Shri Nilesh M. Desai, Distinguished Scientist, is serving as the Director of Space Applications Centre (SAC), ISRO, Ahmedabad, since 1 January, 2021. 

Shri Nilesh M. Desai is the Director of the Space Applications Centre (SAC), ISRO, Ahmedabad, and a Distinguished Scientist with nearly four decades of service in India’s space programme. A gold medallist from L.D. College of Engineering, he has led the design and development of ISRO’s key microwave radar missions such as RISAT, Oceansat, NISAR and critical elements of Chandrayaan missions, strengthening India’s capabilities in earth observation, navigation and communication. He currently guides advanced activities in remote sensing data processing, NavIC applications, SatCom systems, AI/ML and Quantum technologies, as well as Gaganyaan and Bharatiya Antriksh Station–related developments. His contributions have been recognized through several prestigious honours, including ISRO Performance Excellence and Merit Awards, the IESA Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Award, multiple lifetime achievement awards, and honorary Doctorate degrees (D.Sc., Ph.D., D.Litt.) from reputed universities. He is a fellow and active member of leading professional societies such as ISRS, ISG, ISSE and ASI, and has also served as National President of ISRS and currently as Vice President of ISSE (Ahmedabad Chapter). 

Dr. Harpreet A De Singh is a pioneering Indian aviation leader, celebrated as Air India’s first-ever woman pilot (1988), India’s first female Chief of Flight Safety, and the first woman CEO of an Indian airline when she headed Alliance Air from November 2020. She broke further ground as Air India’s first female ground instructor for pilots and currently serves as Chairperson of the Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI), Mumbai, continuing to shape the aviation sector through her trailblazing leadership.

Ms. Namrata Somani is the Regional Head for Gujarat at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), where she leads strategic client engagements and regional business growth for the company. Known for her strong leadership in the IT and consulting domain, she represents TCS at key academic, industry, and policy forums across Gujarat, helping build collaboration between industry and institutions while mentoring young professionals and supporting innovation and outreach initiatives in the region.