Prof S Mahendra Dev

Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM)

Prof. S. Mahendra Dev is presently Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM). He was the Director and Vice Chancellor, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR) in Mumbai for 12 years during 2010-2022. Prior to this position, he was Chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices, Ministry of Agriculture from 2008 to 2010. He was Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, D.C. He was also member of the Board of IFPRI for seven years from 2013 to 2019. He was member and Acting Chairman of the National Statistical Commission, Government of India. He got the prestigious Malcolm Adisesaiah Award in 2016. He was Director, Centre for Economic and Social Studies, Hyderabad, India for 9 years from 1999 to 2008.He is member of executive committee of International Economic Association. He did Ph.D. from the Delhi School of Economics and post-doctoral from Yale University, USA.

He is Chairman of the Institute for Development Studies, Andhra Pradesh and Distinguished Professor at ICFAI Faculty of Social Sciences, Hyderabad. He was independent director in Axis Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank. He is currently the Association President of the Indian Society of Agricultural Marketing. He was Association President of the Indian Economic Association for three years 2018 to 2021. He was conference President of the Indian Econometric Society (TIES), Indian Society of Agricultural Economics, Indian Society of Labour Economics, and Indian Association of Social Science Institutions (IASSI).

His main areas of interest are development economics, agricultural economics Macroeconomics. He has around 150 research publications in national and international journals in the areas of agricultural development, poverty and public policy, inequality, food security, nutrition, employment guarantee schemes, social security, farm and nonfarm employment. He has written or edited 23 books. His well cited publication is “Inclusive Growth in India: Agriculture, Poverty, and Human Development” published by Oxford University Press. His book “Perspectives on Equitable Development” was released by the former Prime Minister of India.

He has been a consultant and adviser to many international organizations, such as UNDP, World Bank, International Food Policy Research Institute, UNESCO, ILO, FAO, ESCAP, UNICEF, DFID, and OECD. He has been a member of several government committees in India, including the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Employment chaired by Dr. Montek Ahulwalia, advisory committee for the National Commission on the Enterprises in the Unorganized sector, member of the Committee on Financial Inclusion chaired by Dr. C. Rangarajan, member of the Expert Group on Poverty chaired by Dr. C. Rangarajan. He was the Chairman of the Committee on Terms of Trade on Agriculture constituted by the Ministry of Agriculture. He was member of several working groups for 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Five-Year Plans in India. He is also member of several committees of NITI Ayog. He has received honors for eminence in public service. He got awards for best teacher in economics and outstanding contribution to education. He received honorary doctorate (D.Litt) from the Acharya Nagarjuna University, Andhra Pradesh.

Mr Swarup Kumar Saha

Managing Director & CEO Punjab & Sind Bank

Shri Swarup Kumar Saha assumed the charge as MD & CEO of Punjab & Sind Bank on June 3rd 2022. Before taking up this assignment he was Executive Director of Punjab National Bank since March 10, 2021. Shri Saha, a graduate in Science from University of Calcutta, Kolkata, started his career in Banking in erstwhile Oriental Bank of Commerce in the year 1990 as Probationary Officer. He is a Certified Associate member of Indian Institute of Bankers (CAIIB). He also holds a Diploma in Treasury, Investment and Risk Management (DTIRM) from Indian Institute of Banking and Finance (IIBF) and Certificate in Risk in Financial Services from IIBF in collaboration with CISI, London along with various certifications related to IT Security, Cyber Crimes and Fraud Management. Shri Saha was one of the participants for the flagship Leadership Development Program of Banks Board Bureau (BBB) in 2019 conducted through IIM, Bangalore. He has also participated in Advanced Management Program conducted by CAFRAL/Stern Business School, New York and Leadership Development Program conducted by NIBM & Kellogg School of Management, USA. In a career spanning over 30 years, he has worked in different capacities and has worked across the country. He has wide exposure in Human Resource Development, Treasury, International Banking, Credit, Risk Management, Organization Restructuring and Board matters. During his tenure at Head Office of erstwhile Oriental Bank of Commerce, he headed Treasury and International Banking, Human Resource Development Division and Board Division.

Dr Shekhar Aiyar

Director and Chief Executive, ICRIER

Shekhar Aiyar is Director and Chief Executive of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). Previously he held a number of senior roles at the International Monetary Fund, including Assistant Director of the Research Department and Mission Chief for Germany. He has been a Visiting Scholar at Johns Hopkins University, an Advisor to the Bank of England and a Non-Resident Fellow at Bruegel. He has published widely in peer-reviewed journals, while also writing columns for the New York Times and Financial Times. He holds a BA in Economics from Delhi University, an MA in Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University, and a Ph.D. in Economics from Brown University.

Prof Sachin Kumar Sharma

Director General, RIS

Prof. Sharma brings over two decades of expertise in international trade development cooperation, and multilateral and regional negotiations. His research, advocacy, and capacity-building work have shaped discussions on trade and development, agricultural subsidies, investment, food security, sustainability, market access, trade disputes, transparency, LDC graduation, Aid for Trade, and negotiations at the WTO, FAO, G20, and in regional trade agreements.

He holds an M.Phil. and a PhD in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi, with a specialisation in the WTO, international trade, quantitative techniques, and agricultural policy. He is skilled in econometrics, Computable General Equilibrium (GTAP), Partial Equilibrium Modelling, and statistical tools, with extensive experience in trade analytics.

A prolific scholar, Prof. Sharma has authored six books, numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, several working papers, and book chapters, in addition to regularly contributing to policy debates through articles in leading newspapers and participating in global forums.

Before joining RIS, he served as a Professor at the Centre for WTO Studies (CWS) at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. At CWS, he led and supervised a multidisciplinary team of economists, lawyers, and officials, working on a wide range of economic, development, and legal issues. His evidence-based policy inputs, analysis, and recommendations were extensively utilised by many developing countries and LDCs to comply with WTO obligations and to advance negotiations on agriculture and sustainability, including securing the perpetual peace clause on food security and shaping disciplines on domestic support.

Through knowledge sharing, critical inputs on proposals, and capacity-building initiatives, he also coordinated with key members of the G-33 to develop and advocate common negotiating positions among high-level policymakers of developing countries and LDCs.

Representing India, he made significant contributions to South-South Cooperation through WTO proposals on domestic support, sustainability, food security, cotton, Special and Differential Treatment, and several other issues, many of which were co-sponsored by 75 countries from the G-33, OACPS, and the African Group. His initiatives played a pivotal role in invoking the Bali Peace Clause, thereby safeguarding India’s public stockholding programs for food security from WTO disputes. As an integral member of the Indian delegation, he played a crucial role in negotiations at the last five WTO Ministerial Conferences. He has conducted numerous training programmes on trade issues to strengthen South-South cooperation and collaborated with leading organisations, think tanks, and UN agencies.

As Director General of RIS, Prof. Sharma envisions strengthening RIS as the premier institution of the Global South, providing cutting-edge, development-oriented research and policy dialogue on contemporary global economic challenges. He aims to further RIS’s mission of fostering South-South cooperation, supporting evidence-based policymaking, and ensuring that the voices of developing countries are strongly represented in the international economic discourse.

Mr Anil Bhardawaj

Secretary General, FISME

Anil Bhardwaj is Secretary General of the Federation of Indian Micro Small & Medium Enterprises (FISME).

He has worked extensively in the fields of international trade and SME development. He has advised or led several SME development projects supported by multilateral and bilateral donor agencies in India.

His recent engagements include Member, Damodaran Committee for Reforming the Regulatory Environment for Doing Business in India (Ministry of Corporate Affairs); Member, Drafting Committee for ‘National Voluntary Guidelines on Social, Environmental and Economic responsibilities of Business’ since notified by Ministry Corporate Affairs (Govt. of India);.

Dr Charan Singh

Distinguished Fellow SKOCH Development Foundation

Prof (Dr.) Charan Singh is the CEO and Founder Director, EGROW Foundation. He is also the Non-Executive Chairman of Punjab & Sind Bank. Earlier, he was the RBI Chair Professor of Economics at the prestigious Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, India; Senior Economist at the IMF, Washington DC; and Research Director (Economic Policy, Debt Management) at the RBI. Among other positions, Dr Singh served on the Board of NHB and NABFINS. Dr Singh has published extensively and has two books to his credit.

Mr Lal Singh

Executive Director Bank of Baroda

Shri Lal Singh joined Bank of Baroda as an Executive Director on October 9, 2023. He started his career as a Rural Development Officer in Union Bank of India in 1990. As a career banker, he has 33 years of deep and distinguished experience including MSME Credit, Corporate Finance, Rural and Agri Business, and Human Resource Development.

As the Zonal Head, he has successfully spearheaded large and prestigious zones such as Varanasi, Lucknow, Chennai as well as Regions such as Mumbai West and Udaipur (Rajasthan). Shri Singh has diverse experience across Metro Urban Semi-Urban Rural (MUSR) locations, and has led exponential growth as Regional Head and Branch Head across Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and UP.

Post amalgamation of Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank with Union Bank of India, he led the business transformation of the Bank's MSME, Rural and Agri Business. In Shri Singh’s last assignment, he was the Chief General Manager for the Bank's strategic HR function. He directly led the Bank's flagship project, Union Prerna, establishing a new performance culture, succession planning and improving talent engagement with the 75,000+ employees of the Bank. Under his leadership, the HR function has won 12+ awards from leading global organisations, and an ISO certification for digital and data enablement. He has also anchored the setup of an advanced L&D unit, through the creation of a rich learning ecosystem to build market-ready skills in employees.

Shri Singh has served multiple board and leadership level positions. He was the Chairman of the Sub Committee of the State Level Bankers’ Committee, Uttar Pradesh for Credit Deposit Ratio and Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI). He was a nominee director on the board of the UP Industrial Consultants Limited (UPICO), M/s. Nab Samruddhi Finance Ltd (subsidiary of NABARD), PSB Alliance Pvt. Ltd., Supervisory Board of India Micro Finance Equity Fund (SIDBI), Trustee on the Governing Board of Indian Institute of Bank Management (IIBM), Guwahati and also Union Bank of India Social Foundation Trust (UBSFT) for Corporate Social Responsibility as well as Union Bank of India’s Employees Trust for Pension, Provident Fund and Gratuity.

Mr Jiji Memmon

Executive Director & CEO, SaDhan

Mr Jiji Mammen is the Executive Director & CEO of Sa-Dhan, a position he has held since June 17, 2022. With almost four decades of distinguished experience in microfinance, agriculture, and rural development, he is widely regarded as a leading voice in India’s inclusive finance ecosystem.

Before joining Sa-Dhan, Mr Mammen served as Managing Director of NABFINS, an NBFC-MFI promoted by NABARD. He was also the Founder, Managing Director & CEO of Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Ltd. (MUDRA), established in 2015 to support the Government of India’s flagship initiative, the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana.

During his long association with NABARD, he held senior leadership roles including Chief General Manager, where he headed key regional offices in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, and led the Department of Refinance at the national level.

Mr Mammen holds a postgraduate degree from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, as well as a law degree. He is a Certified Associate of the Indian Institute of Banking and Finance (IIBF) and has also served as a faculty member at the Bankers Institute of Rural Development, Mangaluru. A frequent speaker at national and international forums, he brings deep insights and practical perspectives on advancing financial inclusion and strengthening the microfinance sector.

Mr Sameer Kochhar

Chairman, SKOCH Group

Reforms historian and author of best-seller ModiNomics, Sameer Kochhar is Chairman, SKOCH Group. He is a passionate advocate of social, digital and financial inclusion and is a foremost expert on governance and inclusive growth. His work has been acclaimed globally and endorsed by Mr Narendra Modi, Mr M Venkaiah Naidu, Dr Manmohan Singh, Mr Arun Jaitley, Mr P Chidambaram, Mr Yashwant Sinha, Dr C Rangarajan and Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia and so on. In his thinking and writings and activities, his profound admiration for India's economic reforms and in extension, those outstanding personalities who strive to make these reforms more meaningful and broad-based comes out clear and unambiguous.

Dr Gursharan Dhanjal

Vice Chairman, SKOCH Group

Dr Gursharan Dhanjal, MA, MPhil, PhD from Delhi University and an expert in strategic affairs, is Vice Chairman, SKOCH Group. He is also the Editor of INCLUSION—a quarterly publication that focuses on development and addresses inclusive growth-related issues. INCLUSION has completed six years. He has over 20 years of work experience ranging from academics to research and business journalism to consulting. He started his career as an Assistant Professor and taught at Delhi University for five years before joining Asia Business News (India)—Dow Jones, a premier broadcaster of business and financial news during the mid-90s. He also worked for CNBC for over three years during the late 90s.

Mr Rohan Kochhar

Founder, SKOCH Law Offices

Rohan Kochhar stands at the intersection of economics, social science, and law, leveraging his multidisciplinary expertise to drive impactful change in public policy, emerging technologies, and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) initiatives. As the founder of SKOCH Law Offices, Rohan has built a boutique law firm renowned for its deep domain knowledge and innovative approach to legal challenges.

Ms Tasmita Sengupta

Senior Research Associate, CUTS International

Tasmita Sengupta is a Senior Research Associate at CUTS International with a background in Economics and Development Studies from IIT Guwahati. Her research focuses on economic regulation and competition, using Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA), with expertise in conducting policy research, stakeholder engagement and evidence-based policymaking. She also specializes in workers' welfare, particularly in the platform economy, and the social dimensions of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) frameworks. She has contributed to multiple articles on the above areas for CUTS. As an emerging development practitioner, her work seeks to bridge rigorous research and policy action to promote inclusive and sustainable economic outcomes.