Lt Gen Dr Anil Kapoor AVSM, VSM, Ph D superannuated as Director General Electronics and Mechanical Engineers strategically leading the landscape of maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) and technology and innovation management of the complete plethora of equipment of the Indian Army. Prior to this appointment he was the Director General Information Systems, where he steered the information systems management, digital technology transformation and net centricity of the million strong Indian Army as a Tri Service Program. He has also been on two UN peacekeeping assignments. Post retirement, he served as Director General Amity University where he established Amity Institute of Defence Technology and formulated Ph D and M Tech Programs in Defence Technology. Presently, he is a Board Member of the Technology Innovation Hub Governing Body IIT Tirupati. He is also a Professor of Practice at IIT Tirupati and conducts a three-credit course on Design Thinking, Leadership and Entrepreneurship. A Chartered Engineer, he was awarded the Eminent Engineer Award 2020 on 15 Sep 2020 by the Institution of Engineers, India for outstanding professional contributions in engineering and displaying technical brilliance.

Chair

Brigadier B. Sareen Chander, a 1999 graduate of the Indian Military Academy, was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers. With a B.Tech in Civil Engineering, he served in high-risk areas in Jammu & Kashmir, the Northeast, and the Border Roads Organisation before specializing in Surveying and Mapping with the Survey of India. He has made significant contributions to geospatial infrastructure, innovation, and technology. Notably, he played a key role in creating the Army and Tri-Services GIS Policy and led the development of critical 3D maps for strategic locations like Doklam. He has received multiple commendations, including the VCOAS Commendation Card and COAS Commendation Card.

As Additional Surveyor General, he managed crucial national projects, such as SVAMITVA and NHP, and advanced the adoption of new technologies like LiDAR, Drone mapping, and Cloud-based workflows. He has represented the Survey of India at various national and international forums, including the UNWGIC-2022. Brigadier Chander holds additional qualifications in Defence & Security Laws (NALSAR University) and an MBA in Operations & Strategic Management (NIBM, Trivandrum).

Royston Ong is Esri's Senior Business Development Manager (National Security). Based out of their Singapore office, Royston is a passionate individual who sees location intelligence services being a critical element to any National Security Enterprise IT infrastructure. Royston is a former Singapore Army Officer of 17 years. In his twelve years in the National Security industry, he has held various sales and business development positions with Esri, Singapore Technologies as well as Thales. His focus and passion have been around solution insertion into National Security communities, for he views it as adding value towards sharing key insights and the art of the possible with his compatriots in the National Security community.

Rakesh Bhan is a prominent figure in the Indian space satellite industry, with over 23 years of experience in leading high-impact projects in the space industry. Currently the Vice President and Head of the Space Group at Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), he spearheaded TASL's maiden satellite mission, TSAT-1A, demonstrating his expertise in Earth Observation technology, strategic leadership, and international collaboration.

Prior to TASL, Rakesh served as Project Director for the NASA-ISRO NISAR mission at JPL NASA, where he managed the development and execution of the SAR payload. His extensive experience includes roles at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) at NASA, where he led teams in developing advanced space systems for Earth observation and interplanetary missions. Rakesh is an expert in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite technology, systems engineering, and strategic leadership. He has a proven track record of driving successful international satellite programs from concept to deployment, managing large cross-functional teams, and collaborating with global stakeholders. Rakesh holds multiple patents and has authored/co-authored over 25 publications. He brings a wealth of knowledge and practical experience to the field of Geo intelligence.

Col Deepak Sisodia, VSM and bar, is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy Khadakwasla. He was commissioned in Dec 1996 in Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers. The officer has been awarded the DGEME trophy for Best all round performance in B Tech engineering course and Commandants gold medal for standing first in Officer Advanced Computer technology M Tech course. The officer has served in various sectors and has raised his Battalion in strike formation in mountains. The officer has done diploma and certification courses in Big data, ML, Generative AI and other subjects from IIT Delhi.

The officer is serving as Colonel Management information systems for approx. 5 years in Directorate General in Information Systems. During this period, the officer has designed, curated and managed large scale data pipelines for decision support across multiple domains pertaining to the administration and operational logistics of the Army. As the project head, he has developed nine web applications which are operational on the Army network and are serving optimal quality, interoperable data streams. He is a certified AI transformation leader and is pivoting the implementation of AI-driven solutions, from deep learning and neural networks to reinforcement learning and natural language processing with a focus on data-driven insights, predictive analytics, and automation to optimize decision-making and enhance operational efficiency. The officer is experienced in Generative AI, Edge Computing, Federated learning and Explainable AI. For his transformational initiatives in the field of data democratization and AI, he has been twice awarded the Presidential award of Vishist Seva Medal.

Chair

Col Dr Mahendra K Sekaran Nair was commissioned on 29 Jul 1989 into the Royal Ordnance Corps. He holds a PhD in Defence Technology from the National Defence University of Malaysia obtained in 2021, an MSc in Logistics from the University of Wollongong, Australia, in 2012, a BSc Hons in Computing from the University of Bolton, United Kingdom, in 2008, a Diploma in Strategic and Defence Studies from the University Malaya in 2005, and a Diploma in Computer Science from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in 1994. He has held various staff appointments, involved in computer projects and other appointments in the Malaysian Royal Ordnance Corps. He was seconded to the National Defence University of Malaysia as a Senior Lecturer from 2014 until 2020. Subsequently, he was posted to the Malaysian Armed Forces Staff College as Directing Staff and General Staff Officer Grade 1 Training before assuming the present position as the Director of Contemporary Security at the Malaysian Institute of Defence and Security (MiDAS).

Col Vineet Tripathi is a dynamic leader with over 2 decades of experience in strategic planning, operations and technology driven transformation with a strong background in Advance Computer Technology. He is Masters in Military Technology from prestigious Military Institute of Technology, Pune and Electronics Engineering from Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering . He has led cross functional teams in high stake environments including Commanding a Prestigious unit in East Sikkim, Delhi Area , leading logistics operations in United Nations peacekeeping missions in South Sudan and executing large complex projects throughout the country. He is skilled in business intelligence, public procurement and process optimisation. He has a proven track record of driving cost efficiencies, operational excellence and digital transformation. He is passionate about community advocacy and champions veteran care, women, empowerment, and environmental conservation.

Balpreet Singh is a defence industry specialist with a strong background in International Business & relations, policy advisory, defence manufacturing. At EY, he works closely with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and state governments to shape policies that strengthen India's defence sector.With more than 7 years of hands-on experience in the defence sector, Balpreet has advised global OEMs and Indian companies on strategy, acquisition processes, and regulatory compliance including 100% FDI and Industrial Licensing. His work at EY includes thought leadership initiatives and publishing research papers on emerging defence technologies, including the role of AI and autonomy in modern warfare. He is engaged in discussions on defence procurement, technology adoption, and industrial growth, working with various stakeholders to navigate challenges and explore opportunities in the evolving A&D landscape.

Maj Gen Shivendra Kumar is an alumnus of Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. Highlights of his brilliant academic record include first class in his BE degree from Government Engineering College, Jabalpur and first class with distinction in M Tech (Electronics) from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Over the course of his illustrious career, he has held various command, staff and instructional appointments, which include Command of an EME Workshop, Head of the Department in Radar Technology at Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering, Commandant & Managing Director of an Army Base Workshop dealing in Electronics & Telecommunication System and the Director EME Electronics at Army Headquarters. The General officer also held the coveted appointment of Dean at Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering. He was awarded the Chief of Army Staff & General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Commendation Card for his contributions in the field of technology. The officer is presently the Additional Director General at Directorate General of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering.

Chair

Col (Dr) Anupam Tiwari is an accomplished expert in the field of cybersecurity and defense technology. Currently serving as the Advisor (Cyber) to the Principal Advisor in the Ministry of Defence, Government of India, Col Tiwari plays a critical role in advising and shaping cybersecurity policies and strategies for India's defense sector. Col Tiwari has significant experience in developing and implementing cybersecurity policies for defense and national security. His advisory role involves crafting strategic frameworks to protect military and defense systems from cyber threats, including malicious attacks, data breaches, and cyber espionage.

Amandeep Singh is a serving Indian Army Officer with distinctive cross-domain expertise who has contributed in the field of Space ISR. He opted to take the unchartered route of Space ISR for military operations and attained qualifications as Degree in Law, a Degree in Air and Space Law, an MBA in Finance, and is presently pursuing his PhD in Space Economy Augmenting Military Effectiveness from LPU, Punjab. He has been trained at military and scientific institutions on varied Space domains in conjunction with the IoT. He has contributed through his articles on the specialised strategic subject in varied journals and magazines. He has also been invited as a speaker at various pan India international level seminars and at military institutions. He promotes the practical application of technology and its military effectiveness for educating, training and preparing Space Warriors for superior spatial capabilities that strengthen the Nation's way of life.

Saranya M is working as Manager for Presales and leads the Data Science team. She has been with Esri India since 2019. She is a certified Desktop Associate & ArcGIS Online Administrator with Master's in Environmental Engineering & Management and PGD in RS & GIS. She is focused on helping users better understand GeoAI in ArcGIS. She leads the Data Science vertical for various sectors such as Utilities, Defence, Transportation, etc.

Atul is the Founder and Managing Director of Apt Software Avenues Pvt Ltd, Kolkata, a boutique software company which provides software development and product engineering services to organizations around the world, specially to technology startups. Atul has over 25 years of experience in building complex software systems both in technology and enterprise business domains. Atul earned his Bachelor of Technology (Computer Science) from IIT, Kharagpur, and an MS in Computer Science from Rutgers University, USA. He is the past Eastern Region Chair of NASSCOM.

Major General Dilawar Singh has been a Senior General in the Indian Army and he was also selected to be the National Director General for Youth Development in the Government of India. A well educated, highly trained and experienced professional leader with both national and international achievements, he has a Masters in Defence Studies, a second Masters in Management Sciences and a Ph.D in Youth Development and Management Strategy and Policy. He has successfully completed training at numerous Centres of Excellence and achieved numerous distinctions and national and international awards. He has proven track record of highest achievements over his 40 plus years of career and comes with rich experience in different development and financial sectors.

Chair

Mr. Anirudha Roy has more than 25 years of rich experience in Business Management, technology services, system integration and solution building. Prior to joining Genesys, he was associated with Navyuga Engineering Company Ltd. as Vice President - Strategic Business. An alumnus of IIT Roorkee, his 25 years career track record spans IIT Bombay, NIIT (ESRI India) and Navyuga group. He is acclaimed speaker on survey, mapping and geospatial application domain in National and International conferences. He holds Doctorate Degree in Environmental Sciences and Engineering from Indian School of Mines - Dhanbad.

Col S K Tyagi has been serving with Indian Army for past 25 years and is currently posted with MI Dte in Army Headquarters. The officer is a graduate from prestigious Defence Services Staff College Wellington and has held various Regimental, Staff, Command and Instructional appointments. As part of his Regimental appointments the officer had been actively involved in infrastructure development in operational areas along Northern and Eastern borders. The officer has commanded an Engineer Regiment in Eastern Command and Counter Explosive Device Unit in Northern Command. As part of Staff Appointments, the officer has served as General Staff Officer of a Strike Corps along Western borders and presently involved in collation and publication of area analysis studies and area specific analysis reports based on terrain inputs.

Gaurav Singh, PhD is a Dynamic, Result-Oriented, multifaceted Technocrat and a Leader. He is a Researcher and Scholar on a learning curve. 'Armed' with an M.Tech and Doctorate from IIT Delhi, he has 22+ years of experience in managing Technology, Automation, and Projects in the Indian Army, Government Institutions & Industry.

Kinjal is a principal researcher at Rashtriya Raksha University in Geoinformatics, where she adeptly integrates her engineering expertise with cutting-edge research. Her research includes hyperspectral imaging, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), information extraction from remote sensing images using artificial intelligence models , and satellite data fusion, all of which contribute to her ability to develop practical solutions for real-world applications. She also leads various initiatives in geoinformatics education, collaborates on research projects with SAC-ISRO, and offers consultancy services.

Brig Sunil Mishra, SM (Retd) has had an illustrious career in the Indian Army for more than 35 years. During his service, he served for two tenures in Directorate General of Information Systems where he worked extensively on geospatial technologies specifically pertaining to Spatial Data Model Structures, data infrastructure & sharing as well as large scale and high-resolution data. The officer conceived and headed the prestigious Indian Army project 'Battlefield Management System' at the Directorate General of Information Systems, dealing with the crucial aspect of situational awareness at the forward edge of the battlefield. While, still in service, he carried out large scale mapping and data visualization of defence land in few military stations using consumer drones.

An alumnus of Sainik School Lucknow and National Defence Academy, the officer has a wide operational experience. As part of Manpower Planning Directorate at Army HQ, he spearheaded the automation of Officers Records. He has been regularly contributing to various seminars on Geospatial and Situational Awareness issues since 2004. A DGCA certified Drone Pilot, he has set up Hawk Eye Aerial Imaging & Mapping Solutions, focusing on Drone based Mapping and Photogrammetry post superannuation in 2024.