Dr. (Fr.) Roy Pereira
Professor, Priest
Fr. Roy Pereira is currently the Vice Principal and teaches Chemistry and Neuroscience at St. Xavier’s College, Fort, Mumbai. His research brings together his three Masters degrees in Chemistry, Biblical Theology and Philosophy. His interests lie in the area of the effect of meditation and yoga on the brain and on health outcomes including OCD, the placebo effect, and neurofeedback. His research spans the effects of cell phones, internet usage and social media on the brain. It also involves understanding the Mind-Body link while he has also delved into the mysteries of human mind’s tendency to forget. In connection with his research, he had been invited to speak at Google headquarters in 2016 as well as at Harvard University in 2017.
Dr. Arnab Bhattacharya
Professor, Scientist
Professor Arnab Bhattacharya is a scientist and science communicator at TIFR, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai. After graduating from IIT-Bombay, he did his MS and Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and worked in Germany before coming back to set up a research lab on semiconductor materials at TIFR. The lab works on semiconductor optoelectronic materials and devices and has won the Indian Semiconductor Association’s Technoshield Award for research excellence. Arnab is passionate about science outreach and enjoys talking about science and demonstrating science experiments to all audiences, particularly school/college students. Arnab is presently the chair of Science Popularization and Public Outreach at TIFR. He also has a whole bunch of eclectic interests – including music, marathon running, cooking, photography, and hiking!
Lubaina Bandukwala
Writer, Children's Lit Fest Curator
A book lover, writer, and editor, former Journalist Lubaina Bandukwala can now read as many children's books as she likes and calls it grown-up work. Well known as the once editor of DNA YA!, she now has her own Children's literature festival - Peek-a-Book, besides curating literature sessions at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival. A lovely person to talk to, she always sports a smile which gets wider every time she helps yet another child enter into the magical world of books.
Prabhakar Kolte
Abstract Artist
One of the earliest Indians to espouse the art of abstraction, Prabhakar Kolte has achieved great renown in the last five decades. He earned his diploma from Sir J J School of Arts in the year 1968, and after a gap of four years, proceeded to teach at his alma mater for more than twenty years. He derives inspiration from the mundanities that nature presents and offers an alternate perspective to understand art. Nicknamed the “Indian Paul Klee”, he has exhibited his artworks in various countries including Yugoslavia, Turkey, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and India.
Sangeetha Chakrapani
Founder, Together foundation
A mother of quadruplets, two of whom were diagnosed with autism, Sangeetha Chakrapani’s passion is to prepare young people with autism and other intellectual disabilities for independent living. Her mission is 'Autism with happiness and dignity' and her foundation - Together - has developed a unique 'How to live happily' programme which teaches people with special needs the simple things of life that others take for granted from fixing themselves a snack, to more profound ones like communicating with or without speech. To understand, accept, and strive towards helping people with autism live a complete life is what she aims to achieve through her foundation.
Saugata Bhattacharya
Chief Economist, Axis Bank
Mr. Saugata Bhattacharya is currently the Chief Economist at Axis Bank, a privately owned bank in India. He worked previously with Unilever in India, and with the Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC).
Mr. Bhattacharya was a member of RBI’s Group on of Monetary Policy Operating Procedure (2010) and the Finance Ministry Group on Estimating Foreign Savings (2011). Before that, in 2007, he was a part of the Core Group which drafted the Percy Mistry Committee Report on Making Mumbai an International Financial Centre. In 2017, he was named a Chevening Standard Chartered Financial Services Fellow.
Yadunath Bhargavan Karimbil
Lawyer, LawTech Proponent
A jurist who makes his living as an arguing counsel working across the country; his work includes advising government and various private corporations on various complex legal issues including those having cross-border implications. He now believes, based on available and potential technology, that the law can be made more accessible, understandable and linear to its consumers - “We the People”!