Senior Research Fellow for Innovations, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia
Venkatachalam Anbumozhi is a Senior Research Fellow for Innovations at the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Indonesia. His previous positions include Senior Capacity Building Specialist at the Asian Development Bank Institute, Assistant Professor at the University of Tokyo, Senior Policy Researcher at the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, and Assistant Manager at Pacific Consultants International, Tokyo. He has published several books, authored numerous research articles, and produced many project reports on climate smart development, blue economy, and green infrastructure design. Anbumozhi was invited as a member of the G20 task force on Green Cities Living Lab, the US-ASEAN advisory group on Blue economy, APEC Expert Panel on Green Growth, and the ASEAN Panel for promoting climate-resilient growth. He has taught sustainable technologies, international cooperation for sustainable development goals, and innovative finance for inclusive growth at the University of Tokyo. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo.
Deputy Director, Agricultural Development-Asia, Gates Foundation
Srivalli Krishnan is the Senior Program Officer-Agricultural Development at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and leads Foundations’ agricultural programs and investments in Asia. She is the lead for Food Systems work in Asia, particularly around diversified and resilient food systems, livestock, and improving production, supply and demand of quality foods. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was the Development Assistance Specialist with the United States Agency for International development (USAID) India Office as the coordinator for agriculture and climate change programs in India, Africa and Asia region; and prior to that with the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry providing technical and policy advise to enhance Australia’s bilateral engagement with India in agriculture trade, economics and policy. Srivalli holds PhD in Crop breeding and genetics from TERI University and Post-doctoral from Cornell University; Masters in Life Sciences from the University of Delhi and advanced diplomas in intellectual property law from WIPO Academy, Geneva; and professional qualifications from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston.
Principal Natural Resources and
Agriculture Specialist
Asian Development Bank (ADB), Philippines
Michiko has been working on food security, agriculture and rural development investments for more than 20 years in Asia and the Pacific. She currently works on resilient and inclusive food system development, climate change adaptation of rural communities, innovative green finance tools and low cost technology solutions for smallholder agriculture in ADB’s developing member countries. Prior to joining ADB she worked for UNDP, Mitsubishi Trust , Banking Co. and S.G. Warburg Securities. She holds a master’s degree in development economics from the Institute of Social Studies, the Hague (Nuffic scholar).
Chief Operating Officer, EkStep Foundation
Jagadish Babu is the Chief Operating Officer of EkStep Foundation and a pioneer in digital public infrastructure for learning and agriculture. With over 25 years of experience across private, government, and non-profit sectors, he has played key roles in Aadhaar, DIKSHA among others. He leads innovations in AI, language technologies, and open networks to make knowledge and services more accessible. As a founding conceptualizer of the Open Agricultural Network (OAN), his work is shaping sovereign agri-stacks globally, powered by AI. An alumnus of IISc Bangalore, Jagadish is passionate about harnessing technology to transform lives at scale. He is an agriculture, agroForestry and wildlife enthusiast.
Expert in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Resilience; Ex-Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction, Information & Communications Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction Division, UN ESCAP
Sanjay K. Srivastava served as the Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). He directed ESCAP’s analytical policy research on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation, which led to UN intergovernmental meetings, negotiations, and agreements, as well as supported the development of national DRR strategies, National Adaptation Plans, and more.
Vice President, Strategic Initiatives and Country Head, Dexian India
Kumar Rajagopalan exemplifies transformative leadership in his role as Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Country Head at Dexian. With over 30 years of industry experience, Kumar has propelled Dexian into a global growth powerhouse, redefining the role of Global Capability Centers (GCCs) across international markets. His visionary strategy and pragmatic execution have driven exceptional innovation and operational excellence, positioning Dexian as a leader in its field.