Mr. Ajay Mishra is a senior former IAS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre with extensive experience in government policy, energy and infrastructure. As Special Chief Secretary for Energy in Telangana, he played a leadership role during a period of significant power-sector transformation, including expansion of renewable energy and improvements in electricity supply. His experience provides ISCRE with valuable expertise in energy transition, public administration, infrastructure policy and government implementation. His understanding of the relationship between policy, utilities, investment and economic development is particularly relevant to ISCRE's work on sustainable infrastructure, clean energy, responsible enterprise and state-level transformation.

Colonel Harpal Singh Grewal is a distinguished leader with over 38 years of exemplary experience spanning the Indian Army and the corporate and institutional sectors. Currently serving as the Director of the Engineering Staff College of India (ESCI), expertise centers on strategic leadership, administration, communications, information systems, and electronic warfare. A proven track record in driving institutional growth, operational excellence, and complex project management combines disciplined military strategy with modern organizational development.

Suresh Pendharkar is an experienced city planner and urban-development professional who has served as CEO and Chief Planner at Lavasa Corporation and worked with major planning and development organisations including MMRDA and CIDCO. He has extensive experience in city planning, urban development and implementation and has also served as Chairman of the Institute of Town Planners in Navi Mumbai. His expertise gives ISCRE practical insight into metropolitan planning, development authorities, new-town planning and large-scale urban implementation, particularly relevant to the Institute's Mumbai and Maharashtra engagement.

Mr. Rao is President of the Telangana Developers Association and a prominent voice on urban development, real-estate policy and metropolitan growth. He has worked closely with government to advance reforms in urban planning, housing, infrastructure and development regulation, acting as a bridge between the private sector and public agencies. His experience in identifying policy bottlenecks and facilitating practical solutions is highly relevant to ISCRE's emphasis on connecting cities and enterprises. He brings strong insight into urban growth, real-estate markets, metropolitan planning, infrastructure delivery and public-private collaboration in rapidly expanding Indian cities.

Satish Kamat is President of Sri City Integrated Business City and an experienced leader in integrated townships, industrial-city management and urban infrastructure. He has led Sri City since 2015 and previously served as City Manager at Lavasa, giving him first-hand experience of operating complex urban and industrial ecosystems. His background also includes programme management and corporate facilities leadership. With additional training in city and regional planning from Erasmus University Rotterdam, he brings ISCRE valuable expertise in integrated city management, industrial urbanisation, infrastructure operations, public-private coordination and the practical challenges of building and managing sustainable economic clusters.

Asma Jhina works across cities & urbanisation, climate finance and sustainable and inclusive infrastructure within the Global Covenant of Mayors ecosystem. Her expertise lies at the intersection of urban transformation, finance and climate action, making her particularly relevant to ISCRE's integrated focus on cities, capital and implementation. She brings insight into how cities can develop investable climate and infrastructure projects, access finance and build institutional capability. Her experience supports ISCRE's programmes in sustainable finance, climate-resilient infrastructure, project preparation and city-level climate investment.

Christian Schlosser is Head of Unit for Digital Transformation of the Infrastructure Sector and Building Information Modelling within Germany's federal transport administration. His expertise lies in the digital transformation of infrastructure planning, delivery and asset management. He brings ISCRE advanced knowledge of BIM, infrastructure digitisation, data-driven project delivery and public-sector technology transformation. His experience is particularly relevant to ISCRE's work on digital twins, smart infrastructure, AI-enabled planning and the modernisation of infrastructure systems across Global South cities.

Clinton Moore is an urban-governance and capacity-building specialist with experience supporting future-ready cities through partnerships and institutional development, including work with UNDP and UN-Habitat in Bangkok and Manila. His perspective spans frontline urban governance - with direct city government experience - and strategic institutional transformation, particularly in Southeast Asia. He brings to ISCRE practical knowledge of how cities can strengthen leadership, implementation capability and collaborative governance. His experience is particularly relevant to ISCRE's Global South focus, where institutional capacity and coordination often represent greater barriers to sustainable urban transformation than technology alone.

Dr Adriana Portella is a researcher and academic specialising in urban studies, climate justice and climate change, with affiliations in Brazil and the UK. Her work connects urban development with social justice and the distributional impacts of climate change. She brings ISCRE an important Latin American perspective and expertise in ensuring that climate and sustainability strategies respond to inequalities, vulnerable communities and local contexts. Her contribution is particularly relevant to ISCRE's work on just transitions, climate justice, inclusive urban development and South-South research collaboration.

Dr. Mohannad Salam is a smart cities, urban transformation and technology executive with over 25 years of experience spanning multidisciplinary engineering, digital infrastructure, innovation and intelligent urban development. He previously led AtkinsRéalis' Smart Cities & Places practice across the Middle East, advising on major urban developments and translating ambitious master plans into actionable smart-city strategies, digital infrastructure programmes and implementation frameworks. As founder of RUBICS, he brings entrepreneurial experience in technology innovation, AI, IoT and digital transformation. His interests include sustainable and resilient cities, responsible AI, critical infrastructure and the intersection of research, executive education and industry practice. He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration in Innovation Management and an MSc in Management of Smart Cities & Intelligent Buildings.

Dr Anshuman Karol is Director at Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) and has over 25 years of experience in participatory research, decentralized governance, public health, community development, and capacity building. A Ph.D. in Social Sciences (Economics), he has been associated with PRIA since 2007 and currently coordinates the global Knowledge for Change (K4C) Consortium on Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) under the UNESCO Chair in Community-Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education. Dr Karol has extensive experience in Decentralised Governance, Citizen Participation, Community Development, Participatory Research & Evaluation and Capacity Building and Training. He has successfully managed a diverse portfolio of projects on rural and urban governance and climate action. He has extensively worked with elected representatives and officials of all three tiers of Panchayati Raj Institutions (rural local government in India), municipalities, and diverse communities. He has provided advisory support to several ministries of Govt. of India, various state governments, and statutory institutions like State Finance Commissions. He has supervised and prepared capacity-building and training materials for the faculties of higher educational institutions, elected local government representatives and government officials on various aspects of decentralisation. He has facilitated numerous faculty development programmes and trainings on CBPR for universities and institutions across India and internationally and has represented PRIA at several global forums, including the Adaptation Futures Conference, World Human Rights Cities Forum, and international CBPR learning residencies in Canada and Malaysia.

Dr. Avleen Kaur Malhi is an Adjunct Professor at the FinEst Centre for Smart Cities in Estonia with experience in smart-city research and urban innovation. Her expertise supports ISCRE’s ambition to connect emerging technologies with urban sustainability, capacity building and applied research. She can contribute to programme development, research collaboration and international academic partnerships, particularly around smart-city systems, digital technologies and innovation-led urban transformation. Her association with a leading European smart-city centre also strengthens opportunities for joint learning between Europe and Global South cities.

Dr. Deepak Kumar is a distinguished central banking, technology, and institutional leadership professional with 34 years at the Reserve Bank of India, culminating as Executive Director. Currently serving as Director (CEO) of IDRBT, this role involves leading critical research and technology initiatives for the banking and finance sectors. Extensive expertise spans regulation, supervision, foreign exchange, payment systems, cybersecurity, emerging technologies, and financial stability. A strong track record includes senior board and governance roles at NPCI, DICGC, IFTAS, ReBIT, Indian Overseas Bank, and RBIH, where the position of Founding Director was held. This leadership approach combines deep policy expertise, responsible governance, and technological resilience with a strong commitment to sustainable, inclusive, and future-ready development.

Dr. Kalle Toiskallio is Head of Research Delivery at the FinEst Centre for Smart Cities in Estonia. His work focuses on translating smart-city research into practical programmes, demonstrations and city-level implementation. He brings ISCRE valuable expertise in managing applied research, coordinating multi-partner urban innovation programmes and ensuring that academic work produces usable outcomes. His experience is particularly relevant to ISCRE’s City Labs, digital transformation programmes and applied-research model, where cities, researchers and enterprises jointly develop and test solutions.

Dr. Srinivas Yanamandra is a banking-regulation and financial-technology specialist with more than 25 years of experience across banking, fintech, compliance and digital finance. He has held senior roles at ICICI Bank, IDFC FIRST Bank, Paytm and the New Development Bank and is currently associated with IDRBT as a Professor of Practice. A Chevening Fellow and TEDx speaker, his expertise spans regulation, fintech, cybersecurity and financial innovation. He supports ISCRE’s work on green fintech, ESG analytics, digital finance, RegTech, sustainable banking and the increasingly important intersection between technology, finance and responsible enterprise.

Janine Campling is Founder of ODIN and GUD and an advocate for equitable carbon markets. Her work focuses on how carbon markets and climate-finance mechanisms can be designed to deliver credible environmental outcomes while supporting fairness and inclusion. Her expertise is particularly relevant to ISCRE’s Sustainable Finance, ESG and Green Economy agenda. She brings insight into carbon-market integrity, climate finance, equitable transition and the relationship between market mechanisms and sustainable development, helping ISCRE connect financial innovation with real social and environmental impact.

Piyush Verma is a senior policy expert currently serving as the Senior Fellow and Head of Energy and Climate Policy at Observer Research Foundation (ORF) America in Washington, D.C. With an academic background from the Harvard Kennedy School and as the author of the book Energy for Billions, core expertise centers on global energy transitions, climate policy, and sustainable development strategies.

Prof. Manish Kumar Goyal is a Chair Professor and the former Dean of Infrastructure Development (2020-2025) at IIT Indore. Consistently ranked among the top 2% of scientists globally by Stanford University in Environmental Engineering (Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences) for five consecutive years (2020-2024), this distinguished academic profile includes over 150 peer-reviewed papers, numerous books, and over 6,000 citations. Core research and specialized expertise focus on water management, climate change, flood modeling, water scarcity, and key biodiversity areas.

Robins Duncan is a sustainability and corporate-ESG professional with more than two decades of experience across public institutions, development organisations and the private sector. His career includes senior roles with Indian and international NGOs and engagement with UNICEF, alongside work in development initiatives, CSR and sustainability. He is also associated with expert and mentoring networks. His combination of public-sector understanding, corporate sustainability and development-sector experience is highly relevant to ISCRE's objective of connecting responsible enterprise with inclusive urban transformation and building partnerships across industry, government and civil society.

Srinivasa Rao B. is a civil engineer and management professional with education from IIT and IIM and more than three decades of experience across infrastructure, technology, e-governance and strategic consulting. He has led large-scale transformation initiatives in both public and private sectors and currently works in AI and emerging technologies. His multidisciplinary experience is particularly relevant to ISCRE’s integration of infrastructure with AI, digital transformation and smart urban systems. He brings practical expertise in technology-enabled governance, infrastructure implementation and institutional transformation, strengthening ISCRE’s focus on future-ready cities and responsible technology adoption.

Prof. Aruna Sivakumar is Professor of Consumer Demand Modelling & Urban Systems at Imperial College London and Director of the Urban Systems Lab. Her research spans urban systems modelling, transport, energy demand, smart cities, accessibility and equity, with strong links to climate, infrastructure and behavioural change. She has led major UK and EU-funded projects on urban energy systems, smart cities and equitable urban development, and has advised through international research networks. Her expertise is highly relevant to ISCRE’s focus on integrated urban systems, sustainable mobility, low-carbon infrastructure, data-driven planning and applied research for rapidly urbanising Global South cities.

Andy Deacon is Co-Managing Director of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy in Brussels, one of the world’s leading city-climate networks. His work connects local governments, climate policy, finance and implementation across multiple regions. His experience is directly relevant to ISCRE’s ambition to strengthen climate leadership and city capacity across the Global South. He brings international perspectives on municipal climate action, city networks, urban decarbonisation and multilevel governance, as well as valuable knowledge of how global climate commitments can be translated into practical programmes and partnerships at city level.

Judy L. Baker is a senior international urban-development specialist with expertise in sustainable cities, affordable housing, urban migration and low-income communities. Her work has focused particularly on the social and economic dimensions of urbanisation and the challenges faced by vulnerable urban populations. She brings to ISCRE important insight into inclusive urban development, housing affordability, migration, poverty and community-based approaches. Her expertise supports ISCRE’s commitment to ensuring that sustainability strategies improve quality of life and address inequality rather than focusing solely on technology or infrastructure.

Didier Vancutsem is Director of the Institute for Urban Excellence in The Netherlands and an experienced urban-development professional with a strong international perspective on cities, planning and sustainable urban transformation. His work links urban design, institutional development and professional practice across different geographic contexts. He contributes to ISCRE’s international positioning by bringing European planning experience alongside an understanding of global urban challenges. His expertise is particularly relevant to urban excellence and urban systems, capacity building, planning practice, professional networks and the adaptation of international best practice to rapidly changing cities in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Athanasios Kourniotis is Founder and Executive Director of Innovation Quorum and a senior advisor working across places, infrastructure and institutions. He also contributes to academia and board-level leadership in the UK and France. His work focuses on innovation, institutional transformation and the relationship between infrastructure, places and governance. This multidisciplinary perspective is highly relevant to ISCRE’s approach of integrating cities, enterprises, technology and public institutions. He brings expertise in innovation strategy, infrastructure transformation, institutional leadership and translating emerging ideas into practical programmes and partnerships.

Sean Bradley is an urban design and sustainability specialist associated with the University of Greenwich, with particular expertise in regenerative urban design, neighbourhood planning and Living Labs. His work emphasises practical, place-based approaches to sustainable city development and collaborative experimentation. He is especially relevant to ISCRE’s proposed Urban Living Lab model, which seeks to use real neighbourhoods and cities as environments for education, research and demonstration. His experience can support ISCRE in integrating regenerative design, community engagement, neighbourhood-scale innovation and applied learning into its urban transformation programmes.

Aloysius Bongwa is Executive Director of Urban Dimensions in Rotterdam and associated with the Centre of Excellence in Urban Management in Accra. His work spans Europe and Africa, providing a valuable bridge between international urban-management practice and the realities of rapidly urbanising African cities. He brings ISCRE expertise in urban governance, city management, institutional capacity and cross-regional learning. His experience is particularly valuable to ISCRE’s Africa strategy and its ambition to develop South-South knowledge exchange among cities, universities and urban-management institutions across Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Prof. Ralf-Martin Soe is Founding Director and Assistant Professor at the FinEst Centre for Smart Cities in Estonia. His work focuses on smart-city innovation, research, urban digital transformation and the creation of collaborative environments linking universities, governments and technology partners. His experience is particularly relevant to ISCRE’s programmes in AI, digital twins, urban data and Living Labs. He brings practical knowledge of how research centres can work directly with cities to test and scale innovations, supporting ISCRE’s ambition to develop a strong city-university-enterprise innovation ecosystem.

Prof. Ajay Bailey is Professor of Geographies of Health, Inclusion and Development at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. His research connects health, migration, inequality, development and spatial processes, providing an important social dimension to urban sustainability. His expertise is highly relevant to ISCRE’s interest in healthy cities, inclusion, ageing, migration and vulnerable communities. He can contribute to programmes and research examining how urban form, public services, social structures and environmental risks affect health and wellbeing, particularly in rapidly changing Global South cities.

Prof. Khaled Galal Ahmed is Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at United Arab Emirates University and Founding Director of its Engineering Consultancy Center. His experience combines architecture, urban design, engineering consultancy and academic leadership. He brings ISCRE expertise in the design and delivery of sustainable built environments, interdisciplinary professional practice and university-industry engagement. His perspective is especially relevant to ISCRE’s work on sustainable urban development, infrastructure, urban design, regenerative engineering and applied consultancy in rapidly growing cities across emerging markets.

Prof. Arunava Dasgupta is an urban designer, Professor and Dean at the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi, and formerly headed its Department of Urban Design. His career spans teaching, research, advocacy and consultancy in sustainable urban and rural development. He has contributed to major national projects, including the conservation and urban-design framework for Rashtrapati Bhavan, and has collaborated internationally across Europe, the UK, USA and Asia. He brings ISCRE deep expertise in urban design, heritage, planning education, public-space transformation and the integration of cultural context into sustainable urban development.