Empowering leaders through participatory democracy, governance, and leadership programs for a stronger, inclusive, and progressive India.
Dr. Abhishek Pratap SINGH is PhD in China Studies from JNU and teaches Polity and International Studies at Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi. He was awarded Fellow, South Asia Democratic Forum (SADF), Brussels, Belgium and was nominated as an India Delegate for the BRICS Program 2017 by Fudan University, Shanghai. He also attended the Visiting Sinologists Program 2018 at Jinan University, Guangzhou at the invitation of the Ministry of Culture, China and headed 1st India Youth Delegation 2018 to Tibet. He is an honorary member, Hindi Advisory Committee, NITI Aayog and member, Editorial Advisory Board, Dr. Ambedkar International Convention Centre, New Delhi. He regularly speaks and writes on global and policy issues.
Charu Shukla is a professional with over 16 years of experience in the development sector. She specializes in project design, implementation, and capacity building through training diverse stakeholders on development-related issues. Charu has collaborated with esteemed organizations such as UNOPS, Plan International, and the IPAS Development Foundation.
Driven by a deep commitment to social equity, Charu is passionate about advocating for marginalized communities and creating an inclusive environment that fosters opportunities for all.
It is with great pleasure that I introduce Professor Vivek Kumar Morya, a distinguished scientist, academician, and innovator in the fields of biotechnology and regenerative medicine. With over two decades of exemplary contributions to science, education, and innovation, Dr. Morya has established himself as a global leader in cutting-edge research, focusing on musculoskeletal regeneration, nanotechnology, and biotechnology applications in healthcare.
Dr. Morya is currently a Professor (Research) at the Regenerative Orthopaedic Medicine Research Institute, Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University, South Korea. In this role, he leads transformative research in stem-cell-based therapies, tissue-specific mesenchymal stem cells, orthobiologics, and cell-free regenerative therapeutics, such as miRNA and exosomes, aimed at improving outcomes for musculoskeletal disorders.
Dr. Morya earned his Ph.D. in Biotechnology from Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University, India, where his pioneering work on enzymatic characterizations of Aspergillus isolates laid the foundation for his illustrious career. His academic journey also includes an M.Sc. in Biotechnology and a B.Sc. in Biology, both from the same university.
Throughout his career, Dr. Morya has contributed to over 65 high-impact peer-reviewed publications, authored 8 book chapters, and presented at numerous prestigious conferences worldwide. He holds 14 patents, including groundbreaking innovations in tendinopathy treatments, biomedical waste management, and cosmeceutical formulations. His remarkable contributions include the development of a 3D tendinopathy model for drug screening and novel therapeutic approaches for osteosarcoma. He also identified 28 novel aspergillus strains (Deposited at MTCC and NIIC).
Dr. Morya’s academic achievements are complemented by his dedication to education. During his tenure as Assistant Professor at Inha University, South Korea, he developed and taught advanced courses in biosimilars, technical writing, nanobiotechnology, and biostatistics. His commitment to nurturing the next generation of scientists is reflected in his supervision of numerous undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students.
Dr. Morya’s exceptional work has earned him numerous accolades, including:
• Distinguished Scientist Award (2020) from SBBS India.
• Young Researcher Gold Medal (2006) from the Indian Academy of Environmental Sciences.
• BK21 Fellowship (2010) from the Korean Government.
Dr. Morya serves as Series Editor for Orthopaedic Clinics and Research (Springer Nature), and as an editorial board member for leading journals like Nature Scientific Reports (IF 3.8), Journal of Aging Research (IF 1.6), Discover Applied Science (IF 2.8), Recent Patents on Biotechnology (2.9) and BMC Biotechnology (IF 3.5). His affiliations include memberships in esteemed societies such as the American Chemical Society, European Federation of Biotechnology, and the Biotech Research Society of India.
His research has profoundly impacted regenerative medicine, with a particular focus on developing accessible, sustainable solutions for healthcare challenges. Beyond his scientific achievements, Dr. Morya actively promotes sustainable development through initiatives in agro-biotechnology, bioenergy, and waste-to-product technologies.
Today, Dr. Vivek Kumar Morya continues to inspire and lead in the pursuit of innovative, science-based solutions to improve human health and well-being.
Shashvat Singh is a development strategist with keen interest in South-South Cooperation and geopolitics. He has extensive experience in formulating policies for infrastructural development and improving the lives of millions through effective and inclusive governance. Currently, he is writing a book on India’s climate diplomacy and advising nonprofits on climate change adaptation strategies.
Shashvat has served the NITI Aayog, the premier policy think tank of the Government of India (GoI), where he authored policy documents to promote electric mobility, localisation of the Sustainable Development Goals and regulatory reforms. He represented India at the United Nations’ (UN) Sixth Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development in Bangkok. He was also responsible for preparing documents for the review of the Prime Minister (PM) and handling visibility for the meetings and events chaired by him. At the Ministry of Home Affairs, GoI, he led a technical support unit to improve the Aspirational Districts Programme outcomes in the 35 left-wing extremism affected districts. As a Programme Officer at the UN, he rolled-out the GoI-UN Sustainable Development Framework.
Shashvat has served as an aide of Prashant Kishor – India’s renowned political strategist-turned-activist, on expanding the reach of his governance reform movement in Bihar. As a Director of the Migrants Resilience Collaborative, he advised four Indian state governments of on formulation and implementation of migrants-centric policies. As a Senior Manager at The/Nudge Institute, he managed projects to rebuild the livelihoods of 2.5 lakh families in Uttar Pradesh.
Shashvat’s opinions and ideas have been published in some of the leading newspapers and journals such as The Hindu BusinessLine, the Dainik Jagran, The Times of India and the Swarajya Magazine. He has also written book chapters with the NITI Aayog’s Vice Chairman and Chairman of the PM’s Economic Advisory Council.
Shashvat is an alumnus of the Institute of Rural Management Anand and the University of Pune. He has received recognitions for his intellectual, professional and academic performances such as ‘Rising Star’ by the NITI Aayog, ‘Young Thinker’ by the India Foundation and ‘Best Outgoing Student’ by the Symbiosis College. In 2023, the Government of Arunachal Pradesh invited him to undertake a border expedition.
Shashvat reads voraciously and frequently travels to understand India’s diversity, culture and traditions.
A post-graduate in biotechnology from the University of Mysore, Surya Rao started his career at Shantha Biotech, Hyderabad- one of India’s first biotechnology companies. Dr. K.I. Varaprasad Reddy, founder of Shantha Biotech remains a big influence on his outlook towards building profitable yet socially responsible organisations. After Shantha, he moved to the US to obtain a masters degrees in microbiology from the University of Texas, Austin and MBA from Terry College of Business, Univ of Georgia. He then worked for IBM for a year in technology consulting, and later entered a technology transfer role at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, handling microbiology, immunology, etc He moved back to India in 2010, taking up leadership roles in ICICI Knowledge Park and BITS Pilani, Hyderabad in the startup space. In 2016, he moved to Kuwait for a year to establish a top notch incubator and co-working space, targeted at developing a culture of innovation and technology development in Kuwait. Currently Surya Rao is leading Althion, a health-tech/wate-tech startup he established in June 2017. Althion’s vision is to develop innovative and affordable medical equipment and devices and replace the expensive imported products that are not always a good fit with India’s requirements. Althion is funded by BIRAC, Department of Biotechnology through BIG, BIPP and LEAP schemes. The young team has already commercialised an ultra-pure dialysis water product that has been deployed in two of India’s largest kidney dialysis chains and several premier hospitals. The product is being fine-tuned (specifications, certifications, etc) for export to Africa, Asia and Latin America with support from BIRAC. Althion is Winner of DST-ISBA Startup Award 2019, STEM Impact Award 2019, National Award 2020 for Startups (TDB, Ministry of S&T) and was awarded the Best Innovation in Medical Devices and Diagnostics at Global Bio India 2023 .The team is currently building an exciting portfolio of devices and equipment focused on enhancing safety and efficiency of kidney dialysis. Althion is also expanding its ultra-pure water product portfolio to applications in research laboratories, pharmaceutical/biotechnology/diagnostic companies and semi-conductor manufacturing. Althion was recently funded by BioAngels and BIRAC to straighten its R&D program, and also focus on export markets.
