Board of Trustees
Dr. Gulshan Rai has over 35 years of experience serving in the Government of India in the information technology domain including related areas of e-Governance, cybersecurity and cyber laws. Dr. Rai was India’s first National Cyber Security Coordinator, Government of India under the Prime Minister’s Office (2015-2018); Director General, CERT-In after being a member of the high powered committee, set up in 2004, which laid down the blue print for the Indian Computer Emergency Response team; Group Coordinator of E-Security and Cyber Law Division and the Standardization Testing and Quality Certification Directorate, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology. As part of the cyber security initiative, Dr. Rai led the computer emergency team to set up the National Watch and Alert System; played an instrumental role in the drafting of Information Technology Act, 2000, it’s amendments in 2008 and rules thereunder and framing of the National Cyber Security Policy, 2013; and as Executive Director, ERNET India for over 7 years, in setting up the first large scale education and research network in collaboration with leading educational and research institutions in the country. During his tenure, the National Knowledge Network project was also evolved and designed. Dr. Rai serves as Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi and Vivekananda International Foundation, New Delhi and is on the Board of several companies.
Brig (R) Dr. Sanjeev Chopra has over three decades of operational and leadership experience in the Indian Army including among others as Deputy General Officer Commanding & Station Commander; Brigade Commander with a Strategic-level formation; Policy Advisor, Ministry of External Affairs, Govt of India and Director Strategic Operations, Ministry of Defence, Govt of India. He is certified multiple times as an Independent Director, Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Govt of India; in Sustainable Finance, Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, University of Cambridge; in Strategic Management, INSEAD Business School, France; and in Artificial Intelligence Governance, Corporate Governance Institute, Dublin, Ireland. Brig (Dr.) Chopra holds multiple academic degrees including a Diploma, Environment, Social and Governance (ESG), Corporate Governance Institute, Dublin, Ireland; a Graduation, Independent Director’s Programme, Indian Institute of Management, Mumbai; a double Post Graduation in Business Administration, Indian School of Business, Hyderabad including with international immersions at London Business School and Wharton, University of Pennsylvania and in Finance and Human Resources, Kurukshetra University; a double Masters of Science, Strategic Studies, Madras University and in Technology in Weapon Systems, Pune University; a post graduate Diploma, Human Rights, Indian Institute of Human Rights, New Delhi; a Masters in Philosophy , Strategic Studies, Panjab University; and a Doctorate, Impact of Climate Change on Resource Management and Sustainable Development in Global Business Strategy, Kurukshetra University. Brig (Dr.) Chopra is an advisor to green transition projects and contributor to ESG policy alignment and sustainability strategy with expertise in climate finance, stakeholder accountability and cross-border regulatory understanding.
Mr. Naresh BK has nearly two decades of professional experience on national security issues including preparation of assessments and policy papers; collating and maintaining a database of critical inputs; and making presentations for strategic dialogues with foreign countries. He has served in the Joint Intelligence Committee under the Prime Minister’s Office, Govt of India (2012-2020) and worked with important think-tanks and university including the Foundation for National Security Research (2008-2012); the Indian Council of World Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, Govt of India (2020-2023); and Rashtriya Raksha University (2023-2024). He has a Masters in Political Science, M. Phil (2004) and is in final submission for a doctorate degree at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi on Energy Security in India and Immediate Neighbourhood.
Dr. Venkateswaran Lokanathan has over two decades of professional experience in government relations, stakeholder management, public engagement and research and development. He has worked in the Government with the National Security Council Secretariat under the Prime Minister’s Office, Govt of India, New Delhi. Dr. Lokanathan was a Global Fellow with the South Asia Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Centre for International Scholars, Washington DC and a Kodikara Research Fellow, Regional Centre for Strategic Studies, Colombo. He was a liaison officer on behalf of the Ministry of External Affairs for the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra to Tibet and has undergone training at the Sushma Swaraj Foreign Services Institute, Ministry of External Affairs. He has also worked with the Rashtriya Raksha University, Gujarat, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt of India; Manipal University, Manipal; St. Joseph’s University, Bengaluru; and the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi. He has over 60 written publications and presentations in nearly 40 international and national conferences. He has a Masters, Master of Philosophy and Doctorate Degrees in Politics, International Relations and Area Studies.
As Managing Trustee, Dr. Lokanathan coordinates activities of the Board of Trustees and liaisons with the Executive Committee. As Director, Strategic Relations, he oversees the institution's relations with patrons and clients. He supervises matters related to the institution's administration, finance, legal and human resources.