Ram Chandnani
Managing Director, Advisory & Transaction Services, CBRE India

​Ram leads CBRE’s Advisory & Transaction business in India. He has been with associated with CBRE for over 28 years and has an overall real estate experience of 30 years.
As the business leader for Office, Retail, Land, Industrial and warehousing, he leads a team of 550+ professionals across 14+ offices in India.
Ram is a trusted advisor and partner to clients in India and continues to manage and spearhead some of CBRE’s strategic relationships as their trusted partner. He is also very active in the real estate eco-space and is a well-known speaker and contributor across Industry forums such as CORENET, CII, CREDAI and many others.

Vikram Vidyala is Senior Executive Director of the Project Management business line at CBRE, India. He joined CBRE in 2002 and has over 25 years of professional experience in the fields of Project Management, Architecture, and Interior Design. He currently heads the Project Management Business for South India, and is also the executive sponsor of services verticals including Interior Design, Independent Commissioning, ESG & Sustainability Consulting and Design Advisory & Design Management.
As a seasoned leader Vikram has led teams to market leading position across geographies and sectors. With an architecture/ design background, creativity is a core aspect that drives him.

Vikram Vidyala
Senior Executive Director, Project Management, CBRE

Abhilash Valiyavalappil
Director & CEO, Lulu IT Parks

"Leading with vision and delivering with precision—that is the mantra of Abhilash Valiyavalappil, the Director and CEO of Lulu IT Parks.
With 35 years of experience at the helm of cross-functional teams and diverse departments, in Lulu, Abhilash has been the driving force behind prestigious projects like Silicon Central Mall Dubai, Grand Hyatt Bolgatty Kochi, Lulu Tech Park Infopark Kochi and the most prestigious Lulu IT Twin Towers in Smartcity Kochi.
Starting his career as a commercial representative at Lulu Group International, Abhilash progressed through roles such as Imports Manager, Operations Manager, Group Business Development Manager and Group Commercial Manager before rising to the position of CEO and Director. Today, Abhilash mentors, strategizes, and drives change, aiming to redefine Lulu’s identity and unlock new potential in complex markets.
Abhilash believes in the power of collaboration and the magic that happens when diverse minds come together to solve big challenges. His goal is to lead transformative projects, foster growth, and turn dreams into reality. Let’s connect and explore how to inspire innovation and make a difference together!"

S Krishna Kumar
Chief Operating Officer, GEMS Modern Academy - Kochi"

Tilak Thomas
Partner, Thomas

Tilak Thomas, graduated in Architecture from the TVB School of Habitat Studies, New Delhi. He is a fellow of the Indian Institute of Architects and Council of Architecture (COA). He has over fifteen years in the field, during whi ch he honed his skills at the renowned Wimberley Allison Tong & Goo, London, a firm specialising in global hotel and resort projects.
He today is the Jt. Principal Architect of Thomas Associates Architects, a firm set up by Mr. T. M. Thomas over 4 decad es ago.
Thomas Associates, headquartered in Bangalore, has stayed at the cutting edge of global design, ensuring that its contribution to Bangalore’s skyline has kept pace with its global evolution into a mega polis.
Over 1500 prominent landmarks across Southern India bear the electric stamp of a Thomas Associates (TA) design, making it one of the best known architectural, engineering and interior design firms in the country. TA has altered the skyline of a number of Indian cities with a slew of prestigi ous projects ranging from hotels, corporate offices, integrated campuses, Tech Parks, high end retail malls, multiplexes, residential apartments and integrated townships.

Shriti Pandey is the Founder and CEO of Strawcture Eco, the 1st company in India to make Carbon negative building material waste fibers. Her initiative stops crop stubble burning which is the leading cause of air pollution in North India. The company promotes Circular Economy business model in Construction Industry, one of the biggest emitters of GHGs by manufacturing materials that act as Carbon sink.
Shriti is a Civil engineer and has a Masters in Construction Management from New York University. She is a Forbes 30U30 Asia 2021 Honoree, a TEDx speaker, and a United Nations Social Impact Challenge Award Winner.
Strawcture Eco is supported by numerous Global Accelerators, such as the Circular Economy Accelerator and RESPOND by the BMW Foundation, in Germany and IIM Bangalore and Calcutta in India.
Shriti is an Acumen & Echoing Green 2020 Fellow- 2 leading New York based fellowships to build Moral Leaders. In 2023, Shriti won prestigious Global Impact fellowships and grants based in America, such as Unreasonable Accelerator, Third Derivative, and Henry Arnhold. Shriti was also chosen for the Change Now Fellowship as one of the top 25 Women shaping the world.

Shriti Pandey
Founder of Strawcture Eco

Sandeep Patwardhan,
Senior Vice President, Enormous

Over the past 18 years, I have been privileged to work in an industry that thrives on creativity, innovation, and the power of storytelling. As the Senior Vice President at Enormous, my journey has been about crafting impactful campaigns, building enduring brands, and embracing the ever-evolving landscape of advertising. My career has given me the opportunity to work on a diverse array of brands, where I’ve focused on blending strategic insight with creative excellence. From leading multi-faceted campaigns to navigating the complexities of digital transformation, my mission has always been to create work that not only drives results but also resonates deeply with audiences. One of the proudest moments of my professional journey came recently when I was honoured with the Social Samosa Top 40 Under 40 Award. This recognition is not just a testament to my efforts but also to the incredible teams and clients I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with over the years. It’s an acknowledgment of the hard work, late nights, and relentless pursuit of excellence that defines this industry.
At Enormous, I am committed to steering our vision towards innovation, growth, and purpose-driven marketing. I firmly believe in the power of collaboration, and my role is to inspire and empower teams to think beyond the ordinary, ensuring we remain ahead of the curve. Advertising is more than just my profession—it's my passion. It’s about creating meaningful connections, solving problems creatively, and delivering value to brands and consumers alike. As I look ahead, I’m excited to continue this journey, pushing boundaries and setting new benchmarks in an industry I deeply love.

Prof.John Chiramel
Visiting Professor at XLRI, Jamshedpur & XUB Bhubaneshwar

Mr. Chacko Thomas
Chief Sustainable Officer, Tata Sons.

Chacko Thomas
Group Chief Sustainability Officer
Chacko Thomas assumed the role of Group Chief Sustainability Officer at Tata Sons in January 2024, bringing a wealth of expertise and a proven track record in sustainable business practices. Prior to this pivotal role, Mr. Thomas served as the Managing Director & CEO of Tata Coffee, a prominent and sustainably-focused integrated coffee enterprise serving more than 40 countries globally.
Under Mr. Thomas's leadership, Tata Coffee distinguished itself as one of the most sustainable players in the industry. The company's plantation and extraction operations consistently implemented cutting-edge sustainability practices, encompassing energy efficiency, sustainable agriculture, and a strong commitment to worker welfare and safety. These initiatives received both national and international recognition for their positive impact on the environment and communities. With a career spanning over 30 years within the Tata Group, Mr. Thomas has demonstrated versatile expertise across various functions, including sales, marketing, and distribution. During his tenure at Tata Coffee, he shaped the company's strategic direction, fostering innovation in product development, driving operational excellence throughout the value chain and building high performing teams in India and Vietnam. He also collaborated closely with Tata Consumer Products, contributing to the development of cross-business synergies.
Mr. Thomas actively engages with various industry bodies and advocacy groups, showcasing his dedication to advancing sustainability practices and industry standards.
Mr. Thomas is an alumnus of INSEAD Fontainebleau having done his Advanced Management Programme there.

Alok is currently Head of Business Development, CRM and New Initiatives for CBRE Consulting & Valuations Team in India. New Initiatives include a dedicated focus on advisory & valuations workstream for emerging asset classes such as Student Housing / Co-living, Co-working / Flexible Workspaces, Data Centres, Senior / Affordable Housing, Healthcare and Education.
Alok joined CBRE India in Year 2005 and has over 17 years of experience in this domain across different asset classes highlighted above in the sub- continent. He has worked across a wide spectrum of clients including BFSI segment, investment banks, private equity & distressed funds, developers, corporate houses, government bodies, land owners and operators across all emerging asset classes.
He has been a part of a wide variety of advisory assignments ranging from feasibility studies for various developments (IT Parks, special economic zones, large-scale township projects, integrated mixed use development), real estate portfolio optimization studies, entry / exit strategies, etc. In addition, he has also had extensive exposure to valuation engagements ranging from due diligence exercises to appraisals of commercial/ residential properties, mortgage/ collateral appraisals, retail malls, large- scale industrial parks, hospitality and entertainment projects to other special use real estate valuations. Over the last few years, he has been extensively involved in undertaking investor diligences, expansion strategies, market assessments, valuations across all emerging asset classes witnessing significant interest in the Indian market. He was recently selected as a jury member for the 3rd Realty+ Co-working Summit & Awards.

ALOK KUMAR PURI
Associate Executive Director - Head of Business Development, CRM and New Initiatives, CBRE India

Major General VT Matthew
General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Karnataka

Romil currently heads the Advisory & Transaction services in Hyderabad, Chennai & Kerala. His long-standing relationships with key developers and landlords coupled with his unmatched market intelligence ensures that our clients get the best value- add and support. Moreover, his ability to understand the implications of a transaction for all parties involved enables him to develop effective negotiation strategies on behalf of his clients.
His extensive transactional experience in leading complex consolidations, built-to- suit leasing, acquisitions, renegotiation and renewals enables him to be ahead of the curve when it comes to representing our clients. He has consistently managed some large mandated accounts and helped in onboarding new clients. His proactive approach & high level of commitment to service delivery has won him accolades among many clients.

Romil Dubey
Head - A&T - Hyd, Chennai and Kerala, CBRE India

Abhilasha Bhagat- MRICS, LEED GA I Director Head Consulting- Bangalore I Consulting & Valuations Advisory CBRE India

Abhilasha has over 19 years of experience and core expertise in real estate strategic advisory, valuations and urban infrastructure projects for a diverse client base of public and private sector, international funds and financial institutions as well as corporate houses.
Abhilasha has a strong background and rich consulting experience reflected in the marquee projects led by her involving strategic insights to clients like retail houses, corporates like Amazon for entry/ expansion/ exit strategies, landlords and developers for development strategy, investment strategies to fund houses and monetization strategies for the public sector clients. She has been the CRM for Amazon for their warehousing expansion plans and provided strategic investment advisory to World Bank.
At CBRE, as the head of her BU, she is responsible for smooth functioning and performance of her BU, provide growth through innovation and efficiencies and achieve the organizational goals.

Sujith is the Regional Head for nasscom in Kerala. He also holds the additional responsibility of SIG of national SME Council and ESG.
Nasscom, the chief industry association for the IT-BPM sectors in India. As a non- profit organization financed by the industry, its intention is to frame a growth led and technologically sustainable business services sector in the country. He is keen in conceptualizing and applying multiple touch points for members by harmonizing nasscom with the interest and objectives of its member companies at State levels. Sujith who joined the organization in 2011, has up sprung nasscom’s Kerala Region operations by establishing its first regional office at Thiruvananthapuram and the second office at Kochi. In 2015, he initiated the 10,000 Startups warehouse, which ranks the third warehouse in the Country.
He began his career with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), to design a sustainable environment for the growth of the industry in Kerala, by partnering industry and government through advisory and consultative processes.
He holds an engineering degree from Anna University and a master’s in Business Administration from Mahatma Gandhi University, where he has honored with the best Alumni Award in 2018. He is super dynamic and enthusiastic in creating a vigorous IT ecosystem in the state of Kerala and to aid IT-ITeS investments, thereby generating employment opportunities. He is also the President of “Bhumi”, a non-profit organization that aims at designing an ecosystem for organic farming and waste management in a research based and methodical manner .
Personally, and professionally, he gets himself involved into whatever he is up to. He is married to Urmila Unni and the couple have two children. He is a passionate musician, an ardent off-roader and a fine culinary artist.

M S Sujith Unni
Regional Head, Nasscom, Kerala

Mr. Amit Kedia
Director, Kedia Corporate Advisors Pvt Ltd

Amit Kumar Kedia, Director at Kedia Corporate Advisors Private Limited, stands as a distinguished figure in the realm of finance and consultancy. With an illustrious career spanning over sixteen years, he has garnered acclaim for his multifaceted expertise as a practicing Chartered Accountant.
Amit's extensive repertoire encompasses a wide array of domains including RERA, Litigation, Arbitration, AIFs, REITs, SM REITs, SEBI related matters, IFSCA (Gift City), SME IPOs, Social Stock Exchange Labour Law, Forensic, Due Diligence, and many more. His insightful counsel has steered numerous projects across the nation, earning him recognition as a reliable advisor and consultant.
Amit is a sought-after speaker and has delivered enlightening lectures across various platforms, showcasing his commitment to knowledge dissemination within the industry. His core proficiency lies in finance, particularly in fundraising across diverse financial products. Amit's unwavering dedication to serving entrepreneurs and corporations alike underscores his passion for fostering financial growth and success.
Over 1500 prominent landmarks across Southern India bear the electric stamp of a Thomas Associates (TA) design, making it one of the best known architectural, engineering and interior design firms in the country. TA has altered the skyline of a number of Indian cities with a slew of prestigi ous projects ranging from hotels, corporate offices, integrated campuses, Tech Parks, high end retail malls, multiplexes, residential apartments and integrated townships.

Susanth Kurunthil  (സുശാന്ത് കുറുന്തിൽ)
Profile: A seasoned entrepreneur in the IT industry, Susanth Kurunthil has more than three decades of experience in leadership, software development, consulting, and entrepreneurship. He served as the country head of a US-based software company and has set up and run three different companies.
His educational background includes a BTech in Computer Science from Government Engineering College, Thrissur as well as an MBA degree from San Jose State University, USA.
At present, Susanth Kurunthil is the CEO of Infopark, situated in Kochi, Cherthala and Thrissur, and holds the additional charge of the CEO of Govt Cyberpark, Kozhikode.

Mr. Sushanth Kurunthil
CEO, Infoparks Kerala

Shri. K Chandran Pillai
Chairman, Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA)

Lieutenant General Deependra Singh Hooda, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSM & Bar, ADC is the former General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian army's Northern Command. The General Officer was the Northern Army Commander during the 'surgical strike' in September 2016.
He is most prominently known for his views on Kashmir with a strong emphasis on human rights. With a career spanning forty years, he has served on both the Northern and Eastern borders of India.

(Retd.) Lt Gen Deependra Singh Hooda
PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSM**, ADC