Theme: Re-Imagining EdTech

The TEDx Imarticus' theme is driven by the core values of transformation and modernization of education through innovative technology. It aims to revolutionize traditional educational practices, systems, and tools, and harness the power of technology to create better learning opportunities for all.

The concept of "Re-Imagining EdTech" recognises the potential of technology to enhance and expand educational opportunities, overcome barriers to learning, and adapt to the needs of diverse learners. However, it goes beyond simply integrating technology into the classroom and instead focuses on designing learner-centric, personalised, and interactive educational experiences.

TEDx Imarticus as a one-day conference will focus on blended learning, personalised learning, gamification, immersive technology and data-driven decision-making.

NMIMS Auditorium
NMIMS Auditorium
NMIMS Campus
Vile Parle, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400056
India

Abhilash Misra

CEO, NSE Academy Ltd

With over 25 years in the banking and financial services sector, Abhilash Misra is a visionary leader passionate about democratising learning. As the CEO of NSE Academy Ltd., a subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India, he shapes India's BFSI education landscape. With a mission to deliver skill-oriented content, he leads an AI-first, mobile-first approach, impacting over 2 million in professional learning and 5 million in the school/university system. Abhilash has fostered global partnerships with leading universities, created AI-assisted online learning ecosystems, and holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Certified by Marshall Goldsmith, he empowers millions to learn and earn."

Ajay Shah

Partner - Ernst & Young

Ajay Shah, a Partner and Lead Advisory at EY India, oversees the education and entertainment, technology, and communications sectors. With extensive experience in M&A transactions and private equity fundraising across diverse industries, including technology, business services, media/entertainment, and education, Ajay is a Mumbai-based qualified chartered accountant and lawyer. His impressive track record includes 15+ transactions in the last 3 years, with notable deals such as Inox Leisure's merger with PVR and BYJU’S acquisition of Aakash Educational Services. Ajay has consistently delivered strategic guidance in transactions exceeding US$100 million, showcasing his expertise in investment structures and business strategies.

Akhil Handa

Chief Digital Officer | Digital Strategy | Business Builder - Bank of Baroda

Akhil Handa, a dynamic business leader and digital strategist, spearheads the digital transformation at Bank of Baroda as its Chief Digital Officer. With a strategic vision, he oversees digital initiatives, payments, assets, platforms, product engineering, channels, fintech partnerships, and innovation. Managing a vast P&L, Akhil has positioned BOB as a competitive force in the evolving digital landscape. Recognized as a top digital influencer, he is also a published author and co-author of 'Transformational Leadership in Banking.' Akhil's pioneering efforts include setting up a digital bank, the first fintech vertical at a PSB, and establishing the BOB-IIT B Innovation Centre. Actively involved in industry committees and government TaskForces, he shares insights through his podcast, 'BOB World Fintalk,' engaging with leading fintech founders.

Binoj Vasu

Chief Learning Officer, Yes Bank

With a rich tapestry of 28 years in Learning & Development, Talent Management, and Business Development, Mr. Binoj Vasu stands as the Group President & Chief Learning Officer at YES BANK. In his decade-long tenure (spanned by an entrepreneurial venture), he spearheaded the setup, strategy, and scaling of vital functions at YES BANK, including Learning & Development, Talent Management, Rewards & Recognition, and Talent Engagement. A Certified Coach for Leadership & Transition Management, Binoj's commitment to continuous learning is evident in his Human Analytics certificate from Wharton Online. His expertise extends to setting up Centers of Excellence for L&D, and he brings a decade of experience as a Business Development Specialist at Xerox, ExxonMobil & Exide. Binoj, an SME in 'Corporate & Campus Talent Connect,' has facilitated impactful knowledge initiatives bridging the gap between Educational Institutions and Corporates, contributing significantly to the Talent Ecosystem.

Dr Avantika Tomar

Partner

Avantika has strategy and organisational consulting experience in India, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and the UK. After 7 years of living in Sydney and London, Avantika has recently relocated to India to follow her passion for the education sector. Her focus areas are K–12, higher education, and EdTech (online skilling and conceptual learning segments), and she has a personal ambition to support policy-related transformation that the sector needs, especially in India and MENA. Avantika is also a passionate academic with a focus on practical business learning; she teaches at several prestigious business schools in India (IIM Calcutta, IIM Trichy, MDI, and BITSoM) and has taught at UNSW and UTS in Australia.

Dr Indirah Indibara

Head of Executive Education & eLearning - IIM Raipur

Dr. Indirah Indibara comes with more than 10 years of experience across various academic institutes. Before joining the field of academics, she worked in the corporate sector in Sales and Marketing in the FMCG domain. Dr. Indirah has published her research, both articles and case studies, in reputed journals and has presented her work at various national and international conferences.Her FPM thesis was judged as the best marketing thesis in India and was selected for the final round of the IMTC Conference 2022. She has also served as a reviewer for various journals and international conferences. She is the University Gold Medalist of her graduation batch and was awarded merit scholarships by IIM Kozhikode, CET Bhubaneswar and the Reserve Bank of India.

Dr Rajat Agarwal

Dean, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee

Dr. Rajat Agarwal is a distinguished professor and head of the Department of Management Studies at IIT Roorkee. Renowned for his excellence in teaching and research, Dr. Agarwal holds the esteemed position of IPR Chair Professor of DPIIT, Govt of India. A multifaceted academician, he is also associated with the Department of Design and serves as an Associate faculty member at Centers of Excellence for Disaster Mitigation and Transportation Management. His expertise lies in Production and Operations Management, with a focus on Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing Strategy. Dr. Agarwal's impactful contributions extend to mentoring Ph.D. students, completing numerous research projects, and authoring over 140 research papers and a published book. As a global academic, he has undertaken visiting fellowships and chairs, enriching his wealth of knowledge and experience.

Dr Rajeev Kumra

Dean, Indian Institute of Management - Lucknow

Dr. Rajeev Kumra, the most awarded professor at IIM, has been honored with eleven consecutive "Best Faculty" awards and 21 accolades for Best Core Course, Best Elective, and Best Marketing Elective across various IIMs. Recognized as the 'Professor of the Year' by Inside IIM, he brings practical applications to his highly popular courses. Serving twice as Dean at IIM-L, he elevated the Noida campus, doubling program intake and launching five unique programs, achieving 113% revenue growth. An accomplished writer and researcher, his papers feature in ABDC-listed journals, and his case studies, listed at Harvard Business School, include five bestsellers. A sought-after consultant, Dr. Kumra has aided companies like Mahindra Finance, Abbott Pharma, and L'Oreal, and trained over 500 global companies, from Fortune 500 to startups, on growth marketing issues.

Dr Vinita Sahay

Director at Indian Institute of Management

Dr. Vinita Sahay, the second woman appointed by the Government of India to lead IIM Bodh Gaya, serves as its Founder Director. With a distinguished career, she was previously a Professor of Marketing at IIM Raipur, excelling as Chairperson in various capacities, including International Relations, Doctoral Program, and Students Affairs. Dr. Sahay is a global academician with participation in prestigious programs at Harvard Business School and Leadership Foundation for Higher Education, UK. During her tenure at IIM Raipur, she significantly expanded partner institutions and enhanced student exchanges. Initiating the Fellow Programmes, she made it a sought-after doctoral program. She, with 23 years of experience, holds high academic achievements. Her research contributions include numerous papers in international and national journals, conferences, and book chapters. Dr Sahay epitomizes academic excellence and leadership in education.

Gaurav Jain

Principal @ Kaizenvest

Gaurav is a Principal with Kaizenvest with 12 years of PE/VC experience in emerging markets. He joined Kaizenvest as its first employee, and has experience across the complete life cycle of investing - from fund raising, fund structuring, commercial diligence, termsheet negotiations, deal structuring, investment execution, portfolio management, exits, and ESG reporting. Gaurav has led the complete execution of several investments in businesses such as K12 school chain, B2B Ed-Tech company, Online SaaS education business and skills training and has actively done diligence in companies across India, Thailand, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. He has also executed multiple exits through strategic sales, promoter buybacks and distress sales. He has also worked with portfolio companies as a Board member and helped companies in areas of strategy building, working on projects to improve cost efficiencies and streamlining internal process.

Gautham Thakar

CEO, Prosus EdTech

Gautam Thakar is CEO, Prosus Edtech since September 2023. Prior to this, he was the global CEO of OLX Autos, a Prosus subsidiary with operations across 4 continents. Gautam has deep entrepreneurial experience in pioneering digital marketplaces in global businesses across ecommerce, media and retail. His previous roles include CEO of LivingSocial, CEO of Shopping.com, leadership roles at eBay and pioneering ecommerce in India as a founding management team member of baazee.com. Immediately prior to joining the Prosus group, Gautam was the CEO of Star Sports; India's largest sports media business. Gautam started his career at P&G and has a Bachelor of Commerce and Economics from the Sydenham College and an MBA from IIM-Lucknow.

J S Manoj Koundinya

SVP - HR (Talent Management and Organization Development)

With over 18 years in IT, Pharmaceuticals, Travel, and BFSI, J S Manoj Koundinya is a values-driven Talent & Organisational Development professional. Specializing in HR Strategy, M&A, Process & Policy, and more, he has a proven record in setting up functions from strategy incubation to business growth. His global experience includes aligning diverse industries through three M&As, translating HR strategy into action, and steering long-term talent development strategies. Manoj excels in executing capability development programs, creating high-performance teams, and designing competency assessments. His hands-on approach extends to organizational design, career progression frameworks, and Gamified platforms, reflecting his commitment to transformative talent strategies.

Karthik C

Vice President, Head of Data Science, Imarticus Learning

Karthik is a passionate Data Science & AI professional with over 11 years of expertise in core Data Science. He started his career as a Data Scientist at Mu Sigma. Thereafter he helped setup the Analytics CoE at Infogain. He worked with Amazon for over 5 years as a Pricing Analytics SME to build various Pricing models using ML and later he went on to head the Alexa AI (Knowledge) for ANZ region to help Alexa get smarter and engage better through various NLP techniques. Currently, he heads the Data Science vertical at Imarticus Learning. He has solved diverse set of complex business problems for various Fortune 100. His areas of expertise include Machine Learning (ML), Text Analytics, Natural Language Processing (NLP), Deep Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science Training and Generative AI.

Kaushik M Das

Senior Vice President & Head - Talent, Learning & DEI Citibank, South Asia

A dedicated and results-driven professional, Mr. Kaushik M Das, brings over 16 years of diverse experience spanning consulting, education, manufacturing, banking, finance, IT, and engineering. His expertise in Human Resources focuses on talent and leadership development, DEI, digital learning, cultural transformation, content design, employer branding, coaching, and facilitation. He has successfully built winning teams in MNCs and large organizations, contributing to improved NPS, employee engagement, YOY growth, and bottom-line results. Starting his career as a professional cricketer, Kaushik's journey evolved into wildlife photography and filmmaking, honing his digital content creation skills. Now, a certified coach and leadership facilitator, he leverages over 8000+ hours of training experience to empower organizations in developing inclusive cultures and future-ready capabilities."

Nikhil Barshikar

Founder and CEO, Imarticus Learning

Nikhil Barshikar is the Founder and CEO of Imarticus Learning, India’s leading professional education company that offers training in financial services, analytics, technology, marketing, and management. Nikhil has spent the better part of his 18-year-long career in investment banking and capital markets, having held key leadership positions at some of the world’s largest finance and investment banks. During those days, Nikhil noticed a highly prevalent skill gap among professionals and the lack of credible upskilling opportunities available for either young freshers or experienced professionals. He, therefore, decided to plug the extant gaps in India’s professional learning and skill enhancement space by establishing Imarticus Learning in 2012.

Nimisha Nagarsekar

Partner, CFO & COO - Sixth Sense Ventures

Nimisha Nagarsekar, a seasoned finance professional with 22 years of consumer experience, serves as Partner & CFO at Sixth Sense Ventures. Leading the finance and investor relations functions, she focuses on driving investments and managing the fund portfolio, particularly in sectors like education, supply-chain, FMCG & personal care, and fitness & wellness. Nimisha's expertise spans strategy finance, brand management, and operational supply-chain. Previously heading FP&A and investor relations at Colgate Palmolive India Limited, she played a crucial role in communicating the company’s growth strategy to analysts and investors. Nimisha, a Chartered Accountant, is also affiliated with the Women’s Investment Network (WIN) and PE CFO charter group.

Prashant Singh

Chief Operating Officer at LeadSquared

Prashant is co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of LeadSquared. He heads all post-sales customer-centric operations and is responsible for business retention, growth, and expansion. Prior to LeadSquared, Prashant was co-founder of Proteans, and he served as the COO. After Symphony Teleca acquired Proteans, he served as Vice President and P & L head for the business units of the energy, healthcare, and media verticals. Prashant is an alumnus of IIT Delhi with a degree in mathematics and computer science. Prior to founding Proteans, he was part of several product development teams at Telesoft, i2 Technologies, and Oracle.

Pratishtha Shyam

Veteran Corporate Trainer and a Facilitator

Pratishtha Shyam, a Master in Arts with a focus on American Literature, is a seasoned Corporate Trainer and Facilitator with over 20 years of extensive experience in the Education industry. Specializing in English Language Skills, Soft Skills, and Behavioral Skills Training, she brings a wealth of expertise to empower individuals in their professional development journey.

Prof. Ashok Banerjee

Director, Indian Institute of Management Udaipur

Prof. Ashok Banerjee, the newly appointed Director of IIM Udaipur, brings over 25 years of experience in banking and finance. A Chartered Accountant with an M.Com. from Calcutta University and a Ph.D. from Rajasthan University, Prof. Banerjee is a seasoned academic specializing in high-frequency finance, Fintech, and sentiment analysis. Formerly a senior professor at IIM Calcutta, he served as Dean from 2012 to 2015, credited with founding the IIM Calcutta Innovation Park. With a rich academic history, he also served as a professor at IIM Lucknow. Prof. Banerjee's expertise extends to serving as an independent director on the boards of financial and technology companies. IIM Udaipur, with its 300-acre campus, aims to be globally recognized by 2030 under Prof. Banerjee's leadership.

Raghav Himatsingka

Founder, Raising Superstars & Prodigy Framework

Raghav Himatsingka, the visionary behind a revolutionary parenting platform catering to children aged 0-12. Trusted by over 50,000 parents across 35+ countries, Raghav's platform unlocks a child's hidden potential with just 5 minutes of daily effort and zero screentime. Offering done-for-you programs, unlimited support, physical materials, and a supportive community, Raghav ensures a holistic approach to child development. Backed by an international team of experts, his programs stand as a beacon for mindful and effective parenting worldwide.

Reetu Raina

VP and Global Head of Talent Management, Amdocs

"In the dawning era of blurred boundaries between man and machine, Ms. Reetu Raina emerges as a beacon, recognizing the critical role of understanding human behavior. Shaped by early-life displacement and witnessing profound human tragedies, she cultivated inclusivity, empathy, and expertise in human behavior. Ms. Raina envisions the future of business intertwined with unleashing human potential for societal impact. Offering expertise in organizational design, leadership success metrics, and strategic execution, she propels businesses towards growth. A Mentor for Change with NITI Aayog, Ms. Raina pioneered adaptive leadership in India, earning recognition from the Evolving Corporate Universities forum in Singapore. As she gazes into the future, she emphasizes the paramount importance of the human component for both business success and the creation of better societies."

Samrat Banerjee

General Manager BFS L&D

With an impressive track record spanning over 17 years, Samrat Banerjee has achieved notable success across Training Domains, Operations, and Client Relationship Management within the Financial Services industry. Demonstrating a keen ability to collaborate with business managers and subject matter experts, he excels in developing and delivering impactful product- and process-based training sessions. Samrat's commitment to excellence is evident in his skillful synthesis of training results and metrics, translating raw data into insightful reports for senior management. This proficiency underscores his capacity to provide a comprehensive understanding of the training landscape and its strategic implications. Throughout his professional journey, Samrat has consistently served as a catalyst for effective communication and collaboration, fostering an environment conducive to continuous learning and organizational growth.

Sandeep Rambhatla

Senior Vice President - Head Product Design, Digital Solutions, Imarticus Learning

Sandeep Rambhatla, a versatile entrepreneur, product designer, and innovator with 19 years of experience, stands at the forefront of Edtech innovation. As the founder of a pioneering Edtech startup, he combines product design expertise with a focus on applied learning games, achieving impressive 220% YOY growth and raising INR 20 million. His design philosophy, rooted in meticulous research and user-centricity, ensures creations resonate with audiences and address market gaps. In academia, he contributes as an instructor, sharing insights on Game Theory and Business Process Management. A dedicated social advocate, Sandeep serves as the Founder President of Sathva, an NGO supporting the differently-abled community since 2001.

Sarvesh Kanodia

Director at Omidyar Network India

As an Investment Professional with a rich background in venture capital and private equity, Mr. Sarvesh brings valuable multi-sector expertise. Currently at Omidyar Network India, he specializes in evaluating investment opportunities in innovative early-stage companies. With a keen focus on fostering growth, he collaborates closely with investees, contributing to the dynamic landscape of venture capital and private equity.

Saurabh Wadhwa

Executive Vice President & Head Organisation Learning at Kotak Mahindra Bank

Based in Maharashtra, India, Mr. Saurabh Wadhwa is the Executive Vice President and Head of Organisation Learning at Kotak Mahindra Bank. With a distinguished career spanning roles at Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bajaj Finserv, IndusInd Bank, and Kotak Life Insurance, he holds a Post Graduation Diploma in Business Management (PGDBM) from IMT, Ghaziabad. Boasting over 10 years of expertise in Sales Training & Management Development, Saurabh excels in setting up training functions, conducting need analyses, content development, and impact assessment. His robust skill set and extensive experience make him a valuable contributor to the industry.

Sujatha Iyer

Assistant Vice President - Credit Risk - Mufg Enterprise Solutions

Sujatha Iyer, a seasoned finance professional with a decade of experience in an investment bank, is also a positive mindset coach dedicated to transforming lives. Recognizing the profound impact of optimism and resilience on personal growth, she guides individuals through a journey of self-discovery. With tailored coaching sessions, Sujatha empowers clients to navigate challenges, embrace change, and cultivate a mindset that fosters success. Join her on the path to unlocking inner strength and achieving a more fulfilling and empowered life through the power of positivity

Varun Chopra

CEO & Co-Founder, Eduvanz

Varun Chopra, is a dynamic CEO & Co-founder of Eduvanz. With nearly two decades of diverse industry experience in project management, business management, and vice-presidency roles, he has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership and a detail-oriented approach. Varun's strategic vision and management skills have made significant contributions to various facets of the industry.