Category: profiles

ADVISOR, RURAL FINANCE, FINANCIAL INCLUSION & RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Mr. Bhaskar Pant is ex-Chief General Manager, NABARD. He headed the Uttarakhand Regional Office of NABARD. With over 34 years of experience at NABARD, he was involved in policy advocacy in agriculture, climate change, rural credit, microfinance, and financial inclusion; impact evaluation, economic appraisal and monitoring of rural infrastructure projects; planning, guidance and monitoring of microfinance and financial inclusion programmes. As team leader, Mr. Pant contributed to addressing climate change impacts, adaptation and mitigation measures, awareness initiatives, knowledge sharing, and facilitating sustainable development meaningfully towards national priorities. He provided leadership at various levels, associated with rural entrepreneurship programmes for building agribusinesses promoted by rural youth, women, and farmer producer organizations (FPOs) catering to last mile delivery of agritech innovation pilots. He helped building capacity for FPOs and FPO-led enterprises for strengthening crop value chains. He also supported Financial Literacy efforts through various initiatives keeping in mind its importance to augment demand for financial services, especially for those offered on the digital platform. Mr. Pant was a Director (July 2016–November 2022) at National Scheduled Caste Finance and Development Corporation, nominated by NABARD. He holds an MBA(Finance) from Punjab University and Master in Sciences (Physics) from Delhi University.

Advisor, Policy Advocacy, Livelihoods, Project Designing, and Management

Dr. Rakesh Malhotra holds the degrees of M.Sc. (Dairying); Ph.D. (Public Administration);  D. Lit. (Public Administration). He has experience of more than 37 years in the development sector through policy advocacy, strategic planning, project management, governance, vocational skills, financial inclusion, community institutions, capacity building, and research. He had the privilege of having worked as  – State Head, UNDP, Madhya Pradesh; Lead – Financial Literacy & Capacity Building in NRLM; Project Director, Rajasthan Grameen Aajevika Parishad, Rajasthan;  Head, Domestic Consulting Division of BASIX,  Managing Director of Rajasthan Mission for Livelihoods; and in NABARD and BIRD for more than 22 years. He is the Senior Visiting Faculty to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and also the Chairman of Innovations in Development and Empowerment Alternatives.

Advisor, Management & Start-ups

Mr. Rajen Parikh is a Techno-Commercial Management professional with a combined 35 years of Global Industry/Entrepreneurial experience, covering virtually all aspects of key management functions. KRA’s cover Leadership, Strategy, Business Development, Global S&M, Alliances & Partnerships, Digital Transformation, Advisory& Interim Management. Rich history of work with NCR Corp,AT&T GIS and Founder & CEO of Orion Software Services serving global/Indian MNC’s.Active Mentor/Guide/ Product Innovator in the Start-up Ecosystem experienced in the complete Life Cycle [ Concept to Creation to Market Traction] of the process, and offering services to Startups in various stages of their journey.

Advisor, MACROECONOMY & FINANCIAL SECTOR

Dr. Manoranjan Sharma, Chief Economist, Infomerics Ratings is former Chief Economist, General Manager, and Chief Learning Officer, Canara Bank. Extensively travelled both in India and abroad, he is globally recognized as an expert in the Indian economy, banking, MSMEs, MFIs, financial inclusion, etc. He has made presentations and Chaired sessions at national and international Conferences, Terrapinn PteLtd. (Singapore); Marcus Evans (Malaysia); Naseba (Paris/Dubai).

Nominated a member of Advisory Councils across geographies, including, Member, Governor’s Advisory Council, Rajasthan; Chancellor’s Nominee on Board of Management, Kota University, he has 300 publications and six widely acclaimed books, viz., Global Financial Meltdown; Leading Issues in Indian Economy; Studies in Money, Finance and Banking; India’s Transforming Financial Sector; Dynamics of Indian Banking; and Indian Economic Policies and Data.