The Faculty of Business Administration (FOBA), GLS University, organized an enriching guest session on “Empowered Women: Unlocking Emotional Wellness through Meditation” for first-year students. Conducted by Team Jagrani, the session featured distinguished speakers—Dr. Usha Parekh, Ms. Amita Parekh, Ms. Hetal Desai, and Ms. Apexa Patel—who emphasized the link between emotional wellness, meditation, and empowerment in today’s competitive world. Students learned about self-awareness, stress management, mindfulness, and practical meditation techniques. With interactive exercises and inspiring insights, the session highlighted how meditation enhances resilience, emotional intelligence, and leadership. Attended by 93 students, the program proved impactful, offering valuable tools for holistic growth and well-being.
Our Guests
See what our guests say for us
Our Honorable Guests
Dr. Satyajit Deshpande
The Faculty of Business Administration (FOBA), GLS University, organized an insightful guest session on “American Tariff and Indian Economy.” The session aimed to help students understand how U.S. trade policies impact developing economies like India and influence global markets. The distinguished resource person highlighted the historical background of American tariff measures and their dual role as economic and diplomatic tools. Focusing on India, the speaker explained how tariffs on exports such as steel, textiles, and aluminum affect competitiveness and SMEs. Strategies like diversifying exports, enhancing quality, and building trade alliances were discussed. With WTO perspectives, case studies, and an engaging Q&A, the session provided students with critical insights into Indo-U.S. trade relations and the broader dynamics of globalization.
Team Jagrani: Dr. Usha Parekh, Ms. Amita Parekh, Ms. Hetal Desai, and Ms. Apexa Patel
Dr. Akash Thakkar
An expert talk on “From Data to Decisions: A Practical Approach to Business Data Analysis” was organized by the Faculty of Business Administration, GLS University, on 28th July 2025. Conducted by Dr. Akash Thakkar, a renowned academician in data analysis and cryptography, the session bridged academic concepts with real-world business applications. Emphasizing that “Data is the new oil,” Dr. Thakkar explained how businesses refine raw data to drive innovation and decision-making. Students learned about the data analysis lifecycle, visualization, statistical tools, and types of analysis—descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive. With practical examples and tools like Excel, Power BI, and Python, the session offered valuable insights into modern data-driven strategies.
Mr. Darshan Gajjar
Mr. Darshan Gajjar, Assistant Professor of Politics and International Relations at ILSASS, CVM University, is an accomplished academic and researcher in global politics. He also serves as Director of the Research Management Division at The Geostrata, a reputed think tank in security and public policy. With experience as Research Analyst at Global Strategic and Defence News, Researcher at Foreign Analysis Magazine (Turkey), and Communications Lead for BRICS Youth Energy Agency, he has contributed extensively to international research and policy dialogue. An academic fellow at the Heritage Foundation, USA, he combines academic rigor with practical insights, establishing expertise in politics, security, and global affairs.
Dr. D J Pandian
Dr. D. J. Pandian is the Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of the New Development Bank. He was invited as the Cheif Guest for the ECO Fest event held on 19th September 2025.
Mr. Shani Pandya
Mr. Shani Pandya is the founder of Imagine Power Tree Private Ltd and Air X Purifier. He was invited as the Chief Guest for the Communication Event titled : Connect: Converse to Conserve, an environmental Communication event on 4th September 2025.
Mr. G P Rao
Mr. G P Rao is the Founder & Managing Partner GPR HR Consulting LLP ( Good People Relations). He was invited as the Chief Guest for The HR Symposium event at FOBA.
Ms. Kushambi Bhatt
Ms.Kushambi Bhatt, a celebrated Gujarati actress, theatre artist and national award winner, and alumnus of GLS Faculty of Business Administation. We at FOBA were honoured to have her as the chief guest for our Prize Distribution Ceremony.
Hindol Sengupta
Hindol Sengupta is an Indian author, academic, and journalist. Sengupta lives in Delhi and is professor of international relations at O. P. Jindal Global University. We at FOBA were honoured to have him as the chief guest for our flagship programme IMAGE: 2025
Ms. Sandhya Anantani
Ms. Sandhya Anantani is an Image Consultant and Corporate Trainer. She delivered a guest session on the topic 'Creating lasting Impressions: Exploring Image Consultancy as a Career Path'
RJ Megha
R J Megha is a part of India’s Leading Event Emcee and a TEDx Speaker. She delivered a guest session on the topic " Personal Branding".
Mr. Bhargav Purohit
Mr. Bhargav Purohit, Music Director, Lyricist and Screenwriter delivered a guest session on Lights, Camera, Career: Exploring Movie Making as a Profession
Rutwik Kumbhani
Mr. Rutwik Kumbhani delivered a guest session on the topic Beyond a Frame: Curating a Career in the field of Graphics and Animation.
Mukul Tiwari
Mr. Mukul Tiwari, the COO of Urban Kichidi delivered a guest session on the topic What's Cooking?: Crafting a unique career in Food and Beverages Industry.
Ms. Akaansha Sinha
Ms. Akaansha Sinha, Store Lead Operations at Starbucks delivered a guest session on the topic "Starbucks Coffee Seminar Sharing Coffee Knowledge With Passion & Engaging Neighbourhood Communities”.
Dr. Pritesh Bhatia
Dr. Pritesh Bhatia is an Engineer, Designer, Academician and an Assistant Professor, GLS University’s Faculty of Design. He delivered a guest session titled Design + Strategy: Transforming Business with Design Thinking under the Unconventional Career Workshops which was organised by Faculty of Business Administration.
Dr. Chaitali Bansal
Dr. Chetali Bansal of Aangan Hospitals delivered a guest session on the topic Gynaecological problems in young girls- STDs and Menstrual complaints. This event was organised under the aegis of the CWDC lecture series.
Esteemed Panelists for the CWDC National Colloquium Event 2024
FOBA organised its National Colloquium on 23rd December 2024. The esteemed panelists for the event were:
- Mr. Ronak Patel (Editorial head ABP Asmita)
- Dr. Shruti Anerao (Academician, Administrator and Anchor)
- MS. Heena Dave (VP, SEWA)
- MS. Niki Shah (Founder, Ultrapop Foods)
- MS. Sonal Joshi (Director, Avesha Empowerment Foundation)
Mrs. Megha Shah
Mrs. Megha Shah is an erudite lawyer and speaker. She was also crowned Mrs. India 2024.
CA Shaina Shah
CA Shaina Shah is the Director of ICECD. She is the Co founder and Film Maker at Limelight Pictures. She visited FOBA as the key note speaker during the CWDC Programme.
Mr. Amit Karandikar
Mr. Amit Karandikar serves as the General Manager and Head of Human Resources at Netafim India, a role he has held since 2015. With over 23 years of experience as an HR generalist across various industries, he has previously worked with organizations such as Atul Ltd., Elitecore Technologies, Intas Pharmaceuticals, AC Nielsen, Arvind Mills Ltd., and Reliance Industries Ltd. In 2016, he was honored with "The Most Influential HR Leaders" award by the Institute of Public Enterprise (IPE) and the World HRD Congress. Mr. Karandikar holds a Master's Degree in Social Work (MSW) from the Faculty of Social Work at The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda and has completed the "Accelerated Management Program" at ISB, Hyderabad. He graced the HR Symposium as a Key note speaker.
Dr. Anil Khadelwal
Dr. Anil Khandelwal is a well-known Indian banking professional, author, and leadership mentor. He is best known for his tenure as the Chairman and Managing Director of Bank of Baroda, where he played a crucial role in transforming the bank into a globally competitive institution. He graced the HR Symposium as the Key Note Speaker.
Abhijit Iyer-Mitra
Abhijit Iyer-Mitra is Senior Fellow at the Institute of Peace & Conflict Studies.
A Defence Economist, He appears regularly in print and on TV. He has regular columns in News 18, Firstpost, Print, Economic Times, Business Standard, Mint & Money Control as well as by-lines in all major national dailies. He also has co-authored two books, and has several academic publications to his credit dealing with defence and foreign policy.
Prior to his current post he coordinated the National Security Programme at the Observer Research Foundation. He has also been a visiting scholar at Sandia National Laboratories (Albuquerque) & at the Stimson Centre (Washington D C).
Mr. Michael Goldberg ,Executive Director of the Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship
Michael Goldberg is the inaugural Executive Director of the Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship. Goldberg is also an Associate Professor of Design and Innovation at the Weatherhead School of Management at CWRU where he teaches courses on entrepreneurship.
Mr. Goldberg visited the Faculty of Business Administration for a guest session on Entreprenuership on 16th July 2024.
Dr. Harsh Gupta ‘Madhusudan’
The esteemed author and economist Harsh Gupta "Madhusudan" graced the occasion Shatranj. Under the theme "Long India: The Geopolitics and Geoeconomics of Bharat's Rise," Gupta offered a compelling analysis of India's strategic positioning on the global stage. He dissected complex global economic dynamics, highlighting America's cultural and technological influence and China's dominance in electric vehicle production. Gupta traced India's economic journey from its historical craftsmanship roots to its current emergence as a global powerhouse, emphasizing Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar's role in steering India's growth and the country's demographic advantage over aging competitors like China. His bold prediction that India is on the verge of becoming the world's third-largest economy, illustrated by success stories like Zoho, left the audience inspired about the nation's future.
Mr. Raam Mori
Raam Mori stands as a luminary figure in the vibrant landscape of Gujarati cinema, wielding his pen to craft compelling narratives that resonate with audiences across cultural boundaries. As a distinguished film writer, Raam has etched his name in the annals of the Gujarati film industry with his profound storytelling acumen and unwavering dedication to his craft. He won a National Award in 2016 when he was just of 22 years. His works includes 21 mu tiffin, Kutch Express, Mara Pappa Superhero and Kasumbo.
Ms. Mamta Kale
Women's Development Cell and Faculty of Business Administration GLS University organized a one day National Colloquium on Gender Equity and Equality focusing on Society, Media and Culture. Ms Mamta Kale , a TV panelist and political analyst was the keynote speaker and Dr. Chandni Kapadia, Executive Director, GLS University gave the welcome speech.
Mr. Rajesh Kamath
GLS University’s FOBA Unveils IMAGE-2024: Towards Management Excellence with Chanakyan Insights.
GLS University’s Faculty of Business Administration (FOBA) inaugurated their 24th edition of IMAGE 2024, a National-Level Management Fest, with unbound enthusiasm. Centered around the theme of Chanakya Neeti: Strategy and Leadership, the event showcased six flagship competitions: INVENTOPRENEUR, COMMERCIAL CHAOS, LEADING EDGE, FINANCIALLY FORWARD, MONEYBALL, and HR360.
Mr. Rajesh Kamath, Founder, and Expert at Chanakya Consulting Insights, inaugurated IMAGE 2024, aptly applying insights from Chanakya’s ageless wisdom on leadership, and management to modern contexts from Kautilya’s Arthshastra. Dr. Chandani Kapadia, Executive Director, GLS University, Dr. Dharmesh Shah, Provost, GLS University and Dr. Shefali Dani, Dean, FOBA, GLS University, also graced the event with their presence.
The event witnessed overwhelming participation, with 1900+ students from 110+ colleges in the preliminary rounds and 100+ participants from 20+ institutes in the final round.
Mr. Rajesh Kamath drew upon his vast knowledge of Chanakya's life story and related that to modern day leadership. He began by showing that Chanakya was more of a Kingmaker and political strategist than a leader, but the legacy he left behind was unparalleled for several generations. His astute sense of observation was undeniable, which helped him handle major political issues in his career and the life of his protégé Chandragupta Maurya. Chanakya's vision of the future helped the Maurya empire reach the heights of glory and lead India into a bright future.
He concluded by stating the key qualities of Chankaya and how they are relevant to leadership management of today.
Mr. Abhishek Jain
The Faculty of Business Administration( FOBA) organises its Annual Prize Distribution Event every year to acknowledging the achievements of Faculty of Business Administration students. The aim of the Annual Prize Distribution event is to reward the deserving students for their persistence, hard-work and earnest endeavors through out the academic year.
This year the event was organised on Monday, 31st August 2023 from 12 noon onwards.
This year to grace the occasion we invited the young, dynamic and immensely talented filmmaker of several critically acclaimed and commercially successful films, Mr. Abhishek Jain. Mr. Abhishek Jain is an Indian film director and producer known for his Gujarati films Kevi Rite Jaish, Bey Yaar, and Wrong Side Raju. In 2021, he made his debut in the Hindi film Hum Do Hamare Do.
Mr. Abhishek Jain, addressed the students and advised them to participate in all activities offered by the institute. He pointed out that he himself had won the award for maximum participation consecutively for three years of his college education and that experience helped him in choosing his professional career. He also stressed that after almost 20 years in the industry he still falls upon his management learning’s to solve creative and business problems in his vocation.
This year. the ceremony included stellar performances from the college band, skit as well as group dance. There were 283 winners of external events who were given awards and certificates.
Mr. Rajat Sethi
Ecofest 2023, a splendid symposium hosted on 20-21st September by Faculty of Business Administration (FOBA), GLS University. Under the theme “Unleashing Economic Excellence”, this symposium promises to explore the intricate interplay of economics, global affairs, and sustainability.
We are honored to have amongst us Mr. Rajat Sethi sir, Public Policy graduate of John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, a management graduate of MIT Sloan School of Management and an engineering graduate of IIT Kharagpur as our esteemed Keynote Speaker. As a distinguished Strategic Analyst, Columnist and Political Consultant, Mr. Shethi’s profound insights are sure to be a highlight of this intellectually energize event.
Anand Pillai
Mr. Anand Pillai is the Managing Director of Leadership Matters, Inc. www.leadershipmatters.in, a company focusing on building an Intrapreneurial culture in organizations. With more than 35 years of rich experience in the corporate world, he has handled challenging assignments in general management & as head of operations (from GM to CEO to CLO) in Fortune 500 companies. In addition, Anand is a Leadership Coach and Organization Transformation Guru.
We were gratifited to have Mr. Anand Pillai sir as our Keynote Speaker, at our event - 'HR Conclave' hosted by Faculty of Business Administration, GLS University, Ahmedabad on 25th August 2023.
Ram Madhav
Ram Madhav is an Indian politician, social leader, author and thinker. Dr Madhav is a Founding Member of the Governing Council of India Foundation (IF), a New Delhi-based Think tank. In over a decade of India Foundation’s existence, Dr Madhav has been the curator of major annual global and national multilateral initiatives like the Indian Ocean Conference, the Dharma-Dhamma Conference, ASEAN-India Youth Summit and Counter Terrorism Conference involving heads of nations and leaders of governments besides academics, scholars and public spirited individuals. Dr Madhav has served as the National General Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during 2014-20. In that capacity, he handled political affairs of Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and other North Eastern states of India.
Ram Madhav joined us at "Shatranj: An Annual Talk" on on July 5, 2023 and addressed the students on the theme of "Building a New India: Innovation and Creativity as Benchmarks".
Dr. Vikram Sampath- Renowed Historian and Writer- Chief Guest , IMAGE 2023
Faculty of Business Administration hosted its flagship event IMAGE during 3rd and 4th February 2023. True to the legacy of the event, every year, FOBA invites eminent luminaires to grace the event and to share their experiences with us.
This year the event was graced by Dr. Vikram Sampath, an eminent author and historian. Dr. Sampath is a versatile personality, whose master's in engineering from BITS Pilani and Doctorate in ethnomusicology from Queensland has molded him into a multidisciplinary scholar and we at FOBA are honored to have had him as our chief Guest for IMAGE 2023. Speaking on the theme of the event, Dr. Sampath in his erudite and inimitable style dwelt on the need of the new generation to look beyond the western histories that have systematically silenced micro-Indian histories. Drawing from his vast knowledge of historiography, Dr Sampath asserted that as Generation ' We', the new generation needs to sensitize themselves about the many unwritten and unarticulated histories of our country, so that we develop a sense of belongingness and pride towards our nation and thereby strive to work collectively and confidently for the development of our country.
Ms. Shubhrastha
Women's Development Cell, one of the crucial statutory committees of GLS University was established in 2015, with the purpose to create an open space where we have discourses on various issues specifically from a gender lens. In the process, we try to unlearn and learn certain concepts that are core to our social milieu. One-day National colloquium titled ‘Gender Equity and Equality’ organized by Faculty of Business Administration, GLS University, Ahmedabad on 8th October 2022.
As a keynote speaker, Ms. Shubhrastha was invited and she delivered the keynote address on the basis of her experience with a great connection with students then questions were welcomed and answered properly. Ms. Shubhrastha is an Indian Political Strategist, Author, Freelance Writer / Contributor and TV Columnist / Debater. She has co-written the famous "The Last Battle of Saraighat" book.
Dr. Anand Rangnathan
5th season of Shataranj Annual Talk Show of GLSBBA was organized on 27th July 2022. Post-Covid pandemic and Russia Ukraine war, the past world order has crumbled and new world order is about to be born. Now the question is: Do we want to remain a mute spectator or do we want to lead in the new situation keeping this the theme of the talk show was being decided: The Emerging Influence of India in Global Arena? The session was taken by Dr. Anand Ragnathan (Professor at JNU, Delhi). Dr. Anand Ranganathan is a Consulting Editor and columnist for Swarajya. He has written previously for Newslaundry, DNA, and The Newsminute. He has written three books, all novels: The Land of the Wilted Rose (Rupa, 2012); For Love and Honour (Bloomsbury, 2015); The Rat Eater (Juggernaut, 2017; co-authored with Chitra Subramaniam). The Shataranj session started with Deep Prajwalan, the Dean’s welcome address followed by the speech by Dr. Anand Ranganathan.
Mr. Burzin Unwala
We were so honoured and ecstatic to have the team of globally acclaimed Gujarati film "Mrugtrushna", Mr. Burzin Unwala, along with the actors Nishma Soni, Karan Patel, Khush Tahilramani and Arya Sagarat at the Prize Distribution Ceremony at our college. Mr. Unwala has over 22 years of experience as Motion Graphics Designer, 3D Animator, Digital Compositor, Visual Effects Producer, Editor, Director and Producer. His aura radiated vibrance and energy in the auditorium.
Dr Sudhanshu Trivedi, Rajyasabha Member & Senior Spokesperson, BJP
On 24th January 2022, Dr Sudhanshu Trivedi, Rajyasabha Member & Senior Spokesperson, BJP inaugurated Annual Management Fest IMAGE 2022 organised by GLSBBA on the theme of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. While underscoring the importance of this campaign, he drew attention to the fact that India developed Ballistic Missiles but never manufactured assault rifles, India could reach to Mars and Moon but never had its indigenous fighter planes. However with the campaign of Atma Nirbhar Bharat, India has started its journey on the path of manufacturing all those things which it requires. The campaign intends to make the country a manufacturing hub while glorifying Indian-ness.
Dr Hindol Sengupta, Vice-President of Invest India
In the Annual Management Fest IMAGE 2022 organised by GLSBBA, Dr Hindol Sengupta, Vice-President of Invest India delivered a keynote speech on the same topic i.e. Aatmanirbhar Bharat. He coined a new word ‘Atmanirbhar resilience’ while glorifying the traditions of drawing strength from within, from one’s convictions and the society in which one is rooted- the tradition initiated by Sardar Patel as a President of Ahmedabad Municipality. He highlighted the grit and fighting spirit of the people of Ahmedabad. He outlined the life of Sardar Patel while relating it to the idea of self-reliance. He talked about feeling proud of all Indian stuff whether it be Pashmina shawl, Muslin or Haldi doodh. Atmanirbharta is all about being confident of ourselves while promoting and branding Indian things instead of going crazy about foreign goods. He asserted that the idea of Atmnarbhar Bharat is not contrary to globalisation as it glorifies Indian uniqueness. He prophesized that India will not only become a producer of goods but also a source of ideas due to Atmanirbhar Bharat Campaign in the years to come.
Bharghav Purohit, The eminent Lyricist, Writer, Music director and screenwriter, Gujarati film indus
Bharghav Purohit, The eminent Lyricist, Writer, Music director and screenwriter working with the Gujarati film industry joined us in Annual Prize Distribution Ceremony on 20th September 2021 as our Chief Guest. The annual prize distribution day is not just a day to reward our students but, this day is specially organized to make our students believe that their efforts do not go unrecognized and that they are an asset to this college.
Parth Vasvada Social Entrepreneur and Founding Partner of YUVA Unstoppable
Prize distribution is one of the most important functions held by institutions. It is a memorable event, which is held at the end of each academic year. Parth Vasvada, Social Entrepreneur and Founding Partner of YUVA Unstoppable joined in to felicitate the students in Annual Prize Distribution Ceremony on 20th September 2021.
Captain Raghu Raman
Raghu Raman, the former CEO of the National Intelligence Grid has a unique blend of career experiences. Raghu began his career with the Indian Armed Forces, and during his 12-year stint there, he was in operations in Punjab, then in the frontline at the highest battlefield in the World in Siachen Glacier followed by a tour of duty in war-torn Angola as a UN Peace Keeper. In 1998, Raghu Raman left the Indian Army and joined the Mahindra Group where he worked and led different companies starting with the United World Colleges, then as the CEO of FirstChoice, CEO of MahindraSSG and finally as the CEO of the joint venture between BAE and Mahindra. In 2009, Raghu was handpicked to create and lead the National Intelligence Grid, an ambitious project set up post the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, India by the Ministry of Home of the Indian Government. In the Ashoka Chakra citation, the President of India noted that Major Raman displayed most conspicuous bravery besides camaraderie and leadership of the highest order and made the supreme sacrifice for the nation. Our Chief Guest in Image 2021 and his speech in Image 2021 triggered many new ideas and inspired many young minds.
Abhishek Jain
Abhishek Jain is a filmmaker and the founder of CineMan Productions Limited. Abhishek has the unique distinction of working with some of the top-notch filmmakers of Bollywood. He was assistant director to Subhash Ghai for the films Yuvraaj and Black & White. Later, he was an associate director with Sanjay Leela Bhansali Films for the movies Guzaarish and Chenab Gandhi. Abhishek's contribution created the benchmark in the Gujarati Film Industry with films including 'Kevi Rite Jaish', 'Bey Yaar', 'Wrong Side Raju' among others. In the year 2017, CineMan received a National Award for the best feature film in the Gujarati language. His company CineMan got into two film co-production deals with Maddock films (production house behind recent Bollywood hits like 'Stree', 'Luka Chuppi', 'Bala' to name a few) for making Hindi feature-length films. Today, CineMan is a fully functioning film production house engaged in activities ranging right from script to screen, Film Production, Film Distribution and Film Marketing along with Advertisement Films, and this makes CineMan one of the finest film production houses in the industry.
Abhishek Jain was the Chief Guest for the Valedictory Function in Image 2021. His presence thrilled the student participants as he announced the winners.
30th January 2021
Anshu Gupta
Anshu Gupta is an Indian social entrepreneur who founded Goonj, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) headquartered in Delhi. Popularly known as the Clothing Man, Anshu has done his Mass communications twice and masters in Economics. Starting as a freelance journalist, Anshu left a corporate job in 1998 and founded GOONJ with a mission to make clothing a matter of concern and to bring it among the list of subjects for the development sector. A powerful and inspiring speaker, Anshu addresses many national and international forums to bring clothing on the development agenda and to motivate the youth to take action. He is a regular speaker in many parts of the World on innovation, leadership, village development, power of youths and social entrepreneurship. Gupta is an Ashoka fellow and was conferred with "Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award" by Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship in 2012. He won the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2015. Anhu joined as the Panel member for Panel Discussion in the Image 2021 on "Harnessing Disruption".
30th January 2021
Dr. Fanscis Norman
Francis Norman's research speciality is in the field of project virtual teams, where his primary focus has been on how these teams interact and function in large engineering projects. He is a highly experienced practitioner with almost 40 years in the resources sector where he has worked as an engineer, engineering manager, project manager and consultant in a broad range of industries including mineral processing, power generation and oil and gas. Over his career, Francis has lived and worked in Brazil, India, the UK, Norway and South Korea. Francis is a Chartered Fellow and Engineering Executive with Engineers Australia, where he was also the 2015 Western Australian Division President, he is a member of the International Centre for Complex Project Management and the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Francis was recognised with the WA and National Engineering Officer of the year by Engineers Australia in 2008 and in 2019 with the award of an Enginers Australia medal. Dr. Norman joined as the Panel member for Panel Discussion in the Image 2021 on "Harnessing Disruption".
30th January 2021
Ms. Geetarsh Kaur
An Educationalist, A Trainer, An Image Consultant and A Passionate Teacher, GeetArsh, is the Founder at The Skill School. Along with Phonetics, she also started working with Children on Grammar, Creative Writing, Theatre, Mathematics, Montessori Skill Development and even a Mother Toddler Program. And thereafter, the journey of a soft skills trainer and an Image Management Consultant started which in return connected her to people from School to College Students, Teachers, to corporate houses, Retail, Hospitality and Aviation Sector. Having a Holistic approach from a 2-year-old to a 60-year-old individual and also having an overview from the Corporate sector, a broader vision to connect and bridge the gap between what the students learn and what the employment demands, helped her sow the seed to The Skill School. Geetarsh joined as the Moderator for Panel Discussion in the Image 2021 on "Harnessing Disruption".
30th January 2021
Mr. Anand Pillai
Anand Pillai is the Managing Director of Leadership Matters, Inc. www.leadershipmatters.in, a company focusing on building an Intrapreneurial culture in organizations. With more than 35 years of rich experience in the corporate world, he has handled challenging assignments in general management & as head of operations (from GM to CEO to CLO) in Fortune 500 companies. In addition, Anand is a Leadership Coach and Organization Transformation Guru. With his leadership and strong vision, Mr. Anand has succeeded in bringing many accolades and recognition, internationally to him and the companies he has worked for. Mr. Anand has been featured in the book "Leading with Wisdom" along with 30 other leaders (Steven Covey, Abdul Kalam to name a few) in the World. He is also featured in a new book "Open Source Leader" published by Penguin Publications. Anand joined as the Panel member for Panel Discussion in the Image 2021 on "Harnessing Disruption".
30th January 2021
Mr. Jeegnesh Vasavada
Jeegnesh Vasavada has been a media and entertainment professional for the past 25 years. He has worked in various fields ranging from Advertising to Print to Radio to Television and Digital Media. Today, he is the founder of www.tathastulive.com, aspiring to be World's largest Aggregator of Temple and its related spiritual services on a Tech Platform. On the Strategic Consulting front, he has been consulting www.ganeshaspeaks.com, www.kaizer.in, Al Chipino Chips, The Project Café and is also consulting Bihar Government for its World Bank Project. He was instrumental in identifying and moderating characters like Sud - Hansee ke Favvare, Mirchi Murga et al. Later, JV was the National Programming Head at MY FM and was instrumental in identifying and curating Chingum Boy. He also consulted TOP FM – launching 13 stations in Gujarat & Jammu & Kashmir. In the digital space, JV was part of the team Modi for his election 2014. Jeegnesh joined as the Panel member for Panel Discussion in the Image 2021 on "Harnessing Disruption".
30th January, 2021
J. D. Majethia
Jamnadas Majethia (JD) (born 5 February 1969) is an Indian actor, director and producer. He is well known for his work in Gujarati and Hindi plays, dramas, serials & film. On stage, he has been active in Gujarati theatre for the last 20 years. He formed a company Hats Off Productions with Aatish Kapadia. While he is usually associated with comic roles, he is also known to portray supporting characters to a certain extent. The actor-filmmaker is known for backing comedy projects and has produced the very famous series "Sarabhai vs. Sarabhai" and "Khichdi". He was nominated in 2011 for Apsara Award for Best Actor in a Comic Role for his role as Himanshu Seth in Khichdi: The Movie. In 2013, Majethia launched his acting academy, HatsOff Actors Studios. J.D. Majethia joined GLSBBA in celebrations of Annual Awards and Farewell and encouraged the students with his kind words.
29th October 2020
Major Gaurav Arya
Major Gaurav Arya (Retd) is the Consulting Editor for Strategic Affairs at Republic Media Network. He analyses the Indian Defence Services, National Security and Strategy. Major Gaurav Arya is often seen on prime-time TV debates and has also spoken at various TED Talks (TEDx). He is a TV host and anchors the immensely popular weekly TV show PATRIOT. This TV show is on soldiers from all forces and is about introducing the country to new heroes. He is also a popular public speaker and speaks on leadership, motivation, team building, strategic affairs, national security and capability building.
He was one of the speakers at the third season of SHATARANJ, the annual event of GLS BBA where we majorly talk about India's International Relations and current affairs. Major Gaurav Arya spoke on "Chinese incursion in Ladakh: a battle of Economic Supremacy or Political Imperialism?". He enlightened the prominence of different defence and strategic aspects and some exceptional strategies on how the Army works.
30th September 2020
Dr Amit Garg
Prof Amit Garg specializes in energy, climate change and sustainable development issues and offers courses titled Carbon Finance and Managing Energy Businesses to PGP participants. He is a Lead Author for UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports on global climate change. Prof Garg was felicitated by the Prime Minister of India on his outstanding contributions to climate change research in 2007. He was also a prominent member and contributed to the award of Nobel Peace Prize to IPCC in 2007. He received the Distinguished Young Professor Award for Excellence in Research at IIMA in 2010 and Outstanding Researcher Award again in 2016.
Prior to joining IIMA, Prof Garg worked as Senior Economist at UNEP Risoe Centre, Technical University of Denmark. He has worked on several research and consulting assignments for international and Indian organizations including IEA, the World Bank, UNDP, UNEP, USAID, the European Union, UK government, German Government and Government of India’s Ministry of Environment & Forests, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, and University Grants Commission.
Ms Laila Tyabji
Ms Laila Tyabji is Chairperson and founder member of Dastkar, an NGO working with Crafts & Craftspeople all over India. Her work with artisans over the last 30 years includes the Chikan workers of SEWA Lucknow, Lambani tribals in Karnataka, Ari, mirror-work and Kantha craftswomen in Kashmir, Kutch and Bengal. Previous to Dastkar Laila studied art in Baroda and Japan, and worked as a freelance designer in textiles, graphics, interiors and the theatre.
She was awarded the Padma Shri for her work in craft and development in 2012, and is also the recipient of the Aid To Artisans PRESERVATION OF CRAFT AWARD, New York, and the NIFT Lifetime Achievement Award among others.
Abraham Koshy (IIM Ahmedabad)
Abraham Koshy, working as Professor of Marketing at Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA), is a reputed teacher, researcher, consultant and corporate trainer
Professor Koshy is a co-author of the Marketing management book with the legendary marketing guru Prof. Philip Kotler and others (Marketing Management: A South Asian Perspective by Kotler, Keller, Koshy and Jha; Person Education, 2006). In addition to this book, he is a co-author of Growth and Transformations of Small Firms in India (Oxford University Press) and a co-editor of Managing Alternatives (Macmillan India Limited) and Marketing of Information Products and Services (IIM Ahmedabad)
Currently, he is a Visiting Professor at European School of Management, Paris and Glasgow University, UK. He was a Visiting Professor at the Department of Marketing and at Strathclyde Business School, Strahclyde University, UK.
“Wonderful experience to interact with Principals, Directors, Faculties and Students of this great educational venture. I am happy and privileged to be here.“
Prahlad Kakar
Prahlad Kakar, Advertising Film Director, for Prahlad Kakar Film Production, one of India’s oldest and foremost Ad film production houses since its inception in 1977. Prahlad founded his firm in 1977 and virtually invented a genre of television advertising in India in the years that followed. Prahlad has ruled the advertising world with his brand of irreverent humor, memorable brand building campaigns and has created Award winning commercials for the most reputed Corporates and agencies in India and the Asia Pacific region. After having assisted renowned feature Filmmaker, Mr. ShyamBenegal, he moved onto Advertising films. “To tell a story in 30 seconds in the most engaging way possible†remains Prahlad’s raison d’être for his continued passion about ad filmmaking, even 30 years later.
Known as the “Ad guru†he has been instrumental in changing the face of advertising in our country bringing in the appropriate “regional Indianness†and values into an urban context through his films, creative workshops, articles and interviews. He has helped create memorable campaigns for brands like Pepsi “YehiHai Right Choice Baby! Aha!â€, Gold spot “The Zing Thingâ€, Maggie “2 minutes!â€, Britannia “Ting Ting Ti Tingâ€, Limca “ZorkaJhatka†and Maggi Sauces “It's differentâ€
“It was really an innovative idea to have such thinking regarding business summitâ€
Mr Pushpendra Kulshrestha
Shri Pushpendra Kulshrestha is a political Analyst. He was the official editorial manager and India’s head at AAJ News of Pakistan for 12 years. He has worked with Sahara News, BBC World, and Zee News, served different positions. He surrendered all his formal job titles in 2017.
He has served multiple times as Secretary-General of Press Club of India. Pushpendra Sir uncovered numerous details associated with the Jammu & Kashmir current circumstances. Sir with his two different companions framed a nongovernmental association named as “We the Citizens”. He is a scholarly speaker on questionable issues like Kashmir Conflict, Rehabilitation of Kashmiri Hindus in Kashmir Valley, Terrorism. Since 2016 he is conducting awareness programs on these issues, productively 20 days in a month which means on an average the figure comes around 500 speeches in a span of 3 years.
"It was great and wonderful opportunity to share my thought with young minds. Auditorium was so alert. I really enjoyed the environment."
Sanjay Raval
Mr Sanjay Raval is one of the well-known Gujarati speaker on Fearless Life and Personality Development. He has ability to deliver original and useful insights to the youth of this generation. He motivates individuals to live fearless life, develop personality and live life positive way. His seminar’s videos have been seen by more than 1 crore people on Social media in last 1 year.
His Books "Now I Feel Better than before" and "I like It You Also like It" have sold more than 1,00,000 copies all over India. His 3rd book "Fearless Life" will be release shortly. He has done more than 940 seminars in last five years. More than 7.5 Lacs people have personally attended his seminars.
Sanjay Raval has Bookstore named Takshashila in Ahmedabad, Private LTD Company, Treasure Books & Lifestyle Store, two "Fitness Zone" Health Club, Hotel Treasure in Palanpur. He is Producer of the movie "Vitamin She" which has released on 28th July, 2017.
Rajeev Khandelwal
Rajeev Khandelwal is one of the most popular television film actors and host. He is one of the most versatile actor of the industry and has received many acclamations and awards for his different performances. He started his acting career with the TV series, & Kya Hadsaa Kya Haqeeqat (2002) as a negative lead. His first daily serial where he played the male lead as Sujal in Kahiin To Hoga (2003-2005). He also acted in many television shows which include Time Bomb 9/11 (2005), Sun Leyna (2006), Left Right Left (2007) to name a few. In 2008, he made his Bollywood debut with the film Aamir which proved to be a turning point in his career. Forth he became part of many films like Shaitan (2011), Soundtrack (2011), Table No.21 (2013), Samrat &;Co (2015) and others.
Apart from acting he has hosted many reality shows which are Deal Ya No Deal, Sacch Ka Saamna, Super Cars and My Endeavour. In 2015, he returned to television with Kritika Kamra at Sony TVs show Reporters. He is currently hosting a talk show Juzz Baatt on Zee TV.
Mr. Mayur Puri
Mr. Mayur Puri is a professional storyteller, screenwriter, lyricist and film maker working in Mumbai. He has written songs, screenplays and dialogues for several movies, including the very successful ‘Om Shanti Om’ and ‘Happy New Year’. He also has worked as a writer, screenwriter, and lyricist with whose-a-who of bollywood fraternity in movies like ‘Faltu’, ‘ABCD’, ‘Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai’, ‘Singh is King’, ‘Dhoom 3’, ‘Race 2’ and the list is endless.
“It was really an insightful morning here for IMAGE – 2018, with esteemed guests, warm faculty and enthused students. Looking forward to visit again. I wish GLS University all the very best!â€
Mr. Sanjeev Singhai
Mr. Sanjeev Singhai, the co-owner Buchanan Group, he is also a well-known and one of India’s top media, marketing and advertising professionals. He is co-founder of HomeTesterClub.com which is world’s largest grocery store shoppers’ community. He is also co-founder of Successness.com which is world’s largest ongoing study of personal achievements and success.
“Really very pleasing to know that undergraduate school is paying so much attention on development of students and organising event like IMAGE – 2018. Well done and best wishes!â€
Mr. Abhijit Ganguly
Abijit Ganguly is one of the few bi-lingual stand-up comedians in our country who is equally comfortable in both English and Hindi. His solid corporate and educational background (alum of Delhi School of Economics and ex-Deloitte Consulting) ensures he connects to the highly qualified corporate junta & his Delhi upbringing makes sure that his content resonates with the masses. He is a multiple times TedX speaker and has done brand-work for Woo, Sprite, Culture Machine, OYO Rooms, etc.
“Had a lovely time! YOU GUYS ROCK!!â€
Prof. Sudhir K. Jain
Dr. Sudhir Jain an academician par excellence has been closely associated with the field of education all throughout his career. He has been on the faculty of IIT Kanpur (IITK) since 1984 from where he is currently on leave to the new Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) in Ahmedabad to shoulder the responsibilities of its Director. As the Founder Director of IIT Gandhinagar, Prof. Jain has experimented with numerous ideas in curriculum, student affairs, faculty recruitment and faculty management. His speciality is earthquake engineering practice and education in India. He has given valuable contribution in the development of several important seismic codes in India. Dr. Jain gave the keynote address for the NAAC sponsored National level function on Higher Education in Post-Globalisation Scenario.
About his experience at GLS (J. P. Shah) BBA, Dr Jain says, “Enjoyed the visit. You are doing a great job of education at a very low budget. I also had the opportunity to meet so many enlightened persons at GLS. Meeting the Governershri was another treat. I am glad I was invited.â€
Honourable Governer Shri Mr O. P. Kohli
Honourable Governer Shri Mr O. P. Kohli resumed the office as Governer of Gujarat on 16th July 2014. Throughout his life, he has been closely associated with the field of education. As a student he has served as the PM of Hansraj College (University of Delhi) Parliament. Later on he went on to become All India President of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) for 3 consecutive terms. He was also elected as the President of Delhi University's Teachers Association (DUTA) from 1973-79 and as the President of National Democratic Teacher's Front (NDTF), a nationalist organization of University TeachersÂ
He assumed office as a Rajya Sabha Member from 1994 to 2004. Moreover, he has been a member for various Standing Committees during his term as a Rajya Sabha member. Honourable Governer Shri Mr O. P. Kohli was invited as the chief guest for the inaugural function of NAAC Sponsored National Level Conference organised by the college on 12th and 13th April
In his words of praise, the Honourable Governershri said “I have been greatly benefitted by the ideas expressed in the opening session of the conference.†Â
The college is infinitely indebted to sir for gracing us with his presence and presiding the conference
Srijan Pal Singh
Sri. Srijan Pal Singh is an Indian Author, Public speaker, and social entrepreneur, activist and Advisor to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam who served as the 11th President of India. In Nov 2011, he started a youth movement with Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam called “What can I give missionâ€, besides promoting various assignments such as “Energy Independence for the nationsâ€, “Nuclear and space missions†and has co-authored 3 books with him.
He spoke to the audience about the power of dreams, importance of having a direction in life, and about putting concentrated efforts in one direction. He also elucidated about the importance of respecting one and all forms of life, and also asked the students to take an oath to be self-disciplined and being grounded at all times.
Mr. Bharat Dabholkar
Mr Bharat Dabholkar is an Ad Maker and a theatre personality who, once in a while, acts in movies as well. He was also the man behind many Amul Butter ad and billboards. Before he slipped into these roles, Dabholkar, a management graduate who studied law, started his career as a trainee in Philips.
Elucidating the theme of Make In India, he conveyed us the importance of the concept with context to our country and showed us the way to work on it. According to him just saying make in India is not enough but to understand its practical aspect and implementing it is the most important.
He gave us a mantra “keep it crisp†because people remember short and catchy punch line and try to connect with them emotionally rather than logically
