Theme: Catch The Snowflake

“You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines whimpering, and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.”

With “Catch the snowflake” as our theme for the year, we wish to capture and spread the unique ideas that are slowly shaping our world and making it a better place to live in. An idea is like a snowflake, it needs to be nurtured, made strong by combining with each other until it 'snowballs' into a new reality. Just like a snowflake undergoes a transformational journey in which it creates a unique pattern for itself, we too can draw a parallel and acknowledge the presence of extraordinary thoughts in our society that can help us shape our future together.

Indian Institute of Management Indore
IIM Indore
Prabandh Shikhar, Rau-Pithampur Road
Indore, Madhya Pradesh, 453331
India

ADITHYA KOTHANDHAPANI

Mission Systems Engineer Team Indus Google Lunar XPrize Mission

Adithya Kothandhapani is the Mission Systems Engineer for the Team Indus Google Lunar XPrize Mission. Alternatively referred to as Moon 2.0, GLXP is a global challenge that requires engineers and entrepreneurs to place a robot on the Moon that explores at least 500m and sends feedback to earth. He holds a Master’s degree in Astronautics & Space Engineering from Cranfield University and Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from UPES Dehradun. His previous work as a Graduate Researcher on the Cranfield student satellite program and as Systems Engineer in the SAE Aero Design Competition built his interest in applying Systems Engineering practices to projects. Adithya joined TeamIndus in 2013 in the Mission Planning & Operations department, before moving to the Systems Engineering department in 2015.

ASTHA KAPOOR

Public-policy Expert | Strategy Consultant

Astha Kapoor is a public-policy strategy consultant working on financial inclusion and digital payments. A Master from Institute of Social Studies, Netherlands, she is currently associated with MicroSave with a focus on G2P payments .Her work spans strategy, advisory and evaluation on government project specifically with the DBT Mission, Office of the Chief Economic Advisor, NITI Aayog and ministries pertaining to food, fuel and fertilizer. She recently designed a pilot to digitize uptake of fertilizers in Krishna district, and evaluated the newly introduced coupon system in the PDS in Bangalore and design of cash coupon system. Astha worked at Dalberg Global Development Advisors on a year-long project with USAID and Government of India to incentivize uptake of digital payments for consumers and merchants. She also worked with the Planning Commission on the 12th Five Year Plan and Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA).

Dr. ABHIJEET BARSE

CEO Slum Soccer | Social Worker

Under his tenure as the CEO of Slum Soccer, Dr. Abhijeet Barse has revitalised Slum Soccer’s football based curriculum through effective engagement with a focus on women’s empowerment, hygiene, nutrition and social inclusion and also established pan India presence of the organization. His strengths lie in overcoming challenges of limited resources to design and deliver high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive football for development programs. He plans to increase global participation in Slum Soccer’s initiatives and has organized events which have seen the participation of football legends like Dwight Yorke. He is the 2015 winner of the Game Changer Award conferred by the HR Club of Mumbai. His work led to the organization being awarded FIFA Diversity Award in September 2016.

Dr. SHELLY BATRA

Gynecologist | Author | Co-founder Operation ASHA

Dr. Shelly Batra is a renowned Gynecologist and Obstetrician, Advanced Laparoscopy Surgeon, Penguin Author, Ashoka Changemaker, and recipient of the 2014 Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneurship Award. She has dedicated her life to helping the vulnerable and impoverished over the past two decades, providing free consultations and performing pro-bono surgeries. Dr. Shelly co-founded Operation ASHA in 2005, and her vision, clear-sighted goals, and unwavering dedication have prompted policy-makers, health practitioners, and investors from both sides of the Atlantic to join the fight against tuberculosis.

KRUSHNAA PATIL

Mountaineer | Adventurer

After successfully scaling the highest peak of the world, Mt. Everest in 2009, Krushna Patil became the youngest Indian woman mountaineer at the age of 19. A woman within the mission to conquer the Seven Summits of the Seven Continents, she has been endowed with numerous Titles and awards, notable among them being Gr8 Women’s Awards (2010), Today’s Youth Asia Award (Nepal) (2010) CNN IBN Young Indian Leaders Award (2010), Maharashtra Ratna (2010), Young Achiever Citadel Award (2009), Hirkani Puraskar (2009), Rajiv Gandhi Puraksar (2009). Krushnaa is a part of an international expedition on clean water access and conservation program, which, through 2014 - 2020, will promote access to fresh water around the world with a team of eight women, from six continents.

MANI SHANKAR

Engineer | Film Maker | Inventor

Mani Shankar is an engineer, film maker and inventor. He wrote and directed 5 Bollywood feature films and over 1500 ad films and short films. He won many awards and nominations including the Star Screen nominations for Best Director, Writer and Visual effects supervisor for his film '16 December'. He invented the mobile holographic unit which changed the game in election campaigning. He has a Guinness world record for creating 53 live holograms of Mr. Narendra Modi in his election campaign in Gujarat in December 2012.

POPATRAO BAGUJI PAWAR

Executive Director Model Village Program | Visionary

Currently the executive director of Maharashtra State Government’s model village program, Popatrao Baguji Pawar has led Hiware Bazar's transformation from a drought- prone village to a green and prosperous model village. As the former sarpanch of the village, he is known for successfully reproducing Anna Hazare’s Ralegaon Siddhi model of village development. He traversed a long and arduous path in creating the ‘adarsh gaon’ self-governance and self-reliance. He featured in an India Today cover story as the person who demonstrated how rural water resources could be reviewed The Hiware bazar gram panchayat, with Pawar as its sarpanch, won the first National Award for community led water conservation in 2007. He has also won the prestigious International Ground water Management Award in 2009.