Meet our Community

Padmini Sundaram holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree and Master's in Business Administration in Finance and Marketing from SIBM Pune and a PhD from Symbiosis International University. She has also trained at Wealth Management Institute Singapore. Over the course of a professional career, spanning more than 25 years, she has worked with renowned domestic and international financial institutions, before associating with Sapient FinServ, a Pune based leading Wealth Management Firm. She currently works with UHNIs, corporate treasuries and family offices. She has a been a Mentor for the seminal 10K - Goldman Sachs Women Entrepreneur Programme, Core Team Member and a Past National Co-Chair for Employability for the CII-Young Indian's. Padmini has been a Rotary Exchange Professional to USA. She lives in Pune with her husband Bharat, a senior corporate professional, and an automobile and football enthusiast. Her daughter, Gia is a former National Football Player, pursuing an Economics Major in the US. Her desire to work with social impact initiatives, stems from her Octogenarian Mother, a National Awardee for social work.

Dr. Prahalathan KK is an MBBS, Madurai Medical College, TN Dr. MGR medical University and served as a medical Officer in Various charity hospitals like SCARF, Lions Blood Bank, Hindu Mission Hospital. He is the Co-founder Bhumi, India’s largest volunteer organization. He is a Governance Member at Ekam International, a volunteer at Daan Utsav and India Leader, Giving Tuesday - Global movement spreading generosity. He enjoys reading books or listening to audio books, and reads on average 50 books a year.

Rahul Walawalkar is a clean energy leader with over 25 years of global experience across the US, India, and beyond. He is the Founder of the Netzero Energy Transition Association (NETRA) and President of Walawalkar Enterprises LLP, where he works with government agencies, investors, and industry leaders to shape policies, foster technology commercialisation, and accelerate the global clean energy transition. With deep expertise in IT, electricity markets, energy storage, e-mobility, and net-zero technologies, his work focuses on advising investment firms, funds, startups, and growth-stage companies on scaling innovations that advance the journey towards net zero. Holding a PhD from Carnegie Mellon University, Rahul has influenced energy policy worldwide and received several honours, including the Brad Roberts Award and the CII Innovative Energy Services Award. He is also an active angel investor supporting startups serving underserved communities.

Dr. Samita Moolani Katara is a practicing ophthalmologist at Moolani’s Eye Care Centre, Pune. She is passionate about health education, conducting school and rural eye screening camps, and volunteering nationally and globally. She performs cataract surgery, corneal surgeries, laser vision correction, LASIK, and Pterygium surgeries. She has a keen interest in community work and evidence-based medicine.

Dr. Sasikala Kola is a senior Obstetrician and Gynecologist based in Hyderabad with over four decades of experience in infertility management, high-risk obstetrics, and laparoscopic surgery. She holds an MBBS, MD (OBG), and DGO from Osmania University. Dr. Kola is known for her compassionate patient care and clinical expertise, and is an active member of leading medical associations including IMA, IMS, and FOGSI. She is also the President Elect for National ISOPARB for 2027 - 2028

Sonal holds a doctorate in Health Psychology and has over 20 years of experience in counselling individuals managing chronic illnesses. She brings expertise in psychosocial care, having worked with organisations such as TISS and SEWA.

With over 25 years of experience blending academia and corporate roles, Sujata holds a post-graduation in Economics from GIPE, M.D B A (PR & IR ) and PhD from SIU. Beyond her role of leading CSR at Thermax Foundation, Sujata is associated with various B schools and is currently on the advisory board at Welingkar, Mumbai and was associated with the CII-CSR Pune Chapter as Co- Convenor. Sujata believes that a systemic growth with meaningful collaborations is the need of the hour for sustainable social impact.

Eric Savage is also Lead Partner at SVP. He is the Co - founder & CEO at Unitus Capital, Co-founder at UC Inclusive Credit, Partner at UC Impower, Advisory Board of Duke University Impact Investing Initiative, Advisory Board of NSRCEL Social at Indian Institute of Management, Advisory Board at Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Finance Leaders Fellow at The Aspen Institute. In the past, he was a Board Member of D.Light, Member Board of Directors at Duke Alumni Association, Senior Consultant at Chapman Craig, and Director and Head of Asia Power and Infrastructure Investment Banking at Citigroup. Eric has completed his BA in Economics from Duke University and MPA/MC in Impact Investing from Harvard University.

Ferzaan Engineer is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Cytecare Hospitals. He is also the Co-Founder and Joint Chairman of Medwell Ventures, which offers home healthcare services under the Nightingales brand. Ferzaan serves on the Board of Directors of Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Ltd and Cytespace Research Pvt. Ltd. Ferzaan is a mentor at Escape Velocity Accelerator in Bangalore. He was also a member of the Quintiles Asia-Pacific Management Board. He has also served on the Board of Cenduit LLC, Scientific Advisory Boards of Cellworks, USA, and Image Core Lab, India. He has been a member of professional bodies such as AAPS and AACP. He received the AACP New Investigator’s Award in 1990 and research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA. Ferzaan graduated from the LM College of Pharmacy in Ahmedabad and has completed his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of South Carolina, USA. He attended executive management programs at INSEAD (France), IIMA (India), and the Kenan-Flagler Business School (USA). Ferzaan lives in Bangalore with his two children, Anaya and Varun. He enjoys travel, jazz, and art.

Firdose has corporate experience of 45 years in organisations such as TATA Steel (Deputy MD), TATA power (MD), TATA Tele (Chairman), Motorola India (Chairman), Hirco Developments (Chairman & MD) and Essar Steel( Executive Vice Chairman). Firdose is retired and enjoys having control over his time, using it to travel and play golf. He also spends time on consulting and giving back to the community.

Ganeshan Murugaiyan has over 25 years of experience in the Corporate and Investment Banking sector. Prior to appointment as Head of Corporate and Investment Banking for BNP Paribas India, he was head of Investment Banking at UBS Securities India where his key responsibilities included M&A and capital markets. He began his career at Merrill Lynch where he worked until 2006. He holds a post-graduate diploma in management from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at Kolkata. Ganeshan has a keen interest in innovative solutions and approaches that nonprofits are working on specially in the areas of education and water conservation.

Ganesh is an alumnus of XLRI, Jamshedpur, a professional member of the India Society for Applied Behavioural Science, and trained and certified as a Coach by Dr. Skiffington, Australia and Coaching Foundation India. After a successful corporate career in Human Resources for 16 years, in the year 2000 Ganesh turned entrepreneur. He is the co-founder & Managing Director of CFI and Founder of Totus Consulting. He has three books to his credits along with large body of published articles and blogs. Ganesh enjoys writing, listening to music and visiting ancient temples.

Ganesh Lakshminarayanan is a partner at SVP. He is the CEO of Airtel Enterprise Business and serves on the Board of Linkstreet Learning Pvt. Ltd. He is also an adviser to start-ups like Myra medicines & Belong. Co. He has previously served as Chief Operating Officer & Member Board of Directors at Capillary Technologies, Senior Advisor at EY, Senior Advisor at Sequoia Capital, Managing Director at Mu Sigma, and Vice President, President, and Managing Director at Dell India. Ganesh has completed Bachelor in Engineering in Computer Science from Anna University and an MBA in Finance from the University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business.

Madhukar Gangadi is a physician-turned-entrepreneur driven by a mission to improve access to quality healthcare in India. A graduate of Kurnool Medical College with an MBBS degree, he later earned his MBA from Wharton Business School, where the seeds of his entrepreneurial journey were firmly planted. During his final semester at Wharton, Madhukar developed a business plan after reading a World Health Organization report highlighting the prevalence of counterfeit medicines in India. This insight led to the founding of MedPlus, a retail pharmacy chain built on the principle of delivering high-quality medicines at affordable prices. Over the past two decades, MedPlus has grown into one of India’s largest pharmacy networks, with over 5,000 stores nationwide, combining strong business fundamentals with a clear social purpose. Madhukar’s personal life reflects a similarly accomplished ecosystem. His wife, Renuka Gangadi, an MBA graduate from Xavier Institute of Management, is an entrepreneur who leads CustomFurnish. Their son, Varin , a computer science graduate from Stanford University, is part of a startup in California. Beyond business, Madhukar is passionate about reading, fitness, and building ventures that create meaningful social impact.

Gaurav is the Chief Commercial Officer at MG Motors India. Previously he was the CEO at Bridgestone Indonesia, prior to which he spent 20 years at General Motors spearheading several businesses across multiple locations including China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam. He is an active philanthropist in his personal capacity and through his company, engaged with Operation Smile, Save the Children and Udayan Care. Gaurav is a sustainable living enthusiast, conscious of his personal carbon footprint.

Gaurav Maheshwari is a seasoned business leader with extensive experience in driving growth, operational excellence, and strategic transformation across organizations. Known for his sharp financial acumen and ability to scale businesses, he has consistently delivered measurable outcomes while building strong, sustainable enterprises. With a deep understanding of business dynamics, Gaurav has played key roles in optimizing performance, improving profitability, and enabling organizations to navigate complexity with clarity and discipline. Currently he works as Group president – Signode Asia Pacific.

Gaurav runs a small company called Anup Industries Pvt. Ltd., manufacturing Industrial Bulk Packaging and specializing in packaging for hazardous chemicals. He is the past Chairman of CII (WR). Gaurav was the Founding Chairperson of the Ahmedabad Chapter of SVP India and served in that role from the inception of the Ahmedabad chapter, i.e., 2018 to 2022.

Gauri joins us with experience in research, and government roles. Gauri has worked as a Young Professional in various national and state-level commissions mandated by Govt of India. She is committed to contributing to meaningful impact, driving positive change and advancing educational equity. Gauri has a Master’s degree in Human Rights and Dutoes Education from the Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Delhi University. In her spare time, you can find Gauri channelizing her energy through yoga. She is an avid booklover and also an amatuer artist.

Gautam Karajgi is a dynamic leader with over 20 years of experience driving strategy, entrepreneurship, stakeholder engagement, and operations management in both corporate and development sectors. He is recognized for incubating, scaling, and transforming initiatives that deliver innovation, sustainability, and lasting social impact. Currently, Gautam leads Business Development, ESG, and Sustainability at EFL, where he drives strategic growth and champions responsible governance and sustainability practices.

As the Founder of BestFit Educational Consultants, Gautam works closely with students and families to identify best-fit undergraduate opportunities and navigate admissions to selective universities in the U.S., U.K., and globally. His work focuses on guiding students through career exploration, academic choices, extracurricular development, and application strategy. He is certified to administer the Strong Interest Inventory and uses a structured approach to help students align their interests with meaningful academic and career pathways. Beyond his professional work, Gautam was actively engaged with Round Table India, serving twice as Convenor on the National Board. He also played a key role in conceptualizing the initiative and leading the organizing team for the inaugural Round Table India Charity Golf Tournament in Hyderabad, which continues as an annual initiative. Gautam holds an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and a BBA in Operations Management from the University of Massachusetts. He enjoys food- and drink-focused travel and spending time with friends.

Gayathri’s journey into the development sector started as a Piramal-Gandhi Fellow in 2012. Over the years, she has built a wealth of professional experience and contributed significantly to the sector with roles at Ambuja Cement Foundation, LEAD (Krea University), and PwC India. She is passionate about facilitating the right partnerships between corporates, non-profits, and govt sector entities for constructive collaborations that maximize social impact. Gayathri holds an impressive academic record, including an MBA and a Masters in Comparative Social Policy from the University of Oxford and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology from VIT, Vellore. In her spare time, Gayathri is an avid dancer, with eight years of dedicated training in Kathak. She is also a multiple award winner for public speaking in Toastmasters International.

Gayathri is an author, poet, global nomad and economist, has resided in 6 countries and now calls Mumbai home. With a diverse background in Banking, Venture capital, and Education, she's had her written works featured in magazines like Ariana, Mingled Voices, Beyond Boundaries, and the ASB magazine. She sits on the board of the Liferarian Association and has hosted several literary events for them. She has participated in various charitable causes since childhood and believes education with right skill sets can help anyone achieve their dreams. Her debut poetry collection, 'Quintessential Me,' was published in June 2018, and she's currently crafting her second book of poems.

Pradeep Grama has been the Lead Partner of Mitti Cafe at SVP India. He is a Member of the Management Committee of BHS Education Society, one of the Premier Institutions of Education in Bangalore. He is also an Investor and a Board Member of Basil Communications Pvt. Ltd, a global creative services production studio. His professional career includes diverse international work experience in the UU.S., Australia, UU.K. Middle East. He has experience of over 28 years of in the II.T.Industry. He has previously worked as Co-Founder & Managing Director of EVRY India, General Marketing Manager at UU.B.Information & Consultancy Services, Marketing Services Manager at PSI Data Systems, and Associate Consultant at Tata Consultancy Services. Pradeep graduated in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Mysore University and has a Master's degree in Communication Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.