Shri Abhishek Singh is a specialist in institutional transformation, with a distinguished career advancing excellence across India’s leading higher education institutions. He has played a pivotal role in driving high-impact strategic initiatives, including contributing to the Institute of Eminence program at IIT Delhi and leading transformation efforts at BITS Pilani.
With a strong foundation in science and engineering, he previously served as a Nuclear Scientist at IGCAR, where he was instrumental in the commissioning of the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR). 
At CSI, he actively mentors startups, focusing on institutional excellence and enabling the translation of technical research into scalable, sustainable management frameworks.

Shri A. K. Ghosh is a distinguished aerospace expert with a profound influence on India’s flight mechanics and aircraft design landscape. Currently serving as an Independent Technical Advisor for Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and a Professor of Practice at IIT Kanpur, he bridges the gap between high-level academic research and industrial application. With further leadership as an Independent Director at Aeron Systems, he provides CSI startups with critical technical mentorship in aerospace engineering, flight testing, and the development of indigenous defense platforms.

Shri Anil K Gupta is a pioneer in grassroots innovation and a global advocate for recognizing creative communities through the Honey Bee Network. Having led "Shodhyatras" across India to map indigenous knowledge, he bridges the gap between formal sectors and frugal, ground-level solutions. His extensive work includes guiding UNDP Accelerator Labs in 115 countries and coordinating innovation workshops for DRDO and ISRO. He is currently focused on establishing the Academy of Inclusive Innovations to connect corporate resources with global grassroots ingenuity.

Ms Anamika Dey is a specialist in grassroots innovation and social entrepreneurship, dedicated to scaling sustainable solutions from rural communities. As the CEO of GIAN and a key pillar of the Honey Bee Network, she bridges the gap between indigenous knowledge and modern markets by mentoring innovators through product design and value addition. At CSI, she guides startups on creating inclusive, gender-sensitive technologies and navigating the complex transition from community-based prototypes to market-ready social enterprises.

Shri Binay Kumar Das is one of India’s foremost defense scientists, currently serving as the Director General of Electronics & Communication Systems (ECS) at DRDO. With a career spanning decades, he has led the Interim Test Range (ITR), where he oversaw the successful flight testing of India’s premier missile systems like Agni, Prithvi, and Akash. His expertise in radar systems, electronic warfare, and satellite communication is a critical asset for CSI.

Shri B. K. Prasad is a seasoned administrator with deep experience in internal security and central governance. Having served at the highest levels of the Ministry of Home Affairs, he understands the intricacies of policy drafting and bureaucratic processes. At CSI, he guides the council’s advocacy efforts, ensuring that startup-friendly policies are communicated effectively to government stakeholders.

Shri J. K. Dash brings over three decades of central banking experience to the council. As an Executive Director at the RBI, he has been instrumental in shaping policies around financial inclusion and the Regulatory Sandbox, which allows Fintech startups to test innovative products in a live environment. His deep understanding of the Indian financial system and regulatory frameworks helps CSI startups navigate the complexities of banking, digital payments, and compliance.

Shri J. V. Ramamurthy is a titan of the Indian IT industry. As the former President and COO of HCL Infosystems, he oversaw the company’s transformation into a multi-billion dollar system integration powerhouse.

With over three decades of experience, he is an expert in hardware manufacturing, ICT services, and global supply chain management. At CSI, he serves as a direct mentor to founders, helping them navigate the complexities of scaling operations and building world-class technology companies.

Shri Jitender Singh is a veteran aerospace scientist who has worked with the DRDO and National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL).

He was the Program Manager for India's National Civil Aircraft Development program and is the only Flight Test Engineer in India to have worked on the certification of the Airbus A320neo.

At CSI, he works on integrating MSMEs into the high-tech supply chains of the aerospace and defense sectors, fostering localized manufacturing.

Shri K. Subramaniam is a former high-ranking officer of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IA&AS) who served as the Deputy CAG.

He is a global expert in public procurement, risk management, and financial oversight, having advised international organizations like the World Bank and various UN agencies.

His expertise ensures that the startups mentored by CSI maintain high standards of financial transparency and audit compliance, making them "investment-ready" for global venture capital.

Shri L. C. Mangal is the Director of the Defence Electronics Applications Laboratory (DEAL), a premier laboratory of DRDO. He is a specialist in advanced communication systems, software-defined radios (SDRs), and satellite-based data links. Under his leadership, DEAL has developed cutting-edge technologies for the Indian Armed Forces. At CSI, he provides technical mentorship to startups in the telecommunications and aerospace sectors, focusing on high-bandwidth, secure communication solutions.

Shri Mahavir Pratap Sharma is a global leader in the angel investment community. As a past Chairman of the TiE Global Board, he has mentored thousands of entrepreneurs across the world. He is a serial entrepreneur and an active investor in early-stage startups. At CSI, he focuses on "investment readiness," helping founders refine their pitches and connect with global networks of angel investors and venture capitalists.

Shri Manindra Agrawal is a world-renowned theoretical computer scientist and the current Director of IIT Kanpur. He is the co-creator of the AKS Primality Test, the first deterministic polynomial-time algorithm for testing primality—a breakthrough for which he won the Gödel Prize and the Fulkerson Prize.

He has also designed private-key encryption for the Indian Armed Forces. His role at CSI is to provide the highest level of scientific and technical guidance for startups in AI, cryptography, and computing.

Shri Mohan Satyaranjan, CTO at IIT Madras Pravartak Foundation and a veteran technologist with over 35 years of experience, brings a wealth of expertise across deep-tech, energy orchestration, cloud systems, and industrial automation to the ecosystem. His background spans architecting billion-dollar product lines at global giants like Cisco and Juniper, alongside founding venture-backed deep-tech startups.

His role at CSI is to guide deep-tech, EV, and IoT startups through the complex process of taking an advanced laboratory innovation and transforming it into a highly scalable, market-ready commercial technology.

A 1980-batch IAS officer, Shri N. Ravi Shankar has held significant positions including Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand and Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Government of India.

Throughout his career, he has focused on infrastructure, industrial development, and administrative reforms. At CSI, he provides strategic counsel on navigating state-level policies and leveraging government schemes for startup growth.

Shri Pankaj Gupta is a legal strategist with extensive litigation experience across the Supreme Court and various High Courts. Specializing in corporate law, cyber law, and MSME advisory, he integrates legal proficiency with business acumen to guide clients through complex regulatory landscapes. At CSI, he empowers startups to align legal strategy with business objectives, ensuring resilience and compliance from ideation to scaling.

Throughout his career, he has focused on infrastructure, industrial development, and administrative reforms. 

Shri Piyush Mishra is a seasoned professional in the startup incubation landscape, currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC), IIT Kanpur. With extensive experience in managing one of India’s leading technology business incubators, he specializes in tech-transfer, intellectual property management, and building robust ecosystems for deep-tech ventures. At CSI, he leverages his deep understanding of the academic-to-market pipeline to mentor startups on operational excellence and government funding schemes.

Shri Prashant Tewari is a prominent figure in the Indian media landscape, leading The Pioneer, one of the nation’s oldest and most respected national dailies. Under his leadership, the publication has maintained its editorial integrity while navigating the digital shift in modern journalism. Beyond media, he oversees diverse business interests as the Managing Director of the Artemis Group. At CSI, he provides startups with high-level strategic counsel on public relations, brand positioning, and understanding the socio-political dynamics of the Indian market.

Shri Ranganath Sadasiva is a distinguished technology strategist with over 30 years of experience in the ICT industry, currently serving as a leadership figure at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). As a former Director of Enterprise Research at IDC, he is a recognized authority on market trends in Cloud, AI, and edge computing. At CSI, he leverages his deep understanding of hybrid infrastructure and enterprise digital transformation to mentor startups on product-market fit, scalable architecture, and navigating the complexities of the global technology ecosystem.

Shri Ravi Ananth is a finance heavyweight with over 40 years of experience. Having held senior roles at Reliance Industries (RIL), he was a key figure in the financial structuring of mega-projects like Reliance Jio. As the former CEO of GTL Infrastructure, he has extensive experience in managing large-scale infrastructure and telecom assets. At CSI, he leads global finance initiatives, connecting startups with institutional investors and managing large-scale project implementations.

Shri Sandip Kumar Ghosh is a distinguished leader in Government Affairs and Policy Strategy with over three decades of experience in shaping regulatory landscapes and enabling large-scale business transformation in India.

He has played a strategic role in advancing policy advocacy, regulatory facilitation, and stakeholder alignment for leading organizations including Reliance Jio, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Reliance Communications and Bharti Airtel. His expertise lies in navigating complex regulatory ecosystems, influencing policy outcomes, and fostering strong relationships across government, industry, and institutional stakeholders.

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Shri Shailendra Singh, a 1988-batch IAS officer, was a key figure at the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), where he spearheaded major initiatives under the Startup India flagship program.

His expertise lies in industrial policy, FDI regulations, and building linkages between the industry and the government. At CSI, he focuses on strengthening the ecosystem by connecting startups with established industrial players and ensuring they benefit from DPIIT-led reforms.

Shri Shrikant Deo, a seasoned professional with a distinguished career at Reliance Industries Limited, serves as a vital bridge between the agility of the startup world and the strategic depth of India’s largest industrial conglomerates. His expertise is rooted in decades of experience managing large-scale operations, corporate governance, and complex industrial supply chains.

At the Council for Start-up India (CSI), he leverages his deep industry insights to mentor founders on vertical specialization and strategic growth. His primary focus is on the Industry pillar of our ecosystem, facilitating critical linkages that allow emerging startups to integrate their innovative technologies into traditional, high-scale corporate supply chains.

Ms Swapnil Sinha is a scientist-turned-entrepreneur who leads the Bio-Incubation Centre (BioNEST) at IIT Guwahati. With a background in population genetics and experience in co-founding healthcare startups, she is an expert in nurturing early-stage biotech and ed-tech ventures.

Her role at CSI is to guide startups through the rigorous process of taking a laboratory innovation and turning it into a viable, market-ready product.

Vice Admiral S N Ghormade (Retd), PVSM, AVSM, NM, is a distinguished former Vice Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Navy, bringing over four decades of strategic leadership and defense technology foresight to the ecosystem. His expertise lies in defense procurement, indigenization initiatives, and robust cross-governmental policy execution.

His role at CSI is to guide dual-use technology and deep-tech startups through the complex process of taking a defense innovation and turning it into a viable, combat-ready national asset.

Lt. Gen. Vinayak Patankar (Retd.) provides startups with the strategic foresight required to navigate the complex landscape of defense procurement and national security frameworks. Having commanded the strategically critical 15 Corps in Srinagar and served in high-level military positions, his guidance helps entrepreneurs translate commercial technology into rugged, battlefield-ready solutions. Under his stewardship, the Council for Start-up India bridges the gap between emerging tech innovators and the defense establishment, ensuring that indigenous innovations directly contribute to the modernization and technological sovereignty of the Indian Armed Forces.

Shri Vishram Bapat is a pioneer in the Indian IT hardware and software space. He started his career as a Scientific Officer at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), working on classified Air Force projects.

He later founded Databyte, an IT hardware and software company. An IIT Mumbai alumnus, he brings deep expertise in electronics, wireless sensor networks, and defense technology. He leads the technology vision at CSI, focusing on "Make in India" initiatives in the electronics sector.