Guest of Honour

Professor Man Mohan Sharma (born May 1, 1937) is one of India’s most distinguished chemical engineers and a globally respected academician. Born in Jodhpur, he pursued his education in India before earning a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cambridge.

At just 27 years of age, Sharma became a Professor at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai, where he went on to shape generations of engineers and researchers. He later served as the Director of the institute, playing a key role in its evolution into a premier center for chemical engineering education and research.

Widely recognized for his pioneering contributions to chemical reaction engineering, particularly in multiphase reactions and catalysis, Sharma has had a profound impact on both academia and industry. His work helped bridge fundamental science with industrial applications, influencing process design and innovation.

In 1990, he became the first Indian engineer to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS), one of the highest honors in science. His excellence has been further recognized with prestigious awards including the Padma Bhushan (1987) and Padma Vibhushan (2001), along with the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize and the Leverhulme Medal.

Known as a mentor par excellence, Sharma has guided numerous researchers and contributed significantly to the growth of chemical engineering in India. His legacy continues to inspire innovation, academic rigor, and leadership in science and engineering.

Mr. Sumnesh Joshi is a senior officer of the Indian Telecom Service (1993 Batch) with over 25 years of distinguished service in the Government of India. He is currently serving as Deputy Director General in the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Mumbai.

In his present role, he is actively engaged in expanding 5G use cases, promoting IoT ecosystems, and facilitating the effective implementation of telecom policies to ensure smooth and timely rollout of telecom networks by service providers. He is also associated with the 4G Network Saturation Project, aimed at strengthening digital connectivity in underserved areas.

Mr. Joshi was part of the founding team of UIDAI Regional Office, Mumbai in April 2010, working under the leadership of Mr. Nandan Nilekani. He played a pivotal role in the rollout of the biometric-based digital identity platform “Aadhaar” across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and Daman & Diu.

He worked extensively with Aadhaar ecosystem partners including State Governments, Regulators, Banks, Insurance Companies, and FinTech firms, guiding them in designing citizen-centric service delivery models leveraging Aadhaar. He contributed significantly to enabling Aadhaar as a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for targeted delivery of services and benefits under various e-Governance initiatives.

Mr. Joshi also headed the Enrolment & Update vertical of UIDAI at the national level. He was a member of multiple committees focused on strengthening Aadhaar enrolment processes, revisiting regulations and standard operating procedures (SoPs), automating workflows, and developing the Universal Client for enrolment and updates. He has special experience in facilitating Aadhaar enrolment for vulnerable and marginalized populations, including child care institutions, prisons, orphanages, and mental health institutions.

Earlier in his career at the Department of Telecommunications, he worked in areas such as telecom traffic planning, data analytics, project implementation, marketing strategy, market intelligence, product development, and brand building.

Academically, Mr. Joshi holds:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electronics & Communication Engineering from Rajasthan Technical University, Kota, India
• MicroMasters in Data, Economics and Development Policy from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA
• Certificate in Public Policy from University of California, Berkeley
• MBA from Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon, India

He is a TEDx speaker and is widely recognized as a leading voice in digital identity, fintech, and Digital Public Infrastructure, speaking at national and international forums on inclusive digital transformation.