Monika, a sustainability enthusiast, leads sustainability initiatives and efforts including Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) disclosures at JSW. With nearly 2 decades of experience in the sustainability sectors across diverse aspects ranging from Climate to Circular Economy to Water to Biodiversity she is truly a sustainability enthusiast. She has also worked in social aspects such as human rights, sustainable procurement & supply
chain, health & safety and stakeholder engagement. 

Prior to JSW, she was associated with Holcim and ACC Limited. While at Holcim and ACC limited she was associated with World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) working on biodiversity related projects.

Murugan Thenkondar, a distinguished textile technologist has 30+ years of experience in Sales & International Marketing and Business Development. At Grasim, he leads the global growth of the fibre business along with product development, market innovations, and brand creation. A globetrotter he has worked across geographies like Indonesia, Singapore, Bangkok Shanghai and Europe etc. A champion in cellulose fibers, he has worked with global producers and understands fibers such as Lenzing and Sateri as well.

Recognized with accolades such as the Chairman’s Young Achiever Award in 2002 and the Exceptional Contributor Award in 2021 by Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla, from the Aditya Birla Group, his contribution is recognised globally.

Siddharth has 20+ years in the energy sector and currently leads the business operations for Chempolis, India. Chempolis is a leading Finnish Company providing groundbreaking biorefining technologies for energy, biofuel, oil, paper and chemical industries. Chempolis’ formico® technologies turn biomass into high-quality products profitably and responsibly. They have current set up one-of-kind biorefinery in Assam as a joint venture with Numaligarh Refineries Limited and Fortum. The plant will convert bamboo into ethanol and bio-chemicals and is scheduled for
commercial production by end of 2024 eventually expanding into APAC region.

Siddharth’s strength is across varied functions such as Business Development, Corporate Strategy, Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and Large scale business settings. His expertise is not only in project development but extends to management of large capital projects such as biorefineries, Storage and distribution infrastructure in Oil & gas, project and structured finance, and strategic partnerships.

Siddharth believes that business leads to development of local communities and generates new
opportunities for the coming generations.

Dr Pandey holds a doctorate in forest products, with 30 + yrs passionately dedicated to Bamboo and its application as a value added material across multiple products such as Mat Board , Veneer, Composite Bamboo, Mat Moulded Products, Corrugated Sheets, Mat Overlaid Particle Board, Bamboo Wood, Bamboo Mat Moulded Skin Board [BMMSB], High Density Shuttering Grade Bamboo Mat Board BMB, .Flexi Ply with Bamboo Mat, Prefabricated Houses etc. He has served as a Director of Indian Plywood Industries Research & Training Institute (IPIRTI), Bangalore, an autonomous body of the Ministry of Environment and Forests Govt of India and continues as a Principal Technical Advisor for Federation of Indian Plywood and Panel Industry (FIPPI) & Century Plyboards (I) Ltd, He believes that bamboo can replace timber by establishing the right technical parameters, robust quality standards and cultivation practises. Awarded the ICFRE Excellence Award (2003) and “The Great Son of Karnataka” by Karnataka State for his significant services to society in the fields of Environment & Forests.

Dr. Shakti Singh Chauhan, who holds a Ph.D. in Forestry/Wood Science, an M.Tech in Futures Studies and Planning, and an M.Sc in Physics, is the head of the Wood Properties & Processing Division at the Institute of Wood Science and Technology (IWST) in Bengaluru. Prior to this, he served as the Director of the former Indian Plywood Industries Research and Training Institute (IPIRTI) in Bengaluru. With over 30 years of research experience in Wood Science and Technology, Dr. Chauhan has published more than 100 research papers in peer-reviewed national and international journals and presented over 90 papers at conferences and seminars. He is the recipient of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) Technology Innovation Award for his work on wood polymer composite technology, as well as an Appreciation Award for his contributions to the field of Wood Science and Technology, conferred by the Governor of Karnataka.

Ms. Shanthala Sreeramulu, who holds a MBA in International trade and marketing , an M.A in Industrial Sociology and welfare, is an  ever-aspiring entrepreneur. As the Proprietor of Synergic Wood Technology, she’s actively engaged in  the  manufacturing and trading of primary wood primary processing machines, panel processing machines and bamboo related projects with customised machinery. Additionally as a Director at S N Aqua and Agro Pvt. Ltd; she working with the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council which includes working on integrated projects for sustainable fisheries; feed mills using bamboo extract and bamboo plantation; manufacturing units; tourism and affordable housing out of engineered bamboo ply. Ms Shanthala over the last 10 years has extensively researched and developed technology and the machinery needed to make bamboo based ply board with 3 successful turnkey projects to her credit. She’s also developed and patented green emission free resins to bond agro based products and the technology to use bamboo to the maximum of 96%

Dr. Senthilmurugan Subbiah, who holds a Ph.D. in Membrane Science and Engineering, an M.Tech. in Process Engineering and Design, and B.E in Chemical Engineering, is currently serving as a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the prestigious IIT Guwahati. He is also the chairperson  of IIT- Guwahati’s Technology Incubation Centre. With 31 patent applications, 4 granted US patents, 2 Indian patents 78  journal publications, 5 book chapters, 2 industrial magazine articles, and 32 conference papers to his name Dr. Senthilmurugan’s research interests include wide array of topics including water management in oil and gas industry, development of smart water systems, converting waste into energy, and creating new ways to desalinate water.. Additionally, his work encompasses energy storage, smart microgrids, and air purification systems, reflecting his dedication to addressing pressing global environmental challenges.

Mr. Mahadev Chikkanna who holds a who holds a MBA and BE in Electronics & Communication is the Founder and CEO of Mynusco and Eha. Mynusco is a platform enabling companies to adopt biomaterials and circular solutions in their supply-chain. Eha helps consumers transition to a circular lifestyle. Committed to a circular and green economy, Mahadev is recognized as one of the top 100 global leaders in 2023 for combining profit & purpose to help achieve UN goals. Prior to starting his entrepreneurial journey, Mahadev worked with Infosys and NTT for over 15 years. His work experience spans across North America, Europe & Asia.

Anil Jauhri is former CEO of the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB), a constituent Board of the Quality Council of India (QCI), and national accreditation body for certification and inspection attached to Ministry of Commerce & Industry, and retired in July 2019 after 6 and a half years as CEO. 

He has 44 plus years of experience in the field of quality, standards, certification, accreditation and technical regulations having worked earlier in the Bureau of Indian Standards, the national standards body, and the Export Inspection Council, India's official export regulator and certification body under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. 
 

Professor and Head, Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, College of Forestry , Ponnampet. Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Shivamogga, Karnataka.  Dr Hegde has 30 years of experience in the field of Silviculture and Agroforestry. He is working on bamboo propagation and plantations since 2007. He is involved in raising of quality planting materials of several species (Bambusa tulda, Dendrocalamus brandissi, Dendrocalamus stocksii, Dendrocalamus asper, Guadua anguistifolia Thyrsostachis oliveri etc.). More than  1,00,000 quality planting materials were produced and sent for planting in different states of India. He has developed several Agroforestry models with bamboo especially on degraded lands.  He worked on effect of spacing and nutrient regimes on growth development of different bamboo species. He has conducted several training programme on bamboo cultivation and management to the farmers. He has advised more than 500 farmers on tree based farming over telephonic conversation. He has guided one Ph D and two masters students on bamboo cultivation and few students on bamboo nursery management.  
He served as coordinator of Bamboo Resource center at College of Forestry, Ponnampet. He served as Officer in Charge All India Coordinated Research project on Agroforestry at his University. He is serving as External Expert for monitoring of All India Coordinated Research Projects on Bamboo, Sandal, Tamarind, Rosewood and Poplar under Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education.  

A former Indian Forest Service officer, Dr Suresh Gairola has vast experience of more than 38 years in forest management, wildlife conservation, public policy, environmental law, forestry research and administration. He has worked on important assignments with Government of India including Director General-Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, Additional Director General (Wildlife), Management Authority-CITES and Director-Institute of Wood Science and Technology. With Government of Maharashtra, the key positions held by him included Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force) and Managing Director-Forest Development Corporation. Presently, Dr Gairola is India Country Director of Forest Stewardship Council, which is a not-for-profit organization engaged in promoting responsible forest management globally.

With a master’s degree in silviculture and agroforestry, Mr. Varghese Paul has over 25 years of experience in Environment and Natural Resource Management (ENRM). He is currently the Deputy Director for Environment at USAID/India’s General Development Office. At USAID, he oversees programs related to forestry, biodiversity, air pollution, plastic pollution, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). He is currently leading a $ 25 million project to expand tree cover in India, including through agroforestry. In the past, he has worked with leading environmental think tanks in India and led the Forestry and Biodiversity Group at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi.  Mr. Paul has done transformative work on forest and agroforestry management in India, including developing solutions to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Mr. Paul was a faculty visitor to the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University in 2008.

Ashok Kumar is the Regional Representative for Central and South Asia. He is responsible for engaging with the government, development banks, and financial institutions in the region. His main role is to provide support in developing voluntary carbon markets and operationalizing Article 6. Additionally, he provides assistance to project developers who use Verra programs, standards, and frameworks in Central and South Asia.

Mr. Ashok Kumar is a postgraduate in Energy and Environment from the School of Energy and Environmental Studies (SEES, Indore, India) and has 20 years of experience in Validation & Verification of carbon credits projects, EIA, Safety Audit, Water Audit, Energy Audit and Assurance to Sustainability Report and GHG Inventories. Prior to joining Verra, he worked for URS, RINA, IIT, Roorkee, Verve Consulting, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. He has working experience in countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Oman, and Italy.