Sri M.M.Murugappan

M M Murugappan is the Director-Technology of the Murugappa Corporate Board. He is the Chairman of Tube Investments of India Ltd., Carborundum Universal Ltd., Wendt India Ltd., Murugappa Morgan Thermal Ceramics Ltd. and DBS Chola Trustees Ltd. He serves as a Trustee of the AMM Foundation and the Correspondent of the Murugappa Polytechnic College.. He is also on the board of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., Mumbai and Infotech Enterprises Ltd., Hyderabad. He is a Member on the Board of Governors, IIT, Madras. He holds a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan, USA.

Mr. Darshan Shankar

Darshan Shankar started his professional career in 1973 at the University of Bombay as the coordinator of an inter-disciplinary center for development research. At this center he conceived, designed and implemented a pioneering action-research programme, which provided graduates of any discipline a 2-year fellowship to live in a rural community and apply their formal learning to a real life situation. This programme won a "Commonwealth Award" in 1976 being adjudged as the best project in the Commonwealth for linking university education to community needs. Between 1980 and 1992 he lived and worked in a tribal area in Maharashtra. In 1993, he founded the Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions. In 1998, he was awarded "Norman Borlaug Award" for his contributions to promoting conservation of medicinal plants, and in 2002, FRLHT was awarded the "Equator Initiative Prize" by the United Nations. In 2003, the Columbia University's Centre for Complementary & Alternative Medicines gave its first International Award to Darshan Shankar & FRLHT, in recognition of FRLHT's outstanding contributions to revitalization of traditional systems of health-care in India.

Mr. P.R Krishnakumar

PR Krishna Kumar, Managing Director, Arya Vaidya Pharmacy, Coimbatore has been honored by the Government of India with the PadmaShree in 2009.

He is the head of The Arya Vaidya Pharmacy, a premier ayurvedic institution in the country, involved in production of quality medicines, promotion of Ayurvedic education, research and clinical services and the second best traditional house in the South.

He initiated the first ever clinical research in traditional medicines under WHO and ICMR partnership in 1977 to study the efficacy of Ayurvedic treatment on Rheumatoid arthritis.  He conceived and implemented a unique 7 ½ years educational program for Ayurveda totally free, affiliated to Madras University and later to Bharathiar University and also approved by the Central Council for Indian Medicine (CCIM), which created a unique breed of Ayurveda scholars.

Dr. Ashok Jhunjunwala

Dr. Jhunjhunwala received his B.Tech degree from IIT, Kanpur, and his MS and Ph.D degrees from the University of Maine. From 1979 to 1981, he was with Washington State University as Assistant Professor. Since 1981, he has been teaching at IIT, Madras, where he leads the Telecommunications and Computer Networks group (TeNeT). This group works with industry in the development of technologies relevant to India. It has incubated secveral technology companies which work in partnership with TeNeT group to develop Telecom and Banking products for Indian Urban and Rural Markets. He chairs Rural Technology and Business Incubator (RTBI) at IIT Madras and Mobile Payment Forum of India (MPFI).

Dr. Ashok Jhunjhunwala has been awarded Padma Shri in the year 2002. He has been awarded Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in 1998, Dr.Vikram Sarabhai Research Award for the year 1997, Millennium Medal at Indian Science Congress in the year 2000 and H. K. Firodia for "Excellence in Science & Technology" for the year 2002, Shri Om Prakash Bhasin Foundation Award for Science & Technology for the year 2004, Awarded Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Lecture Award by INSA for the year 2006, IBM Innovation and Leadership Forum Award by IBM for the year 2006 and recently awarded Honorary Doctorate by the Institute of Blekinge Institute of Technology Sweden. He is a Fellow of World Wireless Research forum, IEEE and Indian academies including INAE, IAS, INSA and NAS.

Dr. Jhunjhunwala is a Director in the Board of State Bank of India, TTML, BEL, Polaris, 3i Infotech, Sasken, Tejas, IDRBT and Tata Communications. He is member of Prime Minister's Scientific Advisory Committee.

Dr. Latha Satheesh

Dr. Latha Satish is Scientist “B” in the Department of Psychology of the University of Madras. She is actively involved in Yoga and is a Consultant at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram. Her teaching and research has special emphasis in the application of Yoga in Human health and Psychology.

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A lawyer by profession Ms. Kamala also holds a post graduate degree in History and has vast experience in active court practice, and wide exposure in areas of civil law in general and property law in particular. She gives legal consultancy to individuals, institutions and a few corporates.

Daisy Dharmaraj is a medical doctor who after completing her Doctorate in Community medicine from CMC Vellore has served among the tribals dalits and fisherfolk in Orissa, Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh through PREPARE a national NGO which she directed for two decades. She has trained many grass root persons and middle level NGO managers and staff in Primary health care, disaster preparedness, HIV AIDS and reproductive health, over the years and has prepared several many training materials in these areas. She has a special interest in advocacy concerning infant formula, pesticides, invasive contraceptives, aquaculture, gender concerns and in the rights of People living with HIV AIDS. She was a member of National Commission for women. She has been part of many national and international networks. She has traveled widely in Europe and Asia as a consultant and as network member.

TEST Foundation an NGO headed by Dr. Daisy is involved in HIV AIDS prevention care and advocacy. She currently works as a health and development consultant and as a visiting professor in Community medicine in a medical college in Andhra Pradesh.