Speaker Bio:  

Vikas Sharma
Vice President - New Products Development & VAS, Bharti Airtel
He possess 16 years of work experience encompassing Product Management and Solutions Sales responsibilities for global Service Providers and Enterprises. His Core Competencies include Product Development and Management, Laying out a strategic road map for customer and market-facing product and services, devising and articulating the value propositions, cross-group collaboration, undertaking ROI, negotiating and partnering deals with solution providers and vendors. To me, ensuring significantly high level of customer satisfaction and managing partner relationships, are paramount.
Sanjay Gupta
Entrepreneur, Mentor and Investor, mobiSolv
Sanjay is a techie at heart and a startup guy from brain. He is very passionate about the emerging Mobile ecosystem globally and opportunities around it. He spends his time being an Entrepreneur, Mentor and an Early stage Investor. Some of his focus areas are Mobile and Wireless, Internet, Media and Green technologies. His areas of specialization include turnaround, early monetization, sales and profit.
Sumit Goswami
Country Head, Adaptive Mobile
International business development and marketing in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. Marketing management for a Nasdaq listed US HQ leading telecom organization. Strategic large account management for leading telecom operator and software vendor. Multi million dollar sales deals for Telecom OSS, BSS and VAS solutions. Emerging market specialist – entry into new markets in Africa, CEE, ASEAN and SAARC. Start up exposure – growing business from scratch to a multi million dollar entity in the telecom sector. Expatriate living – United States Telecom VAS thought leader, columnist and industry speaker.
Manav Khosla
GM Telecom & Mobile, Reuters Market Light, Thomson Reuters
Manav Khosla is currently General Manager – Media & Telecom for Reuters Market Light. RML is a pioneering and multi-award-winning business of Thomson Reuters that sells a highly personalized information service over mobile phones to farmers in India. In this role, Manav is responsible for business strategy, advertising and the production of RML portfolio of mobile & advertising solutions for clients in India. Key areas include the development of RML mobile strategy; partnerships with Telcos, Handset manufacturers and advertisers among others; mobile advertising; marketing across RML mobile services, and the management new mobile products for RML. An expert in Internet and mobile strategy, advertising solutions and information usability, Manav is also a member of mobile evangelizing committee of India Local Council at Mobile Marketing Association. He has held several roles within Reuters and with top two leading media houses of India over the years. His previous roles included Mobile Head – Reuters Consumer Media India where he was responsible for driving Mobile web and Mobile application strategy for Reuters India. Prior to that he was Business Head - Mobile for HT Media and Senior Manager – Mobile for Indiatimes where Manav was responsible for the launch of HT Media short code 54242 and launch of innovative services like interoperable mobile messenger with Indiatimes 58888. Manav is a mechanical engineering graduate and holds an MBA and MIT from Manipal. His hobbies include swimming and badminton.
Manu Rekhi
Venture Partner, Inventus Capital
Venture Partner -Manu is currently a Venture Partner with Inventus Fund I and is expected to become a full-time member of the investment team with Fund II. He is a seasoned internet executive whom the Principal Advisors have known for some time, and who has been co-investing in and advising Inventus portfolio companies since 2008.Industry Executive - Manu has a well respected operating record with both Silicon Valley startups and cross-border US-India companies. Manu was most recently VP of Products at Myspace. He previously oversaw strategy, marketing, business and corporate development at Lolapps, a Silicon Valley startup where he transformed the company into a promising social gaming business. Prior to Lolapps,he was on the product team at Google where he worked on several products including the launch of Gmail, Calendar, OpenSocial, and Orkut and spent over a year with Google in India.Venture Investor - Manu has been active with Inventus for nearly 3 years informally diligencing new investments as well as advising and mentoring Inventus entrepreneurs particularly at Vivu, Genwi, and Credit Sesame. He has also advised entrepreneurs in India (Games2Win, Sapplica and Popcorn Apps), Canada (j2play and Social Game Universe) and Brasil (Mentez). j2play was acquired by EA in 2009.Manu holds a B.S. from Boston University and a joint MBA from Columbia Business School and Walter Haas School of Business.
Ashish Banerjee
Technologist, Oracle
Ashish has more than 22 years of software development experience. Some of his recent achievements include-Principal innovator at Sun Microsystems for making Java faster than C.Contribution of a kernel module to OpenSolaris.org.Microsoft has recognized him as a .NET community Star.Co-authored a C# web Services book published by wrox in USA.He was nominated for Daveng Mehta IT Innovation award for developing SMS engine for BoP banking. He is an Open Source Evangelist and have guided more than 14 Master of Technology thesis projects for I.E.T.E
Ashay Padwal
CTO & Co-Founder, Vserv.mobi
11+ years experience in managing Mobile and Internet technology projects , with active involvement in strategy, conceptualizations, team building, hands on implementation and operations. Ashay is the part of founding team at Mauj (2004-08) , managing Technology, Product & Operations handling over 120 team members He Launched Mobile Services on SMS and WAP for Yahoo! India (2001-2004) He worked as the Project Manager in Mega E-Services managing various Internet Portal Solutions (1999-2000) with 40+ engineersAshay is responsible for Technology and Product Development. A computer engineering graduate from the University of Mumbai, Ashay’s career spans over a decade, he has been instrumental in building and deploying complex and varied projects in the internet and wireless space. He has actively been involved in strategy, conceptualizations, team building, hands on implementation and operations of technical initiatives. Ashay has been at the helm of many technology initiatives at enterprises like Yahoo! and People Infocom (Mauj) where he spearheaded project management, product development and, technology functions including games development & managed a talent pool of 100 plus resources. Ashay is a compulsive workaholic, self-confessed food connoisseur and loves trekking. Vserv has been working closely with developer community and has the world’s most SIMPLEST way to integrate Ads in to their Apps.We call it Ad Wrapper TM . This allows them to earn Global Income from Day 1 of signup.
Shashi Chaudhary
VP, T&H India Delivery Head, GlobalLogic Inc
Over 28 years of experience in senior management and Academics. 18 years in Software Product and Services and 10 years in Academics A serial entrepreneur, has co-founded 5 IT companies. He has been instrumental in bringing Nagpur on IT map of India. Successfully built profitable businesses from scratch in extremely competitive environments. Passionate, lead from the front, ethical, firm believer in work life balance .Shashi built business focused on the Emerging Mobile Technologies and was early entrant at 2002 . His team has End-to-end experience in developing & launching apps across carriers & app stores on all major mobile platforms and across various mobile domains like mVoIP and LBS. His team has 500+ mobile engineers and architects across global mobile R&D labs in US, India, Ukraine and Argentina.His team has Developed 200+ mobile applications & experiences for over 50+ clients in the mobile space working with mobile ISVs, OEMs and Wireless Carriers . Shashi was Board Member of GlobalLogic Inc USA .He is Board member of VNIT and YCMOU, academic institutions of National repute.
Mrigank Tripathi
Founder and CEO, Expert Voicetap Technologies
Mrigank is CEO and Founder of Voicetap. Mrigank has over 13 years of experience in Sales, Telecom and Consulting. Prior to Voicetap, Mrigank was working as a Senior Associate at a Oliver Mercer and Wyman- Management Consulting firm. He has an MBA from INSEAD and B.Tech from Nagpur University.
Vinod Sood
Managing Director, Hughes Systique Corporation
Vinod is the Managing Director of Hughes Systique Corporation and is responsible for managing the company operations in India. Vinod has more than 25 years of experience in Communications Software industry. Previously, Mr. Sood was Head of Engineering and R&D at Hughes Software Systems (HSS) and served on the Board as well. Prior to HSS, Mr. Sood worked with C-DOT. He is on the CII National Committee on IT, ITeS & e-Commerce and on the NASSCOM mentor panel for emerging companies. He is a member of Advisory Committee of the Institute of Informatics and Communications, University of Delhi. Mr. Sood is also the Chairman of RMC-CORE in Network Engineering (setup by TIFAC, Department of Science and Technology Government of India, a Government, Academia and Industry partnership initiative).
Bill Heye
CEO, TestingCzars
Bill Heye was previously CEO of the publicly traded company, BackWeb Technologies Inc. a developer of communications software used by Fortune 1000 customers for enterprise and business-to-consumer applications. Its products were deployed to 100 million users worldwide. As CEO, Bill helped the company achieve profitability through software and IP licensing. Prior to his role as CEO at BackWeb, Bill served in international and other roles at BackWeb including product management, business development, R&D, and sales. He has worked with customers in Europe, Asia and North America. Before BackWeb, Bill worked as Director of Sales and Marketing at the pioneering multi-media publisher The Voyager Company / Criterion Collection in New York, and he worked as a systems engineer and marketing representative at IBM. Mr. Heye holds bachelor degrees in Mechanical Engineering and English from Texas A&M University, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Shishir Sharma
Vice President-Data 3G-Marcom, Spice Digital
Shishir heads 3G, Data and Marcom function at Spice Digital and is responsible for creating new significant business opportunities for the company. Shishir is a Science Graduate and holds Masters Degree in Business Management. He focuses on long term relationship building and team management. Shishir has over 20 years of rich experience in the Telecom sector. Prior to joining Spice Digital, Shishir was Director at 2Ergo Group Plc. Before that he had worked with some of the leading companies like Shyam Telecom, Vodafone, Global Tele Systems, Ecorel Systems & Services. He is a doting father of 2 sons and is passionate about music, traveling and trekking. He is an easygoing person and loves to make friends.
Arshit Pathak
Managing Director, Kingtech Electronics India(G'Five International India)
Arshit is MD of Kingtech Electronics, a group company of G’Five International, which manages G’Five brand of Handsets. G’Five is among the Top 10 global handset brands as per Gartner and among the Top 3 handset Brands in India as per IDC. Arshit has over 24 years of experience in Consumer Electronics/Home Appliances and Telecom. Prior to joining G’Five, Arshit has worked in Motorola, Philips, LG, Voltas and Asian Paints in India and South West Asia. Arshit is a MBA and Masters in Economics. He is also on panel with many global research firms and provide expert opinion on Indian opportunities. He loves travelling and reading.
Sandeep Sawhney
Chief Product & Innovation Officer , Aircel
Sandeep Sawhney is Chief Product & Innovation Officer at Aircel, Indias fastest growing operator for the past two years. Mr. Sawhney has the responsibility for conceptualizing and operationalizing Aircels product, digital and innovation strategy. Before joining Aircel, he was in a leadership role at Airtel in India. Prior to his India stint, he spent over 15 years in USA in product and business development and was a co-founder of a web start-up in California. He has an MS from the University of Massachusetts and an MBA from Georgia State University. He has also participated in Executive education at INSEAD as well as an Executive education with Harvard in USA.
Karan Mohla
Senior Associate, IDG Ventures India
Karan has over 7 years of industry experience including 2 years of investing experience. Prior to joining IDG Ventures India, Karan worked with QVT Finance LP, a US based hedge fund and was a founding member of their Asia-Pacific practice. Karan earlier worked in the technology banking group at Jefferies & Company (formerly Broadview International) in Silicon Valley, where he helped several emerging technology companies in capital raising, mergers & acquisitions as well as strategic partnerships. Later, he helped start the India office where he advised and executed financing strategies for companies in the Technology, Media, Telecom, CleanTech and Education sectors. He has successfully completed over 20 transactions covering M&A and capital raising for corporates across India and the US. Karan holds a Bachelors degree in Business Administration (BBA) from the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and an EMBA from INSEAD, where he was the youngest graduate in the program history.
Alok Mittal
Managing Director, Canaan India
With a broad range of hands-on experience founding, funding and supporting early-stage technology companies, Alok Mittal joined Canaan India in March 2006. Alok focuses on investments in digital media and mobile companies, as well as innovators in managed software services and other IT enabled businesses. Prior to joining the venture industry, Alok co-founded JobsAhead.com, a leading web-based recruitment business, which was acquired by Monster.com, the global leader in online recruitment. He also brings strong Telecom experience to Canaan having worked for Hughes Software Systems prior to that. Alok is also a co-founder of Indian Angel Network, and on the board of TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) in Delhi. During the course of his association with Canaan India, he advised Canaan Partners in their investment in Bharat Matrimony, iYogi, Cellcast, UnitedLex, Chakpak and MotorExchange. Alok earned a BE in computer science and engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and a MS in computer science from UC Berkeley.
Vipul Tuli
Head Mobile Application Initiatives, CanvasM
Vipul heads the Mobile Application Initiatives for CanvasM a leading VAS enabler for the global communications industry which is a joint venture of TechM & Motorola. Vipul holds extensive experience in the areas of Mobile Games & Application Development has worked with leading Mobile Network Operator, Product Development Companies & Service providers. Within CanvasM, Vipul leads the strategic accounts for Mobile application development & works with Tier 1 operators across the globe. Under his guidance Vipul, CanvasM has envisioned & initiated various innovative services on different Mobile platforms.
Sam Gulve
President HealthHope, IVS (Innovative Vertical Solutions) , (Past: Joint MD, Spice Global, India)
Sam (Samir) Gulve has over 25 years of diverse, global technology industry experience. During his career, Sam has held various senior management positions at world renowned companies such as Amdocs, AT&T Bell Labs, Avaya, Netscape, SSA, CDI Inc. as well as at highly successful startups such as Kiva Software, Calico Commerce, Visual Insights and Shakti Systems. Sam was the Joint Managing Director with Spice Mobility with global responsibility for the services vertical and is focused on bringing consumer facing, innovative, value added services to mobile user masses in India, Africa, South East Asia and Middle East. Sam has also co-founded two companies. Sam holds a B.Tech. in engineering from Indian Institute of Technology -Bombay, M.S in computer science from Virginia Tech and has done substantial work towards doctorate in computer science from Illinois Institute of Technology. Sam has won several industry recognitions in both continents and was recently named as one of the most influential technology leaders in India.
Mohan Kumar
Executive Director, NVP India
Mohan brings in extensive operational, technology and investment experience, having worked at leading global organizations in various senior positions and personally investing in technology start-up companies. Mohan is based in NVP India’s Bengaluru office and serves as an advisor on investments in next-generation technologies, Healthcare and Education. Mohan advised NVP’s investment in Borqs, a leading open source mobile application software provider and integrator based out of Beijing and the U.S.. He also advised NVPs investment in Perfint Healthcare, which develops Image-guided robotic solutions for oncology. Prior to joining NVP India, Mohan served as Corporate Vice President of Mobile Devices Software at Motorola where he was instrumental in creating mobile platform middleware, user interface technology and applications across 3GSM, CDMA and WiFi / WiMax mobile phones. Mohan has also been an angel investor and is active in helping start-up companies in the areas of mobile solutions, content and applications, namely Allgo Systems, Azingo, Quantum, SpaceTime and Mitoken.
Parag Dhol
Director, Inventus Capital Partners
Parag is a Director at Inventus Capital Partners, a venture firm that invests in entrepreneurs building global tech-focussed companies in India & US. He is based out of Bangalore. Parag made a foray into venture capital after his MBA in 1993. He started off with ICICI Venture (in Bangalore) and followed that up with stints at GE Equity (in Gurgaon) and Intel Capital (in Bangalore). Parag also worked, for two years, with Genpact in a commercial role. Parag has a B. Tech. (Mech. Engg.) from IIT, Delhi and is an MBA from IIM, Bangalore.
Rajan Mehra
Managing Director, Nirvana Venture Advisors
Rajan Mehra is Managing Director at Nirvana Venture Advisors, a fund focused on investing in early stage and market leading internet and mobile companies. The Nirvana fund has been anchored by the Patni family of Patni Computer Systems. Rajan has been associated with venture investing since 2008 when he joined Clearstone Venture Advisors as a Venture Partner. At Clearstone, he focused on consumer focused opportunities in technology, internet and tech-enabled services. Rajan sits on the Board of Directors of a number of market leading Indian internet companies including Billdesk, Games2Win, Motorexchange and Quikr. Prior to Clearstone, Rajan was Country Manager at eBay India and a member of the eBay Asia Pacific Leadership Team. While at eBay, he ensured continued market leadership for eBay in India. He was also responsible for incubating the eBay India Motors Marketplace, India’s first b2b marketplace for used vehicles and for setting-up PaisaPay, eBay India’s proprietary safe payment service. Prior to eBay, he spent a number of years in various operating roles and was a member of the management team of Baazee.com, a start-up that was acquired by eBay. Rajan graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from the Sydenham College, Mumbai, and has an MBA from the Darden School at the University of Virginia.
Badri Sanjeevi
Chief Executive Officer, Mauj Mobile
Badri Sanjeevi is the Chief Executive Officer for Mauj Mobile. He has over 15 years experience in the telecom, media and convergence space. He has previously worked with leading consultancies such as Arthur Andersen and Deloitte Strategy consulting in UK and India, and with T-Mobile UK in their strategy function. Badri led the acquisition of Mobango, the worlds first social mobile application store for Mauj. Mobango delivers over 1 million downloads a day of applications and entertainment content across 150 countries. Badri is a Chartered Accountant and holds MBA from INSEAD, France.
Krishna Kumar
Director – Business Development, InMobi
Krishna Kumar joined InMobi in 2008 and leads business development efforts in the Asia Pacific region. Krishna was key in defining and executing InMobi’s APAC go to market strategy, which made InMobi the dominant player in the region. Prior to InMobi, Krishna was Product Marketing Manager for Microsoft in India where he was responsible for the development and deployment of MSN’ DC2 mobile content portal. Krishna holds an MBA from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning and BA in Law from Nagpur University