Sonam Wangchuk

Engineer, Innovator and Education Reformist

Sonam is an educationist, an environmentalist and a social worker. He has been awarded: Man of the Year by the Week Magazine, Ashoka Fellowship by Ashoka, Green Teacher Award by Sanctuary Asia Magazine, India Real Heroes Award by CNN IBN Channel, etc. He has recently been declared as one of the finalist prestigious Rolex Award for Enterprise 2016 for the ambitious Ice Stupa Artificial Glacier Project in Ladakh. Sonam Wangchuk (born on September 1, 1966 at UleyTokpo, near Alchi, in the Trans Himalayan region of Ladakh, India) is an engineer, innovator, and an education reformist. He is the Founding Director of the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) which was founded in 1988 by a group of students who had been in his own words, the ‘victims’ of an alien education system foisted on Ladakh. SECMOL strives to rebuild the lost pride and self-confidence of the students of Ladakh through its educational reforms programme. He is also known for designing the SECMOL campus that runs completely on solar energy and uses no fossil fuels for cooking, lighting or heating, even in Ladakhi winters when temperatures fall to minus 25C degrees. Wangchuk was instrumental in the launch of Operation New Hope in 1994, a triangular collaboration of government, village communities and the civil society to bring reforms in the government schools’ system. This movement led to raising the all-important 10th grade exam results in the region from 5% success to eventually 75%.

Sumit Dabriwala

Economist and Real Estate Development Advisor

Mr. Sumit Kumar Dabriwala serves as Managing Director of Agre Developers Ltd at Future Group. Mr. Dabriwala served as Managing Director of Future Market Networks Limited since September 21, 2010 until May 30, 2013. He was Managing Director, Director, Member of Share Transfer Committee, Member of Shareholders / Investors Grievance Committee, and Member of Committee of Directors at Agre Developers Ltd. He has 21 years of corporate experience with significant exposure to the real estate sector for more than a decade. He was also involved in developing a 262-acre integrated township in south eastern Kolkata, which is now one of Kolkata’s marquee projects. Earlier, Mr. Dabriwala successfully managed United Credit Ltd., a listed NBFC involved in transport financing and its associate company – United Credit Financial Services Ltd. Mr. Dabriwala serves as a Director of Riverbank Developers Private Limited. He serves as a Director of Calcutta Metropolitan Group Limited, Hiland Projects Limited, Dewar’s Garage Limited, Bengal United Credit Belani Housing Limited, Riverbank Holdings Private Limited, Riverbank Developers Private Limited, Urbanus Infrastructure Development Private Limited, Hilton Commotrade Private Limited, Rhamni Projects Private Limited, Harmony Malls Management Private Limited, Star Shopping Centres Private Limited and Edmond Textiles Pvt. Ltd. He served as a Non-Executive Director of Future Market Networks Limited from September 23, 2010 to April 1, 2014. He served as a Director of Agre Developers Ltd. Mr. Dabriwala graduated in Commerce from St. Xaviers’ College in Kolkata.

Sumit Kumar Narvar

Sumit Kumar Narvar is a noteworthy personality in the field of governance, construction and infrastructure development in India. With years of experience of working at the grassroots levels in the villages and panchayats within the state of Uttar Pradesh, he holds multiple positions of responsibilities in spearheading the administration of local self-governance in the state. Post his higher education in Meerut, Mr. Narvar moved to Delhi in 1994 to explore and pursue his interests in business and urban development. Since then he has involved himself in diverse range of roles and initiatives, both as an entrepreneur and as an enabler, to actively contribute in the Indian development sector especially in the sphere of low-cost housing. Through his realty-based enterprise, he has already delivered close to 2.5 million sq. ft (almost 1500 homes) in this segment and is equally passionate to extend his share of the task in transforming the state of affordable housing in the country.

Suparna Bhalla

Architect, Conservationist and Author

Suparna Bhalla is the Principal Architect at Abaxial Architects Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi. She graduated with a Master degree in architecture from the University of California, Berkeley in 1998 and has since been on the visiting faculty of various architecture schools in Delhi-NCR. She has been a regular columnist with ‘Business Standard’ and now writes for several design journals. She is also on the Editorial Board of ‘Green Life’ magazine and the advisory for the Future Institute. She is an Architect and Conservationist who has worked on a number of architecture, conservation and interior projects in India and abroad. She has been involved in the Adaptive Re-use and Renovation of Heritage buildings and palaces, as well as Urban Conservation and Renewal strategies. This coupled with her independent practice gives her strong insight into the various aspects of project conceptualization, design development and detail. She is currently working on projects in co-ordination with civic and regulatory bodies towards the establishment of an integrated framework for development and historic revitalization. Mrs. Bhalla is an active member of INTACH and a prolific writer. She has been a principal of Bhalla Ribeiro Bhalla since 1999.

Tanmay Tathagat

Sustainability Analyst and Energy Efficient Design Consultant

Tanmay has a background of architecture and engineering. He has over 20 years of working experience in projects dealing with sustainable development planning, energy codes, building energy efficiency, green building design and certification, and energy efficiency policy in Asia, Africa and the US. He led the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) development, Eco-Housing program, and EE Homes program for the National Housing Bank, in India. He is currently working on developing Net-Zero energy program for India and next update of the ECBC, as a part of the USAID PACE-D program. His experience also includes support to energy efficiency building code development and deployment in California, India, Thailand, Philippines, and Vietnam. Tanmay has received the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Fellow accreditation from the US Green Buildings Council. He is working closely with the Indian Green Building Council and GRIHA for development of green building standards in India, and to support green building projects worldwide. Tanmay leads the Environmental Design Solutions [EDS] team of consultants working on climate change policies, energy efficient building design, building code development, energy efficiency policy development, energy simulation and green building certification process. Since 2003 EDS has worked on over 400 green building and energy efficiency projects worldwide. EDS has been engaged in hundreds of green building projects globally, ranging from small residential buildings to large university campuses and neighbourhoods. He is currently working on projects related to climate change mitigation policy, research and deployment, building code development, energy efficient building design, and net-zero developments. Tanmay studied architecture at School of Planning and Architecture at New Delhi and later specialized in building sciences, climate responsive design, and energy simulation during his studies for MS at the Arizona State University.

Toine Van Megen

Sustainable Building and Infrastructure Development Expert

Toine is Co-Founder of Auroville Consulting, an Auroville enterprise that facilitates a two-way flow of information and expertise between Auroville and external professionals and institutions through seminars workshops, training and consultancy services. Auroville Consulting has focused on sustainable development-related assignments since its inception in 2010. In Auroville he first worked for many years on the construction of the Matrimandir and later founded and managed several community services. He was also a founding member of the Auroville Renewable Energy Group, which later evolved into several Auroville renewable energy units and activities. For a period of 12 years, he held senior management positions in the global wind energy sector. Toine also contributes to Auroville’s infrastructure planning and development.

Sanjay Prakash

Architect and Sustainability Expert

Sanjay Prakash, B. Arch., A.I.I.A., is an architect with a commitment to energy-conscious architecture, eco-friendly design, people’s participation in planning, music and production design. Over the years, he has integrated all his work with the practice of new urbanism and sustainability in his professional and personal life. His area of practice and research over the last 30 years includes passive and low energy architecture and planning, hybrid air-conditioning, autonomous energy and water systems, bamboo and earth construction, community-based design of common property, and computer-aided design. Under his guidance, hundreds of persons have developed capabilities in performing design, conceptual or management work in these areas. He is Principal Consultant of his design firm, SHiFt: Studio for Habitat Futures Architects and Engineers Pvt. Ltd. (formerly Sanjay Prakash & Associates), and was a partner of DAAT and Studio Plus, firms that predate his current firm. His name and work are mentioned in the twentieth edition of one of the main reference works in architectural history, A History of Architecture by Sir Bannister Fletcher.

Romi Khosla

Architect, Urban Planning and Revitalisation Consultant

Romi Khosla is a celebrated architect whose buildings have been extensively published. Educated at Cambridge University UK and the Architectural Association London, he has designed large educational and recreational complexes. His boutique hotel operated by Le Meridian in Kathmandu has been featured in architectural books of Nepal. He designed the National Gallery in Bombay as well as Corporate headquarters for United Breweries in Bangalore. His prestigious reputation led to invitation to serve on the Aga Khan Award Jury as well as the Izmir City revitalisation Competition Jury in Turkey. Appointed as a Principal Consultant to UNDP, UNOPS, UNESCO and WTO, he has carried out extensive Urban Planning and revitalisation and Tourism Planning missions to the Balkans, Cyprus, Central Asia and Tibet. His design experience for educational buildings include a large 200-acre boarding School, University buildings as well as primary and secondary schools. He is currently designing large housing estates, corporate headquarters as well as private residences.

Pradeep Sachdeva

Award winning Sustainability Architect, Urban Designer and Conservationist

Has all-encompassing expertise in designing public spaces, urban renewal of heritage precincts and hotels. His pioneering work in the planning of Public Spaces and the design of streets is visible in throughout the country. PSDA is his award-winning architecture and urban design practice based in New Delhi. The practice is known for its contextual and sensitive development of projects. Apart from leading the design practice he is actively engaged with the city on various policy matters. Pradeep Sachdeva has extensive expertise in designing public spaces, urban renewal of heritage precincts and hotels. He studied architecture at IIT Roorkee. Apart from leading the design practice he is actively engaged with the city on various policy matters. Responsible for pioneering work in the planning of Public Spaces and the design of streets. This includes designing well integrated urban environments that apart from functioning as transportation corridors are also amenity-rich public spaces with facilities for improved walkability, street-vendors, non-motorised vehicles and the disabled. Some of the better-known projects in the Public Realm include Dilli Haat, development of the Godavari riverfront as well as streets in the city of Nanded, Redevelopment plan for the Jama Masjid area in Delhi, The bamboo dome for the India pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010 etc. Pradeep Sachdeva through the design studio PSDA has also designed path breaking projects for the hospitality industry. These include hotels for Taj Hotels, ITC Hotels and independent operators.

Peter Head

Engineer, Sustainable Infrastructure Development Advisor

Peter is a champion of sustainable development. He established the Ecological Sequestration Trust in 2011. He advocates that changing the way we invest public and private money in the built environment could be made very much more effective if the public and private sectors adopt sustainable development principles. Peter is a civil and structural engineer who has become a recognised world leader in major bridges (he received an OBE for successfully delivering the Second Severn Crossing as Government Agent), advanced composite technology and now in sustainable development in cities and regions. He has won many awards for his work including the Award of Merit of IABSE, the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Silver Medal and the Prince Philip Award for Polymers in the Service of Mankind. He joined Arup in 2004 to create and lead their planning and integrated urbanism team which by 2011 had doubled in size. He directed work on the Dongtan Eco City Planning project which was voted by Chinese developers in 2005 as the most influential development project in China. In July 2008 he was awarded an honorary doctorate in engineering at Bristol University, where he is a visiting Professor in Sustainable Systems Engineering. In May 2011 he was appointed as a visiting professor in eco-cities at Westminster University. In 2009 he was awarded the Sir Frank Whittle medal of the Royal Academy of Engineering for a lifetime contribution to the well-being of the nation through environmental innovation. In 2008 he was named by the Guardian Newspaper as one of 50 people that could ‘save the planet’. He was cited by Time magazine in 2008 as one of 30 global eco-heroes and has been one of CNN’s Principle Voices. In 2011 he was awarded the CBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services to Civil Engineering and the Environment.

Peter Bosselmann

Leading Architect, Urban Designer, Educator and Author

Professor of Urban Design in Architecture, City & Regional Planning, and Landscape Architecture; Co-Chair, Master of Urban Design Program. Peter Bosselmann works nationally and internationally on urban design and planning projects. He established urban simulation laboratories in Milan, New York City, and Tokyo, modelled after the Berkeley laboratory that has been under his direction since 1983. His publications have appeared in a wide range of academic and professional journals. In his recent book, Urban Transformation – Understanding City Design and Form by Island Press, Bosselmann reflects on design methods as sources of knowledge necessary for design practice. Together with colleagues, he is currently working on a Global Metropolitan Observatory and a new book on the Metropolitan Landscape. His former book, Representation of Places: Reality and Realism in City Design, University of California Press, found much acclaim among scholars in fields as diverse as history, psychology, journalism, geography, film, architecture, and planning. Bosselmann has produced numerous educational films about urban design issues in San Francisco and New York City; memorable ones include Times Square, narrated by Jason Robards, and New York’s Upper East Side, narrated by Paul Newman. Bosselmann lectures frequently to audiences in Europe, Japan, China, Australia, and North America on his research in urban form and climate, traffic in neighborhoods, and on urban design representation. In 2006-07 he was awarded a one-year residency at the Politecnico Di Milano, in 2000 a six-month residency at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Art, Copenhagen, and in 1992 he held an endowed chair at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo. He currently holds an endowed chair at the South China University of Technology in Guangzhou, China. He is the recipient of numerous design awards, including awards from the AIA, ASLA, and ACIP for his work in San Francisco, an Urban Design Institute Award for his work in Oakland, California, recognition for the Seaton Airport Lands design competition in Ontario, Canada, two Progressive Architecture Awards for urban design research for work in San Francisco and on the Toronto Downtown Plans, an award from the American Planning Association, and an invited exhibition of his work at the Triennale in Milan, Italy.

Nikhil Segel

Passionate Artist and Designer

A graduate of the School of Planning and Architecture. Nikhil Segel is an overweight underpaid minimalist. A qualified Architect and terrible negotiator; he abhors suits and refuses to wear them. He insists that he was born in the wrong century and should have been a Nawab complete with Harem and Privy Purse. In the real world he insists on personalized interaction with his clients, demands perfection from his team, and creates trend breaking projects such as Climax an award winning night club, Tarun Khiwal’s Studio which changed industry standards for fashion studios and Virendra Sehwag’s Home which commenced a spurt of home redesign in the Indian Cricket Team. He is constantly caught in the struggle of too little time vs. his desire to create. It doesn’t help that he also teaches, writes, photographs, MC’s shows and loves to socialize. He currently lives in New Delhi with his mother, two sons and various other creatures large and small, the largest being his expanding girth.

Linus Lopez

Leading Lighting and Design Consultant

Linus Lopez has been a partner in the firm Lirio Lopez Electrical + Lighting Design Consultants since earning his bachelor’s degree in engineering in 1991. Together with his Partner, Lyle Lopez, they form the second generation in the 52-year-old firm. Together they have steered the firm towards energy conscious design with a “First Principles” approach. He has worked on a wide spectrum of projects from 750 bed hospitals and Super Deluxe Hotels to Airport Hangars and Delhi Metro Stations, from large scale housing communities to individual residences, 7 star and budget hotels and in a wide variety of commercial and entertainment projects. Some recent projects have been awarded, globally acknowledged and reviewed. With experience of over 20 years in planning for Electrical and Wired services, he has over the last 12 years also moved into specialized lighting design for a wide variety of projects focusing on a creative approach but with equal emphasis on controls and energy efficiency.

K Yatish Rajawat

Digital Strategist, Policy Analyst and Columnist

K. Yatish Rajawat is an award-winning journalist and columnist who writes on policy, economics and technology. He is especially interested in urbanization and its affect and impact. He is currently the Editor in Chief of DNA newspaper. He is part of the founding team and Chief Strategy Officer at Localcircles.com, the largest citizen engagement platform in India responsible for communities, partnerships and alliances. Prior to that Mr. Rajawat was the Group Managing Editor of Dainik Bhaskar, the largest newspaper group in India. He was the first Technology Editor of India’s largest business newspaper Economic Times in 1999 and was awarded the Best Journalist of the Year Award by Madhu Valluri Foundation in 2002. He has also worked in Hindu Business Line and Businessworld magazine at senior leadership roles. He is a regular policy commentator for public broadcasters like Rajya Sabha TV and several private news channels. He is also founder of India’s only urban think tank Liveable Habitats that works in the area of urbanization. And a fellow at the Institute of Competitiveness, India, the Indian knot in the global network of the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness at Harvard Business School.

Ken Yeang

Global awards winning Architect and Ecologist

Dr. Ken Yeang is an architect-planner, ecologist, and author who is best known for his signature and innovative green buildings and master plans. He is regarded as one of the foremost designers and noted authorities on ecologically responsive architecture and planning. He has authored several books on ecological design and tall building design. His latest is, Ecodesign: Manual for Ecological Design, published by John Wiley & Sons (UK). He has pioneered the passive low-energy design of tall buildings, which he calls the ‘bioclimatic skyscraper’. He has received numerous awards for his work and designs that include the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, the RAIA International Award, the Prinz Claus Award, and the UIA August Perret Award. His key built works include the Menara Mesiniaga tower (Malaysia), the National Library (Singapore) and the Great Ormond Street Hospital Extension (UK). He is an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, past Chairman of ARCASIA and has served on the Royal Institute of Architects Council. He is the distinguished Plym Professor at the University of Illinois, and Adjunct Professors at the University of Hawaii and University of Malaya. He is a principal of the UK architect and planning firm, Ken Yeang Design International (UK) and its sister company, Hamzah & Yeang (Malaysia).

Jaya Jaitly

Social Reformer, Indian Craft and Culture Revivalist

Jaya Jaitly studied in Japan, Burma, Belgium, the UK and graduated from Smith College, USA. She has an intimate knowledge of the craft traditions of the country having worked in the field for over 40 years. She is considered a leader and expert in this field. She founded an association of crafts people called the Dastkari Haat Samiti, which enables traditional workers to gain confidence in the marketplace through many innovative strategies. She regularly guides crafts people in design, organization and marketing all over India and organizes major exhibitions promoting India’s arts, crafts and culture in India and abroad in which craftspeople are an intrinsic part. She is the creator of the concept of Dilli Haat and saw to its establishment in Delhi. It enables thousands of artisans with sustainable livelihoods to preserve their cultural heritage and is one of the best-known and popular spots for visitors and Indians alike. It now serves as a model for other such establishments. Her work through bringing together crafts people of India and Pakistan, Vietnam, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and African countries has been taken up by the government as an instrument in diplomacy to bring together crafts practitioners in many countries to share skills and assist in capacity building. She was in mainstream politics for 25 years and headed the Samata Party as its national president in 2001. She now restricts her public work to the craft sector and writing, although she is still active on many political issues, including women’s empowerment., Tibet. Burma, and human rights. She is a prolific writer and has published books on the Crafts of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, the Craft Traditions of India, Viswakarma’s Children, a socio-economic study of crafts people, and Crafting Nature. She has created a vast documentation of the arts, crafts and textiles of India through 24 highly artistic and unique maps of all the states of India, called Crafts Atlas of India. She has written stories on crafts children that were first published by Penguin and now widely distributed in many regional languages through the well-known NGO Pratham. She has assisted in creating a syllabus for schools of India’s craft heritage for NCERT. Her recent publication Crafting Indian Scripts, is based on a major project called Akshara combining literacy, craft and calligraphy. The exhibition created and curated by her on this subject has been shown in Delhi, Cairo, and is due to go to the Unesco headquarters in September 2013. The Woven Treasures of Varanasi is under publication. A Podium on the Pavement is a selection of her writings on a variety of subjects including politics, foreign affairs, women and social issues. She is the editor and Publisher of The Other Side, a monthly journal of democratic socialist thought and action. She has been deeply involved in heritage and livelihood issues at all levels and has received awards for her work in culture and the arts and as a role model for women leaders.

G C Modgil

Expert in Green Building Engineering and Construction Management

Mr. G. C. Modgil, founded Sterling India Consulting Engineers in 1990. With over 23 years of experience in providing environment-friendly green solutions to the fast developing construction industry, Mr. Modgil has proven his engineering excellence in many buildings including institutional buildings like the India Habitat Centre (IHC), Delhi, projects in Hospitality, Health care, Airports, SEZs, IT Parks, corporate offices, Diplomatic Missions and tall residential complexes. Mr. Modgil has served several prime positions with ASHRAE & ISHRAE. He has significantly contributed in writing the HVAC Section in the new National Building Code (NBC-2005) of India and Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) 2007. A graduate of Mechanical Engineering from Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, he has received several awards including the “Marquis Who’s Who in the World” in 2000 and “Marquis Who’s Who in Science & Engineering” in 2001. Awards:- In 1997 -President (1997-98) ISHRAE Delhi Chapter , 2000 , 2003 -Red Ribbon Award from ASHRAE , 2004 -President (2004-2005) ISHRAE India , 2004 -Panel Member BIS for National Building Code (NBC-2005) of India , 2004 -President (2004-2005), ASHRAE India Chapter , 2005 -Panel Member for development of “Energy Conservation Building Code for Government of India , 2005 -Presidential Award of Excellence ASHRAE , 2009 -Emerson Cup 2009 India and South East Asia – Excellence Award in Innovation of Human Comfort , 2010 -5th Bry Air Award – Commendation for Excellence in Best System Design.

Christopher Benninger

Architect, Urban Planner and Educator

Christopher Charles Benninger is an architect and urban planner who studied under Jose Lluis Sert at Harvard University, where he later taught. He studied urban planning at MIT under Kevin Lynch and John F. C. Turner and was a member of the Delos Symposium Group headed by Constantino Doxiadis. A Fulbright Fellowship brought him to India in 1968 where he worked with Balkrishna Doshi at the [then] School of Architecture, who called him back to India to found the School of Planning in 1972. Since that time Professor Benninger has lived and worked in the Sub-continent, including Sri Lanka and Bhutan. Asian Development and the World Bank assignments have taken him to the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia on urban development works. His planning of the capital of Bhutan, Thimphu, is well known as an early Eco-City Plan. He later built the National Ceremonial Plaza, The Supreme Court of Bhutan, the UN House and the National Secretariat of Bhutan. He won the competition for the Upper House of Parliament. He has planned a number of new towns, and for existing towns in India, Bhutan and Sri Lanka under World Bank and UN assignments. He has created mass shelter systems in Chennai, Gujarat, Hyderabad and other cities employing concepts like self-help housing and “growing houses.” His major architectural projects include the United World College of India, the Indian Institute of Management at Kolkata, the Indian Institute of Technology at Hyderabad; the Forbes Marshall Industrial Park at Chakan; the Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies; the Suzlon One Earth; the Bajaj Science Centre at Wardha; INDIA HOUSE at Pune; and the Azim Premji University which is under design in Bengaluru. On the edge of Pune, he is building a large township for Abhishek Lodha. His book, published in Chinese, Gujarati and in English, LETTERS TO A YOUNG ARCHITECT, was on the Top Ten Best Selling Non-fiction Books in India and was awarded the Best Architectural Book of the Year 2012. His firm, Christopher Charles Benninger Architects, has recently been awarded India’s most sought-after commissions: the Azim Premji University at Bengaluru; and the Indian Institute of Technology at Hyderabad, along with the Indian Institute of Management at Kolkata. His city and regional planning works range from Sri Lanka, across India to Bhutan. Benninger’s expansive campuses reveal an understanding of Indian “place making” reflecting the great temple complexes and the Mughal campuses. His narrative presents a language that lies between American ideals embedded in its wooded Arcadian landscapes and sacred notions enshrined within Indian courtyards, generating a unique approach to architecture and place making. His recent book, Letters To A Young Architect [www.amazon.com & www.kindle.com & www.flipkart.com], focuses on the practice of architecture in developing societies, and was on the Top 10 Best Selling Non-Fiction Books List for 18 weeks in India, bringing to the general public ideas related to the built environment. The book is also translated into Chinese language and published from Shanghai. Currently Prof. Benninger is working on his second book “The Plan”.

Chandrashekhar Hariharan

Economist and Sustainable Architecture Expert

Recognized for his pioneering green building initiatives, Mr. Hariharan is a Chartered Accountant and an Economist. He has worked for over 25 years on projects covering watershed management, energy management and other areas relating to urban sustainability. He is a prolific writer and runs columns in national dailies and portals on how consumers can go green at minimal cost. He is Group Chairman and steers demonstration of global standards of sustainability on projects undertaken by Group Zed. He is chairperson for a clutch of organizations at the 500-crore ZED group which is the largest [and the earliest] green homes builder in India, currently creating 1.5 million sq. ft of ‘zero energy developed’ homes. In Feb 2010, he was conferred the distinguished Udyog Rattan Award for Excellence by the Institute of Economic Studies, New Delhi. The Week magazine chose him last year to be among ’30 Indian Pearls’ to commemorate their 30th anniversary. The Builders’ Association of India conferred its Distinguished Green Builder Extraordinaire award on him in Jan 2012. Personally, he sees himself as having failed. The one reason, he believes, is that people don’t appear to want as much for themselves as he wants for them. He has been driving initiatives at the Indian Green Building Council. Over the last decade, he has served as consultant for governments of Uttaranchal, Kerala and Nagaland on eco-conscious tourism infrastructure and environment policies, apart from serving as consultant for urban water supply and sanitation development for the Manila-based Asian Development Bank. He has also consulted on energy practices for the Paris-based ADEME, and EU institution for promoting energy efficiency in buildings.

Ashish Choudhury

Architect and Urban Designer

Ashish Choudhury graduated in 1988 has been a partner in Ajoy Choudhury and Associates since 1998. He has studied architecture and urban design in Delhi and Los Angeles. He has taught undergraduate architecture studio’s and his designs have won a few national competitions, the principal among which was the Exhibition Hall cum Convention Centre for ITPO in Pragati Maidan, Delhi. His critically acclaimed projects include the Royal Ensign Apartments in Jaipur, which he co-designed with Ajoy Choudhury.

Balaji Raghavan

Global Investment and Asset management Advisor

Mr. Balaji Raghavan serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer at India Infoline venture capital fund. Mr. Raghavan has also served as Head of Realty Services at IIFL Holdings Limited. He has than 15 years of experience in the Indian Real Estate and Banking industries at the leadership level. In his previous assignment he was heading the mortgage finance business for ICICI Bank and was a key contributor in ICICI’s mortgage business build up. He successfully managed this portfolio across various parameters of distribution, risk and relationships in the industry. Prior to that, he has successfully built corporate banking, retail loans and SME businesses in his past assignments.

Ashish Bhalla

Architect and Urban Designer

Mr. Ashish Bhalla is an Urban Designer and Development professional with over 20 years of diversified experience across urban planning, land economics, participatory design and development. His highly awarded work during the rehabilitation efforts post the 2001 Earthquake at Bhuj, Gujarat led him to engage in the mainstream of India’s rapid urbanisation. He has since helped promote highly successful projects and businesses that seek a new paradigm for transformational development in India, and are key drivers for Indian Urbanity. Mr. Bhalla has worked extensively across the United States, Italy, SE Asia and India in both the private and public spheres. He has been on the faculty at various schools of architecture and planning in the country, and brings an integrated understanding of various development, community and business domains. Mr. Ashish Bhalla holds a Master’s Degree in Urban Design from the University of California, Berkeley, where he was a Regents Fellow, and is an Architect from The School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi.

Aniket Bhagwat

India’s Leading Landscape Architect

Professor Aniket Bhagwat is a third-generation landscape architect practising in Ahmedabad with m/s Prabhakar B Bhagwat, a firm started by his father eight decades ago. Arguably one of the most influential landscape design practices in the country, the firm is known for its research legacy and an unconventional understanding of urban and natural landscapes. Aniket Bhagwat studied Architecture from Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT), Ahmedabad and pursued his Masters in Landscape Architecture from School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), New Delhi. Drawing on the depth of his familiarity with the specialisation since childhood, Aniket is known to be an outspoken and stimulating writer, thinker and an academician. He co-edits and writes for SPADE, a chronicle on design research, theory and narrative, the only peer driven design magazine in the country. Through his discourse and practice, he strives to bridge the gap between the profession and academics and evolve design through discussion and criticism. He is of the belief that there are no bad students as such but just inept teachers who mislead students into disarray. His renegade approach to education, research, design and writing has inspired many, helping them take on the conviction, rigor and responsibilities of design.

Ajit Pai

Economic & Financial Advisor

Ajit Pai is Managing Director at Plumeria Holdings, a leading global advisory and investment firm. Prior to Plumeria, Mr. Pai was Managing Director, Equity Research, at Stifel Financial and Thomas Weisel Partners (merged with Stifel in 2010) focused on the growth sectors of U.S. equities, leading their Applied Technologies research effort. Mr. Pai has received numerous Starmine/Financial Times/Forbes awards in their World’s Top Analysts Survey with five #1 awards for earnings estimate accuracy and stock picking in the six years through 2011, an unprecedented performance for the industry. Mr. Pai has been in technology & communications research at Lazard and a strategy consultant at McKinsey & Co. Mr. Pai attended Yale University as a Tata Scholar and also served as a John M Olin Fellow for research on regulation in markets. Mr. Pai is actively involved in several economic development, education, and urbanism forums, while actively pursuing ecological conservation, horticulture, sustainable agriculture, and viticulture. He has done his MBA in Yale University – Yale School of Management and done his master from Yale School of Architecture. He was Affiliated Consultant, Optical Networking (Current)- NextGen Strategies & Research Assistant in International Telecommunications Alliances- Yale University – Yale School of Management Summer Associate-DMS Co., Ltd.

Abhishek Lodha

Engineer and Leading Real Estate Professional

Abhishek Lodha is the Managing Director of Lodha Developers Pvt Ltd, the flagship company of the Lodha Group. He has been associated with the Lodha Group for 12 years. Prior to this, he worked in management consulting with McKinsey & Co in Atlanta, USA. He has a Master of Science degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering (Supply chain & logistics) from Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA. His areas of expertise include strategy, design, project management, legal, and brand communication. Mr. Abhishek Lodha is involved with the design, construction and corporate planning functions of the Group and also guides the legal, strategy and brand communication teams. In a short span of time, he has also been a recipient of multiple prestigious honours which include: Leaders of Indian Infrastructure and Construction, Economic Times, 2009, Top 50 Young Marwaris, Times of India Group, 2008, President’s Award for highest GPA amongst the graduating class at Georgia Institute of Technology, August 2000, Henry Ford II Scholar Award, Georgia Institute of Technology, June 2000, Recipient, Inaugural Honours Recognition Program, Georgia Institute of Technology, Member, Deans List, Georgia Institute of Technology, Fall’97 – Summer’01, Recipient, Faculty Honours, Georgia Institute of Technology, Fall’97 – Summer’01.

Abhijeet Bhalla

Global Investment Advisor and Financial Strategist

Abhijeet Bhalla has over 22 years of work experience and has been actively involved with Indian Real Estate investments since 2000. He co-founded the Viridian Group along with Mr. Ashish Bhalla, prior to which he co-founded Millennium Spire in 2006, which was also involved with Private. Equity Investments in Indian Real Estate. Between 2003 and 2006 he established and managed an Asia centric advisory firm for Private Equity investments in the hi-tech domain, prior to which he has held various Corporate and Board level appointments in multiple geographies, with specific focus on Asia. Abhijeet graduated with Honours in Economics from the University of Delhi in 1987 and was awarded an MBA in 1990 by IMT, Ghaziabad.