Maj Gen (Dr) Abhay Dayal, Ati Vishishth Seva Medal, Vishishth Seva Medal (Retd), is an alumnus of Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He was commissioned into Regiment of Artillery in June 1989. He did his schooling from Birla Public School, Pilani and graduation from Rajasthan University.

The General Officer has had an excellent professional career and has qualified on the prestigious Army courses of 'Long Gunnery Staff Course' at School of Artillery, Devlali, 'Defence Services Staff Course' at Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, 'Higher Defence Management Course' at College of Defence Management, Secunderabad and 'National Security and Strategic Studies Course' at National Defence College, New Delhi.

His career highlights include command of a Medium Artillery Regiment equipped with Bofors Guns, a Mountain Artillery Brigade in the Eastern Sector, an Infantry Brigade in the Western Sector and an elite Mountain Strike Infantry Division in the Eastern Sector. His staff assignments include tenures as a Brigade Major of a Mountain Brigade, United Nations Military Observer in Democratic Republic of Congo, Colonel General Staff of a RAPID division in the Western Sector. His instructional appointments include Instructor in Gunnery at the School of Artillery, Devlali and as Colonel Directing Staff at the College of Defence Management, Secunderabad, besides two tenures at the Integrated Headquarters of MoD (Army), New Delhi.

He has superannuated from Military service after 36 glorious years. In his last assignment in the Army, he was holding the coveted appointment of ADG Acquisition Technical (Army), Ministry of Defence, dealing with Capital Acquisition of weapons and equipment for the Indian Army. In the field of Capital acquisition, he has over seven years of experience. He also represented the MoD at an international session on 'Armament and Defence Economics for the Asia Pacific Region' in France during November 2022.

For his distinguished service, he has been awarded Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal by the Honourable President of India and General Officer Commanding in Chief Commendation of Central Command and Western Command, thrice.

The General officer quests to live up to the definition of a 'Soldier - Scholar'. He has three Masters degrees in Weapon Systems, Management and Defence & Strategic Studies, two M Phil degrees, one each in Business Management and Defence and Strategic Studies. He has also been conferred with an Honorary Doctorate Degree. He is presently pursuing PhD in Defence and Strategic Studies.

Amandeep Singh is a serving Indian Army Officer with distinctive cross-domain expertise who has contributed in the field of Space ISR. He opted to take the unchartered route of Space ISR for military operations and attained qualifications as Degree in Law, a Degree in Air and Space Law, an MBA in Finance, and is presently pursuing his PhD in Space Economy Augmenting Military Effectiveness from LPU, Punjab. He has been trained at military and scientific institutions on varied Space domains in conjunction with the IoT. He has contributed through his articles on the specialised strategic subject in varied journals and magazines. He has also been invited as a speaker at various pan India international level seminars and at military institutions. He promotes the practical application of technology and its military effectiveness for educating, training and preparing Space Warriors for superior spatial capabilities that strengthen the Nation's way of life.

Col Amit Mehna was commissioned into Corps of Signals of Indian Army on 07 Dec 1996. The officer has commanded a Signal Regiment in western theatre wherein he led a team of over 800 personnel in the operation of networks, optical fibre and IT engineering equipment. He was instructor at Mhow wherein he ensured team training priorities and developed quality assurance metrics to ensure warfare capability and trained over 150 junior and mid-level managers through mentoring, direct contact education and program management. He has tenanted various important staff appointments in two Command Headquarters of the Indian Army. He has also been awarded with GOC-in-C, South Western Command, Commendation Card twice in his distinguished military service and Vishist Sewa Medal for distinguished Service of highest order.

He has done B. Sc and B. Tech from Jawahar Lal Nehru University, M Tech from IIT Madras and M. Phil from Panjab University. He has attended various important Regimental courses in the Army including the prestigious Higher Command Course.

He is an astute leader with more than 28 years of experience in driving Strategic Planning, cost effectiveness of operations, program management and crisis and change management. He in his present role is heading the AI task force for AI implementation for Indian Army and implementing various AI related projects which will change the AI landscape for the Indian Army. The recently inaugurated Indian Army AI incubation centre at Bengaluru under his vision and guidance is a testament to take the big leap towards AI absorption for the Armed forces. He is a technology innovator with a keen eye to scan blue oceans for technology adoption and successfully build and implement technology models to gain first movers advantage.

Lt Gen Anil Kumar Bhatt, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM was the Military Secretary of the Indian Army. Prior to this, he served as the 47th Commander. Prior to this he was the Director General of Military operations for one year including during the Doklam crisis in 2017. During his tenure as Corps Commander maximum terrorists were neutralized in comparison to the last one decade.

Brig Arun Kumar, who is currently the ADG Military Survey has been in the geospatial domain since last 20 years. He has been associated with numerous geospatial projects, including at national level and has been spearheading geospatial technology absorption and capacity building at Army HQ.

Arun Sahgal is a retired Brigadier with Phd, in Strategic Studies. He is Senior Fellow at the DPG, a policy think tank focusing on international and national security, diplomacy and Track II Dialogues. He was previously the founding Director of the Office of Net Assessment, Indian Integrated Defence Staff (IDS), Head of the Centre for Strategic Studies and Simulation, United Services Institute of India, and Senior Fellow, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi.

His research interests comprise, regional and strategic security, medium to long term strategic assessments with focus on geopolitical and strategic assessments related to international and Asian security. He is presently focusing on developments in Indo - Pacific and issues concerning nuclear doctrine and strategic stability in Asia.

His publications include co-authored books and net assessments for the IDS, Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), and the Indian National Security Council (NSC), among other clients. He has been a member of the Task Force on Net Assessment and Simulation, under the NSC, and a consultant with DRDO. His recent work includes a monograph on Strategic Stability in South Asia for Sandia Laboratories, USA, "Quad Present and Future: A Geostrategic Perspective from New Delhi, A Process led Approach Towards Integrated Commands and Informatioanised Warfare with Boots on the Ground: A Concept for Defence of India in Continental Domain.

Post US withdrawal from Afghanistan he has contributed a chapter in the book "Losing Afghanistan: The Fall of Kabul and End of Western Intervention". His recent work include, "Balance of Power in the Indo - Pacific" and "The Impact of Ukraine War on Indo - Pacific Regional Dynamics".

He conducts simulation and strategic games at IDS, the Ministry of Defence, National Defence College, College of Defence Management, and other international clients. He is member of many Track 1.5 and 2 initiatives. He has authored two important studies, "CAATSA and Implications for India", for Ministry of External Affairs and India - US Defence Cooperation a Medium Term Perspective for National Security Council Secretariate. He is currently engaged in trilateral India - US - Australia Track 1.5 Dialogue on Emerging Technologies and Strategic Stability.

Maj Gen (Dr) Ashok Kumar, VSM (R) was commissioned in June 1984 in the Army Air Defence, Indian Army. The officer has excelled on the prestigious courses that he has attended. He has served in a variety of challenging Regimental, Staff and Instructional assignments in his 37 years of service. He has a Doctorate in Defence and Strategic Studies. An Author of two books and a prolific writer who has 300 published articles. He is a recipient of the prestigious Vishisht Seva Medal. Presently he is Director General of Centre For Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS) with effect from Feb 2024.

AVM Manu Midha, VM was commissioned in the fighter stream of IAF in Jun 1994. He has flown several types of aircraft including Mig 21 and Mig 27. The Air Officer has a total of 3413 hours of flying experience.

He is a Cat 'A' Qualified Flying Instructor and has also been an Air Force Examiner at the prestigious Aircrew Examination Board (AEB). He has done Advance Command & Staff Course from UK and completed Higher Defence Management Course from CDM. He holds the distinction of commanding a frontline Mig 21 Bison Squadron. He has tenanted various command and staff appointments in his career including command of a Base and as Air Attache in High Commission of India in Pakistan. Prior to his current appointment of Director General of Defence Space Agency, the Air Officer has commanded an IACCS node in western sector during Op Sindoor.

In recognition of his distinguished service, he has been awarded with Vayu Sena Medal (VM) in 2014.

The Air Officer is married to Mrs Meera Midha and they are blessed with two daughters.

Maj Gen (Dr) B. Nagarajan is a distinguished civil engineering expert and Professor at IIT Kanpur with over four decades of leadership in strategic military and national infrastructure projects. His expertise spans structural engineering, resilient infrastructure systems, and advanced geotechnical and construction practices, with a strong focus on climate-resilient and high-performance infrastructure development. He has contributed to major projects across diverse and challenging terrains, bringing deep practical insight into risk mitigation, safety, and durability of built assets. At IIT Kanpur, he plays an active role in guiding research, mentoring young engineers, and fostering industry-academia collaboration. His work continues to support national priorities in sustainable infrastructure, disaster resilience, and capacity building for future civil engineering professionals.

Defense technology and R&D leader with 30+ years of experience in electronics, UAV systems, simulation engineering, predictive analytics, and strategic operations. Proven capability to lead multi-disciplinary teams to deliver indigenous, high-impact technology solutions in complex operational environments. SBIR and cutting-edge technology expert.

Major General CS Mann, AVSM, VSM was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in 1990.

The officer has varied experience both in Tank Warfare as also in Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorist Operations. In his last appointment as Brigadier Capability Development, he was handling the big budget Capital Procurement of Indian Army.

He has been an instructor Automotive Technology Armoured Corps Centre and School. He also earned "Distinction" in Tank Technology Course. He has attended the Defence Services Staff College and the Higher Defence Management Course. He has also attended the International Disaster Management Course at Bournemouth University, United Kingdom. In continuation of his academic pursuits, he has recently completed the Post Graduate Program in Data Science and Business Analytic from McCombs School of Business with "Distinction" grading.

The officer is currently heading the Army Design Bureau and is a key facilitator of indigenisation and infusion of niche technologies in the Indian Army.

Dr. Deb Jyoti Pal is the Senior Vice President - Business Development at GalaxEye, driving strategy and partnerships across government, defense, and commercial sectors. With over three decades in the Geospatial and Space industry, he blends scientific expertise with strategic leadership.

A Ph.D. in Remote Sensing, he began his career as a Scientist at RSAC-UP and has held senior roles at CDAC, ESRI, Rolta, and Space Imaging Middle East.

A Life Member of ISRS and ISG, Dr. Deb is recognized for advancing geospatial innovation in India.

At GalaxEye, he is shaping the company's global vision by aligning next-generation space technology with real-world needs and customer impact.

Lt Gen Dushyant Singh, PVSM, AVSM (Retd), is an alumnus of NDC, DSSC, CDM, and Naval Post Graduate School California, USA. He also holds the distinction of having served twice in the elite National Security Guards, as the Deputy Inspector General (Operations) and the Inspector General (Operations). Besides contributing regularly in various defence journals and newspapers, he has also written chapters in two books namely, "Understanding Suicide Terrorism" and "Countering Terrorism : Psychological Strategies".

Brig G Manoj is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and was commissioned on 13 Jun 1992. An Electronics Engineer, the officer is M Tech in Computer Technology. He is a post-graduate in Defence and Strategic Studies and has done M Phil in the same subject. He has undergone the prestigious Higher Command Course from Army War College, Mhow, and is a graduate of the Staff College Course, Defence Services Staff College, Wellington.

The officer has headed equipment sustenance and maintenance operations at various levels in the Indian Army. He has rich operational experience, and has served extensively in field areas in J&K and in the North East. He has also served in key staff and instructional appointments, and has been part of a UN mission in Congo. He was awarded the COAS Commendation in 2017.

DSA is a Tri-Services Organisation, raised in Jun 20 as the nodal agency for all space related activities for the Indian defence forces, as well as for certain other strategic intelligence organisations. Brig G Manoj has been serving since Jan 22 as Brig (SFE), heading the Dte of Space Force Enhancement in the Defence Space Agency, which is responsible for planning, provision and execution of space-based services, i.e ISR, SATCOM and Position, Navigation & Timing (PNT) for the Armed Forces. He has led the planning of several sensitive space projects of national importance. As one of its pioneer decision makers in the newly raised strategic organization, he has also been closely associated with efforts to integrate the space domain in the operations of the armed forces, as well as in creating awareness on the subject, and has been a key contributor in formulation of the Joint Defence Space Doctrine, recently released by the Raksha Mantri.

Col Harinderjit Singh has around 20 years of experience in Remote Sensing, Geospatial Operations, GIS & AI in Geospatial Intelligence. He is presently posted with DIPAC as Director Geospatial Intelligence.

Krishna Rao TVB, Esri India He has experience in Customer Success Engagement, Team Management, Technology Architect, Enterprise GIS & Solutioning Design, Remote Sensing/Photogrammetry, and GPS. His specialties include Customer Engagement, Solution Architect, Presales, and Tech Support.

Cdr. Mukesh Saini (Ret) has held many information security positions in both public and private sector, over his 30 year career. Having served as a commander in the Indian Navy for 20 years, his latter years were dedicated to his role as India's first national coordinator for information security. Saini has held executive positions at Microsoft, XCySS and Essel Group.

Lt General Neeraj Varshney Vishisht Seva Modal was commissioned in the Army as officer in the t Electronics and Mechanical Engineering in 1966 and an is an alumnus of National Defence Academy and Defence Services Staff College He has also attended the Higher Command and APPPA Course Apart from mandatory qualifications, General Varshney has five master's Degrees in five different fields Business Administration and Finance. Technology. Strategic Management. Defence Studies and Social Sciences.

Air Vice Marshal Pawan Kumar, VM, a seasoned fighter pilot with 35 years of service in the Indian Air Force (IAF), has extensive instructional experience in both flying and ground operations. He holds a current civil flying license and has served as the Indian Defence Attache across seven European countries. Currently, he is the Director General of the Defence Space Agency, overseeing strategic space operations. He holds an MPhil in Defence and Strategic Studies from the National Defence College, with expertise in space planning and systems.

An alumnus of UP Tech University, [Name] was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers and has since built a distinguished career in India's national surveying and geospatial domain. He has served as Deputy Surveyor General (GIS Tech Center & Perspective Planning) at the Surveyor General's Office and as Director of the Uttarakhand & West UP Geodetic Data Center, Survey of India. He has led several major national projects, including serving as Project Director for the Andaman & Nicobar Large-Scale Mapping Project and the SVAMITVA programme for Uttarakhand and West UP, both executed using drone-based survey technologies. He has also chaired the Indo-Nepal Boundary Survey Committee, contributing to critical bilateral boundary management efforts.

He has completed the Long Survey Officers Course at the National Institute of Geospatial Science & Technology, the Advanced Image Analysis Course at ITC Netherlands, and holds specializations in GeoICT, Land Information Systems, and drone-based surveying. Currently, he serves as Director (Technical), assisting the ADG, Military Survey, in policy, planning, and R&D initiatives. His exemplary service has been recognized with the GOC-in-C EC Commendation twice, in 2011 and 2021.

Lt Col Puja was commissioned in the Corps of Mil Int in 2006. After an unit tenure in NC and an Instr tenure at MINTSD, the offr has been posted to numerous IITs & an Int Acqn Det. The offr was part of Instr Exch Pgme at Def Int School, United Kingdom. She has done her MA in Def & Strat studies from Pune University (2011), Mphil in Def Strat studies from Punjab University (2014) and Post Graduate Cert in Geoinformatics (PGCGI) from IGNOU (2017). The offr has submitted final PhD thesis in Jul 2025 being pursued from BIT, Mesra on Geospatial Analysis of Mil Tgts in Multi scale satellite data. The offr has also presented two papers, one in the Geospatial World Forum (GWF) Hyd 2018 on Geospatial Int in Mil Ops and a Conf paper in the National Symposium on Advances in Remote sensing in Dec 2021 on Machine Learning based Mapping of Runways. Her publications include 'Enhanced Land Use and Land Cover Classification for Military Installation Monitoring: Optimizing Sentinel-2A Band selection and Machine Learning Approaches' in Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering (Jun 2025) and 'Runway and Airfield Associated Feature Detection from Optical and SAR Data Using Machine Learning Algorithms' (SCIE) (Sept 2025). The offr has qualified for promotion to next rank and is presently undergoing the Tech Staff Course at Pune.

Sh. R. Srinivas former Town and Country Planner in Town and Country Planning Organization worked for more than three decades. He has done his Post Graduation Urban and Regional Planning from IIT Kharagpur and Professional Masters in Urban Planning and Management from ITC Netherlands. He was heading the Metropolitan and Union Territories Division.

Presently, he is engaged as Urban Planning expert with ADB Transit Oriented Development Cell, Institute of Urban Transport, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. He has also been nominated as Secretary, Institute of Urban Transport for 2024-2026.

He had been instrumental in guiding the preparation of Urban and Regional Development and Plan Formulation Guidelines (URDPFI), 2014 and Model Building Bye-Laws, 2016.Further; he was the team leader for monitoring the reforms implementation in Construction Permit under the World Bank's Doing Business Report for Municipal Corporations of Mumbai and Delhi. He had also been member of Task Force on Ease of Doing Business for Construction Permit and played an important role as team leader in facilitating the improvement in Country's ranking in Doing Business Report - Construction Permit. He had also assisted High Level committee on Urban Planning towards the preparation of Report I&II,2024.

He has also been a visiting faculty to School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi teaching both undergraduate and post graduate students. He has been very proactive on professional front being Secretary, Delhi Regional Chapter, ITPI (2003-05) and Co- Chairman, Evaluation Committee; ITPI (2006 -2024). He has 35 publications to his credit.

Sam Lieff obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Geography from The University of Lethbridge in the 2003 and a Master's Degree in Archaeology, GIS, and Remote Sensing from the University of Lethbridge School of Graduate Studies in 2006. In his 20+ year professional career, Sam has primarily held roles in Sales within the commercial Earth Observation industry: From 2005 to 2011, he worked at Iunctus Geomatics Corp. (a BlackBridge company) as Manager of Sales & Business Development; from 2011 to 2015, he served as the General Manager of BlackBridge Canada (formerly Iunctus and owners of the RapidEye constellation); in 2015 BlackBridge was acquired by Planet where Sam held the position of Director of Sales, Canada and oversaw a majority of the company's Canadian operations. In 2022, Sam joined EarthDaily Analytics as the Vice President of Sales.

Lt Gen Verma brings with him over four decades of distinguished service in the Indian Army, having held senior leadership positions across diverse verticals including Human Resource Management, Financial and Materials Management, Equipment and Supply Chain Management, and Capability Development. He retired as Director General (Capability Development), Ministry of Defence, where he led large-scale teams responsible for strengthening the operational and logistic capabilities of the Indian Army. His responsibilities encompassed Strategic Planning, Procurement, and Collaboration with Indian and global industries, R&D institutions, and international organizations. A recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM), and Bar to VSM, Lt Gen Verma is widely respected for his vision in strategic planning and innovation. He continues to contribute his expertise to Public Policy, Defence Strategy, and Institutional Advisory roles. Prior to his retirement, Lt Gen Verma headed the Indian Army Capital Acquisitions Directorate and served as DRDO Chair and Consultant.

Gp Capt Shivkumar Pohare VM is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, DSSC Wellington and School of Advanced Air and Space Studies (SAASS). The officer holds an M.Sc. in Defence and Strategic Studies from Madras University and M.Phil in Military Strategy from Air University, USA. The officer is a CAT 'A' Qualified Flying Instructor and a Test Pilot. The officer holds operational flying experience on MiG-29 aircraft and has served as HoF Warfare and Aerospace Strategy Program at the College of Air Warfare. He is currently commanding frontline fighter squadron of the IAF.

Shravan Bhati is a seasoned professional with over 14 years of techno-commercial experience specializing in space technology, thermal satellites, remote sensing, and geospatial applications. Currently, he is the Founder and CEO of SatLeo Labs, focusing on advancing space technology solutions for agriculture, infrastructure, and sustainability, backed by robust expertise in strategic business development and leadership roles at Amazon Web Services and Amnex Infotechnologies. Shravan holds advanced degrees in Geomatics and Space Applications, along with professional management qualifications, reflecting his commitment to integrating technology and sustainable development. He combines technical insight with strategic acumen to foster growth in new markets and drive impactful space-based solutions.

Brigadier Siddharth Malik, Sena Medal, holds a B.Tech in Electronics and a Master's degree in Computer Science from IIT Roorkee. His research interests span Artificial Intelligence, Data Mining, and Robotics, with numerous publications in reputed journals and conferences. He was honoured with the Prime Minister's Certificate of Excellence for Innovation in 2017 and the 'ML Anand' Award by IETE in 2010 for his distinguished contributions to the field of Computer Science.

With over 28 years of experience in sustaining and managing Electronic Sensors for the Indian Army-including Electronic Warfare Systems, Radars, and Opto-Electronic Equipment-Brigadier Malik has served in key operational roles, including commanding a Field Workshop in Jammu & Kashmir and Command of a Battalion on the Western front. Currently, as the Commandant and Managing Director of 509 Army Base Workshop, he is leading a ?400 crore modernisation initiative aimed at transforming the organisation. His focus remains on advancing research in critical, denied technologies and driving indigenisation efforts to promote Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance).

Shri. S. S. Raja Shekhar is Head Applications at Regional Remote Sensing Centres, NRSC / ISRO. He has 26 years of experience in the field of geospatial technologies and has contributed in development of satellite image processing, application software and WebGIS solutions for Scientific, Governance and Societal applications.

He pioneered the development of e-governance applications, Bhuvan platform, Real Time Decisions Support Systems and Emergency Management systems for Nuclear Emergencies and Chemical Emergencies - ONERS and ROCERS. He worked extensively in development of Drought Monitoring System both for national and international domains. Currently he is leading application and services development for the project Space Based Information Support for Decentralised planning (SISDP) providing large scale thematic data at 1:10k scale on Bhuvan Panchayat portal.

Shri. S. S. Raja Shekhar is a gold medallist in the field of Physics from Osmania University and recipient of awards like ISRO Young Scientist award, ASI award and ISRO team excellence awards for development of Bhuvan platform.

Lt Col V Ramanathan has over 20 years of experience in the Indian Army. He has developed an in depth expertise in Satellite Imagery Interpretation and analysis, holding critical appointments in Imagery Intelligence domain for over a decade. He also holds the distinction of being an Instructor for the Vietnam Defence Forces. With a Master's degree in Geoinformatics, he is deeply passionate about geospatial technology, its potential for innovation, and particularly on how space start ups can contribute in solving strategic problems and strengthening the future of Bharat's national security on a global landscape.

Vasudeva Rao Vemana is the Senior Sales Engineer with Planet. He is responsible for working closely with the Sales team for the Asia Pacific Japan region. He provides technical expertise in driving business opportunities. Vasudeva Rao holds a Masters Degree in Computer from Osmania University. He has 25 years of experience in the Geospatial industry. He works closely with government agencies, defence organizations to deliver high-value geospatial insights that support critical decision-making.

Lt Gen Vineet Gaur, is a 1987 batch offr commissioned from IMA, Dehradun in the Corps of EME. The offr has had an exceptionally brilliant academic career. He was awarded Chancellor's Gold Medal for all round best graduating student of the University during his B.Tech (Mechanical Engg). The Gen offr also topped his M.Tech course in Reliability Engg from IIT Mumbai. He is an alumni of HDMC and the prestigious NDC.

Lt Gen Vineet Gaur has held various appts in comd and staff, imp being CO, 15 Corps Z Wksp, Director (Prod) in EME Dte, Brig EME in 33 Corps, DACIDS (PF&M) at HQ IDS, Brig MS (C) at MS Branch, IHQ of MoD (Army) and MG EME, HQ Northern Command. The Gen offr was also a Maint Offr in UNIFIL (Lebanon). His instructional appts include instr CI 'B' at MCEME, Secunderabad and DS at CDM, Secunderabad. He is presently tenanting the appt of DG CD, CD Dte, IHQ of MoD (Army) since 26 Dec 2022.

For his excellence in professional services, he has been awarded the GOC-in-C, Northern Comd CC in 2008, COAS CC in 2010 and GOC-in-C ARTRAC CC in 2012. For his distinguished service, the Gen offr has been awarded AVSM in 2023 and PVSM in 2025.