Advisory Board

M. M. Pallam Raju, was the Cabinet Minister of Human Resource Development with Govt. of India and also served as Raksha Rajya Mantri for six years, where he contributed immensely to the modernization of the ministry and the armed forces. A successful entrepreneur, he has served as a Director on the board of Air India and other reputed public listed companies. Responsible for policy formulation of the entire education system in India, Pallam emphasized on strengthening teacher training, vocational training and industry-academia linkages. He is now a prominent contributor and speaker in many professional forums.

An IIT Delhi and IIM Kolkata graduate, and a distinguished alumnus, Patu is the promoter of Lemon Tree Hotels Company, which owns and operates 40 hotels in 23 cities with 4,100 rooms. Patu joined the Tata Administrative Services (TAS) in 1983 and worked with the TATA Group for over 15 years, where his last role was Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of the Taj Group of Hotels. Subsequently, Patu also worked with A.T. Kearney Inc., as director in their New Delhi office. Acknowledged for providing opportunities to the specially-abled, Patu has ensured that 13% of Lemon Tree employees are from socially and economically disadvantaged segment of India's population. He is the Chairman of the Sector Skill Council for Persons with Disability and a member of the Sector Skill Council for the Hospitality, Travel and Tourism industry. Patu was also inducted into the 'Hotelier India' Hall of Fame and was a member of Board of Governors of IIT Delhi.

Niren Chaudhary was the president of the KFC division, which is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands Inc. With more than two decades of experience in the food service industry, Niren has joined the $70 billion investment company JAB holding as a partner. He is also on the boards of Krispy Kreme and Expresso House, and will run Krispy Kreme that is based out of London. Prior to joining Yum! Brands, Niren has worked for Tata Administrative Services from 1986 to 1994. Besides, Niren was instrumental in bringing Taco Bell to India in 2010. Passionate about fostering an employee-friendly culture, Niren took keen interest in training management and franchisees. He has also been awarded for his contribution towards gainful employment for specially-abled citizens.

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Santosh is the Managing Director & CEO of Future Brands Ltd., one of India's foremost branding services companies. Previously, he was the President of a premier advertising agency, McCann Erickson. An MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, he is not only an authoritative voice in brands and consumer space but also a renowned social commentator. Santosh has been writing a weekly column for the Times of India for over a decade and has authored Mother Pious Lady - Making Sense of Everyday India. Additionally, he is also a renowned speaker at national and international forums and has served on boards of several reputed Indian organizations.

Sanjay Kapoor is a highly regarded professional with over 32 years of experience in the telecommunications sector. An entrepreneur and mentor as well as investor for start-ups, he served as the chairman of Micromax Informatics Limited, transforming it from a Device to a 'Device and Services' company.
Previously, Sanjay has worked with brands such as Xerox India and Bharti group and was the Chief Executive Officer for India and South Asia of Airtel. A veteran in the telecommunications industry, he has played active roles in forums such as CII, COAI and NASSCOM.
Sanjay is an MBA from Cranfield School of Management, UK, and is a graduate of The Wharton Advanced Management Programme. He serves on the boards of various reputed Indian companies and is also a senior advisor with the Boston Consulting Group.