Mr. Poul V. Jensen

Managing Director

Mr. Jensen has been the Director of EBTC, where his main focus is the SME and research communities, and his main mandate is to pragmatically execute the task of bringing EU and India even closer together in their strategic and operational relations. This includes addressing challenges in transferring clean technologies, providing input for developing clusters, and for developing procedures to enhance collaboration on R&D and innovation. 

Poul holds a Bachelors in International Trade from the Copenhagen Business School, Denmark and a Master’s in Business Administration from CASS Business School, London. His career started 1989 at the then largest Danish Conglomerate, East Asiatic Company, a shipping, transportation and distribution firm, operating globally.

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Mr. Vikram Jhunjhunwala

Director, Member of the Board

Vikram has vast Investment Banking Capital Markets experience spanning over 25 years involving more than 150 deals valued at over $2 billion. It covers the full range of mergers acquisitions, capital markets, private equity, debt placement, restructuring and business advisory across sectors such as Telcom, Media Entertainment, Energy, Information Technology, Manufacturing, Services etc.Vikram became an entrepreneur in 2004 and since then has intensive experience in investment management which includes proprietary Investments in telecom, media, hospitality, agri-business and startup/ incubation fundsHe has worked at senior positions with Coca Cola, Reliance, Ernst Young, Star TV and ANZ Grindlays Bank. Is an MBA from Stern School, New York University. As a Director in BusinessWorld (India’s largest business magazine), he played a key role in its acquisition from ABP Group in October 2013 and continues the guide the management in its working. As Co-Founder of Vas Agri Ventures, an innovative startup - India's 1st Hydroponics Agri venture, he has successfully raised $5 mn investment from Infraco Asia Fund in Singapore.

Mr. Vincent Van Noord

Director, Europe

After a long sting in Marketing with a.o. Sony Europe in the Netherlands, Vincent came to India in 2007. Initially he was active in the real estate sector with DTZ International Property Advisors, post which he started his own advisory firm named Bricks India in partnership with a Dutch and Indian partner.In 2014, Vincent started representing Dutch organisations in India such as the Amsterdam Arena. This was followed by the management of a cluster of companies in India for Dutch Sports Infrastructure (DSI). This cluster of companies consisted of Philips, KNVB, Ten Café, Heras, etc among others. Vincent was also the president of India Netherlands Business Association in New Delhi from 2013 to 2015.Vincent is has studied at the University of Amsterdam from where he has completed his Bachelor’s in English and Master’s in Cultural Studies.Since 2016, Vincent is the Associate Director in EBTC. His role is to focus on developing new opportunities, collaborations, partnerships and projects in India as well as Europe. He also provides overall support to ongoing projects ensuring their smooth execution.

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Mr. Varun Sehgal

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

At EBTC, his main focus is on structuring and managing clusters and projects leading to Europe-India collaborations. He has designed clusters and programmes to support cooperation for smart and sustainable infrastructure and initiatives by the governments and private sector. Before joining EBTC as Advisor, Varun has gathered 14 years of hands-on diversified experience in policy matters, advocacy, development sector projects and strategic planning. He has worked with the Government of India as an Advisor and was a Partner at a PR and Strategy Consulting firm, leading the business advocacy practice. Prior to the consulting experience, Varun has spent half a decade with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), a leading Business Member organisation in India, as part of the Corporate Initiatives Team leading multiple development sector projects with the Government, bilateral institutions and the private sector. He has also worked with the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce spearheading new initiatives and advocacy programmes. Varun's past exposure with the business chamber and development sector projects helped him to play a crucial role for the transition of EBTC from an EU co-funded Project to a not for profit and financially sustainable organisation. He is a Graduate in Commerce and holds a Master in Strategy and PR.

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Mr. Amrit Mathur

Senior Expert, Infrastructure, Railways and Sports

Mr. Mathur has over 30 years of experience holding senior management positions in sports administration. He is a former bureaucrat who has been the Secretary of the Railway Sports Board (1988 – 1996) and Sports Authority of India (1996 – 2001). He was also the Executive Director of the Commonwealth Games. He later returned to the Ministry of Sports as an Advisor during 2013 – 15.

As an expert in sports strategy, development, operations, administrations and media and communication, Mr. Mathur has had a long and successful association with Cricket. He has been a Member of BCCI, India’s apex cricketing body and has also managed several important tours to England, South Africa, Pakistan etc. During 2002 - 2005, Mr. Mathur was appointed as Director, Coordinations and Communications at BCCI.

In addition to BCCI, Mr. Mathur has also advised or held senior positions with several State Cricket Associations including Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand amongst others. He also served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Delhi based IPL franchise.

He is currently a Member of the National Sports Committee by FICCI and an Advisor to the Fantasy Sports Regulatory Authority. Mr. Mathur also regularly writes a cricket column for Hindustan Times.

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Ms. Namrata Rana

Senior Expert, Sustainability and Communications

Ms. Rana is the Director – Brand and Strategy at Futurescape. Her work focusses on on building ESG strategy and transformation through sustainability journey mapping. She has worked in the areas of retail, healthcare, mobility, food, hospitality, green jobs and infrastructure.

Ms. Rana writes extensively in various publications. For the last 8 years, she has co-authored Responsible Business Rankings of Indian Companies. Her case studies are also available at the Harvard Business Review website and several other locations. She has published over 250+ articles based on conversations with prominent business and sustainability leaders.

She has also authored SHIFT on decisions for a Net Zero world and BALANCE. The book details out responsible business for the digital age.

Ms. Rana is an alumni of IIM Ahmedabad and Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership. She is a visiting faculty at IIM Udaipur and OP Jindal Global University. She is a Member of International Council HSE Moscow and the India Ambassador of University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

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Mrs. Sonal Pareek Kaushik

Senior Expert, Sustainability and CSR

Experience of 20+ years in the environmental and social domain covering India and the Globe. Specialization includes Environmental Planning and Management, Integrated Water Resources Management, Corporate Sustainability & CSR, Sustainability Appraisals, Policy Analysis, Environmental and Social Impact Assessment and Monitoring & Evaluation.

Skills include project management across all the aspects: strategy, planning, policy & governance, gap assessments, data analysis, institutional planning, impact assessments with monitoring & evaluation. Possess a unique ability to efficiently grasp varied disciplines conducting in-depth research and analysis while delivering required outputs to projects.

Experience as a faculty member teaching and managing training sessions in esteemed colleges in Mumbai as well as at Corporate houses. Had successfully run internship program in her previous organisation, and also had been the editor to a newsletter by Bombay Chambers.

Presently, an Independent Consultant working with various organisations in water sector. Earlier had worked in a reputed Consulting Organisation in Mumbai, had been Short-term Consultant to World Bank & IFC, and had worked in Water Resources Department, Govt. of Rajasthan in the start of her career.

Sonal obtained M.S. in Environmental Planning and Management from UNESCO-IHE, Institute of Water Education, Delft, Netherlands in 2006. She did M.E. in Environmental Engineering from Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur in 2000; Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Economics from University of Hyderabad (2004) and B.E. in Civil Engineering from Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur, India in 1996.

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Mr. Ravi Prakash Arora

Senior Expert, Policy and Urban Development

Mr. Arora carries an experience of more than 35 years in development, management and public administration. He is a retired IAS officer retired from Uttar Pradesh cadre.

During his tenure, he has held important positions in Uttar Pradesh like District Magistrate, Divisional Commissioner, Secretary Minor Irrigation, Municipal Commissioner Meerut and Varanasi, CEO Yamuna Expressway Authority, NOIDA, Director New and renewable Development agency UP, Special Secretary Urban, Rural and Agriculture development, Govt of UP.

After retirement, Mr. Arora has also worked as Advisor to the Director General of North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR), an organization in New Delhi under Department of Science and Technology DST).

Presently, he is executive director of RPA ASHA FOUNDATION, a charitable organisation incorporated under Companies Act 2013 and Company Rules 2014. The Foundation aims to improve the livelihood of underprivileged and farmers, deliver drinking water & sanitation, disseminate public health and hygiene awareness, increase nutritional standards of women, girls and children, and provide education to the needy and poor.

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Mr. Rajeev Vijh

Senior Expert, MSME, Industry 4.0, Internationalisation

Mr. Vijh has versatile professional experience and a multi-country network, with a career spanning over three decades. He has worked with UN organisations, PPP projects, private sector and leading industry bodies.  He has been involved extensively in the spheres of Sustainable Development, Technology Transfer and Deployment, Capacity Building of SMEs and Clusters, Trade and Investment Promotion and Policy Advocacy.

He is currently Founder-Director of Kriyanvit Consulting, which provides strategic advisory and consulting services pertaining to technology and innovation capacity building (particularly focussing on green and sustainable technologies), quality improvement, manufacturing excellence, corporate social responsibility (CSR),  market entry, and investment facilitation. He is also associated with the Steinbeis Centre for Technology Transfer, India.

Previously, Mr. Vijh served as Director of the UNIDO - International Centre for Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development (IC-ISID). Here, he steered various initiatives and projects aimed at enhancing competitiveness of SMEs to absorb and diffuse technological advances and innovations, promoting adoption of appropriate technologies and global best practices, and fostering South-South and Triangular cooperation.

He has also worked as Director - Projects & Operations at the Global Innovation & Technology Alliance (GITA), where he was responsible for managing bilateral industrial R&D programmes (with several other countries) as well as multilateral projects (India-EU and India -ASEAN). His earlier earlier roles were Additional Director (Americas) at FICCI and In-Charge Technology Transfer Services at  UN – APCTT. Before that, he also worked with a UNDP sponsored multi-country network- Technological Information Promotion System (TIPS).

Mr. Vijh has represented these organisations at several national and international fora and contributed to various policy advocacy initiatives.

At EBTC, he will be contributing to Sustainable Development, Capacity Building of Enterprises (particularly MSMEs and Startups), Resource Efficiency, Clean Production, Circular Economy, Green Technologies, Industry 4.0 and other Emerging Technologies, Internationalisation and Value Chain Integration, Facilitating Science & Technology Cooperation, Trade & Investment Promotion and Policy Advocacy.

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Mr. Prashant Singh

Senior Expert, Sports Management and Monetisation

Mr. Singh is a seasoned marketing & business professional with 21+ years of proven track record of brands development, business growth and successful campaigns in the sports, apparel & advertising fields. Having contributed his talents in variety of roles and responsibilities, worked with brands like Reebok, LG, Coca Cola, Hutch (Now Vodafone), MS. Dhoni, Starpick and Trusox.

He spent a decade at Reebok India as Director Marketing - Sports & Fitness (2007 – 2017) Spearheaded, brand & global sports marketing, built the biggest portfolio of assets, global and local partnerships (ICC, IPL, Force India F1 team, Football clubs, Sri Lanka Cricket, etc.). He worked extensively on the alignment of local marketing strategy with global marketing strategy. He was actively in charge of handling the strategic direction for the company's product portfolio in the sportswear space.

Mr. Singh created properties for activating the niche fitness segment in India and build up the street culture. He was the first to launch global strengths in India like CrossFit, Less Mills, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Prior to this, he was in advertising business (2000 – 2007) and worked with agencies like Ogilvy and Mather, Leo Burnett & Triton where he handled accounts including Hutch (Now Vodafone), LG Consumer Durables and Dupont.

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Mr. Rajesh Mehta

SENIOR EXPERT- INNOVATION, MSMEs, TECHNOLOGY, INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND COMMUNICATIONS

Mr. Mehta is a leading international expert working on areas of Market Entry, Innovation, and Public Policy with 25 years of cross-functional expertise. He has acquired diverse experience having worked with large companies, technology SMEs and start-ups. He has advised international organizations like JETRO (Japan External Trade Organisation), METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry), Tekes (The Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation), FinNode (Finnish Innovation Center), Finpro (Finnish Trade Commission) & APCO Worldwide.

He is on Board of End Poverty and on Advisory Board of Global Policy Insights, Infinite Sum Modelling & Red Fort Strategies. He has is past advised organizations like World Association of SMEs, The Global Clean Water, Solved & Energy For One World.

Mr. Mehta has been a regular writing op-eds & columns for leading newspapers like The Hindu, The Hindu Business Line, The Financial Express, Sunday Guardian etc. His articles have also appeared in The Times of India, The Pioneer, The Diplomatist, New 18, The Human Capital & ET Gov. He has also been earlier Consulting Editor to Governance Today. One can read some of his articles at https://muckrack.com/rajesh-mehta/articles

He has written various compendiums & reports on topics like "Aspiring India @75", "Atmanirbhar Bharat", & "Skill India", "Women Entrepreneurship" & "Jal Jeevan".

Mr. Mehta holds a Management Degree from Fore School of Management and has earlier worked as HR Head at Polaroid India.

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Mr. Saurabh Agrawal

Expert, Waste Management and Sanitation

Saurav is an advisor to EBTC on waste management and sanitation. He is a dynamic entrepreneur with more than 10 years of business experience in global trading. His fields of expertise include solid waste management, environmental consultancy and advocacy, and construction. He has dealt with blue chip companies like Reliance Infrastructure Ltd, Aditya Birla Group, or Kazstroy Service (KSS) – Petron Indian Ltd, as well as companies in the Middle East and Europe. One of his achievements was providing an eco-friendly alternative fuel from non-biodegradable solid waste to the Indian cement industry, which was the first ever import of this kind in India. Saurav also has experience in dealing with public sector organizations and multinationals, with a proven ability to identify and capitalize on business opportunities. He holds a MBA degree from New Port University, California.

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Mrs. Katharina Bouchaar

Senior Expert, EBTC

Katharina Bouchaar is a UK-based Advisor for the EBTC, focusing on international market access support for businesses in the areas of Sustainability and Clean Energy. Katharina also runs her own business Enercy, which provides strategic project and policy advice for the private and public sector on the Energy Transition and Green Hydrogen in particular

Thanks to her extensive interdisciplinary experience working in various types of sustainable organisations from around the globe, Katharina’s expertise lies in international project management and stakeholder management in Renewable Energy, Climate Change & the Circular Economy. She is also an expert in European Affairs thanks to her previous career at the European Commission, where she was responsible for strategic transport and energy infrastructure and capacity building projects across the EU and in third countries. Katharina is a Member of the Board of the Edinburgh Remakery, an award-winning Green Economy social enterprise.

Katharina holds an MSc in Environmental Management from Université Libre of Brussels, Belgium, a second Masters’ degree in European Affairs from Humboldt University Berlin, Germany and a BA (Honours) in Development Studies & Politics from SOAS, University of London, UK. She speaks English, French, Spanish and German fluently.

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Ms. Hana Onderkova

Head, IP

Hana has 10 years of cross functional experience in the field of Intellectual property (IPR).Hana has worked as a patent searcher for one of the biggest KPO in India and later as a patent attorney for tier 1 law firm based in Delhi. These engagements resulted in a detailed hands-on understanding of the IPR and legal system in India and practices of Indian patent office.At EBTC, Hana’s role involves coordinating activities of European Patent Office (EPO) to enhance IP awareness of the Indian Industry as well as well to foster co-operation with the relevant Indian authorities. Moreover, Hana is managing Europe-Indian IP Facilitation Forum which creates a body of knowledge together with partners and provides support to businesses.Hana holds a degree in Aeronautical Engineering (MEng.) and spent 1 year at Technical University Braunschweig in Germany. Hana speaks Czech and English, and Hindi.

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Mr. Sumalya Dasgupta

Expert, Events and Content

Sumalya has more than 13 years of experience as a Communications Professional and developed his skills across different media houses. He has worked in Television Media where he has handled turnkey large-scale event operations, budgeting and vendor management, branded communication, client servicing as well as PCR operations. Moreover, Sumalya has also been responsible for the production of various news and feature shows. Before joining EBTC, Sumalya was handling Branded Content Operations at NDTV across the network and has also worked with brands like Times Network & Bloomberg TV India in their branded content teams.

Sumalya is a Graduate in English Honors from Delhi University and a Postgraduate in Journalism & Mass Communication from Amity University. Sumalya is an avid sports enthusiast.

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Ms. Rakhi Wanchoo

Expert, HR and Projects

Ms. Wanchoo is a Partner with Corporate Connections, a leading executive search firm where she engages with clients across sectors and manages the complete P&L.

With over 2 decades of experience in Human Resources and Operations, she has worked with leading companies which includes GE, Convergys, HCL Technologies amongst others. She possesses hands on experience managing large teams and is certified on various recruitment methodologies and quality standards followed by different organisations. She has undertaken multiple projects on defining the goal, vision and mission of the companies and writing HR manuals and Policies. She has also done projects and benchmarking studies for the new foreign companies for the understanding of the Indian market.

Her passion for working for women and child rights led her into the not-for-profit space engaging herself with UNICEF as a Consultant where she was responsible for recruitments for their staff across India and a few international locations. She has been on the interview panels for various international roles with UNICEF for fair assessments using different interviewing techniques.

Ms. Wanchoo holds an Executive MBA from XLRI and Masters in History from Sri Venkateshwara College Delhi University.

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Mr. Ranjith Jambulingam

Expert, European Projects

Ranjith is responsible for identifying project opportunities, technology partners and actively work towards business development for EU companies in India. He is a dynamic green energy enthusiast with a masters degree in Electrical Engineering and Renewable energy systems from University of Leeds. He has a strong background in sustainable energy with especially deep insights into applied solar photovoltaic technology. Ranjith had worked as Regional Manager, (South India) for an Indian renewable energy company heading their operations and business development activities in southern India. His business development experience exhibits extensive professional associations with State government agencies and private companies. His experience also covers developing business plans on a regional basis, project management and techno-managerial skills, is a valuable asset for EU companies seeking Indian project opportunities.

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Ms. Vaishali Jain

Expert, SMEs, Startups and Corporate Finance

Vaishali is responsible for managing the Europe-India Corporate Finance Forum as well as various start up initiatives. She leads and coordinates engagements with partners, stakeholders, startups and other relevant parties in synchronization with projects team in India and Europe.

Her last corporate experience was with KPMG which helped her develop excellent skills in financial due diligence. Post that, she had a stint in food and beverage industry where she built her own start-up.

As a qualified Chartered Accountant, she has a diverse experience in the field of finance and has also lead various teams. Vaishali has worked in companies like Mindtree and MT&T, and has hands-on exposure in the field of Internal Audit, Taxation, Accounting, and MIS reporting.

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Mr. Joel Fernandes

Project Lead Europe, Business Support to the EU-India Policy Dialogues

Joel Fernandes is the Project Lead, Europe for the Business Support to the EU-India Policy Dialogue project. He possesses over 20 years of professional experience with global organizations such as the Government of British Columbia, European Business and Technology Centre, (EBTC), World Economic Forum, Essar Group, Business France, American Express Bank and Marriott International. He is a Postgraduate from the University of Mumbai with a specialisation in Economics & International Business. He is also a Global Leadership Fellow of the World Economic Forum, Switzerland in collaboration with the Wharton Business School, Columbia Business School, London Business School, CEIBS and INSEAD. He is multilingual in English, French, Spanish, German and Hindi. He possesses in-depth knowledge of the Indian & European economies and industries for companies seeking to benefit their investments. He has attained measurable successes in strategic public-private partnerships, foreign direct investment, international business development and thought leadership positioning. He has proven experience in partnerships with sophisticated and influential global institutions such as international governmental agencies, industry bodies, think tanks and academia. He has served as keynote speaker / moderator / host at events in many European countries. He is an exceptional networker with strong government, community and influencer networks worldwide, particularly in Europe, Latin America, USA & India. Joel is currently based in the office of Eurochambres in Brussels, Belgium from where is responsible to conduct outreach for the project and manage all project activities in Europe.

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Mrs. Rhythm Sehra

Manager Compliances, HR & EA to MD

Rhythm is the Executive Assistant (EA) to Poul V. Jensen, Managing Director of EBTC, and Manager Corporate Compliance. As a qualified Company Secretary and Member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), her role as Manager Corporate Compliance is a vital link between the organisation and its Board of Directors, shareholders, government, and regulatory authorities. Apart from various posts held as EA in various organisations, her professional qualification and expertise are rooted in her training under practising Company Secretaries & Charted Accountants’ firms, and Registrar of Companies and enriched by practical experience in handling compliance matters under the Legal Department of OPPO India.Rhythm holds a Graduate Degree from the University of Delhi and a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management from Symbiosis, Pune.

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Ms. Nancy Khurana

Assistant Manager Corporate Communications

Nancy is the Assistant Manager, Corporate Communications in EBTC. She is responsible for EBTC's Internal and External Communication, Event Management and Data Management. Before joining EBTC, she had done her industrial training from Ericsson and Infosys. She has a graduation degree in Computer Science Engineering from Maharishi Dayanand University.

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Mr. Manish Kumar

Office Support

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Mrs. Ankita Tyagi

Sr. Manager, IP and Projects

Ankita is responsible to promote innovation and bilateral cooperation of Europe and India by identifying and liaising with relevant stakeholders through collaborations . She is having 10 year of experience in IP ecosystem as an IP Expert. Also, looks after the implementation of the European Patent Office (EPO) Workplan for India at EBTC and manages the EBTC IPR Helpdesk. The IPR Helpdesk provides services such as technology scouting and technology transfer to European and Indian SMEs and other stakeholders. Ankita also spearheads the development of an EBTC IP strategy. Responsible for coordinating with Government stakeholders especially with Ministry of IT and Electronics, Government of IndiaPreviously Ankita has worked as Patent Engineer in the Centre of Excellence in IPR, CDAC, Innovation and IPR Division, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India, from 2009. At CDAC, she has worked on a large scope of IP topics, and in the course of work engaged with many Government agencies, i.e. MEITY, IPO, DIPP, etc., as well as targeting a broad variety of IP stakeholders, including SME’s, academia, government, private entities - industrial and individuals alike - and research institutes. Ankita has a Bachelor Degree in Instrumentation from Delhi University, a Master’s of Science degree in Bioinformatics and a Post Graduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Rights respectively. Delivered more than 80 talks on IPR awareness and commercialisation in various academic  and industry organisations.

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Mr. Ranjithkumar Jambulingam

Sr. Manager Projects

Ranjith is responsible for identifying project opportunities, technology partners and actively work towards business development for EU companies in India. He is a dynamic green energy enthusiast with a masters degree in Electrical Engineering and Renewable energy systems from University of Leeds. He has a strong background in sustainable energy with especially deep insights into applied solar photovoltaic technology. Ranjith had worked as Regional Manager, (South India) for an Indian renewable energy company heading their operations and business development activities in southern India. His business development experience exhibits extensive professional associations with State government agencies and private companies. His experience also covers developing business plans on a regional basis, project management and techno-managerial skills, is a valuable asset for EU companies seeking Indian project opportunities.

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Mr. Gaurav Sharma

Manager Projects

In his role as Manager Projects, Gaurav is responsible for managing, implementing and accomplishing EBTC projects as well as coordinating information sharing between EU and Indian stakeholders. Prior to joining EBTC, Gaurav worked in the Economic Section of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in India, where he was tasked with exploring new avenues for increasing bilateral economic cooperation between Poland and India. His work at the Polish embassy helped him gain deep insights into the possibilities and challenges faced by EU companies in India, as well as the main policy issues surrounding increasing bilateral economic cooperation between the EU and India. His experience in working across sectors, as well as on issues surrounding market access, trade disputes, FDI and strengthening collaboration between polish and Indian governmental institutions have given him a birds-eye view of the field of potential future economic cooperation between EU and Indian enterprises.Gaurav holds a Master’s degree in Mathematics from the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE), as well as a Master’s degree in International Business from Delhi University. Gaurav is also a graduate of St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University, where he graduated in Mathematics. He speaks English, Hindi and Polish.

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Mr. Nawal Singh

Manager, Administration & Finance

Mr. Nawal Singh is P.A. to Director – Admin In-charge at EBTC, his main focus is to support the smooth functioning of the Office of the Director and the coordination and administration linked to EBTC’s programmes and projects partners and official stakeholder, managing all correspondences related to the Office of the Director and EU Projects. Two decades of experience in the areas of General and Technical Administration, HR Management, Procurement, Material Management, Finance & Accounting, Transport Management, Team Management, Operations, Cost Optimization, Office Maintenance, Quality Control and Projects and Plans. He is graduate in Political Science and holding a Master’s in Human Resource Management.

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Subhash Chander Luthra AVSM

Senior Expert, Aerospace and Aviation

Air Vice Marshal Subhash Chander Luthra AVSM, VSM (retd.) has 34 years of distinguished service with the Indian Air Force. He was commissioned in the Electronics branch of Indian Air Force in 1977. He has held multiple important appointments including overseeing MROs of the entire IAF fleet, procurement, maintainance and contracts of the helicopter and transport fleet, evolution of new weapons systems.

Since his retirement, AVM Luthra has started his consulting service in the Aerospace and Defense sector, guiding business development for a number of Indian and oversees companies. As an expert in aerospace and base maintenance, contract and project resource provisions, project and supply chain management, business mapping and much more, he possesses a great network of companies for ground support equipment. He also has extensive knowledge of the rules and regulations in the Indian aerospace and defense industry.

AVM Luthra has been conferred with the Presidential Award Ati Vashisht Seva Medal in 2011 and Vashisht Seva Medal in 2005. He has been a member of upgrade programs for Premier Aircraft Fleet and has also led a delegation for evaluation of transport aircrafts and helicopters.

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Mr. Gregor Kos

Public Affairs Officer, Former Ministry of Education and Sports

Expertise: COMMUNICATION

Magister of Political Science Mr. Kos, specialist in cooperation with the Republic of India, is a long-standing public affairs and communications expert in Slovenia and abroad.

As an expert, Mr. Kos has worked on projects of the European Union and the United Nationsa, he is active in the domestic and international non-governmental sector and is a long-standing practitioner of yoga.

In 2011 and between 2013 and 2014, Mr. Kos was the Secretary General of the Ministry of Education and Sport, later the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport.

In 2014, Mr. Kos actively participated in the World Congress of Ayurveda, held in New Delhi, and from 2015 onwards, when the World celebrates International Yoga Day (June 21), he remains an active participant of those international conferences.

In 2014, Mr. Kos inaugurated an AYUSH information centre at the Indian Embassy in Ljubljana along with the then Secretary for AYUSH, Dr Sanyal.

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Mr. Bernd Mützelburg

GERMAN DIPLOMAT

Expertise: POLICY, Europe

Mr. Mützelburg is a German diplomat (rtd). From 2006 to 2009, Mr. Mützelburg served as German Ambassador to India.

Prior to his stint in New Delhi, Mr. Mützelburg served as German Ambassador to Kenia and Estonia. Mr. Mützelburg also held several senior positions in the German Federal Foreign Office. He was Deputy Head of the Private Office of the German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher during the years of Germany’s reunification, served as the Foreign and Security Policy Advisor to German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and headed the Foreign and Security Policy Department.

Following his ambassadorial duties in New Delhi, the German Minster for Foreign Affairs Franz-Walter Steinmeier appointed Mr. Mützelburg as the special representative of the German Foreign Office to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Mr. Mützelburg was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Marjamaa Cross from Estonia, and the Chevalier de la Légion d´honneur from France.

Mr. Mützelburg still enjoys close ties to India.

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Mr. Arnaldo Abruzzini

CEO InRes

Expertise: BUSINESS

Mr. Abruzzini was the Secretary-General and CEO of EUROCHAMBRES, from 1999-2020. EUROCHAMBRES is the apex European chamber in Brussels. Apart from being a senior lobbyist in Brussels, Mr. Abruzzini is also an active entrepreneur, having founded several companies. Mr. Abruzzini has interests in telecommunications (Interactive Media), energy (InRes) and business consulting (Consir) companies.

Mr. Abruzzini has worked as Managing Director of several telecommunications (EPTA), marketing and communication (MediaCamere) and business services (CoFiCom) companies in Italy and in the US. Mr. Abruzzini has also worked in investment banking (MedioBanca) and insurance companies in Bavaria in Germany.

Mr. Abruzzini holds a graduate degree in economics, with major in finance, from the University of Rome in Italy. His career started as an auditor at Arthur Andersen in Milwaukee in Wisconsin in the US in 1979.

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Mr. Sunil Prasad

SECRETARY GENERAL, EUROPE INDIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Expertise: BILATERAL RELATIONS

Mr. Prasad is the Secretary General of Europe India Chamber of Commerce, based in Brussels.

Mr. Prasad took active part in the student movement in the early 1970s and joined the trade union movement in Jamshedpur, the Steel City, in 1974. Mr. Prasad worked with India's premier trade union organisation, the Indian National Trade Union Congress as research and education director from 1982-87. Mr. Prasad was also a freelance journalist with several newspapers in India. He then joined the Brussels-based International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) as an economist in 1988. He is associated with several human rights organisations.

As founder president of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), Belgium Chapter, Mr. Prasad has given a new direction to the 10,000-strong Indian community in Belgium of their importance in the multipolar world. Mr. Prasad is also the editorial board of the GOPIO International and Asian Who's Who International. In 1985, he authored a book, Jamshedpur Labour Market, and has published several papers on the Indian diaspora, trade and international labour standards.

Mr. Prasad was born in Jamshedpur in 1951 and had his education in Bihar and Orissa.

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Mr. Martin Harman

CBE

Expertise: LEGAL

Mr. Harman, CBE, is Chair International Business of Link Legal India Law Services. He is a former Senior Partner and Chairman of Pinsent Masons LLP, generally recognised as the world's leading international law firm specializing in global infrastructure and construction.

Mr. Harman has spent more than 43 years with Pinsent Masons LLP with specialized knowledge in the procurement and management of a wide range of major, complex international infrastructure projects including airports, roads, sports stadia, and renewable energy projects, ports and high-rise buildings, advising construction companies, developers and governmental bodies. Mr. Harman has worked on projects in Europe, India, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East and has consistently been ranked by the Global Legal Directories as a leader in the field of construction, risk management and dispute resolution. He is also a qualified Arbitrator and Mediator.

Apart from his legal engagements, Mr. Harman has served as co-Chair of the UK/India Joint Economic Committee for Infrastructure, working with Mr. Jamshed Irani of Tata Sons as India co-Chair. He has also been Director of UK India Business Council from 2003-2015. He has served as Chairman of the UK Govt's Advisory Council for Global Sports Infrastructure to the 2012 London Olympics.

In 2010 Mr. Harman was appointed CBE (Commander of the British Empire) by her Majesty the Queen for services to international trade and the legal profession.

Mr. Harman lectures widely on procurement strategies, risk management and dispute resolution, particularly in the context of the FIDIC forms of contract. Mr. Harman has extensive experience of providing clients with overarching strategic advice on complex projects where the proper management of the contractual and legal interfaces are central to successful implementation and the realization of profit. He has worked as an international legal counsel on some of the leading infrastructure projects in the Asia Pacific region.

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Ms. Vaishali Jain

SR. MANAGER-CORPORATE FINANCE FORUM AND STARTUP INITIATIVES

Vaishali is responsible for managing the Europe-India Corporate Finance Forum as well as various start up initiatives. She leads and coordinates engagements with partners, stakeholders, startups and other relevant parties in synchronization with projects team in India and Europe. Her last corporate experience was with KPMG which helped her develop excellent skills in financial due diligence. Post that, she had a stint in food and beverage industry where she built her own start-up. As a qualified Chartered Accountant, she has a diverse experience in the field of finance and has also lead various teams. Vaishali has worked in companies like Mindtree and MT&T, and has hands-on exposure in the field of Internal Audit, Taxation, Accounting, and MIS reporting.

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