Mr. Subrata Singh is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), one of India’s leading institutions working on the conservation and governance of land, water, and forest commons. Over a career spanning more than thirty years, he has played a key role in shaping the discourse on community stewardship, decentralized governance, local circular economy, ecosystem approach to landscape conservation, system change and scale design.

Sujit John is the Deputy Resident Editor at The Times of India, Bangalore, where he has been with the publication for over 27 years. He began his journey with TOI in 1995 as an Assistant Editor on the Edit Page and has since spent over two decades focusing on business and technology journalism. Sujit conceptualized and leads the widely acclaimed Times Techies page and the Times Techies Webinar, which spotlight India’s technology ecosystem and inspire young professionals.

‍

He previously worked with The Observer of Business and Politics and served as a researcher with the Government of India’s 10th Finance Commission. An alumnus of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, Sujit holds an MPhil and MA in Economics, and a BA (Hons) in Economics from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi.

‍

Sumit Chauhan is an impact-focused CSR leader with over 15 years of experience across CSR, branding, and marketing. He currently heads Mphasis Foundation’s CSR initiatives across Asia and globally, driving programs that combine technology and social good. Previously, he led CSR at RBL Bank and managed national partnerships at FICCI on water and sanitation.

He has also worked with Macquarie Group, Parle, and Saatchi & Saatchi. A marketer turned CSR strategist, Sumit blends business insight with a development lens to build purpose-led, measurable, and meaningful programs focused on alleviating poverty through education, skills, water, and climate resilience initiatives.

Sushant Verma brings over two decades of deep-rooted experience in social development, with a focus on rural transformation, livelihood promotion, and community resilience. As the Asia Regional Director at Trickle Up, he leads strategic initiatives that empower ultra-poorcommunities—especially women—through enterprise development and inclusion. His career spans leadership roles in globally respected organizations such as USAID, World Bank, British Council, Heifer International, and ActionAid, where he has designed and managed large-scale programs in education, public health, disaster recovery, and women’s empowerment. Sushant’s work is distinguished by his commitment to grassroots innovation, participatory development, and adaptive program design. A recognized international trainer and facilitator, he has conducted transformative workshops on leadership, organizational development, and attitudinal change across continents. His academic foundation includes an MBA in Rural Development, a Master’s in Sustainable Development, and specialized training from institutions like Oxford University. Sushant’s insights into unseen foundations—such as social capital, community resilience, and informal support systems—make him an ideal voice for CHARCHA 2025’s exploration of hidden pillars that sustain micro and nano enterprises. His work exemplifies how inclusive, locally anchored approaches can build resilient livelihoods and contribute meaningfully to nation building.

‍

Mr. Trilok Chand Gupta, IAS (Retd.), a 1987 batch officer of the Haryana cadre, currently serves as the Chief Commissioner of the Haryana Right to Service Commission, a position he has held since June 15, 2021. Born on May 28, 1961, in District Nuh (formerly part of Gurugram), Haryana, Mr. Gupta is an alumnus of Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi, and holds multiple professional qualifications — Chartered Accountancy (CA), Company Secretaryship (CS), Cost Accountancy (ICWA), Management Accountancy (Part I), and an LL.B. from the University of Delhi. Before joining the Indian Administrative Service, he practiced as a Chartered Accountant in Delhi for three and a half years.

Over a distinguished career spanning more than four decades, Mr. Gupta has held several key administrative positions, including Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Additional Deputy Commissioner, and Deputy Commissioner in Bhiwani and Gurugram districts. He also served as Administrative Secretary for critical departments such as Monitoring & Coordination, Food & Supplies, Town & Country Planning, School Education, Welfare of Scheduled Castes & Backward Classes, Administrative Reforms, Skill Development & Industrial Training, Power, New & Renewable Energy, Employment, Transport, Housing, and Mines & Geology. Between 2001 and 2008, he was on central deputation with the Government of India.

As Chief Commissioner, Mr. Gupta has been instrumental in advancing digital governance reforms in Haryana. Recognizing the gaps in public awareness and accountability within the service delivery framework, he conceptualized and led the development of the Auto Appeal System (AAS) — a pioneering digital initiative that ensures timely service delivery and automatic escalation of delays. Launched by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Haryana on September 1, 2021, the AAS has significantly enhanced transparency and efficiency in public service delivery, with nearly 22.59 lakh appeals processed through the system as of October 2025.

Mr. Gupta’s contributions to e-governance and administrative reform have been widely recognized. He received the National e-Governance Award (2008–09) from the Government of India for enhancing transparency and efficiency in HUDA’s operations. He has also delivered keynote addresses at prestigious forums, including the National Conference on e-Governance (Mumbai), the International Institute of Administrative Sciences–DARPG India Conference (Delhi), and the National Workshop on Sevottam and Effective Redressal of Public Grievances (Bhopal).

Mr. Gupta continues to be regarded as a visionary leader in public administration, governance innovation, and citizen-centric service delivery.

‍

Tanvi Lall, Director of Strategy at people+ai (pronounced people plus ai), EkStep Foundation. She has a strong academic background in healthcare and business management. She holds a Master's of Science in Biotech and Management from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA from University of California, Berkeley. Tanvi has experience developing products and projects focused on sustainable social impact across the United States and India. Her work at people+ai spans AI for Social Good and Economic Growth, AI safety, AI infrastructure and AI use cases.

Tushar is the Co-Founder and Partner at The Blended Finance Company, where he is advising large philanthropic foundations and impactful social enterprises in designing and implementing blended finance funds and facilities. Tushar is currently leading engagements to setup multiple climate adaptation linked facilities and facilities focused on livelihoods and employment. Prior to TBFC, Tushar was an Associate Partner at Dalberg Advisors, where he led the design and setup of multiple outcomes-linked facilities, like the Skill Impact Bond and LiftEd, and advised multiple development sector actors on their blended finance strategies. Prior to Dalberg, Tushar worked for close to a decade with Lazard India, as an investment banker. He is an MBA from IIM Bangalore and MIPP from Johns Hopkins SAIS.

‍

Utkarsh Saxena, co-founder & CEO of Adalat AI, has seen the legal system from multiple vantage points. He was a law clerk on the Supreme Court of India, practiced law across courts in India, and petitioned the Supreme Court to legalize marriage equality in India. Utkarsh holds a BA/LLB from the University of Delhi, an LLM from Harvard Law School, a master’s in international development economics from Harvard Kennedy School and is completing a PhD in public policy from the University of Oxford. He also worked with Dr. Arvind Subramanium at the Chief Economic Adviser’s office at the Ministry of Finance, at the World Bank, and the Boston Consulting Group.