Radha Rege, Leader in education for the last 25 years through SILICA & EDIT Institutes. A passion for guiding and mentoring students to achieve their full potential. A loving guide who nurtures the inner creativity of students to make successful careers.

Arijit Saha is the Head Of Education of Starblast Animation LLP and has over two decades of experience in the AVGC industry. He worked with renowned animation studios including UTV, Maya Entertainment Limited, Dreamworks Animation, and Mikros Animation.

Saha had a valuable presence in the Digital Operations of critically acclaimed and award-nominated movies such as Boss Baby, Peabody & Sherman, Madagascar 3, How to Train Your Dragon 2, KungFu Panda 3, Trolls, Rise of the Guardians, Penguins of Madagascar, Home, and Puss in Boots.

He has also been appreciated by multiple awards during his tenure at Dreamworks Animation, including the 2014 Best Guide Award for Training and Mentoring Newcomers and The Best Performance Award in 2015. Regarded as an expert in the AVGC field, expected to provide valuable guidance to aspiring Animation and VFX students.

Vivek Ram has a vast experience of over 23 years in the animation industry. A self taught artist, he has worked with some of the biggest companies in the VFX and animation space - such as Rhythm and Hues Studios and DreamWorks Animation - on highly acclaimed Hollywood features such as Superman Returns, Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, The Incredible Hulk, Madagascar, Penguins of Madagascar to name a few. One of them, The Golden Compass, won the Academy Award for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Motion picture. Vivek has been an active member of the animation community in India, engaging with artists and studios through various seminars, presentations and festivals.

Currently, Vivek wears multiple hats in the industry. He is currently the creative director at Assemblage Entertainment, Senapati at Vaanarsena Studios as well as Vaanarsena School, working towards a collective goal of telling engaging original stories with high quality 2D and 3D animation, and to help grow the industry through free education.

Dr. Anil D. Sahasrabudhe is a renowned academician and visionary leader in the field of education. With a passion for transforming the Indian education system, he has made significant contributions as an administrator, researcher, and educator. Dr. Sahasrabudhe currently serves as the Chairman of NETF. Previously, he was the chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), where he spearheaded numerous initiatives to enhance the quality of technical education in India. He has a diverse background in engineering and management and holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering. Known for his strategic thinking and innovative approach, Dr. Sahasrabudhe is committed to creating a future-ready workforce and fostering entrepreneurship among students.

Dr. Anuj Kacker holds the position as President and Executive Director at Aptech Ltd., overseeing Individual Learning and Skill Development for brands like Arena Animation, MAAC, Lakme Academy Powered by Aptech amongst others. He has led and driven Aptech's substantial global expansion in diverse countries including the Middle East, Vietnam, Nigeria amongst others.

Dr. Kacker, an Electronics Engineer from IIT and an IIM graduate, is highly respected in the Training and Skill Building Industry. He actively engages with government bodies and trade organisations, including the ASEAN-India Business Council, Indo-African Business Council, The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). He is a member of the Governing Board of the Media and Entertainment Sector Skill Council as well as the Beauty & Wellness Sector Skill Council.

In 2019, he was awarded an honorary Ph.D. for his contributions to Education and Training.

Gitanjali Sehgal is an accomplished CEO, entrepreneur, investor, and advisor with 25+ years of experience in Media & Entertainment, Films, Digital, FMCG, Consulting, and real estate. As the former CEO of Pixion, India's leading VFX & animation studio, she has contributed to both Hollywood and Bollywood projects.

Gitanjali's notable achievements include founding Metamorphosis, India's first broadcast design house, and establishing renowned regional and lifestyle TV channels. She has been recognized with international awards like Promax Asia and served as an associate producer for the national award-winning film Nanak Shah Fakir.

Known for her strategic leadership, Gitanjali excels in setting up, fundraising, and scaling businesses, partnering with promoters and private equity firms. She actively promotes cutting-edge technologies such as Generative AI, AR/VR, and video-tech to startups and media & entertainment enterprises.

Ajay Kumar is a subject matter expert for gaming and immersive technology. He has graduated from Oxford Brookes University and worked in Singapore and Dubai on various games and emerging technology for established brands. He has gained a wealth of experience working across 2D/3D animation, video designing, games and various other services. He has also created a unique curriculum for UG/PG degree programs on the latest technologies for multiple universities pan India to educate and bring the technology closer to young learners in the industry and identify the right talents.

Viveck Vaswani has been an entertainment industry professional for the past 42 years. He has been an actor, producer, writer, distributor and has produced more than 15 films, three TV shows and acted in more than 60 films.

He has mentored a lot of talent in these four decades and made them successful, including Shahrukh Khan, Raveena Tandon, Aziz Mirza, Boman Irani amongst others.

After being the Dean of the School of Contemporary Media at Pearl Academy for the last three years, Mr Vaswani is now Distinguished Faculty at the School of Modern Media at UPES. Mr Vaswani guides and mentors' students and young adults who choose to be a part of the entertainment industry, and mentors them personally into their choices, no matter how unconventional.

Vimal Parmar is an independent marketing consultant and digital print evangelist with over 36 years of experience in the imaging industry. His career includes time as an educator (faculty at Shari Academy of Professional Photography), communicator (columnist at Smart Photography magazine) and advisor (to branding agency The Digital Paradox). He is a founding member of the Professional Photographers Association of India (PPAI) and has conceptualised the ‘Why Print’ platform for promoting print. He is also the India Editor of Photo Imaging News which has been published from the USA since 1983.

In April 2023, he was honoured with an award at the Photofina Imaging Expo in Hyderabad for his efforts in promoting the printing of photographs amongst professional photographers and the general public.

Utpal Chakraborty is an eminent Data Scientist, Quantum Scientist, AI Researcher, Strategist and Thought Leader with more than two decades of industry experience, including as a principal architect in Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Infotech, IBM, Capgemini and other MNCs including Head of Artificial Intelligence division of YES Bank. He was also former Chief Digital Officer at Allied Digital Services Ltd.

Currently he is the Founder & Chief Technology Officer at Inteltie Technologies. He has been recognized as Gartner Ambassador 2023, AI Global Ambassador 2022-23, AI Champion of India and Top 10 Chief Digital Officer of India 2022 and many such by various global platforms.

Chakraborty is also a well-known TEDx speaker and author of seven bestselling books on artificial intelligence, Quantum Computing, Web3 & Metaverse and has delivered speeches at conferences around the world.

Bhaskar Nagendra M is the director of academics at the Asian Institute of Design. He has a Master’s degree in Visual Communication and over 18 years of combined experience in 3D rigging, animation and design education. He has worked as a 3D rigger for renowned studios such as Raydrops Animations and Polygon for various projects. He has been a member of the research teams of Maya Entertainment Limited, Frameboxx and other institutes. He has been a judge for national and international level India Skills 3D Game Art competitions, showcasing his expertise and passion for the field. He has worked as the head of the department for state-level universities and also as a member of the Board of Studies and Examinations.

Chaitanya has had a multi-faceted 2-decade career in the Film & Creative Arts industry. He has been instrumental in the strengthening of Film & Creative Arts education in India and the evangelising of multiple new & emerging technologies both into the mainstream education at Whistling Woods and into the Film, Media & Entertainment industry at large, through setting up of Research & Development labs, in partnership with several global Media technology giants, at the Whistling Woods campus in Mumbai.

He also currently serves on the global Board of Governors of the SMPTE and is the Cinematic Virtual Reality co-leader for Asia Pacific for the global VR/AR Association. He is also a strategic advisor to several startups in the M&E, Technology & Education verticals.

Nina Sabnani is an artist and storyteller who uses film, illustration and writing to tell her stories. Her research interests include exploring the dynamics between words and images in storytelling. Her teaching career spans several decades and institutions like NID and IDC,IIT Bombay. Her students have excelled in their profession making her proud.

She has received several awards including the National Award in 2016 for her animated film Hum Chitra Banate Hain and the Legend of Indian Animation in 2021 from Animation Masters Summit.

Prof Ujjwal Anu Chowdhury is a maverick who travels between communication academics and its practice, between profession and social engagement, between travelling and staying put. He was the Pro Vice Chancellor of Kolkata based Adamas University, and had been earlier the Dean of Symbiosis and Amity universities, apart from Pearl Academy and Whistling Woods International.

He had been a wanderer, working as a media consultant in Nepal, consulting with Amsterdam Film School in Netherlands, working on films for WHO in several nations, and working with Acore Media in Dubai. He speaks and writes on various platforms, and works in civil society initiatives on media, youth entrepreneurship and democracy. He runs a school for the children of the marginalised communities of the Sundarban area of Bengal in memory of his late mother Anu Chowdhury.

Prof. (Dr.) Ritu S.Sood is an alumna of AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia. In her 35 years of career, Dr. Sood is established as a creative producer, curator, researcher, artist and academician with a focus on the Asia Pacific Region.

Her work explores various areas such as screen media, tribal cultures, health and adult education, child rights, gender equality, sensitivity, and eradication of poverty using literacy as a tool, among others. She has authored and edited books on various topics, including Development Communication, the Partition of India, the Silk Route, intangible cultural heritage, and books for children and neo-literates. Her work has won her laurels in the field.

Her film ‘Desh ki Shaan hai Beti’ was released to the nation by the former President of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. Her film on the noted freedom fighter and social worker 'Durgābāi Deshmukh' was released to the nation by then Prime Minister of India Sh. Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

In the process of discharging professional commitments, she has travelled to different parts of the world, such as the USA, Europe, and southeast Asia among others.

A distinguished figure and a much-admired thought leader in the media and entertainment industry, P. Jayakumar has spearheaded the success story of one of Asia’s most pioneering animation studios – Toonz Media Group. Joining Toonz as the Chief Finance Officer, Mr Jayakumar went on to take additional responsibility as the COO before taking up the reins of the organisation as CEO in 2003. Under his inspirational leadership, Toonz expanded from its home ground in India, growing its global footprint, diversifying business, and making strategic international acquisitions, such as the Spanish distribution company Imira and Ireland-based studio Telegael. Today, Toonz has emerged as a global force in kids and family entertainment, and a one-stop-shop for content production, distribution, and digital media exploitation.

Jayakumar is a member of the prestigious International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the National Committee on Media and Entertainment of CII; the Entertainment Committee of FICCI and Governing Council of MESC. He is also the Co- Chairman of the National Council on Animation & Sports Technology of ASSOCHAM, as well as president of Society of AVGC Institutions in Kerala (SAIK). He has also been the jury member at the elite Emmy Award panel.

Punitha Arumugam has over two decades of experience in the media agency and digital world, having worked in organisations like Madison Media, Google and Hotstar.

In her tenure at Google and Hotstar, she has shaped the digital adoption and transformation journey of many agencies and advertisers in India and APAC. She has launched her own consultancy firm – Arumugam & Consultants (A&C) that focuses on enabling marketers and publishers to achieve their digital future.

Sanjay Khimesara is Seeker-Edupreneur-Philanthropist-Volunteer. He pioneered Design Education/ AVGC training in Central India by establishing a Design Institute two and half decades ago. Graduates from his School have won huge recognition's at top film festivals and leading creative contests across the globe. Over 30 graduates from his School have worked on 11+ Oscar & National Award winning movies. His organisation has been also instrumental in providing a positive impact to lakhs of individuals through several public welfare & philanthropic initiatives.

He continues to focus on empowerment of Youth via skill development, guidance and support to the creative community. He volunteers as Asifa India President, Director & Core Committee Member. He is also Secretary, AVGC-XR Media & Entertainment for Madhya Pradesh, Member of AVGC sub Committee-PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry, President of an Educational Society & Co-founder of Samvad. His recent initiative of a comprehensive Hindi Career Guide on ‘Exciting Career in Digital Media’ in collaboration with an Industry Veteran has been published and is available on Amazon.

He is an engineering graduate with Management in post graduation and a research scholar. With his expertise of over three decades his team includes some of the amazing experts as mentors. His strength is Industry & alumni connect. His efforts on inspiring creativity, enhancing employability, Internships & Incubation initiatives are consistently benefiting youth.

Ashish Kulkarni embarked on his journey in the field of arts and media in 1995, and is the founder of Punnaryug Artvision. Ashish is also the Chairman of the AVGC forum at FICCI and MCCIA, and has been persistently engaged with AVGC policy makers in India at central and state levels.

In the last two decades, Ashish's push for state level policies inclusive of AVGC skill development and creation has allowed for their successful implementation under IT ITES policies or independent AVGC policies in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, AP, Telangana, Goa, MP, Chattisgarh, West Bengal and Kerala. Moreover, states like UP, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat are actively considering the formation of AVGC policies to promote creative skill development and job creation.

Part of Indian Television Group Anil Wanvari, is the founder, CEO and editor-in-chief of the Indiantelevision.com group. He has spent more than 37 years in the media industry and is considered India's foremost analyst, consultant and catalyst for the media sector. It achieves this through its various B2B and B2C portals: indiantelevision.com (for the cable, satellite, OTT, production, advertising, marketing, media industries), tellychakkar.com (TV show and actor news for TV fans), AnimationXpress.com (for the VFX, comics, gaming, and animation segments) and radionandmusic.com (for the FM radio, digital music and music industry). He is also a well known Television/Digital Producer known for producing The Indian Telly Awards for the last 16 years and oodles of digital content. It engages with industry by organizing thought leadership forums under its various verticals: Video and Broadband Summit, RadioConnex Awards, News Television Awards ,BrandVid, The Content Hub, Kids Animation & More, etc.

Shakti Banerjee has a Master in Design from NID with 29 years of multidisciplinary experience in Visual Effects, Motion Graphics, Broadcasting, Advertising and Print. Started career at The Times of India and later joined Ramoji Film City where he led award-winning VFx projects, including a National award for best Special Effects for film 'Hey Ram'.

He worked with UTV, Mumbai and Zee TV Network. He is a former faculty at NID, heading Digital Game Design. Currently he is mentoring students in AR, VR, XR and Interaction Design.

Vrinda Sood has an MBA in marketing and a diploma in animation. She started her career working with American Express and after a brief stint at a Contract Advertising agency, she founded her own animation venture, Citrus Ink Studios.

Vrinda has grown Citrus from a small team of 10 people in 2015 to currently a team of 225 people working on several TV shows, Short Films, Branded Content, and VFX. She was also a fellow at the Epic's Women's Creator Program Asia for Unreal.