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Ajay Piramal
Ajay Piramal
Chairman, Piramal Group

Applauded as an exceptional entrepreneur and intrepid investor, Mr. Piramal believes that the true key to his long-term success has been the consistent and resolute application of his core values of Knowledge, Action and Care. Mr. Piramal’s steadfast commitment to the Group’s purpose of ‘Doing Well and Doing Good’ has manifested in a belief that individual success and organizational growth cannot be exclusive of responsible & ethical business practices. This underscores the Group’s commitment to the Piramal Foundation, its philanthropic arm.

He did B. Sc (Hons.) from Bombay University (1975). He completed his Master in Management Studies from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (1977) and Advanced Management Programme from Harvard Business School (1992).

Mr. Piramal is focused on instilling values that have helped build a group that is ranked amongst the highest on ethical business and integrity. His commitment to society has also shaped the vision of Piramal Foundation.

Mr. Piramal has won several global awards in recognition of his philanthropic work and been Nominated for the Forbes Philanthropy Awards in the Outstanding Philanthropist category in 2013 and 2014. He was nominated as a Global Leader of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum before he turned 40.

He holds the Directorships in other entities:

  • Chairman, Piramal Enterprises Limited.
  • Member, Board of Dean’s Advisors, Harvard Business School.
  • Chairman, Board of Governors, IIT, Indore.
  • Chairman, Pratham.
  • Invitee to the World Economic Forum for the last ten years.
  • Chairman, Alumni Committee of Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies.

He has also been recognised by way of following Awards /Recognitions

  • Among the few industrialists who held a private session with US President Barack Obama during his 2015 visit to India
  • Outstanding Philanthropist Nominee, Forbes Philanthropy Awards (in 2013 and 2014)
  • Horasis Indian Business Leader of the Year Award (UK), 2014
  • ‘India Innovator of the Year 2008’ by CNBC TV 18.
  • ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ Award by UK Trade & Investment Council (2006).
  • ‘Global Leaders of Tomorrow’ by the World Economic Forum (2004)
  • Ernst & Young's ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ (2004) in Healthcare & Life Sciences.
  • ‘CEO of the Year Award’ by World Strategy Forum (1999) and ‘Four Way Test Award’ (2001).
Debasish Mitter
Debasish Mitter
Country Director India, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation

Mr. Debasish is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAI). He has been working for Modern philanthropy which is focused on maximizing social rates of return on their investments through the spirit of venturing.

As Country Director India, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Debasish leads the foundation’s strategy and operations in the country. Debasish helps to manage and develop the India-based portfolio to improve learning levels in schools serving underprivileged children; to catalyse sustainable and large-scale models that help youth gain meaningful employment; and to support early-stage, market-based enterprises providing financial services to urban poor families.

Prior to joining the foundation, he spent 13 years with American Express in various leadership positions in Delhi, Miami and New York. During his career with American Express, he led a variety of operational, transaction-related, finance and strategic responsibilities. Prior to that, Debasish spent several years with Dowell Schlumberger, an oilfield services leader, in senior finance roles in the Middle East and the Far East.

Jalaj Dani
Jalaj Dani
Co-promoter of Asian Paints Ltd

Jalaj Dani is a co-promoter of Asian Paints Ltd. He spent over 2 decades in various capacities with the Company. Asian Paints is Asia’s third largest paint company and amongst the top ten paint manufacturers in the world with manufacturing presence in 19 countries and servicing customers in more than 65 countries. Mr. Dani, till recently, was responsible for the Supply Chain and Chemicals business of the Company. He also spearheaded the Human Resources, Corporate Quality and Safety Functions at the group level.

Mr. Dani is Chairman of the Society and Board of Governors of Indian Institute of Management (Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu). He is also a Board member of National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) and part of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushalya Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) Steering Committee, both of which functions under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship of India. He serves as Independent Director on Board of Havells India.

He has been the chair of the Paints and Coatings Sector Skill Council (PCSC) from its inception in 2015 till September 2017. He was the President of The Indian Paint Association (IPA) for 2015-17. Jalaj is actively involved in Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Young President's Organisation (YPO), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry(FICCI) and other Business Councils in various capacities. He also serves on Next Generation of Leaders Board (NGLB) in Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad.

Over the last 8 years, he has devoted a lot of his time in philanthropic activities which he believes is crucial for shaping the society. He personally overseas initiatives in education (touching lives of more than 10,000 students in rural Gujarat), infant and women health (working with more than 800 health workers in two districts of Gujarat) and skilling sports professionals (Physical Education Teachers to high performance coaching and support services). He is a Trustee of Tribhuvandas Foundation, which was set up by Tribhuvandas Kishibhai Patel - the founding Chairman of the Kheda District Milk Producers Cooperative Union, today better known as AMUL. Jalaj is also the Vice President of Kapadwanj Kelavani Mandal, a trust which aims to provide affordable and quality education in Kheda and Anand district of Gujarat, India.

Adil Zainulbhai
Adil Zainulbhai
Chairman, Capacity Building Commission

Mr. Adil Zainulbhai serves as a Chairman, Capacity Building Commission. He earlier headed McKinsey's operations in India. has been with McKinsey for 20 years, working in various industries, but primarily focused on the telecommunications and wireless space. He worked extensively with large companies developing telecom strategies and in helping venture funded start-ups within the telecommunications and wireless industries.

He serves as the Chairman of the Board of Advisors of Shipcom Wireless, Inc and also serves as the Independent Non-Executive Chairman at Network18 Media & Investments Limited. He has been the Chairman of TV18 Broadcast Limited since July 22, 2015.

Mr. Zainulbhai has an MBA from Harvard Business School and Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology.

Madhav Chavan
Madhav Chavan
Co-founder and CEO of the educational non-profit, Pratham

Madhav Chavan is a social activist and entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and CEO of the educational non-profit, Pratham. He also started the Read India campaign, which aims to teach basic reading, writing and arithmetic to underprivileged children across India. Pratham has been recognized by the Kravis Prize and the Skoll Award for its innovativeness and leadership as a social entrepreneurial organization in the area of education.

Mr. Chavan was the 2012 recipient of the WISE Prize for Education, which is widely considered the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in the field of education and recipient of Leading-Social-Contributor-Award which is the highest degree award in India for exemplary work in the area of operation. He was also the 2011 recipient of the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship.