Dr. Satyajit Das Gupta is an accomplished researcher, academic and human rights professional with extensive experience in human rights advocacy, social justice, legal research, institutional development and public policy. He previously served as the National Director (Publications) and Senior Consultant at the Human Rights Law Network, India, and currently serves as Director of Programming and Research at Legal Aid Services – West Bengal. He also directs a Calcutta University-affiliated Postgraduate Diploma Programme in Counselling.

His professional and academic engagements span human rights, women's empowerment, child protection, social marginalisation and access to justice. He has been associated with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, the Women's Studies Research Centre at Calcutta University, and several national and international research initiatives. He has also coordinated multi-country research projects under the SEPHIS Programme of the International Institute of Social History, Amsterdam.

Dr. Das Gupta is the co-editor of Understanding Women's Empowerment in South Asia: Perspectives on Entitlements and Violations (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024) and has contributed extensively to national and international academic journals and publications.

As Inaugural Chair – Research at IndiaForth, Dr. Das Gupta will provide strategic guidance on human rights, social development, institutional accountability and inclusive governance. He will contribute to strengthening the organisation's research agenda through interdisciplinary perspectives, academic engagement and evidence-based policy analysis.

His experience in legal advocacy, research coordination and institutional leadership will help connect critical social concerns with policy discourse and practical governance interventions, while supporting research collaborations and publications that bring human rights and social justice perspectives into India's broader development and strategic policy conversations.

Dr. Sanjay Mishra is a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 2011 batch of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, with over three decades of experience in public administration, governance, policy implementation, institutional development and public service. He previously served in the Madhya Pradesh State Civil Service before joining the IAS.

He currently serves as Additional Secretary to the Government of Madhya Pradesh in the AYUSH Department and as Commissioner, AYUSH, Madhya Pradesh. He also holds responsibilities as Secretary-cum-CEO of the State Medicinal Plants Board, Madhya Pradesh, and Administrator of the Madhya Pradesh Homoeopathy Council.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Mishra has held several important administrative assignments, including Collector and District Magistrate of Panna, Joint Resident Commissioner at Madhya Pradesh Bhawan, Mumbai, and various positions in district administration, state governance, electoral management and protocol administration. His experience spans public policy formulation, programme implementation, digital governance, public service delivery, infrastructure development and inter-institutional coordination.

As Collector of Panna, he contributed to major infrastructure and development initiatives, including the Ken–Betwa River Linking Project, irrigation and drinking water schemes, industrial investment and educational development. In the AYUSH sector, he has championed technology-enabled monitoring, expansion of healthcare services and the promotion of traditional systems of medicine. His initiatives have contributed to improved service monitoring, wider access to AYUSH healthcare and the integration of traditional wellness approaches into public health delivery.

His contributions to governance and digital innovation have received several recognitions, including the Chief Minister's Excellence Award, the E-Governance Award, the Ashoka Award for Exemplary Public Service (2024), and the SKOCH Award (2025) for the AYUSH e-Monitoring System in Madhya Pradesh.

Dr. Mishra holds a postgraduate degree in Statistics from the University of Allahabad, where he secured first rank and a gold medal, along with qualifications in law, human rights and advanced legal studies. His academic and professional interests include evidence-based policymaking, data-driven governance, institutional reform, strategic policy research and the effective translation of public policy into measurable outcomes.

As Distinguished Advisor – Governance and Strategic Affairs at IndiaForth, Dr. Mishra brings a practitioner's perspective to the study of governance, India's institutional and economic transformation, and the relationship between policy design and implementation. He looks forward to supporting informed policy dialogue and research that connects India's administrative experience with emerging national and international strategic priorities.

Lt Col JS Sodhi (Retd.) is a veteran of the Bombay Sappers, Corps of Engineers, Indian Army, with over 21 years of military service. Belonging to a distinguished military family, he is a seventh-generation Indian Army officer and a third-generation officer of the Corps of Engineers. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. His academic qualifications include a B.Tech in Civil Engineering from the College of Military Engineering, Pune, an M.Tech in Structures from IIT Kanpur, an MBA in Project Management and a degree in Law.

During his military career, he was associated with significant national disaster-response operations, including the rescue and relief efforts following the 2001 Bhuj earthquake. He was also part of a Government of India-sponsored study team examining the impact of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. His military service has been recognised through the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief's Commendation Card (2007) and the Chief of Army Staff's Commendation Card (2013).

Beyond his military career, Lt Col Sodhi has established a substantial presence in defence journalism, strategic communication and geopolitical analysis. He is the Founder-Editor of Global Strategic & Defence News and GSDN Hindi. His work includes over 1,000 articles published across 87 reputed Indian and international publications, alongside regular appearances on television news channels, radio platforms and podcasts. He has authored China's War Clouds: The Great Chinese Checkmate and has written extensively on China's military modernisation, regional security dynamics, emerging warfare paradigms, India's strategic preparedness and developments across the Indo-Pacific.

His engagements with India's defence and strategic community include delivering lectures and participating in professional discussions at the Army War College, CENJOWS, the Air Force Academy, the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering and other military establishments. He has also addressed international academic and research forums, including the University of Nottingham, UK, and the Consortium of Indo-Pacific Researchers, USA.

He is designated as a Subject Matter Expert by the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS), New Delhi. His contributions to defence and strategic affairs have been recognised through the Lifetime Achievement Award for electronic and print media and the Icon of the Year Award for Defence & Strategic Affairs.

As Distinguished Advisor – Defence Technology & National Security at IndiaForth, Lt Col Sodhi will provide strategic direction and subject-matter guidance across the organisation's defence and security research initiatives. His role will encompass advising on emerging military technologies, defence modernisation, future warfare, indigenous defence capabilities and evolving regional security challenges. He will also support the development of research frameworks, policy-oriented publications and strategic dialogues connecting military experience with contemporary defence-policy debates.

Ambassador Anil Trigunayat is a professional Indian diplomat with over three decades of experience in advancing India's foreign policy interests and diplomatic engagements across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, including Russia and the United States. Before his superannuation in 2016, he served as India's Ambassador to Jordan, Libya and Malta, representing India's strategic, political and economic interests across diverse geopolitical environments.

Following his diplomatic career, Ambassador Trigunayat has remained actively engaged in strategic affairs, international relations and foreign policy research. He is a Distinguished Fellow at the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), where he heads the West Asia Experts Group, and a Distinguished Fellow at the United Service Institution of India (USI), one of India's oldest military think tanks. His areas of specialisation include West Asia, Africa, Russia, geopolitical developments, conflict dynamics and India's diplomatic engagement in strategically sensitive regions.

His professional experience also extends to international economic cooperation, trade diplomacy and corporate governance. He has served as an Independent Director on the boards of WAPCOS, a Government of India enterprise, and NTPC Limited. He is associated with several chambers of commerce and industry organisations in India and abroad, supporting international outreach and economic engagement. His academic background includes research at the University of Oxford on the WTO and Regional Trading Blocs.

Ambassador Trigunayat is a prolific writer and commentator on foreign policy, international security and economic diplomacy. He has authored numerous articles, research papers and policy commentaries in leading publications. His books include Evolving Security Dynamics in West Asia and India's Challenges, published by VIF and Pentagon Press, and West Asian Dynamics and Indian Imperative (2024). He also co-authored Red Lines Redrawn: Op. Sindoor – India's New Normal (2026), alongside three senior military officers. He regularly addresses universities, academic institutions and professional forums, including through the Ministry of External Affairs' Distinguished Lectures programme.

As Distinguished Advisor – Foreign Policy & International Affairs at IndiaForth, Ambassador Trigunayat will provide strategic counsel on India's evolving diplomatic priorities, bilateral and multilateral partnerships, regional security frameworks and emerging geopolitical developments. His advisory role will focus on strengthening IndiaForth's research and policy engagement across key geographical regions, particularly West Asia, Africa, Russia and the wider Indo-Pacific.

He will contribute to developing region-specific research initiatives, strategic assessments and policy publications, while supporting dialogue between diplomatic practitioners, international experts, academia and industry. Drawing on his extensive diplomatic experience and understanding of geopolitical and economic affairs, he will help IndiaForth examine India's changing position in the international order, identify emerging opportunities for strategic cooperation and advance informed perspectives on India's foreign policy priorities and global engagements.