Abhay Dange
Director, Press and Corporate Affairs
BMW Group India

Abhay Dange heads the Press and Corporate Affairs at BMW Group India since 2006. He has completed his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Mechanical) from Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Pune.

Mr. Dange started his career in 1996 and has worked with the leading organizations in India such as RPG Group, Mercedes Benz India, Arthur Andersen, Modi Enterprises and Tata Technologies.

Anuj Dayal
Head of Corporate Communications, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation

Mr. Anuj Dayal is the head of Corporate Communications for the Delhi Metro Rail Project which is the largest Urban Infrastructure Project undertaking in India after independence which has been built with funding assistance from Japan .

Mr. Dayal has 28 years experience in the field of Management and Communications. He started his career from the 1985 Batch of the Indian Civil Services and initially worked with the Railways. For the last 16 years, he is working with the Delhi Metro, where he is the part of the core team implementing the Metro Rail network in Delhi.

Mr. Dayal has two Masters Degrees – one in Sociology and one in Mass Communications apart from 6 Post Graduate Diplomas including a specialized Diploma from the Government of Sweden in Management.

The Corporate Communications wing of the Delhi Metro under Mr. Dayal has been recognized as a Centre of Excellence and emulated by all other projects funded by the Government of Japan in India.

Mr. Dayal is a regular speaker in domestic and international forums and has also presented papers in International Conferences organized by the World Bank in Bangkok, International Institute of Architecture in Italy apart from lecturing at many Mass Communications Training Colleges, Training Institutes of the Government of India, etc.

Mr. Dayal has received the National Award for producing the Best Promotional Film in 2012 from the President of India and has received other accolades and Awards from the Indian Railways, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and other International Organizations.

He had also written books on Project Management which have been appreciated by the Harvard Business School which has prepared a case study on the same. He has been closed associated with the Indian Institute of Management, Ahemdabad and the United Nations Development Progamme (UNDP) in preparation of a study on “Excellence in Management”.

Farheen Akhtar
Head PR
Snapdeal

A communications professional with over 16years experience across industries, spanning diverse organizations in functions like Product and Brand Marketing, PR, Internal Communications and CSR, Farheen has worked extensively in areas of developing and implementing communications strategies for managing organization reputation, advocacy, executive branding, leadership communication, crisis and change management communication.

Her industry experience as an in-house communication person includes education, hospitality, telecom, staffing, financial services and ecommerce. Currently the Head for PR Snapdeal, her last stint was as the founding partner of a content services company.

She has been top talent throughout her career. Farheen loves to take her team with her and understands human behaviour very well.

An MBA, she loves to read, travel and try her hand at various cuisines. She is the founder of a travel club, and passionately believes in being a catalyst be it at work or in personal life.

Girish Huria
Head – Communications
eBay India

Girish Huria joined eBay India in 2014 at a time when the ecommerce market in India is booming. His main priority at eBay India is to drive consumer, merchant and employee communications. Besides, Girish is also involved in driving the communication for eBay’s charity work in India and liaise with industry associations.

Girish returned to his hometown, Mumbai, after spending over a decade in New Delhi / NCR, and gaining experience at both an independent and a networked agency.

Girish has over 16 year’s professional experience and is married to the profession literally. His wife also belongs to the public relations industry.

A born foodie, Girish loves travelling, besides watching Bollywood movies and Reality shows on television.

Kanwaldeep Singh
Vice president - Corporate
Maruti Suzuki India Limited

Kanwaldeep Singhis Vice President of Corporate Planning at Maruti Suzuki India Limited, India’s leading passenger vehicle company. He graduated in Economics from Delhi University and worked as a journalist with The Statesman, Indian Express and The Times of India. He joined Maruti in 2000 as DGM, Communications. His communication activities have included multiple product and technology launches by the Company, the historic public issue of Maruti, internal communication initiatives and crisis management. He currently manages functions of Corporate Communications, Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Planning and Risk Management.

Kanwaldeep Singh has an M Phil degree from University of Cambridge, UK

Manish Kalghatgi
V-P corporate communications
Jet Airways

Manish Kalghatgi is Vice-President, Corporate Communications at Jet Airways, where he leads external and internal communications programmes for India’s premier international airline.

A Communications professional with over 24 years of experience spanning media and corporate communications, Manish has handled diverse assignments in different industry segments such as infrastructure, automobiles, aviation and core sectors. He has been involved in Corporate Image Building and Reputation Management through a 360 degree communication approach including earned media, corporate advertising and below-the-line-initiatives. He has substantial hands-on experience of positioning key messages on corporate brand building, crisis management, corporate turnaround, leadership profiling, internal communication and investor and financial communication.

Manish is a graduate in Science (Geology) and post graduate in Communications and Journalism from Pune University. After starting his career as a journalist with Indian Express, he moved Communications and has functioned both as a consultant and an in-house communicator.

A firm believer in Communications being a knowledge-based profession, Manish recognizes that competition for influencing public opinion will reach new heights in the information age. Contingency planning will become the principal goal of effective communication strategy, and it will be a continuous process.

Natasha Pal
Brand Communication & Digital Media Consultant

Natasha Pal is a senior communications specialist and a Digital, Marketing professional with close to 20 years of expertise, working with India’s leading brand consultancies.

Her experience spans all areas from corporate to auto, hospitality, chemicals to telecom, entertainment, lifestyle, brand and consumer marketing; representing the biggest brands in the country.

Natasha began her career at Mudra PR and then went on to take senior roles in Clea PR and at the Vaishnavi Group. In her role at Vaishnavi Corporate Communications, Natasha was in charge of the West and South, which accounted for a majority of the company’s revenues and included global conglomerates such as the Tata Group, Raymond Ltd., Star TV Network amongst others.

As part of the expansion of the Vaishnavi Group, Natasha spearheaded the formation of Vitcom Consulting, a dynamic communications consultancy specializing in celebrity, lifestyle and entertainment PR, handling the communication mandates for Priyanka Chopra, NDTV Imagine, UTV, Aston Martin, Tata Housing, Etisalat and the likes.

In a lateral move, Natasha took on the role of management for Bollywood superstar Priyanka Chopra, encompassing Strategy, PR, CSR, and Digital Innovations amongst others. This included a strategic move towards reaching a global audience, covering various forms of entertainment including music, film and TV. This also included Ms. Chopra’s successful initiative with music, her role as brand ambassador for Guess and other strategic opportunities.

Natasha currently runs her own consultancy, offering specialized services in Brand Building, which encompass PR, Marketing, Digital (with a specialization in social media) and events. Using her vast experience, Natasha looks to create an integrated ecosystem that goes beyond just tackling situational requirements and works towards creating a larger vision for the brand/individual.

Nitin Thakur
Director - External Affairs and Communication
Max India Limited

Nitin is a senior external affairs and communication professional with nearly two decades of experience. He is currently working in a leadership role at the USD 2 billion diversified Indian conglomerate, Max India Group. He was previously with Microsoft India, managing product advocacy and communications. In the past, he has also been in a consulting role, as a part of various communication agencies - advising leading brands across verticals such as Technology, Consumer Products, Financial Services, Healthcare.

He specializes in building and maintaining corporate reputation and building engagement and trust with influencers. A continuous learner by disposition, he is currently focused on gaining expertise in effective use of social media for building corporate reputation.

Rajiv Mishra
(Vice President & Head) - Media, Corporate Communications, CSR and, Spokesperson
Samsung - South West Asia

Rajiv Mishra is currently working with Samsung as Vice-President & Head – Media, Corporate Communications, CSR and Spokesperson. He had worked for Hindustan Times Group as Sub Editor, Star TV as Manager – Programming, Zee TV as Sr. Manager – Corporate, Reliance Infocomm Limited as general manager – Corporate Affaires, News 24 (BAG Films and Media), as COO and director, India News as COO, launched Times Now news channel of Times of India group in USA as India Now while working for CineMaya Media Inc. of USA.

Rajiv Mishra was with Lok Sabha TV as CEO in an official rank and status of Additional Secretary. He writes article's on regular basis for all major News Paper's. Wrote several Book's as well. He also hosted one of the most popular weekly interview show on Lok Sabha TVcalled "Special Guest".He is the nominated Member of various Media Advisory bodies in various Ministry of Government of India.

Rajiv is also the founder and first President of Association of Radio Operators for India (AROI). AROI is the industry representative body of all FM Radio Broadcasters/Stations of India. He also founded Association of Regional Television Broadcasters of India (ARTBI).

Rashmi Soni
Head of Corporate Communications
Vistara - A TATA SIA JV

A Stanford Certified Project Manager, Rashmi has over 19 years of experience working in leadership roles with top multinational technology brands leading strategic communications, media stakeholder engagement, employee ambassadorship, brand management, marketing communication, investor relations, digital media, sustainability and CSR etc. During her stint with Hughes Software Systems, Adobe, Ericsson and Tata Docomo, she has managed large scale collaborative projects working with local and global teams receiving acclaims.

Currently as Head of Corporate Communications with Vistara – TATA SIA Airlines Ltd, Rashmi is responsible for formulating and executing the organization’s ambitious communication strategy to garner a holistic mindshare for the brand.

Rishi Suri
Editor - International Affairs
The Daily Milap

Rishi Suri is a senior editor covering international affairs at The Daily Milap, India’s oldest and largest circulated Urdu daily newspaper. He is an internationally recognized journalist known for his strong views and opinions on global politics and diplomacy. His interviews with various international personalities and heads of states and his articles on different subjects in India and the Middle East have been widely acclaimed and appreciated.

Rishi is one of the select few certified diplomatic correspondents by the Ministry of External Affairs in India and has been part of various international delegations and programs like the International Visitor Leadership program run by the State Department of the United States of America. Apart from being a Fellow (Media) with the Australia India Council and a Chevening Scholar since 2013, he is also involved in the planning and advisory boards of various international organizations like the Australia India Youth Dialogue and the Global Partnerships Program run by the Tampa Bay City Council in the US. Rishi is also on the advisory board of a Delhi based NGO called the You Can Foundation and is a member of the planning board of the Kumaon Literary Festival which is India’s first literary festival focusing on developing smart villages through art and culture in the Kumaon region in Uttarakhand, India.

Other than being an Editor, Rishi also plays an administrative role in the publication as he is part of the fourth generation of the family running the newspaper, started by Mahashay Khusal Chand Ji, later known as Mahatma Anand Swami Saraswati in Lahore (now in Pakistan) on the 13th of April, 1923. The Daily Milap was a social reformist newspaper and an instrument of social change while fighting tooth and nail for the freedom of the country. Gradually through the love of the people, Milap grew and prospered and, even in its current functioning carries with it many values which it has stood for over the years. It is this lineage which has greatly contributed to Rishi’s knowledge, personality and development of his thought process.

Sonia Huria Gupta
Vice President & Head, Corporate Communications & CSR
Viacom18

Sonia Huria Gupta drives the network communications function as Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications at Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. She oversees communications for the corporate brand Viacom18 as well as all consumer brands of India’s fastest growing entertainment network – Colors, Rishtey, MTV, Pepsi MTV Indies, Vh1, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Nick Junior, Teen Nick, Sonic – five ETV regional channels, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Consumer Products & Integrated Network Solutions.

Sonia began her journey with Viacom18 in 2008, as part of the initial team that nurtured Hindi GEC – COLORS, as it launched. Her understanding of television and the consumer space via her previous stints at Genesis Burson Marsteller and Weber Shandwick, helped her create a distinctively strong image for the channel, which it enjoys till date. Sonia has not only spearheaded the launch of some of the biggest shows known to Indian television audiences, but has also supervised sustenance of their interest. Whether it is to promote Balika Vadhu or creating interesting media mixes for Fear Factor - Khatron Ke Khiladi, Sonia has adopted the route of innovation all the way.

Zeenat Khan
Vice President - Corporate Communications
Housing.com

Zeenat Khan is the Vice President of Corporate Communications at Housing.com. She works closely with senior management to outline company’s communications strategy and ensure there are synergies across business verticals, considering the dynamic market that Housing.com operates in. Zeenat has been instrumental in creating the internal communications mandate and works with partners to make sure business goals are achieved.

With over 19 years of work experience, Zeenat is an industry veteran who has led successful campaigns across industries including Corporate, Consumer goods, Lifestyle, Hospitality, Tourism, Media and Entertainment. Her strategic thinking and planning skills have successfully managed many crisis situations to ensure that the brand’s reputation remains unaffected. Prior to joining Housing.com, Zeenat led the communications strategy for Apollo Hospitals, Turner General Entertainment, Star India, where she played a pivotal role in defining and differentiating the communications strategy for brands in India’s highly competitive market. She was part of the core team that launched NDTV Imagine, NDTV Lumiere and Imagine Showbiz.