Featured Speakers
Dr. Shashi Tharoor
MP, Lok Sabha · Government of India
One of India's most eloquent voices in Parliament and global diplomacy.
A three-term MP from Thiruvananthapuram and author of over 25 books, Dr. Tharoor served as UN Under-Secretary-General before entering Indian politics. He chaired the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs and has been a preeminent bridge between India and the global stage.
K Annamalai
Former BJP President · Tamil Nadu
A former IPS officer who reshaped BJP's grassroots presence in southern India.
As Tamil Nadu BJP President, Annamalai significantly expanded the party's footprint in the south through bold political stances and direct citizen engagement. Before politics he served as an IPS officer in Karnataka, and his unfiltered communication style has made him one of India's most-watched young political figures.
Jyoti Bansal
Co-Founder, Harness.io & AppDynamics
Two-Time Founder Building AI-Powered Software Delivery for the Enterprise
Jyoti Bansal is the founder and CEO of Harness, a software delivery platform that uses AI agents to automate code security and compliance. Born in a small town in Rajasthan, India, he immigrated to the U.S. at 21 and spent seven years as an engineer in Silicon Valley before founding AppDynamics, which he sold to Cisco for $3.7 billion in 2017. He launched Harness soon after, and the company reached a $5.5 billion valuation following its $240 million Series E in late 2025.
Mamta Bhandari
Founding Supporter · The/Nudge
Veteran Product Leader Driving Customer-Centric Innovation in Complex, Regulated Industries
Mamta Bhandari is a veteran product and technology leader, investor, advisor, and board member with leadership experience at Haven, Opendoor, Optimal, and Arthur Andersen. She is also a seasoned philanthropist and impact investor to mission-driven organizations working to drive scalable social impact and inclusive economic opportunity.
Jishnu Bhattacharjee
Managing Director · Nexus Venture Partners
A seasoned venture investor who has backed some of India's most transformative startups.
As Managing Director at Nexus Venture Partners, Jishnu has invested across SaaS, consumer tech, and fintech. He brings deep expertise in early-stage Indian and US technology ecosystems and has been a key force connecting Silicon Valley with India's startup wave.
Anand Chandrasekaran
Managing Partner · Celesta Capital
A venture partner bridging deep tech and the Indo-US innovation corridor.
Managing Partner at Celesta Capital, Anand invests at the intersection of semiconductors, enterprise software, and deep tech. With prior leadership roles at companies including Meta, he brings a rare blend of operating experience and early-stage investment acumen to the India–US technology ecosystem.
Pawan Deshpande
Founder · Curata Ventures
An entrepreneur and investor focused on AI-driven content and early-stage ventures.
Founder of Curata, a content intelligence platform, and now active in early-stage investing through Curata Ventures. Pawan is a thought leader on AI applications in the enterprise and a prominent voice in the India–Silicon Valley entrepreneurial diaspora.
Vinod Dham
VC · Father of the Pentium Chip · Padma Bhushan
The engineer whose Pentium chip work put a billion computers to work.
Known globally as the "Father of the Pentium," Vinod Dham's engineering work at Intel in the 1990s changed the trajectory of personal computing. He has since founded and invested in multiple technology ventures and is a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honor.
Dr. Sumit Ganguly
Senior Fellow · Hoover Institution
A leading authority on South Asian security, politics, and India–Pakistan relations.
Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and Distinguished Professor of Political Science (Emeritus) at Indiana University, Dr. Ganguly has authored or edited over 20 books on Indian politics and foreign policy. He is among the most cited scholars on South Asian affairs in the United States.
Param Iyer
Exec. Director, World Bank · Former CEO, NITI Aayog
A development leader connecting World Bank resources to India's most pressing challenges.
Currently Executive Director at the World Bank, Param Iyer previously served as the inaugural CEO of NITI Aayog under PM Modi, driving flagship programs including the National Nutrition Mission. He has spent decades working at the intersection of public policy and international development finance.
Asha Jadeja
Founder · Motwani Jadeja Foundation
A Silicon Valley philanthropist connecting Indian heritage with transformative global giving.
Asha Jadeja Motwani co-founded the Motwani Jadeja Foundation, supporting education, wellness, and community empowerment for the Indian-American diaspora. A Stanford-connected entrepreneur and investor, she is recognized as one of the most influential Indian-Americans in philanthropy.
Amoghavarsha JS
2× Grammy Awardee · Wildlife Filmmaker
India's most celebrated wildlife filmmaker and a two-time Grammy Award winner.
A National Geographic Explorer and award-winning documentary filmmaker, Amoghavarsha has brought India's biodiversity to global audiences through his films. His music collaborations have earned two Grammy Awards, making him a unique bridge between art, science, and environmental storytelling.
Dr. Anurag Mairal
Director Global Translation · Stanford Mussallem Center for Biodesign
A biodesign leader translating Stanford's medical innovation into global health impact.
Anurag leads Global Translation and Outreach Programs at the Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign, extending Stanford's biomedical innovation methodologies to healthcare systems in India and beyond. His work spans capacity-building, global partnerships, and applying biodesign principles in resource-constrained settings.
Dr. Dinsha Mistree
Fellow · Hoover Institution
A legal scholar examining law, pluralism, and democracy in modern India.
Dinsha Mistree is a Fellow at the Hoover Institution whose research focuses on constitutional law, religious pluralism, and judicial institutions in South Asia. He examines how India's legal framework navigates questions of identity, rights, and governance within one of the world's most diverse democracies.
Dr. Arvind Panagariya
Chairman · 16th Finance Commission of India
India's foremost trade economist and architect of NITI Aayog's early policy agenda.
Chairman of India's 16th Finance Commission and Professor of Economics at Columbia University, Dr. Panagariya was the first Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog and previously served as Chief Economist of the Asian Development Bank. A prolific author on trade liberalization, his work has shaped economic policymaking across the India–US corridor for decades.
Dr. Manu Prakash
PhD ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF BIOENGINEERING • STANFORD
Inventor and Bioengineer Democratizing Science Through Frugal Innovation.
Dr. Manu Prakash is an Associate Professor of Bioengineering at Stanford University and a pioneer of "frugal science," a movement to make diagnostics, medicine, computing, and microscopy accessible to people across the world. He is the co-founder of Foldscope Instruments, Planktoscope, and Cephla, and the inventor of Paperfuge, Abuzz, and Octopi — open tools tackling global health challenges from malaria diagnostics to antibiotic resistance. Recognized by Cell Press as one of "50 Scientists that Inspire," he holds appointments at Stanford's Woods Institute for the Environment, Bio-X, the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, and the Center for Innovation in Global Health, and serves on the board of PIVOT in Madagascar. Dr. Prakash earned his B.Tech in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology and his MS and PhD in Applied Physics from MIT.
Smita Prakash
Editor · Asian News International
A veteran journalist at the helm of India's premier multimedia news agency.
Editor at Asian News International (ANI), India's leading wire and multimedia news agency, Smita Prakash brings decades of experience covering Indian politics, diplomacy, and foreign affairs. She has interviewed heads of state and is a prominent voice on media, democracy, and India's global narrative.
MR Rangaswami
Founder · Sandhill Ventures, Indiaspora
A tech investor and diaspora builder who turned Silicon Valley networks into national impact.
Founder of Sand Hill Group and Indiaspora, MR Rangaswami has spent decades connecting Indian-American leaders across sectors to drive business and social change. Indiaspora has become the foremost network of prominent Indian-Americans, with influence spanning Capitol Hill, Silicon Valley, and global philanthropy.
Dr. Srikar Reddy
Consulate General of India in San Francisco
A distinguished diplomat with extensive experience in India-US relations.
Dr. Srikar Reddy is the Consulate General of India in San Francisco, where he leads efforts to strengthen bilateral ties between India and the United States. With a career spanning decades in diplomacy and international relations, he is a prominent voice on India-US cooperation.
Milli Seth
President & Board of Director · Saloni Heart Foundation
Entrepreneur and Philanthropist Advancing Pediatric Heart Care and Educational Access.
Milli Seth is the Founder and President of the Saloni Heart Foundation, a nonprofit providing free second opinions from leading pediatric cardiac experts and scholarships to economically disadvantaged students pursuing medical studies in India. A serial entrepreneur, she co-founded MYLE LLC and built MS Interiors into a luxury project management firm serving the hotel industry. Her career also spans financial services leadership roles at Wells Fargo and Bank of America. Milli holds an MBA in Finance and Marketing from ICFAI Business School, a Bachelor's in Commerce from Delhi University, and has completed advanced studies at Stanford University.
Radhika Shah
Founding Co-Chair · UN Joint SDG Fund Breakthrough Alliance
A global development leader building multilateral bridges around innovation to advance the UN's ambitious Sustainable development goals.
Radhika Shah is Founding Co-Chair of the UN Joint SDG Fund Breakthrough Alliance, focused on unlocking public and private capital for the Sustainable Development Goals. With a career spanning the World Bank, McKinsey, and major foundations, she has worked at the forefront of international development and global health finance.
SD Shibulal
Co-founder & former CEO · Infosys
Co-founder of Infosys and a pioneer of India's IT revolution on the world stage.
One of the seven founders of Infosys, SD Shibulal served as the company's CEO and Managing Director, overseeing its growth into a global technology giant with over 200,000 employees. He has since remained active in entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and advancing India's technology ecosystem.
Tejasvi Surya
MP, Lok Sabha · Government of India
A young Member of Parliament driving India's engagement with its diaspora and digital future.
MP from Bangalore South and former President of BJP Yuva Morcha, Tejasvi Surya is one of India's most prominent young political voices. He has championed issues at the intersection of governance, foreign policy, and the India–US relationship, with particular focus on the global Indian diaspora's role.
Dr. Nandini Tandon
Founding Managing Partner · Aarna Venture Partners
Investing at the Intersection of Healthcare, Technology & Equity · Global Board Director · Co-Founder, IndUS Setu Global Foundation
Dr. Nandini Tandon is a Silicon Valley-based venture capitalist with 17+ years of experience investing in transformational healthcare solutions that harness emerging technologies to address unmet clinical needs and democratize access to care. With a track record of 12 investments and 11 exits—including acquisitions by Pfizer, Gilead, Amgen, and GE—she has held senior roles at Lumira/MDS Capital and RBC Capital Partners, and brings deep cross-industry expertise spanning Pharma, Biotech, MedTech, and Semiconductors from companies like GlaxoWellcome, Chiron, Hyseq, and Zyomyx.
A passionate champion of healthcare equity and women-led innovation, Dr. Tandon is co-founder of IndUS Setu Global Foundation and serves on numerous global boards, including Stanford's Byers Center for Bio Design, Bay Area Economic Council Institute, and QB3. She received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award from the President of India in 2015 and holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Duke University.
Manushi Yadav
Head of Global Strategy and Partnerships · Pratham
Connecting Funders, Partners & Programs to Advance Education Equity · A Decade of Impact with Pratham
Manushi Yadav is Director of Strategy and Partnerships at Pratham USA, where she leads institutional fundraising and collaboration—working with funders, partners, and industry collaboratives to advance Pratham's work, funding needs, and program priorities. She brings nearly a decade of experience with Pratham in India, where she led program management, operations, and partnerships, most recently heading the Strategic Partnerships team to shape new initiatives and medium-term strategic vision alongside program leaders.
Based in Chicago, Manushi is an MBA candidate and Neubauer Civic Scholar at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.