Our Trustees

Pradeep Gupta

Chairperson of NCPEDP,
Chairperson and MD of Cyber Media India Limited

Pradeep Gupta, a prominent figure in the IT industry, chairs the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP). He’s lauded for his leadership and mentoring, receiving the “National Entrepreneurship Award as the Best Mentor” from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India. He’s deeply engaged in fostering startups globally, evident in his roles as an Angel investor, Chief Mentor at Electropreneur Park, and co-founder of the Indian Angel Network.

Recognising Pradeep’s contribution to the startup ecosystem of India, the Government has put him on the Investment Management Committee of its 10,000 crore ($1.25 Bn) Fund of Funds.

As the Chairman of the CyberMedia Group, overseeing brands like Dataquest and PCQuest, Pradeep remains at the forefront of media innovation. His contributions have earned him prestigious awards, including the Distinguished Alumni accolades from IIT Delhi and IIM Calcutta, as well as the Helen Keller award for his work in the disability sector. He features in the book “100 Great IITians”.

Pradeep holds degrees from IIT Delhi (1975) and IIM Calcutta (1977), and has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Rai University for his remarkable contributions.

Arvind Gupta

Head and Co-Founder
of Digital India Foundation

Arvind Gupta has dedicated the past three decades to leading and innovating within the digital space. As the Head and Co-Founder of Digital India Foundation, he has committed himself to digital inclusion and policy innovation. His role extends to academia, where he shares his knowledge as an Adjunct Professor at IIT-BHU.

Mr. Gupta’s extensive career spans sectors and continents, excelling in Consumer Internet, Digital Media, Payment Systems, Analytics, and the Data Economy. Recognized on the Global FinTech Top100 list, he also holds prestigious roles at the World Economic Forum and OECD.

He received the Eisenhower Global Fellowship for Innovation in 2014, the DataQuest Pathbreaker of the Year award, and the Distinguished Centenary Alumni award from IIT-BHU. As CEO of MyGov, he spearheaded efforts for digital inclusion through participative governance.

Mr. Gupta drives successful startups like amplify.ai and ApnaPay. As a Founder Member of iSPiRT, he champions nationwide Digital Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) initiatives, showcasing his commitment to digital progress. He’s a prominent speaker at global forums and contributes articles on the digital economy and governance to prestigious publications like The Harvard Business Review and The World Economic Forum. Recently, he joined an advisory council addressing digital monopolies.

Meenu Bhambhani

Vice President, Head of Corporate Citizenship and Inclusion and Diversity, APAC

Dr. Bhambhani is the VP and Head of Corporate Citizenship & Global Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (GIDE), APAC at State Street. She is a D&I professional with over two decades of experience in human development with specialisation in social policy. She is responsible for oversight of all Corporate Citizenship, Global Inclusion and Diversity programmes throughout the Asia Pacific Region covering 12 locations. Dr Bhambhani spent over a decade at Mphasis, a global IT conglomerate where she played a key role in creating high-profile opportunities to address systemic challenges in disability inclusion. Experienced in disability advocacy with the World Bank and nonprofits, she holds a Master’s in Disability and Human Development from the University of Illinois at Chicago besides being an alumna of the International Ford Foundation Fellowship.

She holds prominent recognitions ranging from the President’s National Award for Best Individuals Promoting Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities in 2010; received special recognition at NASSCOM for Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion; Received APAC Disability Award in Marketplace Category for Innovative Programmes in Disability Inclusion through CSR.

Raj Mariwala

Director of Mariwala Health Initiative

Raj Mariwala is Director of Mariwala Health Initiative an advocacy, capacity building and grant making organisation focusing on accessible mental health for marginalised communities. While previous engagements have included Advisory board roles in Lancet Commission on Ending Stigma and Discrimination as well as Global Mental Health Action Network, currently, Raj is on the board of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP). Alongside this, Raj is also a practicing canine and feline behaviourist.

Arun Seth

Independent director on the board of Narayana Health, Jubilant Life Sciences

Mr Seth is Board member, Narayana Health and Jubilant Pharmova

Mr Arun Seth took early retirement from his corporate career to focus on bringing the benefits of IT/Telecom to real world businesses in energy, health, fintech, medtech, education, hospitality etc. via a vibrant innovative entrepreneurial eco system and a focus on giving back to society. He had been very active with Govt and Regulators on shaping Telecoms Policy and IT policy being an elected member of Nasscom for more than a decade. Currently an independent Director on FMRT, IITK and on the board of listed cos Jubilant Pharmova Ltd, Jubilant Ingrevia Ltd, Narayana Hrudalaya. An alumnus of IIT Kanpur and IIM Calcutta – he has worked in senior commercial positions in the BT, HCL, Usha Martin and the UB Group, in the last 40+ years.

Major General Ian Cardozo

AVSM SM is a former Indian Army officer and first war-disabled officer of the Indian Army

A decorated war veteran, Major General Cardozo became the first officer with a disability in the Indian Army to be approved for command of an infantry battalion and brigade, after losing a leg during the battle of Sylhet in Bangladesh. He was also the first officer of the Indian Army to be awarded the Sena Medal for gallantry on a patrol in the erstwhile North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) in 1960. Major General Cardozo has been part of the Sino-Indian war of 1962, and the Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971. After retirement as Chief of Staff of a Corps in the North East of India, he worked as Vice President of the War Wounded Foundation and was later appointed as the Chairman of the Rehabilitation Council of India. His books ‘Param Vir’, and ‘The Sinking of INS Khukri’ have been widely acclaimed.

Kanchan Pamnani

Independent solicitor practicing mainly in the Bombay High Court

Ms. Pamnani is a Solicitor practicing mainly in the Bombay High Court in the field of Corporate, Testamentary, Property and Disability law. A graduate in Commerce from Sydenham College and a postgraduate in law from the University of Bombay, Ms. Pamnani has completed two courses from the World Intellectual Property Organisation, Geneva and a course in Arbitration from the Indian Merchant’s Chamber and a diploma in Intellectual Property Law from the University of Bombay. She has passed the examination of the Bombay Incorporated Law Society and additionally the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test from the Law Society, England

Rakesh Jinsi

President at SOS Children’s Villages Of India & Senator at SOS Children’s Villages International

Mr. Jinsi has held leadership positions with organisations such as Eicher, Hero Motors, Chase Manhattan, Force Motors, Tata Trucks, New Holland Fiat Tractors, SOS Children’s Villages and School Of Inspired Leadership. He has been a member of National level bodies such as National Human Rights Commission, National Skill Development Corporation and Voluntary Action Network of India(VANI),the apex body of the NGO sector. He has also been an advisor to the Boards of few organisations including the CMD of Hero Cycles. He currently serves as the President (Chairperson) Of the Board of SOS Children’s Villages of India, as a member of the International Senate SOS Children’s Villages International Austria, as an Independent Director on the board of Fairfield Asia(a part of the Dana group), as a Chairperson of Khushboo Welfare Society, as a Trustee of Ahvaan Trust and Member Advisory Board with Leadership Et’ Humanite’.

He is also an empanelled Coach/Mentor for senior level executives and also works with small and medium size organisations, helping them to scale up their business. In the past he has been on the boards of many large organisations viz Schaeffler India Ltd,Minda Automotive Solutions, Hero Motors, Hero Cycles, Munjal Hospitality and Inspired Leadership Gurukul.

A.S. Narayanan

President of the National Association of the Deaf, India

A.S. Narayanan has dedicated 25 years to working with the Deaf community. He serves as the President of the National Association of the Deaf, India, the sole Disabled People’s Organization advocating for Deaf rights in the country. Additionally, he is a member of the steering committee of NITI AAYOG, representing Deaf interests at the highest levels of government. Narayanan is actively involved in the establishment and operation of the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre.

With a global perspective, Narayanan has attended key events such as the World Federation of the Deaf Congress in Durban, South Africa, and Paris, France, in 2019. He also completed the “Bummy” Burstein Leadership Institute at Gallaudet University, USA, enhancing his leadership skills.

Narayanan’s advocacy focuses on the recognition of Indian Sign Language as an official language of India and advocating for closed captioning on TVs. He serves on various committees, including those related to disability rights legislation and accessibility standards for Persons with Disabilities in TV programs. Through his tireless efforts, Narayanan continues to advance the rights and inclusion of the Deaf community in India.