Our speakers

Himanshu Aggarwal, Co-founder and CEO, Aspiring Minds

Himanshu Aggarwal is the CEO of Aspiring Minds, he co-founded in 2008. Aspiring Minds is a global job skills credentialing leader set up with a vision to create a merit driven talent ecosystem and enable efficient job skills matching by crafting credible and intelligent assessments. The flagship product AMCAT, is the world’s most widely-taken employability test helping over 3 million candidates find the ‘right’ jobs every year. Backed by state-of-the-art, research, big data and machine learning algorithms - it allows adaptive, standardized and reliable measurement of generic employability skills (language, cognitive, behavior) and a wide range of functional skills using simulated assessments. With its extensive job-skill taxonomy mapping 900+ job roles, big data around jobs and capabilities, Aspiring Minds enables individual and corporations make the right talent decisions. Aspiring Minds enables job seekers to evaluate their job skills, earn industry recognized credentials and find appropriate career and learning opportunities. We also help companies dramatically improve their quality and efficiency of hiring and are today associated with more than 3000 corporations with more than 100 fortune 500 companies. Aspiring Minds is a 500+ people strong organization with operations in US, China, India, Middle East, Philippines and Sub-Saharan Africa. For more information, log on to www.aspiringminds.com or www.myamcat.com

Prior to Aspiring Minds, Himanshu was part of the research and development team at Network Appliance Inc., a leader in network attached storage devices. Based out of Boston and Research Triangle Park, NC, Himanshu helped design the next generation of intelligent, large-scale storage technology. He holds 8 US patents from his work at Network Appliances.

Himanshu holds a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and Engineering from the renowned Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi. He is a recipient of the prestigious NTSE scholarship, a National level scholarship program organized by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) administered by the Indian government.

@himanshu0820

Himanshu Gupta, Joint Managing Director, S Chand Group | @SChandGroup

Mr.Himanshu Gupta is the Joint Managing Director and the driving force behind the S.Chand Group. He finished his schooling from Modern School, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi and completed his graduation from Delhi University in 1999 and joined the family business in early 2000.

He was instrumental in transforming the family run business into a professionally run group by acquiring the best talent and implementing modern practices in the traditional business. Now the group boasts of being the largest educational publisher in the country with revenues expected to cross 100 million$ this year (2015-16). The Group is also diversified into digital and other services by having companies like D.S.Digital, which caters to the school students by providing smart class services to approximately 3,000 class rooms in India and abroad with more than 4,000 hours of digital content. The group has also acquired significant minority in companies like Edutor, which is a educational platform to provide content through tablet and other mediums and also into Smartyvity, which is a stem learning company. They also want to expand into Digital learning through more investments and acquisitions.

Himanshu Gupta was also involved in raising first private equity capital in the publishing industry from renowned PE Funds like Everstone and now recently International Finance Corporation. These funds have helped the group in a new growth path and created history in the publication world. He was also involved in the acquisition of Vikas Publication House and their division Madhubun Educational Books, which is a leader in the Hindi text book space. The group also acquired New Saraswati House (India) Pvt. Ltd., last year, which is the leader in the regional languages and supplementary books.

He envisions of transforming the Group into ‘Total Knowledge Corporation’. For his distinguished contribution to the Indian publishing industry he has been awarded with the ‘Young Publisher Award’ by The Federation of Educational Publishers in India and was the Vice President of The Federation of Indian Publishers. He had also co-chaired the publishing committee of FICCI and is known for his path breaking ideas and innovations for the publishing industry.

Today, the Group comprises of more than 2,500 thousand professionals, 4,000 Authors and 15,000 book titles which cater to the need of more than 20 million students by selling more than 40 million books to more than 30,000 institutions. S.Chand Group is poised to be India’s largest content and service provider in the near future with a vision to be a 500 million revenue company in the content and service space in the education sector in the next 5 to 7 years.

Himanshu Kishore, Customer Care Associate & Head of Operations & Marketing, Crossword Bookstores Ltd.

With 12 Years' Rich experience in Sales & Operations-Retail, Distribution & Chains, Merchandise Planning, Marketing & Business and Franchisee Development.

Worked with best of the Organizations in the Retail Industry to become a thorough Retail professional, with expertise in Sales Strategy and Store Operations, Merchandise Planning & Control and Linked Synergies, Business & Franchisee Development, Marketing, and Managing Impact of each Function to deliver Business Profitability.

Professionally, a very sound Retail Sales Foundation was laid at Wills Lifestyle. At Levi's, gained expertise in Business Management, Franchisee Development, Business development and Marketing (Micro & Macro)at a regional level.

The stint at French Connection taught what mistakes "not to commit". Presently spearheading Operations and Marketing functions at Crossword Bookstores Ltd.

Driving the business with the clear vision of Inculcating the reading habit amongst the customers. Also, develop community centers where customers get informed, entertained and enlightened.
Continuous interventions to Develop and Execute Sales Strategy for Crossword Exclusive Stores and Institutional Sales Business have ensured that the Crossword Brand Essence is delivered to the Customers.

The Brand ‘Crossword’ is growing from Strength to Strength through specific Product and Promotion initiatives on one hand and Events and PR Activations on the other. In the process ensuring that Customer Satisfaction is the top priority through Store and Back Office Processes on Service Delivery, Continuous Feedback and Customer Loyalty Management. This has ensured that the Crossword Business has not only retained its leadership position but has strengthened itself with sustained profitability.

Himanshu Kohli, Co-Founder, Client Associates

Himanshu, a true visionary with a rich experience nearing three decades in Investment Banking and Private Banking, is the driving force behind Client Associates. His journey includes working with esteemed institutions such as Deutsche Bank Private Banking, DSP Merrill Lynch, and London Forfaiting Group, honing his expertise in the financial world.

A trailblazer in India's Family Office concept, Himanshu has built an exceptional team of private bankers dedicated to serving distinguished wealthy families across the country. His visionary approach led to the development and excellence of Portfolio Reallocation, a ground-breaking Risk Management Technique.

A sought-after expert in the field, Himanshu actively contributes to discussions on Financial Planning and Wealth Management in print and electronic media. His monthly chronicle, CA Monthly, enjoys a substantial industry following.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Himanshu demonstrates exemplary leadership in various platforms and communities, including the Rotary Club of Delhi South End and the Entrepreneur Organization (EO) Gurgaon chapter. His accolades include the Outstanding Young Private Banker 2010 Award, Wealth Management Thought Leader 2019 by the Association of International Wealth Management of India (AIWMI), and The Most Prominent Asian Leader by Citywealth, UK.

A firm believer in corporate social responsibility, Himanshu actively engages in philanthropy, serving on the Governing Board of Vidya School, benefiting underprivileged children. His wife, Parul, shares his passion for philanthropy and is associated with Pragati, a voluntary organization supporting underprivileged children.

Himanshu holds a prestigious B. Com. (Hons.) degree from Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) and is recognized as a 'Revered & Distinguished Alumnus' of the institution. He received his master’s in finance and Control (MFC) from the University of Delhi. In 2008, he was honored with the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Department of Financial Studies, New Delhi.

Outside the financial realm, Himanshu's passion for sports shines through as he actively participates in tennis and golf, embracing a well-rounded and fulfilling lifestyle. With his exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment to excellence, Himanshu continues to shape the financial industry and inspire those around him.

Himanshu Kohli, Partner, Client Associates

Himanshu is the co-founder of Client Associates. He has 15 years of experience behind him in the areas of Investment Banking & Private Banking. Prior to setting up CA he worked with Deutsche Bank Private Banking, DSP Merrill Lynch and London Forfaiting Group.

Over the years, Himanshu has earned the distinction of pioneering the concept of Family Office in India and has built one of the finest teams of private bankers which works with some of the most distinguished wealthy families of India. He has built up a specialization in providing complex wealth management solutions to the needs of Family Business Owners & Entrepreneurs in India. He authors the quarterly chronicle of Client Associates – CA Quarterly – which has built its own following in the industry. He pioneered the concept of Portfolio Reallocation, a Risk Management technique, in the Indian Market.

Himanshu Laiker, Director - Strategy, Business Development and Strategic Accounts, Medtronic South Asia

Himanshu Laiker, is the Director for Strategy, Business Development & Healthcare Solution at Medtronic India Subcontinent with BS & MBA from University of Minnesota-Carslon School of Management.

He joined Medtronic, PLC. as a Financial Analyst in June, 1999 at corporate headquarters and since then has worked in IT, marketing, business development, strategic planning, healthcare solution across three continents (US, Europe & Asia) as well across businesses like cardiac, diabetes, & spinal.

In his current role, he is responsible for leading and managing the Strategic plan, driving new Business Development/Alliances as well new business for Healthcare Solutions Service model.

Himanshu Mandavia, Partner, Bsr & Associates

Himanshu is a Partner with BSR & Associates and has an experience of over 15 years. Himanshu advises clients on structuring of foreign investments, obtaining regulatory approvals, tax issues, exchange control matters and SEBI issues. He has rendered advisory services to various reputed private equity funds, real estate funds, and financial services entities.

He has also written various articles in professional journals and has also been a speaker at professional forums, including Masterclass Training sessions at Private Equity Conferences.

Himanshu Singh, Managing Director, Travelocity India

Himanshu Singh joins the international Travelocity network of companies globally as Managing Director of 'Travelocity India'.

His background covers various business leadership roles with companies including Hotel Leela Venture (which had partnerships with Four Seasons and Kempinski), Traveljini.com (an internet startup promoted by ICICI Bank) and most recently Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces (A TATA Enterprise), as their group head of Global Distribution and Electronic Sales and Marketing.

Himanshu has a Degree in Hotel Management from the National Council of Hotel Management, Ministry of Tourism (PUSA) in India; a Masters in Tourism and Hospitality Management and has completed an Advanced General Management Development Program from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, where he was awarded the second prize, among all participants for his project on 'Strategic Next Steps in Electronic Distribution'. He was nominated to attend the 'Foundations of Leadership Program' at the TATA Management Development Centre, (TMTC), Pune.

Hiren Pandya, Chief Information Security Officer, Reliance Nippon Life Insurance

Hiren Shah, Founder & Chairman, Vertoz

Hiren Shah is a prominent figure in the landscape of digital advertising, monetization, & cloud solutions, and the Founder of Vertoz, a key player in the Global MadTech and CloudTech Business Group. With a visionary approach to marketing and business development, Hiren boasts 25+ years of extensive experience during which he successfully established online ventures like Qualispace, ConnectReseller, Vokut, and, notably, Vertoz. A trailblazer in the Indian AdTech sector, Hiren played a pivotal role in introducing programmatic advertising. Under his guidance, Vertoz, founded in 2012 with just 8 employees, underwent exponential growth, going public in 2017 with a workforce exceeding 150+ employees. Recognized as one of the few MadTech companies in India, Vertoz, guided by Hiren's vision, earned prestigious awards such as Brands of India from YourStory, DIGIXX, and MOBEXX in 2023.

Hiren's impact extends beyond the business realm. As a dynamic decision-maker and serial entrepreneur, he served on the Board of Studies at NMIMS and is a member of JITO. His penchant for guiding the next generation is evident through active angel investments in numerous startups, including NewsReach, Dookan.com, Pencil, Quizy, Siply, Terrafood, TIAR, Nosh, SimpliClarify, and many more as an angel investor. Acknowledging his significant contributions, Hiren received the ICON Awards 2020-21 from The Economic Times.

Beyond his professional achievements, Hiren values family life and enjoys pursuing adventure sports, exploring new destinations, and staying abreast of the latest gadgets. His multifaceted endeavors characterize him as a leader, entrepreneur, and a great influencer in the digital landscape.