Minister for State (IC) for Science & Technology; Earth Sciences; & Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office; Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy & Department of Space, Government of India
As Senior Vice President for Emerging Markets at Amazon, Amit drives Amazon’s investments in technology and infrastructure in the Emerging Regions, aimed towards the vision of transforming the way customers buy and businesses sell. Amit joined Amazon in 1999, and has led several new initiatives in the formative stages of Amazon’s seller, web-services and external payments businesses. He played a crucial role in Amazon’s international expansion efforts including launching retail presence in Italy and Spain.
Samir leads Amazon's Consumer Business in India. He has recently taken up this role, marking his second stint with Amazon India. Samir was an integral part of the leadership team that launched Amazon.in in 2013. He also leads Amazon’s Consumer Business in the Middle East, South Africa, and Turkey along with Amazon Stores expansion into new countries. In 2016, Samir transitioned from India to lead Amazon Stores Expansions and Exports, overseeing the expansion of Amazon's Stores business into new markets. Under his leadership, the organization doubled the number of countries with Amazon Stores.
Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari | Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Government of India
Known as the architect of modern infrastructure in India, Shri Gadkari has revolutionized the nation's transportation landscape with groundbreaking initiatives like the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, Bharatmala Pariyojana, and the Motor Vehicle Scrapping Policy. Under his visionary leadership, over 70,000 km of highways have been constructed in the last decade, alongside transformative projects such as the 14-lane Delhi-Meerut Expressway and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. A strong advocate for sustainability, Shri Gadkari is championing alternative fuels like Green Hydrogen and bio-CNG, aligning with his “waste-to-wealth” philosophy. His efforts in remote connectivity, green energy, and technological innovation underscore his commitment to building a qualitative, sustainable, and world-class infrastructure for India.
Shri Pralhad Joshi | Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution; & New and Renewable Energy, Government of India
Shri Pralhad Joshi is a distinguished Member of Parliament from Karnataka. Representing Dharwad constituency for an impressive five consecutive terms, Shri Joshi is currently spearheading transformative initiatives as the Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. His visionary leadership is propelling India toward a cleaner and sustainable future with ambitious goals, such as achieving 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2070. Shri Joshi is championing groundbreaking policies and schemes, including the National Green Hydrogen Mission, PM-Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, and the PM-KUSUM scheme, driving technological innovation, community participation, and economic development in the renewable energy sector.
Dr. Jitendra Singh | Minister for State (IC) for Science & Technology; Earth Sciences; & Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office; Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy & Department of Space, Government of India
A multifaceted leader, Dr. Singh represents the Udhampur constituency of Jammu and Kashmir and brings a unique blend of expertise in governance and science to the forefront of India's development. With a distinguished medical career as a diabetologist, an author of eight acclaimed books, and decades of public service, Dr. Singh is driving India's advancements in cutting-edge fields like space exploration, atomic energy, and climate sciences. His visionary leadership is pivotal to shaping policies that empower scientific innovation, enhance administrative efficiency, and build a sustainable future for India.
Yuvraj Singh | International Cricketer, Philanthropist, Entrepreneur
With more than 550 match appearances and 12,000 international runs, international cricketer, entrepreneur and humanitarian, Yuvraj Singh has been one of the finest match-winners to don the Indian jersey. Having been pegged as a star performer ever since his youthful debut, he continued to win hearts globally with his breathtaking batting, strategic bowling and athletic fielding. The left-hander was the proud protagonist of some of India’s biggest victories, with him starring in the team’s victorious journey in the 2007 World T20 and 2011 World Cup titles. Post retirement, Yuvraj has been devoting all his time and energy to the YouWeCan Foundation.
Vineeta Singh is the Co-founder & CEO of SUGAR Cosmetics, India's fastest growing beauty brand, with a distribution network of 50,000+ branded retail outlets in more than 550 cities. Vineeta is an alumnus of IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad. She is not only a successful entrepreneur but also a fitness enthusiast. She has participated in several marathons, ultramarathons and half-marathons. Besides her love for fitness, she is a successful entrepreneur and a much loved 'Shark' on Shark Tank India.
With a career spanning more than 3 decades in the consumer brand and investing ecosystem, Kanwaljit Singh brings deep expertise in venture investing, strategy and business development, brand building and marketing. As the Founder and Managing Partner of Fireside Ventures, he has successfully raised three separate funds (AUM US$400Mn) with notable investors including L’Oréal France, Investment Corporation of Dubai, Unilever Ventures, SIDBI (managing Govt of India’s Fund of Fund for startups), HDFC Bank, Waterfield Fund of Funds, etc. Apart from defining the overall contours of the portfolio, he mentors entrepreneurs to scale and also champions Fireside’s thought leadership.
Abhinav Bindra | World & Olympic Champion - Air Rifle Shooting
Abhinav Bindra’s journey to becoming the first Indian to win an Individual Olympic Gold and the first Indian to win a World Championship Gold in Air Rifle Shooting is an example of a single-minded quest for perfection. His victory at Beijing was not just a personal one, it broke a sporting barrier that had haunted a nation for a century. Born in Dehradun, he has won over 150 individual medals in a career that lasted over twenty years. His last Olympics were in Rio in 2016 where he finished 4th. Recipient of the Arjuna Award, the youngest recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Mr. Bindra was also conferred with India’s third highest civilian award, The Padma Bhushan. He was also conferred with the title of (Hony.) Lt. Col. in the Territorial Army.
Sania Mirza | Former World No.1 in Women’s Doubles (Tennis)
Sania Mirza, the epitome of Indian tennis excellence! Born in Mumbai in 1986, her journey to becoming one of the most celebrated tennis players in the country is a testament to her skill, resilience, and determination. Mirza achieved historic milestones, becoming the first Indian woman to win a Grand Slam title in doubles and reaching the world No. 1 ranking in women's doubles. Off the court, she is a symbol of empowerment, promoting sports and challenging societal norms. Her remarkable career has not only elevated Indian tennis on a global stage but also inspired a generation to dream big!
Kara Hurst is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Amazon. Kara Hurst is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Amazon. In this role, she leads the worldwide teams who work on environmental sustainability and social responsibility across the company. Kara joined Amazon in 2014 to build its sustainability roadmap and now oversees the company’s evolution towards more sustainable operations, transportation, products, and packaging, as well as its efforts around water stewardship, and reduced waste. Under her leadership, Amazon announced its commitment to be net-zero carbon by 2040 and co-founded The Climate Pledge, which now has over 500 signatories.
Susan Pointer |VP, International Public Policy & Government Affairs, Amazon
Susan Pointer is Vice President, International Public Policy & Government Affairs for Amazon. Based at Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle USA since 2018, Susan oversees the Public Policy and Government Affairs teams and activity across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), India and wider Asia Pacific (APAC) regions. Susan previously led Amazon’s EMEA Public Policy teams, from Brussels and then London between 2001 and 2008. Between 2008 and 2018, Susan led Google’s EMEA and APAC Public Policy and Government Relations work, based out of London and then Hong Kong. Between 1998 and 2001, Susan headed the Confederation of British Industry (CBI)’s European Public Policy Unit in Brussels.
Bala Sarda has made a significant impact in the tea industry. He comes with over 90 years of lineage in the tea industry and is the fourth generation in his family to start a tea business. Given his lineage, he started with tea but the vision was always to do much more. VAHDAM is the reverse anagram of Bala’s father’s first name, ‘MADHAV’ whom he considers his biggest inspiration. With a deep-rooted family heritage and an innate passion, Bala recognized the flaws in the conventional tea and spices supply chain early on. He witnessed the loss of flavor and freshness that occurred due to a broken and fragmented system. Driven by a burning desire to create and change, Bala set out to disrupt the 200-year-old global supply chain and forge a new path.
Dia Mirza is an award-winning Actor, Green Entrepreneur, Founder of One India Stories, UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador & United Nations Secretary-General's Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals. Dia has tirelessly leveraged her global platform to address diverse issues, including pollution, climate change, wildlife conservation, and gender rights. Her name in the BBC's 100 Women List in 2023 highlights her dual impact in the realms of entertainment and activism. Her journey as a constantly evolving actor, human being, and a powerful voice for sustainability has made her a trailblazer and a role model for many.
Aman Gupta is an Indian entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist; and Co-founder of the popular audio wearable brand boAt. He is also a prominent "Shark" on the Indian reality show, Shark Tank India. Under Aman's leadership, boAt has transformed into a unicorn in just over 7 years and has raised over $175 million from renowned investors like Warburg Pincus, Malabar Investments, and Fireside Ventures. Today, boAt is recognized as India's #1 consumer tech brand and has become the 2nd largest audio wearable brand after Apple in the world. boAt is now available in India, UAE, Latin America and employs over 20,000 people directly and indirectly. With several accreditations under his name, he has been recognized by The Economic Times (ET 40 under Forty) and Forbes India's Tycoons of Tomorrow list, which showcase him as one of India's top business leaders.
Amit Nanda |Director - Selling Partner Services at Amazon
Amit Nanda presently serves as Director- Selling Partner Services at Amazon. He is responsible for developing products & solutions to help sellers scale their business. Amit is associated with Amazon over 10 dedicated years having worked in various categories such as Private Brands, Consumables, Hardlines & Sales. Prior to Amazon, Amit served as Head of Marketing for Retail Banking & Cards at Citibank for over 4 years. Amit’s journey began at Hindustan Unilever, where he spent 9 years in various sales and marketing roles. Amit holds a Management Degree from IIMA and a Bachelor’s degree from Delhi College of Engineering.
Rohan Boppana |Grand Slam Champion & Former Doubles World No. 1
Hailing from the district of Kodagu in Karnataka, Rohan Bopanna ranks as one of the premium tennis players of the country. Rohan took to Tennis at the age of 11 but continued to play hockey and football until deciding to pursue tennis professionally at the age of 19. His powerful serve, coupled with his huge on court presence has made him one of the most coveted doubles players on the international tennis circuit. He made his debut for India in 2002 and since then has been flying the flag of our nation with utmost dignity and honour, reminiscent of his personality that has made him so popular amongst his fellow professional tennis players. In 2017, Rohan went on to win his first grand slam by winning the French Open in the mixed doubles event along with his Canadian partner Gabriela Dabrowski. To commemorate his contribution to the sport, Rohan was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2018. At 44, he continues to inspire us through his incredible feat, having gained his career-high World No. 1 ranking.
Chetan Krishnaswamy |VP of Public Policy, Amazon India
Chetan joined Amazon India as Vice President of Public Policy in 2020, after an almost 7-year stint at Google. He comes with a wealth of public policy and business experience, working in some of the most demanding and challenging Indian corporate policy environments. During his time at Google, he built an exceptionally strong team, initiated many proactive partnerships with Central and State governments, and strategically re-positioned the company and its reputation in India across a diverse set of political and policy stakeholders, including at the very highest levels. Prior to joining Google, Chetan was Director, Corporate affairs at Dell India for five years, and previously led Public Policy at Intel, including serving as the Technical Assistant (TA) to the President of Intel. At Intel, he won the Intel Achievement Award (IAA) – the company’s highest award. Less than 1% Intel employees win the coveted award.
Vivek Somareddy
VP, Emerging Markets, Seller Experience & Global Trade, Amazon
Vivek Somareddy |VP, Emerging Markets, Seller Experience & Global Trade
Vivek has been with Amazon for over 16 years across various functions. He currently leads Seller Experience across Emerging markets and the India Global Trade business, both exports and imports. He has led the growth of FBA and spearheaded the launch of Seller Flex, a unique India first fulfillment channel. Under Global Trade, his team helps IN sellers access Amazon marketplaces WW and vice-versa. Vivek also led the launch of the India Seller Lending program which leverages a network of banks and NBFCs to help Amazon sellers with their working capital needs. Vivek’s prior roles at Amazon include leading Customer Service operations, Supply Chain operations and a stint developing technology platforms.
Abhijit is an Amazon Veteran having spent over 13 years with the organization. He was part of the core team that launched Amazon in India. From there on, he has managed several large Multi-Billion Dollar businesses across different parts of Amazon. In his current role, he leads a multifunctional team which is responsible for helping Selling Partners across IN, MENA, LATAM and APAC succeed on and off Amazon. Abhijit is also passionate about investing and growing people and is the business sponsor for the Stores Campus Hiring and DEI programs.
Abhinav is the Vice President of Operations at Amazon India. In addition to leading India, he heads the operations product and technology teams for RoW countries. Abhinav has over 20 years of experience across Oil & Gas and Retail in multiple diverse functions like technology, product, operations and sales. As one of the earliest hires in operations for Amazon India, he has played an instrumental role in building the largest logistics network in the country and also inventing company and industry first solutions like buyback, Easyship, I Have Space, package free shipping and the EV fleet expansion. An MBA in Operations and Finance from the Indian School of Business and an undergraduate in Nautical Technology from BITS, Pilani; outside of work, Abhinav is an avid golfer and restores vintage cars.
Deepti Varma
VP (HR), People Experience & Technology at Amazon Stores Indian & Emerging Markets
Deepti Varma |VP (HR) People Experience & Technology at Amazon Stores Indian & Emerging Markets
Deepti Varma is the Vice President of (HR) People Experience and Technology (PXT) at Amazon Stores, overseeing teams in India, Japan, and Emerging Markets. With over 25 years of experience across industries such as e-commerce, pharmaceuticals, IT, and manufacturing, she has held leadership roles at Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, NIIT, and more. At Amazon, for 13+ years, she has been instrumental in advancing DE&I efforts and championing people experiences including safety and well-being. Recognized as one of India’s 50 Most Influential Women in HR, Deepti also serves as the DEI Chairperson for National HRD, Hyderabad.
Rajeev Rastogi |VP, International Machine Learning
Rajeev Rastogi is the Vice President of International Machine Learning at Amazon. He leads the development of Machine Learning solutions for Amazon’s International Emerging Stores (India, MENA, LATAM) business in the areas of Search, Advertising, Deals, Catalog Quality, Payments, Forecasting, Question Answering, etc. Previously, he was Vice President of Yahoo! Labs, Bangalore and the founding Director of the Bell Labs Research Center in Bangalore. Rajeev is an ACM Fellow and a Bell Labs Fellow. He has published over 125 papers, and holds over 100 patents. Rajeev received his B. Tech degree from IIT Bombay and PhD in Computer Science from the University of Texas, Austin.
A second-generation entrepreneur and alumni of the prestigious IIM Calcutta, Harshil Salot is the co-founder of The Sleep Company - a home-grown D2C brand that is now revolutionizing the comfort tech industry with a 400% YoY growth. A young startup, The Sleep Company led by Harshil and his wife, has raised a total of INR 190.4 CR (Rs 13.4 CR in Series A and Rs 177 CR in a Series B round) till date. At The Sleep Company, Harshil has leveraged the rich experience he has across business verticals to drive the brand’s overall go-to-market strategy and help create a company that is disrupting the Indian market with its patented SmartGRID technology.
Bhupen joined Amazon in Sep 2015 to lead India Delivery experience. His team launched the Prime Program, 1day, Same day & Sub-Same day speed offerings as well environment friendly package consolidation programs such as Amazon Day. Bhupen took over the Global Trade role in July 2022 where his team is focused on creating technology that make it easy for Indian sellers and brands to export their products to ~200 countries where Amazon delivers packages today. Bhupen holds an MBA from the Wharton School and a B. Tech from IIT Bombay.
Abhijeet Muzumdar |VP & Head of Amazon SMBhav Venture Fund & Corporate Development
Abhijeet joined Amazon in 2014 and has been a venture investor for over 16 years. Over the years at Amazon, Abhijeet has made investments across consumer internet, transportation, fintech, Software, direct to consumer brands and eCommerce. Prior to Amazon, Abhijeet worked with Bessemer Venture Partners and focused on consumer internet and financial services. At Bessemer, Abhijeet made the first institutional investment in Home First Finance Company, which went IPO in 2021 and Bharat Matrimony which went IPO in 2018-19. Prior to Bessemer, Abhijeet worked in the investment banking divisions of Edelweiss at Mumbai and UBS Paine Webber at New York.
She is a multifaceted actress, anchor, author and a fitness enthusiast. With a career spanning over two decades, she has made significant contributions to Indian cinema and television. Renowned for her versatile acting skills, she has appeared in a variety of films and TV shows, captivating audiences with her dynamic performances.
Arjun Vaidya
Co-Founder @ V3 Ventures I Founder @ Dr. Vaidya's (acquired)
Arjun Vaidya |Co-Founder @ V3 Ventures I Founder @ Dr. Vaidya's (acquired)
Arjun Vaidya is a seasoned entrepreneur and investor with a passion for Ayurveda. He founded Dr. Vaidya’s, transforming it into India’s largest Ayurveda brand online before exiting through a successful acquisition. Currently, Arjun leads venture investing at Verlinvest via V3 Ventures and actively mentors and invests in startups as an angel investor. In addition to business, Arjun is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper and serves on Brown University’s Young Alumni Advisory Council. He also hosts a podcast, Direct to a Billion Consumers, sharing insights on India’s FMCG sector.
Naiyya Saggi |Group Co-founder & Board Member of the Good Glamm Group
Ms. Naiyya Saggi is a 2x entrepreneur with 16 years of experience in Consumer/FMCG, Consumer Tech, Go to Market, Fundraising, Team Building and Diversity & Inclusion. She is a pivotal figure in the startup ecosystem, known for building new age consumer brands, communities and for being one of India’s top voices in technology.
In the past 25 years, Dr. Prashant Mishra's journey as an educator, researcher, trainer, consultant, and institution builder (not necessarily in the same order) in both the finest Public and Private Educational Institutions in India, has been both exciting and challenging. Presently, he is serving as Professor of Marketing at IIM Calcutta. He has also served as Dean, School of Business Management at SVKM's Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai, during October 2021 to September 2023.
Ramaswami Lakshman|Director, FBA, IN & Emerging Markets
Ramaswami has been with Amazon for more than 7 years and leads the FBA business for Emerging Markets. He and his team have been fueling marketplace growth specifically by growing the FBA business. His team recently launched Multi Channel Fulfilment to support sellers fulfil off-Amazon orders through FBA. He was previously also part of Easy Ship and the initial team that launched Amazon Local Shops. He obsesses about seller experience and enabling sellers to go national through eCommerce. He brings rich experience in global supply chain and product development from his prior role in management consulting.
Shantanu is the Director of HR/People experience and Technology (PXT) at Amazon, supporting India Stores and Emerging Markets with a focus on Seller Experience, Fulfillment Channels, and Global Trade. Based in Bangalore, Shantanu joined Amazon in 2015, initially as part of the Global Pricing team. There, he led Product, Program, and Operations initiatives within Competitor Monitoring (CMT), overseeing retail and third-party pricing strategies across more than 24 countries to strengthen Amazon’s competitive position in global markets. In 2023, Shantanu transitioned to PXT, where he leads transformative initiatives, including PXT Capability Enhancement and optimizing Cost to Serve in Amazon’s Emerging Markets.
Girish leads the India Ads business for Amazon – enabling businesses to promote their products and brands directly on Amazon through advertising, leveraging customer insights and purchase intent to drive visibility and sales. He also leads Amazon MX Player – the leading free video streaming service in India offering premium entertainment content for viewers, and pan-India audience reach using Amazon’s trillions of customer signals for advertisers. Girish has been with Amazon for over sixteen years in different roles and has built products and technology for some of Amazon’s core offerings in marketplace, global payments, and advertising in Seattle, Palo Alto, and Bangalore. Girish’s overall industry experience spans over twenty-five years in consumer internet technology and advertising in Amazon, and mobile advertising and monetization in InMobi and Tapjoy.
Varun Mayya
Entrepreneur, Content Creator, Founder & CEO of Scenes
Nitin Sati |Associate, Delivery Station, Amazon India
Nitin Sati is a Station Support Associate at Amazon’s NCTD Delivery Station in New Delhi, where he has been part of the team for over three years. Nitin faced significant challenges from an early age due to the loss of both his hearing and speech due to medical conditions. In 2009, he enrolled in the School for Deaf Students in Nainital and later moved to Delhi, where he developed his skills at the Noida Deaf Society. At Amazon, Nitin has excelled through accessible learning programs and has been proficiently supporting the station operations.
Rohit Jaggi |Director, First Mile Operations, Amazon India
Rohit joined Amazon in 2015 as Senior Manager, Network Operations Centre (NOC) for North America and Europe. He later moved to NOC India where he built tools and process to scale the India operations. In 2018, he took over as the leader for fulfillment and delivery operations of Large Appliances in India, where he built products to improve customer experience and fueled growth of large appliances category. He led Last Mile operations for 2 years and is presently the Director for First Mile Operations, and is spearheading various innovations, and will continue to drive the tremendous growth of the company’s fulfillment network. Rohit retired as a Colonel from the Indian Army in December 2014, after 22 years of commissioned service in the combat arm of the Indian Army.
Varun Mayya |Entrepreneur, Content Creator, Founder & CEO of Scenes
Varun is a tech content creator who has been in the Indian and global startup ecosystem for over a decade. A lifelong tech entrepreneur turned content creator, Varun loves experimenting with various technologies and creating videos about his experiences. Varun significantly influences the generative AI and content creation space in India, and he is the world's largest AI avatar creator, generating 60 million views per month.