising, Retail, Large -Scale Distribution and Organized Distribution sector, with a career developing at both the managerial and operational levels. His list of accolades include development of national and international plans, developing and managing sales networks, and finance, market trends, opening more than 600 shops, retail centers, supermarkets, hypermarkets, providing technical lead to project teams, reviewing and coordinating shop drawings and developing and maintaining commercial relationships. He is also University Teacher at International Retail Manager, Europena University - Rome.

Tony Fitzpatrick, Managing Partner, Franchise Your Business

Tony is the managing partner with Franchise Your Business.ie, who provide a complete consultancy service for both start up and established franchisors. The firm has offices in London and Dublin. With many years' experience in growing businesses through franchising, Tony can take a client through the entire process. He advises on everything from franchise agreements to fees and royalties, operations manuals, lead generation, PR and more. He is a member of the Executive Board of the Irish Franchise Association and also serves on the Association's Membership Committee. He speaks at seminars for would-be franchisors and writes articles on the industry for newspapers and magazines.

Janaka Wimalananda, Managing Director, Loon Tao

Janaka Wimalananda started hospitality carrier in Yokohama at World Expo, Japan – 1989, having worked at Osaka World Expo, Japan - 1990 as Outlet Manager. He was the operations manager at first ever Court Lodge Restaurant in Kobe, Japan – 1991 and directly involved in setting up the restaurant. He set up second Court Lodge Restaurant as Operations Manager - Tokyo 1992 and was responsible in setting up 5 more Restaurants in Japan under Court Lodge brand within a period of under 5 years. He also worked as Executive Director - Ceylon Company Group before forming Goldblock (pvt) Ltd, and launching Loon Tao, Chinese Seafood Specialty Restaurant in 2008.

Tarek Gineina, MBA Franchise Director Zohoor Alreef, Retail

Tarek is the Franchise & Marketing Director at Club Aldo & Madas Retail Group and Franchise Partner at Jumeirah. He is also Business Partner at Franchise Business Development & Project management, IBS , City Stars Capital 8, floor 9, office 91 .Eariler he was franchise Consultant at Testa Rossa Cafe and Business Partner - Executive Manager at FoodworX Egypt - Intrafood for Restaurants .He was also Corporate Coordinator at MobiNil - ECMS . Tarek hastaken his higher education from East Carolina University - College of Business and The American University in Cairo Corporate.

Severin Zhilinskis, Head - Franchising, Advanced Franchise

Severin heads the Franchising Department at Advanced Franchise consulting company (www.afranchise.lt). His former roles have included - Director of Lithuanian Franchise Center non-profit organization responsible for development of franchising in the region (www.fransizescentras.lt)amongst others. He is also the Co-author of "Franchise Basics Manual ", the first book about franchising written in Lithuanian language.

Ratan Jalan, Founder & Principal Consultant, Medium Healthcare Consulting Pvt Ltd

Mr Ratan Jalan is an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur and Harvard Business School. Mr Jalan has over three decades of experience across diverse industries and functional responsibilities. Earlier, Mr Jalan was the CEO of Apollo Health and Lifestyle Limited, part of the Apollo Hospitals Group for almost a decade. He was awarded the Marketing Impact Award by S P Jain Institute of Management and has been nominated as one of the 50 most influential professionals in retailing.

Pradeep Hirani, Managing Director, Kimaya Fashions Pvt. Ltd

Pradeep Hirani is the Chairman of Kimaya Fashion Pvt. Ltd. An MBA graduate in Finance from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai. Pradeep always had his eye on designer couture as a high-growth segment and in 2002 with his better half Neha Hirani went into it full swing and today 5 years down, the Hirani's fledgling flagship “Kimaya Studio” has swelled to three establishments in Mumbai, Delhi and the shoppers Mecca of Dubai. Kimaya's credentials are impeccable, having been the largest buyer at the India Fashion Week for 3 years running.

Naresh Mehta, Director - Retail Operations, Raymond India Ltd.

He have 22 years of experience after Post Graduation in Management which comprises 3 years in the Engineering Industry, 2 years in FMCG, 3 years in Consulting, 6 years in the IT industry, 3 years in Healthcare and 5 years in Apparel/Retailing. Companies worked for - Godrej / Blue Star / I Flex Business Solutions / Raymond From November 2005 to October, 2010 working in various roles at RAYMOND for the BRANDED APPAREL, RETAIL, SHIRTING AND FMCG businesses of the group. Since November 01, 2010, I am Director - Franchisee Operations managing sales and retail operations of all the 500+ Franchisee “THE RAYMOND SHOPS” in India generating a sales of over 1,000 crs.

Mukund Mohan, CEO, Jivity

Mukund Mohan is the Chief Executive Officer of Jivity, a social commerce company. He founded and sold BuzzGain, a leader in Do It Yourself PR software, to Meltwater in 2010. He has founded and successfully sold 3 Silicon Valley startups in the Internet & Enterprise software markets. Mukund has held executive and management roles in Hewlett Packard (Mercury), Invois, Ariba and Cisco Systems. He studied at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County pursuing a Master's degree in Computer Science and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Mysore in India. Mukund has served on the boards of advisors for iConclude (acquired by Hewlett Packard), and the board of directors of Semantic Defense and Kinetic Brains.

Gaurav Ahuja, CEO, Red Ginger Hospitality

An IIT -IIM graduate with interests as diverse as mountaineering and event management after having worked with the Global Markets Group at Standard Chartered Bank, Singapore co- founded Red Ginger Hospitality India Ltd alongwith his wife Neha Ahuja in 2007. He left his cushy job to do something he was passionate about- having a Restaurant of his own. Organised Retail has just started to grow in the country in 2007 and Gaurav could clearly sense the huge opportunity that it posed as there was no national restaurant brand in India. The first restaurant was started in 2007 and Gaurav hasn't looked back since then. With 24 operational outlets and 27 in the pipeline in India and the United States, he has set Red Ginger Hospitality on the national retail map in a short span of 4 years. Gaurav is a prominent and regular speaker at TiE, India Retail Forum, Asia Retail Congress,Franchising Expos amongst others. Known for his participative style of leadership, Gaurav has been able to craft a very seasoned senior management team at Red Ginger Hospitality, which is making waves in the hospitality industry in India Having recently been awarded as “One of the most inspiring entrepreneurs of recent times” by IIM Lucknow, Gaurav is working towards making Red Ginger Hospitality India’s largest chain of Quick Service Restaurants.

O. P. Manchanda, Chief Executive Officer, Dr Lal Path Labs Pvt. Ltd

When Dr. Manchanda joined LPL in 2005, the company had a turnover of a little over Rs 40 crore with only 10 laboratories. Today, he has driven the transformation of the company into one of India’s largest medical diagnostics companies with a 60-strong laboratory network, 50 Patient Service Centres, 1,000 collection centres, and 4,000 pick-up points in more than 500 cities serving in excess of six million patients every year across India. By March 2011, the company is poised to touch a turnover of Rs 240 crore. An MBA from IIM-Ahmedabad, he made his debut with Hindustan Unilever in 1990. Over the next 10 years, he received in-depth exposure in consumer products sales, distribution, marketing, advertising, brand innovations, et al. He led the designing and launching of a tea-based beverage, which won Unilever's Global Innovation Award.

Campbell Cave, General Manager- Asia, New Zealand Natural(NZN)

Benedikt Hjalmarsson, Chief Executive Officer, BG Cleaning

Mr. Benedikt Hjálmarsson founded BG Cleaning Systems in 1995 when he was only 18 years old. This daring entrepreneur is currently the CEO of BG Cleaning Systems and its subsidiary companies. With BG‘s almost two decades of successful business operations, Benedikt and his top management team decided to franchise this unique business model and introduced this opportunity to Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa. With his intimate knowledge of, extensive professional expertise in, and burning passion for the cleaning industry, Benedikt has effectively steered the company successfully in the right direction - making the BG Cleaning Systems name and trademark synonymous to Excellence and Reliability.

Asim Dalal, Managing Director, The Bombay Store

Mr Asim Dala joined Bombay Swadeshi Stores Limited as Director in October, 1991, and in April, 1994 took over as Managing Director. Mr Dalal’s main areas of responsibilities at the ‘The Bombay Store’ include sourcing, expansion, business development and financial planning. He was also responsible in raising funds for expansion from an angel investor group in 2008. A graduate from the Sydenham College of Commerce & Economics, Mumbai, Mr Dalal went on to acquire a Diploma in Financial Management from the London University and attending the summer school at the London School of Economics ( LSE ).

Asheeta Chhabra, Head Business Development, Chhabra555

Asheeta Chhabra, the newest entrant in the Chhabra 555 management, has been roped in to institutionalize a more forward-looking and process-oriented approach for the company. After completing her MBA from XLRI, she amassed experience in various sectors like retail, healthcare and automobile and during her consulting stint at Ernst & Young. She helped to identify many of the best practices prevailing in high-performing organizations of today and subsequently determine steps for internal capability development. She was rewarded in the form of an individual excellence award for her efforts. Currently, at Chhabra 555, she is casting the dye for various strategic initiatives like establishment of regional business development teams and development of a centralized process repository to ensure sustained operational excellence.

Anupam Bansal, Director, LIBERTY SHOES LTD.

Anupam Bansal is an Economics graduate from Delhi’s Shriram College of Commerce with a background in footwear designing from Ars Sutoria of Italy. He joined Liberty Shoes Ltd as a Management trainee and after occupying various positions of responsibility in the marketing division He was currently heading the organization as the Director. His association with the Liberty brand has been for over 15 years and it has been a journey of personal discovery and professional evolution.

Ajit Joshi, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Croma Retail

Ajit has been a part of Retail and Hospitality industry both in India and internationally for over 20 years. He has handled a number of portfolios, such as, Spotless Services, Orion Capital Pvt. Ltd., ITC Hotels Ltd. and Les Roches. He has also been the Project Manager at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was working with Shopper’s Stop as Vice President, Operation prior to joining Infiniti Retail Ltd. He has many qualifications to his credit, having done his MBA from the Melbourne Business School; he studied at Cornell University and did his Hotel Management from Les Roches-Bluches, Switzerland and from Institute of Hotel Management, Mumbai.

Tanushree, Senior Legal Counsel, Bradford License India

Ms. Tanushree has expertise in Licensing, IP Protection, Brand Enforcement strategies, IP Management and Compliances. She has over three years of experience in IP Practice, Licensing and Enforcement and two years in litigation. Ms. Sangal holds a Masters’ degree in Business Laws from National Law School of India University, Bangalore and has earlier worked with Lex Orbis Consulting Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi in the capacity of Legal Consultant with specific focus on IP, Strategic Consulting and Commercial Advisory segments. She has also worked in the Civil Court of Lucknow as an advocate. She has been a speaker on forums like FICCI and IIT Delhi on issues relating to IP Law and Policy and authored several articles on IP Protection, published in various national and international journals. She also provides advice and assistance in Brand Management Strategies, best practices in IP Protection and general legal counsel.

Rajiv Sangari, CEO, space toon

Mr. Rajiv Sangari began his career more than 17 years ago in sales. His personal areas of expertise include sales & marketing and General Management. Mr. Sangari is presently steering Spacetoon towards making it a leading 360 degree model into the areas of Kids TV channel, licensing, merchandising, publication and IP creation. His vision is to make Spacetoon as a leading Edutainment brand name in the minds of 580 million youth of India. Mr. Sangari has been with Kids Media India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of the Spacetoon Media Group from Dubai, since June 2005. Mr. Sangari entered the animation industry through Pentamedia in Jan 2001, and then moved on to Padmalaya Studios, then of the Zee Telefilms group. Mr. Sangari holds a post graduate degree in Economics from the University of Mumbai. He was also one of the founder-promoters of APAI (Animation Producers Association of India).

Mudit Khosle, CEO, Seventymm

Mr. Mudit Khosla started his career by selling auto components but soon switched to internet, where he started by helping businesses grow from inception to leadership stage,mostly by building operations from ground up and expanding in quick time. Prior to Seventymm.com, he was founding member of Yatra.com, where he provided strategic vision and operational leadership. Before joining Yatra.com, he was business head, e-commerce at Indiatimes.com where he headed online auction & fix price products. He also founded the very popular “Reader Offers” section of various Times of India Group print publications. Mr. Khosla loves quick execution and innovative disruptions. His experience includes corporate strategy, product management, marketing and sales. An avid traveler, Mr. Khosla holds a Master’s degree in Management and an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Adam Berg, Sr Vice President, LIMA, U.S.A

Mr. Adam Berg is the Senior Vice President of Membership and New Business Development for the International Licensing Merchandisers’ Association. Although delighted to have joined LIMA just recently in this capacity, he has been affiliated with, and active in, the organization throughout his licensing career and was elected to its Board of Directors where he served from 1997 to 2000. Mr. Berg is a Licensing Industry veteran with 25 years experience as a licensing agent working for leading industry firms like Hamilton Projects and Equity Management Inc. As an agent, Mr. Berg worked on behalf of many corporate and media brands including Coca-Cola, General Motors, Jack Daniels, Hanna-Barbera, and The United States Postal Service in categories as varied and diverse as electronics, video games, housewares and toys. During this tenure he was responsible for substantial licensing activities on an international basis, having established major licensing businesses in the European Union, Japan, Hong Kong and China. A native of New York City, Mr. Berg holds a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University in Montreal where he majored in History and a Masters of Business of Administration from Fordham University. He is an avid skier, fencer, golfer and model railroad enthusiast.

Michelle Minieri, Partner and President, Bradford Licensing, LLC USA

With a MBA in Business Marketing and Management, as well as an active LIMA member, Ms. Michelle Minieri delivers cutting edge innovation and leadership to the licensing industry. Over her vast career in licensing, Ms. Minieri has launched many significant licensing programs over a range of categories, specifically developing and implementing corporate, art, celebrity, fashion, and entertainment properties in the industry. She has acted as the key person in PepsiCo’s exceptional success on the global front, facilitating the international expansion of PepsiCo’s network of 600-plus freestanding sport stores in China, the full apparel and accessory launch in Brazil, and supervising marketing projects related to Pepsi’s new logo launch and design initiatives. Handling brands such as HBO, Sony, Love Beverly Hills, Aspen, Donald Trump and Paramount, Ms. Minieri has been able to combine fresh ideas with core foundations to create highly successful programs around the world.

Girish Khare, CMO Reward Port India

Mr. Khare, did his post graduate specialization in Cinematography from Kolkata University; he abandoned his first love to pursue a career in Marketing and Sales. Girish Khare has worked across multiple cities in India, Taiwan, Middle East and Malaysia. He is currently CMO of RewardPort. His vast career includes his stint with Technomind a Taiwan based company before joining Repro India Ltd, as Sr Vice President (Mktg) where he stayed for many years before moving to Grauer & Weil India Ltd, as president and CEO of Digikore, a group company, and head of Marketing for the Parent company. Today he has over 25 years of marketing experience in various Industries ranging from manufacturing to retail, media and IT.

Abhay Gupta, Executive Director, Blues Clothing

Mr. Abhay Gupta is the Executive Director of Blues Clothing Company. Things changed as soon as The Blues decided to shed off its ‘family-backed’ image to pick up a more contemporary and professional identity. This was the time, when Mr. Gupta could not put down the request offer from Mr. Sehgal to join Blues Clothing Company as a guiding force….and hence start a new saga together. Mr. Gupta believes that although the Indian retail industry has seen an upward boom in the past decade or so. Within the overall retail scenario, Luxury has evolved into a dependent category and positioning segment. Advent of spaces like Emporio has upgraded the retail space offering in totality and even an economic slowdown could not completely slow down the growth considerably. He feels that in this era of market capitalisation, bigger retailers would try to consolidate their positions by expanding further on or acquiring smaller players. His vision for BCC is to prominently make it the largest player in the field of luxury retailing.

Ritu Kumar, founder, Ritu Kumar

Ritu Kumar is one of India’s foremost designers. She was the first woman to introduce the ‘boutique’ culture in India under the brand name ‘Ritu’. Today she has outlets in 14 cities in India. In 2002 she launched a sub brand – Ritu Kumar, LABEL. LABEL retails from most Ritu Kumar stores as well as some stand alone stores. She has a book on “Costumes and Textiles of Royal India” published by Christies in October 1999 to her credit. And she has been awarded the 'Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini award' and also bestowed upon the "chevalier des arts et des lettres (knight of the order of arts and letters) by the French government.

Sanjay Coutinho, CEO, The Jawad Business Group (Om Pizzas & Eats Private Limited)

Sanjay Coutinho is currently the CEO of the Om Pizzas and Eats, the franchisee for Papa John's Pizza, Chill's Grill & Bar restaurants and The Great Kabab's Factory in India.Mr. Coutinho has more than 20 years of experience in the food and retail sector. Prior to joining Om Pizzas and Eats Mr. Coutinho was working as the CEO & Director of Barista Coffee Company Limited. He has also worked with other organizations like Gravis Foods Private Limited, Baskin Robbins Franchise Co. Pvt. Ltd. Pantaloons Retail India Ltd, the pizza delivery chain Domino's Pizza India Limited, Jet Airways and the Ambassador's Sky Chef. A commerce graduate from Mithibai College, Mumbai University, Mr. Coutinho has also done his graduation in Hotel Administration and Restaurant Management from Sophia Polytechnic, Mumbai in 1994. He then went on to pursue his MBA in Marketing from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), Mumbai in 2004.

Sam Chopra, Director, Remax India

A Chartered Accountant by education, Sam with a career spanning more than 30 years of diverse experience and numerous successful entrepreneurial assignments under his belt, was an obvious choice to spearhead the RE/MAX network in India. Sam is the Treasurer & Chairman Finance Committee in NAR India and is also the Chairman of the Fund Raising Committee, North Zone, NAR India. In addition to that, he is the Vice President of Association of Property Professionals (APP). He has an HSMI Certification through the National Real Estate Council and has recently become a chartered member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) In 1996, when he saw opportunity in Business Process Outsourcing, he promoted CybizCall International Pvt Ltd. In appreciation of his outstanding contribution to the growth of ITES industry, he was asked to preside over the Business Process Industry Association of India where he remained president for 2 consecutive terms and stepped down in 2009 to focus upon his RE/MAX business. He has also been an associate member of NASSCOM in India. In appreciation of his commendable leadership of RE/MAX in India and IAPA International in the Australasia region, Sam has been awarded as the "Most Promising Entrepreneurs of the Year 2009 by Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards. Owing to his strong entrepreneurial skills and magnificent contribution to the Indian industrial growth, he received numerous memberships of councils and committees like Services Council, Association’s Council, Knowledge Mission and Subcommittee on India – EU Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BITA) of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). He has also been a former convener of Infrastructure Committee, Haryana State Council at CII. A commerce graduate from the premier Sri Ram College of Commerce of Delhi University, Sam shares a passion for Books, Sports & Travel. His time management skills have always ensured that he pursues his other passion which is spending time with his family.

Pawan Gadia, CEO, Ferns 'N' Petals P Ltd.

Pawan Gadia, CEO - Ferns N Petals, is the mastermind behind taking Ferns 'N' Petals, to a position where the brand has no competitors. Ferns N Petals is the only leading florist retail chain in India with 110 outlets in 45 cities. Pawan joined FNP in 2001 when the brand had only 7 franchise outlets but with his intelligence and vision he created a well planned franchise structure for the company and drove the brand on the path of success. He started an ecommerce department in Ferns n petals as a General Manager and is now working as CEO of the company. He is responsible for charting strategies for the group and for sales, distribution and handling domectic and international operations.

Manish Tandon, Managing Director, Indian Cookery

Manish Tandon is currently handling the position of Managing Director at Indian Cookery Private Limited. Manish will be spearheading the brand’s aggressive growth plans in India and help create a distinct & strong position for all of its four formats. Prior to this, Manish has had a 15 year long stint with Yum Restaurants International where he was Director-Projects & Operations Head, Pizza Hut and was also a part of the start-up team for KFC & Taco Bell in India. Adding another feather to his cap, Manish was responsible for launching Hard Rock Café & the Luxury lounge ‘Shiros’ in India. He started his career with The Taj Group and was associated with them for a span of 7 years.

Harminder Sahni, MD, Wazir Advisors Pvt. Ltd

Harminder Sahni has worked as a management consultant last 15 years in retail and consumer products sectors. Out of those 15 years, he worked for 13 years with Technopak (erstwhile KSA Technopak). In 2003, Harminder became one of the youngest Partners in Kurt Salmon Associates (KSA), US and later was MD and Partner at Technopak from April 2005 till September 2009. Harminder is currently Founder and Managing Director of Wazir Advisors – a consulting firm focused on consumer products and services in the Indian market. Harminder is regularly invited to speak at industry forums and leading management schools and is frequently quoted in the media on diverse subjects and writes monthly columns renowned business magazines.

Prasun Chowdhury, Director, Avenir

Prasun began his consultancy career in the year 1995 with ECS Limited as a Principal Consultant. In the year 1998, he added one more name to his portfolio and got associated with Strategic Decisions Group, where he was assigned the role of a Senior Consultant. He then moved on to start his own constancy company Avenir Management Services Private Limited in 2003, an innovative management consulting firm that helps organizations plan and implement profit multiplication initiatives by creating a decisive competitive edge. He an alumni of Birla Institute of Technology and Science and Asian Institute of Management, from where he did his engineering and MBA respectively.

Dr Arpita Mukherjee, Professor,ICRIER

Dr Mukherjee has several years of experience in policy-oriented research, working closely with the government in India and the UK. Her research is a key contributor to India’s negotiating strategies in the on-going Doha Round of WTO negotiations and in bilateral agreements with countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Turkey and regional blocks such as the EU. She has conducted studies for various international organizations such as UNCTAD, WTO, ASEAN Secretariat, Asian Development Bank, OECD and European Commission. She has a Ph.D. in Economics from the University Of Portsmouth, UK. She has around 60 publications including books, journals, working papers and government reports to her credit.

Sanjay Prabhu, Chief Managing Officer, Beyond Squarefeet Mall Management Pvt.Ltd.

Sanjay brings with him over 15 years of expertise in Shopping Centre Management. He has worked with some of the best shopping destinations in the country. He was also the profit centre head at Inorbit Malls and as CEO, was instrumental in launching Central India’s 1 million sq.ft mall, Magneto in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. He is currently the Chief Management Officer at Beyond Squarefeet which currently hand-holds projects like Neptune Magnet Mall (Mumbai), Lonavala Square, Gokulam Galleria (Calicut), LuLu Shopping centre (Cochin), etc. He is also a visiting Faculty at the prestigious Wellingkars College, Mumbai where he teaches Mall Management to the PGDM & DRM students.

Shailen Amin, CEO, Bestylish

Shay has a BA in Accounting from Rutgers University School of Business, USA and is also a qualified CPA. Prior to setting his own business Shailen was the CFO for Millward Brown (a WPP Group company), responsible for Africa, Middle East & Asia Pacific. Shay also worked in WPP’s mergers & acquisition team which reports directly in to WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell. Initially, he was based in New York where he was one of three principals responsible for North American acquisitions and later based out of head office in London, where he was responsible for all global M&A except the North American business.

Sid Shah, President & CEO, The Wild East Group.

Prior to founding The Wild East Group, Sid was a Director of Business Development at Brand Sense Partners where he developed licensing and brand extension programs for the top celebrities, consumer goods companies, and media / technology companies. Before Brand Sense, he was a manager in Deloitte’s marketing consulting practice where his primary focus was brand development and marketing strategy. The Wild East Group represents some of the top celebrity, corporate, character, and media brands in the world. Mr. Shah earned his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management with a focus on international business, marketing and entrepreneurship. Mr. Shah is recognized as a ‘thought leader’ within the marketing function, and has been a recurring featured speaker at many executive conferences and teaches regularly at the top global business schools. He has 8+ years of global consulting experience with Fortune 100 clients across the high tech, consumer goods, hospitality, and manufacturing sectors and he has lived abroad in Italy, India, Japan, Germany, and Thailand. Recently, Mr. Shah was appointed to the Board of Directors at Project Ahimsa, a global effort to empower youth through music that provides music education to over 10,000 children around the world.

Viraj Malik, MD & CEO, Percept Knorigin

Viraj has worked in various countries across the world, including Europe and USA and led functions like Strategy, Sales, Engagement Management and New Product Development. His was a part of Enron and GTL where he created a commercial Internet Data Centre business for the Indian Market. He worked Infosys from 2002 till 2007, where he was a part of the core team responsible for setting up the IT outsourcing practice. Viraj founded Percept Knorigin as a JV with Percept Limited in November 2007 and successfully led the company to create unique services in digital marketing, content distribution and Telecom VAS.

Tushar Chawla, Partner, Economic Laws Practice

Mr. Tushar Chawla is a qualified lawyer having qualified in the year 1995 from the University of Delhi and also holds a management degree in finance. Mr. Chawla has worked with the Taj Group of Hotels, ITC Limited, the United States Government and Moser Baer India Limited before transiting as a Partner to Economic Laws Practice (ELP). Mr. Chawla currently heads the corporate advisory, technology and intellectual property practice at the Delhi office of the ELP. In the past 14 years Mr. Chawla has advised a large number of domestic as well as international corporate houses on mergers and acquisitions, licensing, out bound investments and above all on day to day regulatory issues.

Safir Anand, Senior Partner & Head – Trademarks Contractual & Commercial IP, An

In a career of over 15 years, Mr. Safir Anand has advised companies ranging from FMCG to Pharmaceuticals to Retail to IT, etc across a spectrum of issues like brand protection and commercial exploitation. He has also advised on brand valuation and brand diversification.
Mr. Anand’s advisory role includes due diligence, documentation, structuring royalty payments, IP audits, counterfeiting, negotiations, etc. He is also extensively involved in developing Indian brands overseas including under franchise. He has conducted several workshops including for US companies and sector specific workshops. Mr. Anand has recently written an article on Key Licensing Issues in India (published in Intellectual Asset Management).

Rahul Akkara, VP Marketing, Parag Milk Foods Pvt Ltd

Mr. Rahul Akkara is veteran professional in the retail industry, having a rich experience of more than decade in brand management, business development, sales and strategic planning. An expert strategist and marketer, Mr. Akkara has worked with a diverse range of retail companies. Prior to joining Parag Milk Foods Pvt Ltd, he was associated with companies like Spykar jeans, Nitco tiles and Pidilite Industries ltd. As VP- Marketing of Parag Milk Foods Pvt Ltd., Mr. Akkara is responsible for the Launch of GO brand in India along with managing day-to-day operations, developing strategic marketing and sales initiatives. He is also responsible for new business development and the implementation of key long term strategic initiatives for the company, which include identifying and building new business opportunities and revenue streams, and creating image-enhancing company programs. With his presence Go become a pan India brand with 750 distributors, 3 lakh plus retail outlets. An enthusiastic leader and an innovator, Mr. Akarra constantly brought in fresh ideas to table and built strong brand equity among the key stakeholders. Mr. Akkara holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Mumbai University. Armed with the Masters in Management Studies from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mr Akkara has handled several complex and challenging situations which has catapulted him to success in the retail industry.

Navin Ladha, CEO, Rance Computers Pvt Ltd

Navin Ladha is a retail and F&B expert, software architect, system analyst and is the Founder-CEO of RanceLab®. He is a certified CCNA, CCDA, CNE with over 15 years of experience in various IT and IT related products, services and solutions. He has played vital role in delivering IT solutions that brought guaranteed growth in sales and profit of over 500 retail stores, restaurants and food courts. He regularly speaks at various business forums.

Jo Pennycuick, Founder & Director, Redesign Group

Jo Pennycuick the founder and director of Redesign group is a multi disciplinary design practice with three office locations servicing many regions around the world. Based in Christchurch Jo has set up offices in Kuwait, Gurgaon - India and soon to be formed in Riyadh Saudi Arabia. She works to provide new and innovative design solutions and technologies that meet the clients’ needs and captivate their audiences. She works closely with her specialist team of designers who work across many disciplines including spatial design, retail and food and beverage, commercial office planning, airport and mall interior design, graphic design and branding, franchise setup and management, project management and construction.

Jasjit Sethi, CEO, TCI Supply Chain Solutions

Jasjit heads TCI Supply Chain Solutions, which is part of Transport Corporation of India Group, renowned for its leadership position in Indian logistics covering Freight, Express, Shipping and Contract Logistics. Jasjit is an alumni of Harvard Business School, Amity Business School and Punjab University, Chandigarh, besides short term courses with NITIE, Powai and National University of Singapore, amongst others.He is the President of the Delhi Roundtable of CSCMP (Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals); Member of CII - National Logistics Council; FICCI National Committee on Infrastructure, etc.

Himanshu Chahar,Corporate Lawyer, Lex Counsel

Mr. Himanshu Chahar has extensively advised in areas including Cross Border Investments, Corporate and Commercial Laws, Private Equity, Licensing and Franchising, Corporate Structuring and Restructuring, Telecom Passive Infrastructure, Direct and Indirect Taxation, Drugs and Cosmetics Laws, Labour and Industrial Laws. Mr Chahar has experience and expertise in representing and advising collaborators, investors and other strategic investors in connection with intellectual property related structuring and licensing issues, protection and enforcement of IP rights, investments and acquisitions in various sectors including education, shipping, aviation and information technology.

Devangshu Dutta, Chief Executive, Third Eyesight

Devangshu Dutta is chief executive of Third Eyesight, a specialist consulting firm focused on consumer goods and retail, and managing partner of PVC Partners, an early-stage venture accelerator. Devangshu began his career with the leading modern retail chain of that time in India, eventually heading the category that contributed 35% of the company’s sales. He worked with many national and international companies before founding Third Eyesight in 2003 and co-founding PVC Partners in 2006. Devangshu writes regularly in print and electronic media, and is frequently invited to speak at premier industry events internationally and in India. He also contributes to professional education through premier academic institutions in India and in the USA, as an Advisory Board member and as guest faculty.

Seema Jhingan, Partner, Lexcounsel

Seema Jhingan, a Senior Partner at LexCounsel, Law Offices, has more than seventeen years of experience. She has extensively advised in areas including Mergers & Acquisition, Telecommunications, Media & Entertainment, Venture Capital & Private Equity, Education, Licensing & Franchising, Software/IT, General Corporate and Commercial. Seema has substantial expertise in representing investors, developers, VC/PE funds, international corporations, sponsors/lenders and other strategic investors involved in the establishment, development and financing of infrastructure, education, IT and satellite projects in India. Seema is recognized for her capability of structuring innovative investment models and has considerable transactional experience in representing corporations on regulatory and licensing issues, complex acquisitions and divestments, investment structuring and exits, collaborations and debt/equity funding, tax structuring and related documentation. Additionally, Seema has been designated as a leading lawyer in the area of IT, Telecommunications & Media, by Asia Law and Practice and is a regular speaker at global and domestic forums.

Mohi-Din BinHendi, President, BinHendi Enterprises

A Business Administration graduate, Mohi-Din BinHendi was appointed Director General of the Department of Civil Aviation in June 1979 by special decree issued by the Ruler of Dubai, having previously served as Director of Airport Customs. Mr. BinHendi, together with Sheikh Ahmed Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Civil Aviation, was responsible for the development of Dubai International Airport into the Middle East's busiest air terminal, the award-winning Dubai Duty Free Complex, the New Arrivals Terminal, Aviation Club, Aviation College and Dubai Air Cargo Terminal. Gulf Business Awards picked Mr, BinHendi as the “Gulf Chief Executive of the Year” in 1994 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the growth of he civil aviation industry in Dubai, and more particularly for leading Dubai International Airport to global prominence. Additional, Mr. BinHendi currently holds other notable positions in various organizations, such as Member of the Board of Governors at Dubai Aviation College; Member of the Board of Directors at Emirates Golf Club; and Chairman of the Aviation Advisory Committee at Dubai Men's College. Mr. BinHendi is also a diversified business entrepreneur and was accorded the 'Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver for Services to the Republic of Austria' by the Austrian President in January 1995. In January 1996, Mr. BinHendi was conferred the 'Honour of the Order of Merit of the Republic' with the title 'Cavalière' by the President of the Republic of Italy for the promotion and strengthening of cultural and commercial links between Italy and the UAE. Apart from having investments in the property, furnishing and oilfield supply sectors, he has today expanded into the hospitality, construction, real estate, fashion, jewellery, and interior designing. "My goal is to have a diversified portfolio of businesses, and to provide the people in my country with something much more than just a basic service. We always try to do things with quality, taste and style. "You ask me what the most important elements for achieving success in business are. I would say that they are pursuing your goals, loving the business you do, and doing it with originality, style and with the right people.

ANURAG KEDIA, MANAGING DIRECTOR, THE FOUR FOUNTAINS SPA

Anurag is a chemical engineer from IIT Bombay and PGDM from IIM Ahmedabad. After completing his studies, he worked as a manager with the prestigious Tata Administrative Services and later as a business consultant with KPMG India. In 2007, the entrepreneurship bug hit him and he along with two of his friends, Saurabh Garg and Sunil Rao started India’s first chain of affordable health spas under the brand name of The Four Fountains Spa. The chain was set up with the vision of being the largest spa chain in the world.

Manoj Chawla, Everonn

Manoj Chawla, Everonn leads the Edupreneur initative of the company. With over twenty five years of professional work experience, in a number of key domains - Profit Centre Management, Service Delivery, Operations Management, Franchise/ Channel Development, Business Development (Corporate, Retail as well as Government). Manoj has held a number of positions in India and the Middle East. Before joining Everonn, Manoj Chawla was the SBU Head at NIS Sparta (a Reliance ADA Group Company). He has also worked with a host of IT & BPO training majors viz. Hero Mindmine, NIIT & Aptech in India, and ExecuTrain LLC in Dubai. Manoj Chawla has a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering, and is an MBA in Marketing.

Deepak Deshpande, Vice President Retail, Tata International

He has been in Retail, and in Brand Marketing for 32 years. His work experience in the footwear industry includes grass-root level retail and branding in India as well as North America (Canada & USA). His stints with Bata both in India and abroad, as well as Nike and Levi's amongst the various other international known brands make him a global professional in this sector. Having worked with global organizations and travelledextensively he has also promoted global trade by working with organisations like Canada-India Business Council,and EUROSHOP 2011.

Nanette D’Sa, CEO, Brainworks

Nanette D’Sa is heading Brainworks, a national chain of pre-schools that provides pre-school education through a structured curriculum that maximizes development. Nanette has a background in Marketing, Licensing and Strategic Brand Management. With varied exposure in Disney, Mattel Toys (the makers of Barbie), and Star Television, Nanette chose to steer a home grown education brand with a vision to provide quality yet affordable education to a growing middle India. Nanette and her team firmly committed to the development of the children in the formative early childhood years.

Vandana Gandhi, Director, British Orchard Nurseries

Ms.Vandana Gandhi, is the Director of British Orchard Nurseries, having branches in Dubai, UAE, They also have partnership with UAE government offices and offer franchise and management services. Ms Gandhi who is convent educated has earned a Mathematics honors degree, and a Post Graduate Diploma in International Business opted for investment banking, and has worked as a Vice President in the wealth management division for multinational banks. With a keen sense of entrepreneurship and dedication to provide quality preschool services, she went on to earn her UK Cache Level 4 diploma for quality child care services and has ably grown the British Orchard Nursery to a highly reputed organization, which also hosts Dubai's first dedicated children's gym and fitness center. She believes that sport and physical development inculcate the necessary spirit and talent required to groom a successful child alongwith education. She is now currently pursuing her Master’s in Education from the University of Birmingham, U.K. and aspires to do her doctorate.

Parveen Sahni, Director, Retail Division

As Director of Canon India’s Retail Division, Parveen is responsible for building the Canon Brand in India and growing the company’s retail business in India In his current role, Parveen is responsible for creation and design of the business model backing Canon owned stores called Canon Image Square. His keen sense of business acumen has empowered Canon to promote the concept of Image Squares in 300 stores in leading Malls of India in the next 2 yrs. He is also responsible for building and managing strategic business relationships with the alliance partner community, ‘business development planning ‘market intelligence and analysis’, ‘regional sales development’ and ‘dealer management’ Through his deep understanding of the Digital Camera segment in the country combined with his foresight, Canon has been able to gain a strong leadership position in this segment in India. Before taking over this role at Canon, Parveen has been instrumental in building the companies imaging communication product division wherein he handled products that include Digital Cameras, Digital Video Camcorders, Digital SLR range of cameras and photo printing products as well as building the channel infrastructure for this product portfolio.

Pankaj Sikka, Manager, Licensing Bioworld

Mr. Pankaj Sikka, teamed up with Bioworld – India, brings along an experience of over 12 years in functions like marketing and sales. Bioworld is an industry leader in manufacturing and distributing licensed, private label, branded apparel, headwear and accessories worldwide. Mr Sikka is an astute sales & marketing professional with an umbrella experience of establishing global names in this region. Bioworld Merchandising India is amongst the top licensed merchandising companies in India today with a successful track of establishing merchandise for brands like Disney, Marvel, Warner Bros, Garfield, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and many more in cross categories such as apparel and footwear. Deal origination, negotiations, closure and maintenance are some of his key skill sets. A true networker with client relationship skills coupled with hands-on indepth training received from Bioworld Inc. USA, allowed him to be a strategic fit to establish the licensing function for Bioworld in India. Setting up strategic alliances, key partnerships negotiating and managing licensing relationships are some of the key functions he handles at Bioworld – India. Mr. Sikka received his masters’ degree in management from Narsee Monjee (NMIMS) in Mumbai and is well travelled and exposed to diverse working environments globally.

Rahul Dev, Managing Partner, Tech Corp Legal LLP

Mr. Rahul Dev has previously worked with Amarchand Mangaldas, one of the premier law firms of the country. His practice areas include Intellectual Property Rights, Litigation, Patents, Licensing, and Business laws. He is an author of various international publications, an international speaker and has significant experience in the intellectual property arena. Mr. Dev’s core practice relates to Intellectual Property, Trademark and Brand Management, and he assists his clients in trademark law, related unfair competition law and copyright law. He counsels clients on trademark usage and clearance, branding strategies, domestic and worldwide portfolio management, litigation and enforcement, Internet domain name disputes, licensing and prosecution. He also handles trademark litigation matters in Delhi High Court and in proceedings before the Indian Patent & Trademark Office. In addition, he manages both large and small Indian and international trademark portfolios for a wide variety of companies and he is retained by multiple law firms based in US, EU and Asia Pacific. Additionally, Mr. Dev assists his clients in negotiating and drafting technology and software licenses and has expertise in website hosting and development agreement; online terms and conditions of use policies; IP audits, policies and procedures; software development; license and reseller agreements; joint development agreements; trade secret policies; publishing agreements; internet, computer and e-commerce transactions; IT outsourcing transactions; trademark licensing; sales, distribution and reseller agreements and the like.

Rob Ridder, Partner Bradford Licensing LLC & Media Consultant, USA

Mr. Rob Ridder has many years of management consulting and M & A experience. Mr. Ridder has worked in management positions for Capital Cities, ABC, Westingthouse and Secret Communications plus owning his own broadcast company Ridson, Inc. As a broadcast consultant and broker, he participated in the incredible growth and eventual consolidation of the radio industry in the US during the 1980's and 1990's. Mr. Ridder has been a media consultant all over the world with significant assignments in the UK and United Arab Emirates. For past 15 years Mr. Ridder has also been an angel investor, primarily in media / marketing, internet based service providers, and internet security companies. Mr. Ridder’s latest investment has been in Bradford Licensing, LLC and Bradford License India. Rob has a BA degree from Hamilton College.

Col. Arvinder Singh, Chief Operating Officer, K.P.H Dream Cricket Pvt Ltd (Kings XI Punjab)

A gold medallist from Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College, Dehra Dun, and awarded the Academy Cadet Adjutant and President’s Medal from National Defence Academy, Colonel Arvinder Singh served his country from the year 1987 – 2009. During his tenure with the Indian Army, Colonel Arvinder Singh was deputed with United Nations as Chief Operating Officer of the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea. He was also awarded the most prestigious Thimmaya Medal for best all round performance at the Defence Services Staff College with distinction in M.Sc. In the year 2009, he joined KPH Dream Cricket Pvt Ltd (Kings XI Punjab) as VP Operations and took charge of the overseas operations for Kings XI Punjab in South Africa. For 2 years he was the Senior VP of the franchise and with his excellent man management skills and disciplined outlook he gave a new color to the franchise. Col. Arvinder Singh was appointed as the Chief Operating Officer of the franchise in 2010 and remains to act in the same position with a promising future for the franchise.

Sundeep Malhotra, Founder & CEO, Homeshop18

A veteran in the retail sector, Sundeep conceptualized and established the home shopping industry in India. Sundeep has 20 years of retail and FMCG experience. Prior to Homeshop18, he was the Executive Vice President Sales for PepsiCo India. Earlier to Pepsi, he had a 5 year stint with Benetton India, as their Head Sales & Marketing for the Indian subcontinent and a 10 year stint with Bata India Ltd, across various functions from Brand Management to Retail Head. He is currently the Co-Chairman of FICCI’s Retail Committee and has been awarded in 2011 Asia Retail Congress as “CEO of Year 2011”among Asia’s top 50 CEOs. He is an alumnus of the prestigious Delhi University.

Sanjay Agarwal, MD, Future Research Design Company Pvt Ltd

Sanjay is an architect and retail designer by profession. An alumni of CEPT Ahmedabad and Domus, Italy; he started his career in retail with ITC Ltd (Wills Lifestyle) in 1999, and thereafter moved to Madura Garments (Aditya Birla), where He spearheaded modernization of retail design between 2002 and 2007. He co-founded his own firm FRDC (Future Research design Company) in 2008 with core focus of creating innovative Retail Experience. FRDC in strategic partnership with JGA, USA and ADIG Studio, USA, and enjoys continued relationship with clients like ITC, Raymonds, Tata , Spencer, Viveks, Neerus, Onida, Nokia, United Health Group, Jindal Steels and others.

Samir Jain, Director, Green Gold Animation Pvt. Ltd

Mr. Samir Jain is an energetic entrepreneur with over 20 years of working experience. Mr. Jain is part of the SB group of companies that has a total turnover of USD 45 Million. His business interest are varied and spread across Real Estate, Chemicals, Plastics, Pu foam and FMCG products. It was Mr. Jain foresight that led him to promote and expand the Green Gold brand.

Aneesh Reddy, Co Founder & CEO, Capillary Technologies

An entrepreneur, a tech enthusiast, a never-say-die attitude, Aneesh is the co-founder and CEO of Capillary Technologies. Aneesh has had a remarkable track record prior to co-founding Capillary Technologies. He holds a B.Tech in Manufacturing Engineering from IIT Kharagpur (IIT KGP). Before starting Capillary, Aneesh worked for ITC Limited as project engineer and was heading the machinery equipment management for ITC’s Bangalore facility. He was part of the team setting up ITC’s new Greenfield tobacco factory in Pune worth over INR 700 Crores. Aneesh is an avid traveler and enjoys meeting new people.

Andy M. Jha, CFO, Wiesner Products, Inc.

Born and raised in Calcutta, India, Mr. Andy M. Jha performed his undergraduate work in engineering in the early 1980’s and continued his career in sales in the engineering field. After immigrating to the United States, Mr. Jha received his MBA from Dowling College in 1986 in Administration and Finance For the last 20 years Mr. Jha has performed the dual role of CFO and COO for Wiesner Products,a New York based company encompassing many divisions including footwear,apparel,socks,home products, swim wear and others.

Abhishek Bansal, Executive Director, Pacific Malls

Abhishek has an experience in construction and managing the group’s five operational shopping centers. He has recently established the Group’s flagship shopping centre, Pacific, a million sq. ft. development in Delhi. It is the new landmark on India’s shopping capital and is positioned as the most stylish shopping, entertainment and leisure experience in the city. He is currently also involved in developing in around 5 million sq.ft of mall space across major cities like Dehradun, Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Mathura etc.”

Mr. Gaurav Brar, Director, Cartoon Network Enterprises, South Asia Turner International India Pvt. Ltd

Based in Mumbai, Mr. Gaurav Brar is responsible for the overall Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE) business in South Asia including the expansion of core CNE businesses that include Licensing & Merchandising, Publishing, Home Entertainment and Promotional Licensing. Mr. Brar is also mandated with the launch of new business streams under development for expansion of CNE’s business interest in the region. With a strong FMCG and consumer products background, Gaurav will further solidify Turner’s strong presence across 4500 retail counters and consumer touchpoints developed around its leading kids’ channels in India – Cartoon Network and POGO. Prior to joining Turner, Gaurav spent 10 years with the FMCG giant - Johnson & Johnson and then joined the Walt Disney Company India in June 2008 to manage the licensed publishing division where he quadrupled the business in 2 years and also set up a vertical model. Mr. Brar is an MBA graduate of the Indian Institute of Management in Kolkata.

Pyush Lohia, Director and Co-founder, Lohia Warehouse

A graduated from Arizona State University, USA with a degree in Supply Chain Management and Business Administration, Mr Pyush Lohia set up Lohia Warehouse Pvt. Ltd. to service modern retail businesses in India in 2007. Since then, Lohia Warehouse has successfully built a strong customer portfolio and created niche for itself in the Indian retail industry by building efficiencies through out the supply chain and providing exclusive merchandise to its customers. In 2010, Mr. Lohia took plunge into the marketing side of Lohia Auto Industries as the Brand Director, Lohia group’s electric vehicle division. Since his association with the group, he has made vital contributions in the growth and expansion of group business practices at a tender age of 25 years.

Akash Gupt, Executive Director, Tax and Regulatory Services, PwC India

Mr Akash Gupt leads the Regulatory Services Practice within TRS nationally. His areas of expertise include investment and transaction structuring in view of the foreign investment policy, exchange control and sectoral regulatory frameworks. With over 14 years of experience, Mr. Gupt has advised many foreign companies on tax and regulatory matters for investing in India and has assisted them in setting up subsidiaries, joint ventures and carrying out other business transactions. He has worked across a wide variety of sectors including telecom, entertainment and media, financial services, consumer and industrial products, energy, infrastructure and aerospace and defene. Mr. Gupt is a qualified Chartered Accountant.

Rajesh Sharma, Assistant Vice President – Brand Capital, The Times Group (BCCL)

Brand Capital provides funding to growth oriented enterprises for their long term advertising needs. It is an innovative offering from The Times Group, which has the strongest media platforms with national presence. In its 5 years of existence, the business has helped build brand value for over 300 companies like Future Group (Pantaloons, Big Bazaar), MCX, Zicom, Videocon, Provogue, Gitanjali, Thyrocare, etc. With investments in over 300 companies, Brand Capital is the largest PE fund in terms of number of investments Rajesh is an economist by education (Delhi School of Economics) and is trained in Capital Markets (ISB+JBIMS+BSE) and Brand & Communications (ISB+BVB). Started career as an entrepreneur at a very young age, setting up his own ventures in Media & Advertising, Education, Textiles & Tea business. He has worked across industries - Private Equity, Consulting, Research & Analytics, Media & Advertising, Information & Content, Internet/IT/ITES, Education & FMCG, helping companies like The Times Group (BCCL), CRISIL (S&P), KOTAK MAHINDRA and NIIT set up new, innovative and high growth ventures. At Brand Capital he works together with companies and promoters across sectors, helping them create and unlock value by building scalable branded businesses. Has been a key speaker at various VC/PE, Brand and cross Industry forums, helping Promoters / Companies understand how to leverage the tools available in the modern economy to grow their businesses exponentially.

R. Sriram, Entrepreneur Mentor, Consultant

Sriram’s established Landmark , Walden and the Crossword book store chain, “Next Practice Retail”, offering services to consumer and retail businesses. He is the President of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Mumbai, advisor to Seedfund, and Director on the Boards of Camlin Ltd and Camlin Alphakids Ltd. Sriram has been a visiting faculty at IIM also.

Akbar Khwaja, Managing Director, United Pizza Restaurants Pvt. Ltd

Extensive experience of 23 years in F&B business. Has owned and managed several restaurants, Pubs and Bars. Studied Engineering and earned a Business Management degree while working with U S Pizza With U S Pizza from 1995 and instrumental for expanding US Pizza to the present strength. Specially proficient in developing franchising network for brands with unique and innovative franchising strategies Currently he is spearheading the company’s initiatives to develop more brands in the food segment in the country

Sanjeev Kapoor Chef, Author, Anchor and a Celebrity

Sanjeev Kapoor is the most celebrated face of Indian cuisine today. He is Chef extraordinaire, TV show host, author of best selling cookbooks, restaurant consultant, co-owner of TV channel and winner of several culinary awards! He is living his dream of making Indian cuisine the number one cuisine in the world and empowering Indian women through power of cooking to become self sufficient. Words fall short to explain him. In a nutshell, Sanjeev Kapoor and his single minded determination to achieve his goals epitomise the famous saying – a man with a dream will not be denied.

Anand Lunia, Chief Financial Officer , Seed Advisors Pvt. Ltd.

Over 13 years of experience as entrepreneur, venture investor and corporate executive. Currently ED and CFO at Seedfund, led investments in tech, internet, education and retail ventures. Co-founder of Brainvisa, leading e-learning company of India. Created the business plan, led the team in fund raising, ramping up and exit. Exec. VP Operations of Hurix Technologies- a leading publishing KPO. Responsible for 800 people creative team, operations, sales and marketing . Worked at Asian Paints, ICICI Treasury, Lionbridge . MBA from IIM and Bachelor of Engineering. Guest Faculty, Biz-plan mentor and Jury member at IITs, IIMs, SP Jain, NITIE. Angel Investor in Inkfruit, Faasos and others. Charter member of TiE, active mentor and faculty

Bikky Khosla, CEO , Infocom Network Ltd

Mr. Khosla has been commited to the cause of exporters and SMES throughout his career. He is the Co-Chairman on ASSOCHAM SME's Expert Committee. He ventured into a career in international trade soon after his graduation during the 1980s. He started Infocom Network Limited in 1991 and started publishing Exporters Yellow Pages for Indianexporters. In 1996, he started a 2b portal, tradeindia.com for exporters and importers. He travelled extensively to Europe and the USA, initially dealing with importers across the two continents.

D.K.Jairath, Chief Operating Officer, HHRPL

Mr. D.K. Jairath has been instrumental in defining the diversification plans of HSIL Ltd to become a total home solutions company, and now heads their new home interiors retail venture, EVOK. Equipped with a sound Technical, Commercial, HR & Strategy skills, Mr. Jairath has been instrumental in several TQM & Process management initiatives across organisations. Mr. Jairath began his professional journey as a trainee Engineer with Hero Honda Motors and then moved on to hold several key positions with Escorts, Yamaha and Godrej Group. Mr. Jairath graduated as an Engineer & holds a master degree in Business Administration.

Shahnaz Husain, Founder, Shahnaz Husain Group of Companies

Shahnaz Husain is a prominent Indian female entrepreneur best known for her herbal cosmetics, particularly skin care products. Currently, the Shahnaz Husain Group has over 400 franchise clinics across the world covering over 138 countries. Her group’s products are sold in leading global stores including Bloomingdale's (New York), Galleries Lafayette (Paris), Seibu (Japan), Harrodsand Selfridges (London), and La Rinaeccente (Milan). She has been awarded the Padma Shri, a civilian award by the Government of India in 2006, and Success Magazine's "World's Greatest Woman Entrepreneur" award in 1996

Atul Ahuja, Vice President-Retail, Apollo Pharmacy

Atul is Vice President-Retail at Apollo Pharmacy, India’s largest pharmacy chain with over 1,250 retail outlets across India. He has over 15 years of experience in business strategy & retail operations. At Apollo Pharmacy, Atul heads the strategic initiatives in retail businesses, merchandising functions, development of private labels and rollout responsibilities for the new outlets. Prior to Apollo, Atul lead the Hyderabad practice of KSA-Technopak, wherein he advised both greenfield as well as established retail businesses. Atul is a MBA from Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi and has Bachelor’s in Commerce from Delhi University.

Vipin Jain, Director, Logicash

Vipin Jain is the Director at Logicash, a service provider offering web-based application (real time information) and cost effective solutions in providing end to end cash mobilisation services. Jain is a Science alumnus from Rajasthan University. He has a rich and varied experience of 25+ years. Prior to joining CMS, he was associated with developing innovative financial products specialising in short-term venture capital which in early 90s was not known to many. His sharp analytical skills and ability to forecast laid a foundation of Money Ease (J.V), a NBFC organisation. Later, he moved to CMS Computers where he took up the challenge to handle a completely new product and division of CMS under the banner of CMS Securitas Ltd which in the year 1999 became an independent entity and a profit-yielding centre for CMS Computers. Jain’s strength lies in bringing together and building charged teams of high potential-high performing people.

Rachna Agarwal, Chief Executive Officer, Indus-League Clothing Limited

Rachna holds a Bsc (honours) degree in Economics, from St. Xavier’s, Calcutta and a Post Graduate diploma in Management from IIM-A. She has worked at two outstanding firms in her 18-year career – Madura Garments (1992-99) and Indus-League Clothing Ltd. In 1999, Rachna co-promoted the venture capital funded brand-marketing firm, Indus-League Clothing Ltd. (ILCL) along with 7 other colleagues. The Future Group, India’s largest Retail group, acquired Indus-League Clothing Ltd. in 2005 and Rachna took over as CEO of Indus-League Clothing Ltd in 2008. She is married to Arun Sirdeshmukh, currently CEO of Reliance Trends and they have 2 daughters, Riya (12) and Risha (7).

Siju Narayan, Retail Industry Lead, Microsoft India

Mr. Siju Narayan is the Retail Industry Lead at Microsoft. He is a veteran of retail and institutional sales and marketing in India with 15 years of experience. Having worked with blue chip Indian and multinational corporations, he has gained expertise in managing various aspects of the demand and supply chain. For the past eight years, he has been involved with corporations in providing retailers in India technology solutions to help them land their business plans. To stay ahead, Narayan keenly follows these trends: customer centricity, supply chain visibilities, business collaboration models, e-commerce and the social impact on retailing.

Rakesh Yadav, Head, AGL India

Mr Rakesh Yadav is a graduate from IIT Kanpur, batch of 2001, and looks after the overall business strategy and alliances of AdGlobal360 (AGL), a Digital Agency he Co-Founded in 2009. He is a big proponent of an integrated online marketing approach, where smart use of search engines and social media can enable businesses "attract, engage and retain" right customers. AGL is also working closely with Google India, Melbourne IT and Verisign to get Indian SMBs online and help them realize the true potential from their online presence.

Puneet K Bhatia, Director, Internet Business Solutions Group Cisco Systems Inc.

Based in New Delhi, Mr Puneet K Bhatia leads the Enterprise vertical focused on Retail and Manufacturing verticals in IBSG India. IBSG is the global strategic consulting arm of Cisco that helps CXO’s and public sector leaders transform their organizations – first by designing innovative business processes, and then by integrating advanced technologies into visionary roadmaps that address key CXO concerns. He has over 15 years of experience in areas of strategy, cost optimization, process improvements and enterprise risk management. Mr. Bhatia holds an MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur and is a certified ‘Six Sigma Black Belt’ from General Electric Co.

Niyat Parekh, CEO, GBL

Gitanjali Brands’ Chief Executive Officer, Niyat Parekh, manages the company’s jewellery brands like Diya, Rivaaz and G’Divas. These brands cater to the customers who prefer delicate, elegant and low-weight jewellery with diamonds, pearls, coloured stones, CZ and 18k gold. Parekh after graduating in International Business and Marketing from London started his career at J.D. Sports, a leading sports retail company. But he soon realised that his interest lay in the luxury retail industry. Therefore, he joined Gitanjali Brands ltd seven years back. Starting as a Sales Manager, he soon gained ground level management experience and with the support of his co workers and superiors, grew within the company. This year Gitanjali Brands launched G’Divas that will cater to the demands of the young independent working women. Under Parekh’s guidance, Diya has become the fastest growing diamond jewellery brand in domestic markets.

Ken Nisch, Chairman, JGA

Since 1971, JGA has grown to become a global leader in brand strategy and retail design. Mr. Ken Nisch became JGA President in 1987 and Chairman in 1995. As Chairman, he works internationally with responsibilities that include client liaison and project strategy. DDI Magazine recognized Mr. Nisch as a “Retail Luminary” in 2010. He also was awarded a “Retail Influencer” Award by DDI in 2011. In 2009, he was inducted into the Retail Design Institute Legion of Honor.

Huzefa S. Merchant, Founder & CEO, Insync Retail Project Management (P) Ltd Director, Safe Group

Mr Huzefa S. Merchant leads the product design wing of Insync. It was under his leadership Insync created India’s first comprehensive range of standardized shop fitting systems. Mr Merchant came up with the unique concept of India’s first chain of showrooms for off-the-shelf sales of shopfitting components. Insync is part of Safe Enterprises. In 1991 Safe Enterprises was the first Indian company to involve its efforts into the design and manufacturing of modular retail display solutions. Its clientele includes the retailers like Reliance Retail, Landmark Group, Tata Trent, Shoppers Stop, Spencer’s Retail and many others. In two decades the Group has supplied fit outs to over 30000 retail outlets which span across an estimated 15 million sq ft of retail space in all parts of India.

Asitava Sen, Senior Director& Head, Food & Agri Business, Research & Advisory India, Rabobank

Asitava Sen is the Senior Director and Head of Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory for Rabobank Group in India. He is a Mechanical Engineer from Jadavpur University and has an MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur. He has over 20 years of experience in management consulting, research and marketing focused around retail /wholesale, food, agribusiness and consumer industries. Sen has handled several senior level assignments in organisations like PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) India, The Nielsen Company, Technopark Advisors, and A.F. Ferguson.

Vineet Sharma, Managing Director and JV partner, Parragon Publishing India

Mr. Vineet Sharma has spent several years in the book and magazine publishing industry. Starting his career with the Business India Group, Mr. Sharma moved on to Dorling Kindersley, a leading visual publisher. Thereafter he set up a business representing publishers from the UK and US in the Indian subcontinent and then moved on to acquiring a joint venture as an equal shareholder, with Parragon, a global publishing major. Given his interest in fashion eyewear industry, Mr. Sharma is also the Chairman and Founder Director of a British joint venture company, Aureole Inspecs, which is the global licensee of various international brands. While journeying through an interesting and eventful career, Mr. Sharma has successfully managed several global brands and licenses in the space of international publishing as well as the world of fashion.

Achille Forler, MD, Deep Emotions Publishing

Born in France, Mr. Achille Forler has three decades of experience in the creative industries. Trained in graphic arts, Mr. Forler has spent 10 years in cultural management; then 5 years as a public servant (French Ministry of Foreign Affairs) in charge of creative industries. In 1995, as an entrepreneur, he established India's first music publishing company, Deep Emotions Publishing, which is co-owned today by Universal Music Publishing. More recently Mr. Forler established Silk Road Communications, a music service company which provides the most exclusive and sophisticated Sound Design and Audio Branding services to a chic clientele of corporate users; the company has redefined the bond between Music and Architecture in the deluxe hotel industry in India.

Hrishi Oberoi, Director, IG Studios Indiagames Ltd.

Mr. Hrishi Oberoi has been in the gaming industry and with Indiagames for over nine years now, during which he has designed, programmed and produced over 112 games for the mobile phone, PC, handheld and console gaming platforms. Mr. Oberoi also chairs the Content Committee of the "NASSCOM Game Developer Conference" and helps promote game development in India at various conferences and educational institutes. As Director of IG Studios, Mr. Oberoi oversees all the studios responsible for the production of all Indiagames' titles and he is also the Business Head of the International Publishing business at Indiagames. Mr. Oberoi is a B.E. from RAIT and M.Sc. from George Washington University, where he specialized in Computer Graphics and Animation.

Kiran Kothekar, Founding Director, Vector Consulting Group

Kiran Kothekar is the Founding Director of Vector Consulting Group. The Group is the leader in Theory of Constraints (TOC) consulting in India with more than 20 success stories in medium to large organisations in the country. Kothekar has been a pioneer in ushering TOC as a companywide initiative in the country, thus playing a major role in increasing confidence in TOC among the corporate sector in India. He is the most experienced TOC consultant in the country, and has assisted more than 30 companies in India to deploy TOC Solutions and Thinking and achieve quantum gains. These include companies in the Tata group, Godrej group, Raymond group, Cummins group, Bajaj Electricals, etc. Personally mentored by Dr. Goldratt, Kothekar has also served on the Board of TOC International Certifying Organisation.

Anshu Dubey, VP- Retail Sector, Global Business Service, IBM India / SA

Mr. Anshu Dubey is the Retail Industry Leader for India/ South Asia region at IBM Global Business Services. He is also the General Business Leader for East India/South Asia, across all industries. Mr. Dubey has eighteen years of experience in Management and IT consulting. He has worked on consulting assignments for a variety of industries including retail, oil & gas, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, consumer products and service. In his current role Mr. Dubey is overseeing the complete gamut of operations from marketing through sales, solutioning, delivery to closure; involving developing relevant solutions and skills competency.

Prem Kamath, Executive Vice President and GM, Channel [v] Star India Pvt Ltd

Mr. Prem Kamath was appointed as the GM of Channel [v] in February 2009 and has led the transition of the channel from being a music channel to India’s No.1 Youth Entertainment channel. The [v] Spot Café+Bar is the channel’s foray into the F&B business and the first such by any channel in the country. The first [V] Spot opened in Delhi in May 2011 and will be rolled out in 30 cities over the next 3 years. In May 2007, Mr. Kamath joined Star India as VP, Marketing. He was responsible for marketing and communication across all the channels of the network, which including Star Plus, Star Gold, Star Utsav, Star One, Star Movies and Star World. Mr. Kamath passed out from Mudra Institute of Communication, Ahmedabad (MICA) in 1998 and joined Bates David Enterprise in Mumbai.. After a year, Mr. Kamath moved to Leo Burnett where he worked for eight years on prominent brands such as Coca-Cola, Thums Up, Maaza, Bajaj Auto, Kellogg’s and Johnny Walker.

Rahul Gambhir, Director- Licensing, Tommy Hilfiger

Mr. Rahul Gambhir has 16 years of experience in diverse industries ranging from FMCG to Financial Services to Fashion Industry. As Director - Licensing for Tommy Hilfiger India, Mr. Gambhir provides strategic direction on current & future licensed categories for the fashion major. In his previous role, Mr. Gambhir was heading the Red Bull operations in India.

Dilip Cherian, Co-founder & Consulting Partner, Perfect Relations

A pioneer of image management in India, Mr Dilip Cherian is India’s foremost communications & public affairs consultant, a political advisor and a practicing political & policy specialist of repute. He is a member of the Board of Governors in Advertising Standard Council of India, on the Governing Council of the National Institute of Design and the Ministry of Company Affairs, on the Board of Governors of the National Board of Film Certification and many other boards. Mr Cherian has been the Editor of business magazine, Business India and of newspaper, Observer of Business and Politics.

Imran Jafar, Partner, Gaja Capital

Imran Jafar is a Partner at Gaja Capital started in 2004 as an independent, India-focused private equity firm that provides growth capital to leaders in emerging sectors. He has a post graduate degree in software engineering from BITS-Pilani and an MBA from IIM-Bangalore. He started his career at Wipro Technologies. Later, he gained 12 years of experience in Private Equity, Pharmaceuticals and Technology services. Prior to this company, Jafar was an Associate Director with Dr. Reddy’s in their portfolio management team in the U.S. His sector interest spans emerging sectors like Education, Healthcare, Defense and Consumer goods. Jafar is closely involved with Gaja’s Education and Consumer portfolios including Educomp Solutions (India’s largest education company), Millennium Schools (India’s largest for-profit private K12 chain), CL Educate (India’s largest Test Prep and Higher Education Services Company), Indus World Schools (India’s leading chain of K12 schools) and John Distilleries Pvt. ltd (India’s 5th largest spirits company).

Mahesh Murthy, Founder, Pinstorm

Mahesh Murthy is one of India's recognised experts in youth marketing - having helped launch MTV India, run Channel V and managed offline and online marketing efforts for brands like Pepsi, Nike, Idea Cellular, Lipton and The Economist. Mahesh has spent over 25 years in marketing and advertising, of which the last 15 have been in digital marketing. After dropping out of college, Mahesh sold vacuum cleaners from door to door, worked with Grey in India and Ogilvy in Hong Kong, where he won notoriety and awards as a creative director on HP, Korean Air and other brands - for whom he wrote and directed a spot voted “Asia’s best commercial of the decade”. He then moved to a Silicon Valley firm, CKS Partners as Creative Director, General Manager and Partner – where he helped launch Yahoo and Amazon.com globally. After a successful NASDAQ IPO, Mahesh moved to head marketing at iCat, an e-commerce firm in Seattle subsequently acquired by Intel. Mahesh then returned to India to run Channel V, a rival to MTV, until its sale to Newscorp in 2000 and then founded Passionfund to invest in startups. While running search marketing campaigns for his favourite charity in 2003, Mahesh believed there was a need for a digital brand management company - and set up Pinstorm in Bombay. With over 120 people across offices in India, Singapore, Malaysia and Europe and the US, Pinstorm is today among the world's path-breaking digital marketing firms. Mahesh writes a column in the Wall Street Journal and speaks regularly at conferences around the world.

Manik Thapar, Founder & CEO, EcoWise

Manik is one of the pioneers of waste management industry in India. He is a Canadian Citizen with Indian origin, and having done his MBA from The De Vos School of Management, Michigan, he moved to India in 2005. Currently, EcoWise is treating around 10 tons of waste on a daily basis through composting and recycling methods. Last year, his company managed to divert 5000 tons of waste from ending up in landfill site out of which 3250 tons was composted and 1250 tons was recycled. Manik’s long-term vision for the company is to generate electricity from waste and to divert 100 per cent of the waste collected from ending up in landfill site by 2020.

Sandeep Ahuja, Managing Director (Health Care) & CEO (International), VLCC

Sandeep Ahuja is Managing Director of VLCC Health Care Ltd, the holding company of the VLCC Group and also the head of VLCC’s international operations, based in Dubai. He is a graduate in economics and a postgraduate in marketing and advertising. Prior to joining VLCC, he was Director and CEO of Lexicon Public Relations and Corporate Consultants Limited, an affiliate of Fleishman-Hillard, Inc. He was largely responsible for establishing Lexicon as one of the top 10 communications consultancies in India and worked with a host of prestigious companies as clients, including Avon Beauty Products, Domino’s Pizza, Escorts Group, Goodyear India, Iomega, Lufthansa German Airlines, Maruti Udyog, Timex Watches, Toyota Motor Company, United Airlines and WorldCom. Ahuja’s varied expertise and experience of over two decades spans marketing, communications strategy development, media relations and brand communications.

C K Kumaravel, MD, Naturals Beauty Saloon, India Ltd.

As an MD, Mr CK Kumaravel takes crucial decisions responsible for the strategic growth of the company. His determination and passion for the business has made Naturals grow leaps and bounds within a short span of 10 years with over 80 salons in its chain. Being into the business of Salon Industry & Training Academy, his wish is to prove himself as an inspiring guide to the aspiring young entrepreneurs. His goal in the near future is to empower 1000 women entrepreneurs and give job opportunity to 10000 people. He is the man behind Natural’s `Groom India’ vision which strives to bring change in the life of aspiring women entrepreneurs in the society.

Wagner Lopes D'Almeida, Partner, Global Franchise Net

Wagner Lopes D´Almeida is Partner at Global Franchise Net. He served as a consultant on organisational productivity from 1980 to 1996, developing projects aimed at reducing costs, increasing productivity and profitability in manufacturing medium and large segments required for the production of buses, auto parts for major automakers in Brazil, and for major footwear and pharmaceutical industries, among others. D´Almeida assisted in shaping and implementing the Sapataria Do Futuro franchise. In early 2002 were launched franchises Lavanderia do Futuro and then Golden Services Franchise, the largest franchise network of personal services in the country. In 13 years D´Almeida built a network of more than 450 franchises in Brazil and abroad. Besides these, he developed over 100 projects that have transformed businesses to successful franchises in the Brazilian market. He also helped the North American franchisees Quiznos and Salad Creations in Brazil in the implementation of their pilot plants and national expansion.

Virbhadra Singh, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), Government of India

Shri Virbhadra Singh is one of the senior most Members of Parliament in the 15th Lok Sabha. He is a post graduate from St. Stephen College, Delhi. A member of the Indian National Congress, he has worked for and served the Congress Party for the past 47 years. In his long career, he has held various important posts – as the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh for five terms; Dy. Minister of Tourism & Civil Aviation, Govt. of India; Minister of State, for Industries, Govt. of India; as Leader of Opposition in the Assembly; as P.C.C. President in H.P.; and as elected Member of Parliament (five terms) and elected Member of Legislative Assembly (seven terms). A veteran Rajput leader, Singh is known as one of the strongest grassroot politicians having direct rapport with the general masses.

Tony Maddock, Managing Director, Solutions Franchising Group

Tony Maddock is the Managing Director of Solutions Franchising Group based in Melbourne, Australia. The company operates franchising services throughout Australia. Maddock has had over thirty years of experience in retail and franchising throughout Australia, gaining experience at Woolworths and the successful Donut King franchises. In recent years, he has worked closely with The Coffee Club in franchisee recruitment and is currently working with a dozen profiles of Australian franchises providing recruitment, strategy, system development and training services. The company’s vision of providing the best professional service in Australia and abroad, with efficiency and courteousness, also represents Maddock’s personal ambition of providing success in the Indian market.

Srinivasan KA, Co Founders, Amagi

Srini is a problem solver and a business alchemist who loves to design innovative business models. Srini is one of the co-founders of Amagi and leads strategy, business development and marketing at Amagi. Srini has spent the better part of his career building sales & marketing organizations and spearheading business development. Srini had earlier co-founded Impulsesoft which went on to become the worldwide leader in Bluetooth stereo. As Director of Sales at Impulsesoft, Srini drove strategy and sales execution at Impulsesoft and was responsible for successfully building its business across various geographies including Japan & Asia pacific. Impulsesoft was eventually acquired by SiRF Technology in 2005 for its technology leadership in Bluetooth; Post acquisition, Srini headed wireless business development for Asia & Europe at SiRF and drove relationships with key operators, handset OEMs and ecosystem partners in the region. Prior to Impulsesoft, Srini was building technology products at IDeaS (now part of SAS) in Minnesota and Texas Instruments in Bangalore. Srini is a regular speaker at various forums on entrepreneurship and business management.

Snehal Vashi, Vice President – Operations, Mahindra Retail(Mom & Me)

Snehal is an M.Com, MBA and started his career with the well-known apparel and food retailer Woolworths in Johannesburg, South Africa. He has spent a phenomenal 20 years with Woolworths learning the tricks of retail trade. Snehal moved back to India in February 2007 and has worked with Reliance Retail heading Rajasthan operations and Spar Hypermarkets heading all India operations. Snehal has been with Mahindra Retail since December 2008. For the last 2 years, he has also been handling the dual responsibility of heading Operations as well as Business Development. He has been instrumental in the rapid and aggressive expansion plan of Mom & Me from 7 to 67 stores (including the immediate pipeline). Snehal is passionate about making windfalls in the stock market and his pet dog ‘Whisky’ is the apple of his eye!

Sidharth Gupta, CEO, GETIT Infoservices (P) Ltd.

A graduate in Statistics from Delhi University, Sidharth completed the ISB Wharton Global Advanced Management Programme from Indian Business School, Hyderabad & Wharton Business School, USA. In his early career Sidharth pioneered FreeAds (India’s largest selling free-classified ads paper) and Asianvendors.com (a B2B trade portal with participation from eight Asian countries). Currently he serves on the board of the International Classified Media Association (ICMA) and is a member of the Asian Directories Publishers Association Inc (ADPAI). He joined his family-run Yellow Pages business in 1993. He assumed the role of the CEO in 2008 and now oversees the overall strategic and tactical direction of the company.

Rajiv Soni, Senior Vice President - SME, Banking & Financial Services and VAR

Mr. Rajiv Soni has around 17 years of multi function experience in Corporate Banking, Wealth Management, Retail Liabilities, Retail Assets, Equity Broking, Revenue Generation, Customer Acquisition and Retention. His last association was with Kotak Mahindra Bank as Regional Business Manager, heading the branch banking network of 22 branches. Mr. Soni has done his Masters in Business Administration from Punjabi University, Patiala. He is also an associate member of ICWA, Calcutta and The Institute of Bankers, Mumbai. He has also done certifications in Mutual Funds, Insurance Products and Strategic Management from ISB Hyderabad.

Pierre Hermans, Chief Executive Officer, Syntech International

Pierre Hermans is the Chief Executive Officer at Syntech International, the Holding company of the entire Kusters Engineering subsidiaries, supplying all Central Banks in the world with currency destruction machinery and also leads its cash division. Hermans studied mechanical engineering in Eindhoven and afterwards he studied at Nijenrode University, where he specialised in Business Administration. In addition, he did various sales and management programmes, negotiation and leadership training at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France. Hermans has been directing several companies in India which serve the Commercial Banking community here, and lately, abroad. His expertise comprises: setting up high performance sales organisations; product development and innovative concepts; dealing with Far East factories; general and strategic management; and reorganisations.

Padmaja Ruparel, President, Indian Angel Network

Padmaja Ruparel is the President of Indian Angel Network (IAN), India's first and Asia's largest group of business angels, comprising the who's who of successful entrepreneurs and dynamic CEOs from India and overseas. Ruparel built IAN from inception, which over five years has over 170 investors with a portfolio of 25 companies across multiple sectors and geographies. She established a unique model of an incubator based on domain expertise and mentoring value that can be provided to young fledgling companies. This has been established in partnership with the Government of India. With an experience of over 25 years, Ruparel has been a key player in the entrepreneurial eco system of India. She operationalised the TiE Delhi chapter and has been the key in reviving the Indian Venture Capital Association, India's oldest and largest association of VC and PE firms and till March 2011, was the CFO of the organisation.

Naveen Rakhecha, CEO, Cartridge World, South Asia

Mr Naveen Rakhecha’s career spans over 22 action-packed and successful years traversing across banking, office automation, logistics, retailing and franchising, the last 12 years of which, he has been involved in franchising. He was responsible for bringing Cartridge World to South Asia, which has revolutionised the printer cartridges market. Cartridge World has been established as the industry leader in India. Mr Rakhecha has been with AFL Pvt Ltd since 1995 and has been the key driver in initially setting-up and successfully launching various new businesses including AFL Wiz Express, the domestic express business & Western Union Money Transfer.

Marc Ng, President & CEO, Berrylite Pte ltd

Marc Ng is the President & CEO of Berrylite Pte ltd owning five Berrylite stores selling 100 per cent fat-free frozen yoghurt in Singapore. Ng is a graduate from the University of Southern California where he studied Electrical Engineering and attended Temasek Polytechnic in Mechatronics Engineering. In 2007-2008, Ng worked as Business Development Manager at Future Electronics Inc where he was responsible for the LED business in Asia-Pacific region. Berrylite store is Ng’s initiative to promote healthy eating habits among the public at large. He aims to establish Berrylite as a household brand whereby everyone gets to enjoy true, authentic frozen yoghurt not only in the shores of Singapore, but also into other parts of Asia.

Jagdeep Chhabra, Chairman and Manging Director, Chhabra 555

Mr. Jagdeep Chhabra is the entrepreneur behind the brand "Chhabra 555" who has been instrumental in expanding its reach across the country. He has institutionalized various new processes and practices to make the business one of the most organized entities in the Indian retail market while simultaneously escalating its size and scale. He has strived to build and leverage an established supplier base, strong distribution network and effective accounting mechanisms to spur consistent growth.

Elizabeth Tan, Business Development Director, Heatwave Shoes

Elizabeth Tan is the Business Development Director of regional shoe brand, Heatwave Shoes. She is responsible for spearheading the internal and external development of the company in the international market by establishing the brand as a leading retailer in female footwear. Her current projects include increasing management productivity and driving sales through the incorporation of technology. Tan has helped in increasing the international presence of the brand from 7 stores to 37 stores by franchising the company’s unique business model. She has also forged a strong brand identity story for her company and increased its sales revenue by 20 per cent each year.

Charles Wong, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, People Impact

Charles Wong is the founder and CEO of People Impact. He is a chartered marketer (MCIM) in the UK and also holds a Master of Science in International Marketing (University of Strathclyde, UK), a Bachelor of Education with Honours (University of Liverpool, UK) and a Postgraduate Certificate in Chinese Law (Tsinghua University School of Law, China). Wong has previously worked in a variety of multinational companies (MNC), with a period as senior executive in Sara Lee Corporation (a Fortune 100 company) and other listed companies in Switzerland and the United Kingdom, including Siber Hegner and Swire Group. With more than 20 years of experience in international business, his mission now includes his desire to share a variety of way(s) to help individual and corporate institutions succeed with their respective developmental strategies, both in their present circumstances and beyond. Wong is also a highly experienced communicator, corporate leader, educator and trainer.

Arun K.Khetan, CEO & Managing Director, New Age Knowledge Solutions Limited

Arun K.Khetan is the CEO & Managing Director of New Age Knowledge Solutions Limited, a multi-divisional education company. Khetan is a Chartered Accountant with a rich experience of more than 22 years possessing strong management and entrepreneurial skills. The company under his guidance has set up approx. 150 franchisees in over a year’s time with pre-school brand “I Play I Learn”, tutoring - “The Scholar’s Hub”, and is in the process of setting schools under the brand “Universal Minds’ Global School”. Khetan has the credentials to set up more than 1,200 educational franchisees across the nation and abroad. His previous accomplishments include setting up Kidzee, Kidzeehigh and ZIMA, which he spearheaded as CEO of Zee Education (Zee Interactive Learning Systems ltd).

Anuj Jain, COO, Jindal Lifestyles ltd

The COO of Jindal Lifestyles ltd, Anuj Jain has more than 20 years of management experience in Sales & Marketing. He is a Masters in International Trade from IIFT New Delhi and also did a study in Advanced Management Programme from London Business School. Prior to joining JSL Lifestyles, he was associated with M/s. Videocon Industries Limited as Vice President - Sales and Marketing. Jain has handled corporate channels for some of India’s top consumer durables and retail chains. He has also worked with Samsung Electronics India Limited, Whirlpool India, General Electric and BPL Limited. Jain is known for consolidating profitable relationships.

Andrew McNair, Head of Operations, Shawarma Xpress

Andrew McNair is Head of Operations at Shawarma Xpress. Drawing on his previous experience, he aims to progress the brand with refreshing concepts within the field of franchising. His formative years, after leaving catering college, were spent working in hotels, restaurants and the National Health Service Catering. McNair is based in Bahrain and previously worked with Wimpy International for 14 years and achieved the position of National Operations Manager, U.K. His background has always been aligned to catering, having worked for 15 years with the Hygiene Services Division of Diversey. Under his leadership, Master Franchises has opened 2 restaurants in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia and Qatar during the months of October and November 2011 with 4 more in advanced stages of construction.

Subham Ray, Chief-Private Brands, Future Value Retail Limited

Mr. Subham Ray has been working with Future Group for last 5 and half years. His sole focus has been developing a wide ranging product portfolio for the FMCG private brands business by leveraging consumer insights gathered from the shop-floors. Having spent just over 15 years in the FMCG industry, mostly in manufacturing, operations, supply chain, product & process development, working in various capacities with organizations like General Mills, Marico, etc., Mr. Ray is still learning to decipher more than million ways people behave in a consumption atmosphere.

Anand Ramanathan, Associate Director, Management Consulting, KPMG Advisory Pvt. Ltd

Dr. Anand Ramanathan is Associate Director, Management Consulting at KPMG Advisory Services Private Limited. He is the primary lead for food, agribusiness and retail within the service line and has worked on over 25 engagements. Dr. Ramanathan’s educational qualifications include a Post Graduate diploma in Management, Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indore; Bachelors in Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani; and a Fellow at Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. Dr. Ramanathan has over 10 years of experience from both an industry and advisory (consulting) perspective. He started his career with GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare. He has been in sales and brand roles for nutritional food brands such as Horlicks & Boost. As a Fellow at IIMB – Dr. Ramanathan has conducted research and taught courses on retail and supply chain management with global institutions. Ramanathan is a strategy and business effectiveness specialist, assisting firms venturing into new products / services in the B2C space.

Mr. Rodney D. Ryder, Partner, Scriboard (Advocates and Legal Consultants )

Mr. Rodney D. Ryder is a Partner with Scriboard, a full service commercial law firm with cutting edge specialization in technology, new media and intellectual property laws. Mr. Ryder is presently Advisor to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Government of India for the implementation of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Mr. Ryder has been nominated as a leading lawyer in intellectual property, technology, communications and media law by Asia Law, Who'sWhoLegal, Asia Legal 500, amongst other international publications. Mr. Ryder is also the author of Guide to Cyber Laws: the Information Technology Act, 2000; e-commerce; data protection and the Internet. Mr. Ryder is also advisor to the Data Security Council of India (a NASSCOM initiative) on the structuring of industry data privacy and information security policies and contractual standards.

Nikhil Raghavan, Principal, Bain Capital

Nikhil Raghavan joined Bain Capital as its Principal in 2008. He is an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BAS in Computer Science and International Relations from Stanford University. Prior to joining Bain Capital, Raghavan was a Principal at The Boston Consulting Group in New York and Paris, where he consulted in the consumer products/retail, business services, and technology industries. He also spent a number of years in the enterprise software industry and as an entrepreneur.

A K Goyal, General Manager, IDBI Bank

Arun Kumar Goyal appointed as General Manager at IDBI Bank Ltd is presently the Regional Head for MSME in addition to Recovery and BIFR cases. His educational qualifications include a B.Sc.; LLB, and CAIIB. Goyal has been the Head of Delhi and NCR Region when MSME department was set up as a separate department in 2006. He had been instrumental in setting up the deptt. from scratch and built up a portfolio of about Rs 800 crore within one-and-a- half years. Later, he was promoted and was made Regional Head (confining 8 North Indian states –HP, J& K, Utt., Har., UP, Raj., Delhi) in MSME Deptt.

Arun Prasad, Manager- Sales & Marketing, Total Sports & Entertainment India Pvt. Ltd.

A brand management graduate from Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA) with an engineering background, Mr. Arun Prasad is a part of Total Sports Asia’s licensing team in India. The licensing team specializes in extending sports and lifestyle brands into a variety of spaces like realty, telecom, F&B, etc. The company’s belief and commitment to licensing stems from fierce passion it holds towards various sports. Their work includes US Open Apartments, Discovery Channel Green Commercial Spaces, IAAF Academies, Manchester United Café & Bars, etc. Globally, their work includes the likes of Manchester United SIM cards with Telecom Malaysia, Real Madrid branded snack foods with Dua Kalinci, the English FA branded scooters with Honda and Big Cola’s association with the English FA and FC Barcelona.

Shreyasi Singh, Managing Editor, Inc. India, 9 DOT 9 Media

Shreyasi Singh is the Managing Editor for Inc. India, the Indian edition of Inc., the iconic American magazine. Inc. India was launched in January 2010 and focuses on profiling entrepreneurial successes from the small and mid-size segments of corporate India. Singh is a graduate of Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi. Singh began her career in 2001 with Asian News International, where she played every role possible – reporting, editing, producing and managing inputs from more than 30 news bureaus across the country. She was also a Press Information Bureau-accredited correspondent. Later, she was part of the team that launched Headlines Today, a leading English news broadcaster. She has also produced current affairs programs with journalist-anchor Karan Thapar including his weekly show, HardTalk India for BBC. She has also penned articles on topics like women’s issues, social entrepreneurship and the changes India is going through as a fast-growing economy.

Mandar Gupte, Vice President- Finance, Universal Music India Pvt. Ltd.

At Universal Music India Pvt. Ltd., Mr. Mandar Gupte is responsible for Financial Management, Strategic Planning, Budgeting and Financial control for the company. Mr. Gupte is also responsible for negotiating and structuring transactions of acquisition, licensing, syndication of content with third parties – local and overseas. Universal Music India Pvt. Ltd. is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group International which is the largest music business in the world. Started as Polydor of India Ltd. in 1969, the Indian company has a long history. Apart from its International artists such as Metallica, U2, Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi, Enrique Iglesius, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and others, the company also has a rich local catalogue of old Hindi hits of 1970s and 80s and other repertoire of Jagjit Singh, Anup Jalota, Pankaj Udhas, Falguni Pathak, Daler Mehndi, etc. Mr. Gupte is BE (Computer Engineering) and MBA (Finance) from University of Bombay and has a total work experience of 20 years. He has earlier worked with Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd., Times of India Group, Walchand Capital Ltd. and Percept Group.

Harish Bahl, Founder & Chairman, Smile Group

As a thought leader on the digital space in emerging markets, Harish Bahl has been a speaker in several prestigious international forums and is on the Advisory Board of leading global entities such as WPP Digital & comScore Inc. He is also an active member of NASSCOM, Chairman of IAMAI (E-Commerce Committee) & the Ex-Chairman of IAMAI (Indian Digital Advertisers Forum). He is also the recipient of “Udyog Rattan” Award by Institute of Economic Studies, India for his contribution to the digital industry in India. Founded by Harish Bahl, the Smile Group is India's largest privately held group of ventures focused on the digital industry with extensive holdings in digital media, e-commerce & retail infrastructure. The Smile Group has businesses with global leading corporates like WPP Group, Yahoo!, ScanGroup, Group Buying Global AG, BrandAlliance Group & operational agreements with other global leaders like Sabre Holdings (Travelocity) & comScore Inc

DONALD BOROIAN, CHAIRMAN - CEO, FRANCORP, USA & CONFERENCE CHAIRPERSON, FRANCHISE KNOWLEDGE SERIES

A published author, noted speaker, and expert legal witness, Mr. Boroian is one of the world's most sought–after consultants in the field of franchise strategy and business expansion. With a career spanning more than four decades, Mr. Boroian and his companies have provided consulting services to more than 10,000 companies and have created full franchise development programs for more than 2,000 companies. His clients have ranged from small and medium-sized businesses, to corporate leaders, such as ARCO, BP, Hershey Foods, NutraSweet, Nestle, John Deere, Popeye's Fried Chicken, Ryder Trucks, Ace Hardware and Valvoline. Mr. Boroian has been on the Board with many Associations and Advisory. He has also served on the Boards of Rush University Medical Center and DePaul University. He has served as an arbitrator and mediator for the American Arbitration Association and has been an expert witness. Some of the leading books co-authored by him include The Franchise Advantage, How to Buy and Manage a Franchise, and Franchising Your Business.

Satya Narayanan, Chairman, Career Launcher

Satya graduated from St. Stephen's College, New Delhi and went on to study at the prestigious Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. He soon realized that it was time to follow his passion – education and entrepreneurship. In 1995, he started Career Launcher, with one goal in mind – to enable individuals realize their potential and make their career dreams come true. Satya is also a certified Crestcom and NTL trainer who has trained corporate bigwigs in leadership and management skills; besides thousands of students, teachers and corporate executives. Satya's entrepreneurial zeal and conviction in his dreams were recently acknowledged by Dell where he was featured in their 'Take Your Own Path' Campaign. He was also presented by iCONGO and the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards '09.

Kashyap Vadapalli, Director, Category Management, eBay India Business Director, eBay Phillippines & eBay Malaysia

Mr Kashyap Vadapalli is a member of eBay India’s Leadership Team inputting into organizational strategy and decision-making. He has been successfully leading the supply-side business unit at eBay India since Jan 2010, and also recently assumed the responsibility to grow eBay’s businesses in the emerging markets of Philippines and Malaysia. Before joining eBay, he worked for Google India, Tata Interactive Systems [India and USA] and Cadbury India respectively. Mr Vadapalli obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics Engineering from Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi and has a PGDM from IIM-Calcutta.

Ananta Singh Raghuvanshi, Director, DLF India Ltd

Ms. Ananta Singh Raghuvanshi has two decades of hard core real estate experience which includes marketing, sales and leasing of residential, retail and commercial properties, business development, city feasibility studies, identifying market potential, event management, advertising, dealer and customer relations. Her last assignment was as a Chief Executive – Retail (India) & Corporate Residential Sales, Emaar MGF Land Ltd. She is a recipient of “Woman Professional of the year” at the National Realtor Awards 2010 and “Women Super Achiever Award – Retail” at Asia Retail Congress, 2009. An alumnus of Miranda House, Ms Raghuvanshi is a Gold Medalist from YWCA of Delhi in Marketing Mgt, PR & Advertising.

Dr. Arvind Kalia, Patrika Group, National Head – Marketing

Dr. Arvind Kalia is presently working in Patrika Group as a National Head – Marketing. He has written several books and journals like Management Mantra, Career & Time Management, Personality Development, Keys of Success , Success in Sales, Marketing Management to name a few. He has done his MDP from IIM Ahmedabad in Data Analysis and PhD. on Brand Positioning strategies of Selected Indian and Multinational Companies of Personal products University of Rajasthan. Before joining Rajisthan Patrika he was an Assistant Professor at R.A. Podar Institute of Management, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur

Rahul Dravid, Global Consulting Practice- Retail & CPG, Tata Consultancy Services

Mr. Rahul Dravid has experience in retail across multiple formats like Fashion, Food & Grocery, Pharmacy and Hypermarkets. He has worked extensively in Business Consulting, Business Process Management, Implementation of Category Strategy and Merchandise & Assortment Planning Tool for some of the leading retailers. Mr Dravid started his career with Technopak Advisors. Later on he moved to Future Knowledge Services and was part of the team that assisted Future Group through Business Process Management and IT transformation. Mr Dravid is a management graduate from Ohio University and an Engineer from Nagpur University.