Our speakers

K T Prasad, Country Sales Director, India, Zendesk

KT is the Country Sales Director for Zendesk, India. In this role, KT is responsible for Business growth and focused on helping customers transform their customer service to meaningful customer engagement with beautifully simple solutions. KT has over 20 years of management experience in software and services industry. He started in his role 26th September 2016.

Prior joining Zendesk, KT was the General Manager with Hewlett-Packard Enterprise responsible for Microsoft Business Applications, Asia Pacific and Japan. He was esponsible for delivering Microsoft based business applications such Dynamics CRM and Dynamics Axapta and leading HPE’s Enterprise Cloud Solutions strategy for Microsoft applications.

He was focused on the balanced objectives of driving customer satisfaction, improving integration across business units, addressing the unique technology needs of customers, and growing the business in the region. Prior to HPE, KT spent time with Adea, PSI Data Systems and Agilisys (formerly known as netdecisions) where he played various leadership roles. KT has Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) from the Karnatak University.

K Vaijayanti, Head, Research & Resource & Evaluation, Akshara Foundation | @aksharadotorg

Ms.K.Vaijayanti heads Resource and Research vertical of Akshara Foundation. A trained economist she has worked in health sector and decentralisation prior to venturing into education field. In education she has extensively worked on issues ranging from Early Childhood Education to School education in Indian context. Most of the research works have been evidence based policy research in education sector. She has authored and co-authored several research papers in the domain. She also heads ASER- Karnataka since 2009. Has been a member of several committees set up by Govt of Karnataka on Elementary education, Human Development and ECCE. Vaijayanti had a privilege to be a convenor for the preparation of new curriculum framework for ECCE- Karnataka.

K Venkatachalam, Executive Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers

K Venkatachalam joined PwC in 2007 after a merger of the RSM & Co. tax practice. His areas of expertise include corporate income tax, foreign investment into India, tax issues concerning multinationals and tax litigation. He provides solutions to technology, infrastructure and engineering companies.

Venkat has worked in the Pune office between 2007 and 2010, prior to which he was a partner with mid-sized firms in Pune. Venkat has prior experience with a Big Four audit firm in Jeddah and has worked as an internal auditor with an oil refinery in Yanbu, spending about four years in Saudi Arabia.
In the 2010 Genesis Park programme of PwC Global, he was a member of the team which authored Opening Minds – a global plan for achieving a diverse and inclusive culture.

Venkat is a qualified Chartered Accountant, Information Systems Auditor and holds Bachelor degree in Commerce and Law.

K Vijayaraghavan, Chairman, Cornell University

K. Vijayaraghavan (Vijay), is the founder and currently Chairman of Sathguru Management Consultants. He founded the firm in 1985 to integrate proficiencies in technology and management to help create and nurture innovative enterprises by adopting next generation technologies for product and services development and providing strategic ideas in reaching markets and delivery systems for diverse segments. His services to the hospitality sector provided several global players with the opportunity to establish their footprint in emerging regions such as India, China, Thailand and others — key emerging regions for the hospitality sector. His engagement with global leaders relates to identifying intellectual assets generated by the hospitality sector and protecting, licensing and managing intellectual assets including brand affiliation management. He takes special interest in exploring the potential of applying technological innovations in agriculture and food sector to support innovations in F&B services, food service industry and food safety management. His engagement with life science researchers has led him to advise food safety regulators in several countries. He has advised hospitality leaders and provided strategic input to countries to promote food safety management, a key driver for sustaining the travel and tourism sector. For over 25 years, he has advised several national governments of both advanced and emerging economies to shape their country strategy for hospitality sector development and international tourism. 

K. Chandrasekhar, Founder & CEO, Forus Health Pvt. Ltd

K.Chandrasekhar (KC) is the Founder & CEO of Forus Health Pvt. Ltd. We are an innovation-driven technology enterprise managed by very experienced professionals. Forus strongly believes that healthcare solutions for emerging countries have to be different both in terms of development as well as deployment. Forus develops innovative products combined with comprehensive software solutions to enable not only screening at the patient's doorstep but facilitate treatment as well. Forus develops affordable technology solutions that can easily be used by a minimally trained technician, thereby making health service accessible and scalable.

The Forus name means, "For us" - me and my community. Forus strongly believes that by "Democratizing Wellness,” they can play an active role in addressing healthcare issues in India and around the world.

Forus flagship product 3nethra, a screening device for common eye problems like cataract, diabetic retina, refractive problems, corneal infections and glaucoma is already deployed in more than 70+ locations pan India and in other emerging markets like Africa, Asia etc. Its digital imaging and cloud based portal enables easy interface to Telemedicine, remote diagnostics/ work flows and easy access to historical data. More details can be found on www.forushealth.com.

Prior to founding Forus Health, KC was the Director of Strategy & Software Partnerships at NXP (Philips) Semiconductors. KC has 23+ years of experience in Business Strategy, Business Development, Product Management, Sales Management in leading Semiconductor and Software Companies.

KC is an alumnus of BITS Pilani and IIM C 

K. Chandrasekhar, CEO, Forus Health Pvt. Ltd.

Mr. K. Chandrasekhar (KC) is the CEO and an executive board member of Forus. KC received his Master's of Science and Technology from Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS Pilani), PGDMM from Annamalai University and Global Manager Program from Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata. KC has a successful track record of over 26 years in handling Business Development, Business Strategy, Operations Management, Partnership Management & Sales Management portfolios for major Semiconductor and Software Companies. KC has extensive experience in handling customers & partners in USA, Europe, Asia-Pacific & Middle East Markets. He has worked in Senior management positions with NXP Semiconductors, Philips, Alliance Semiconductors, etc. KC is a Certified Corporate Director from the Institute of Directors. KC loves classical music, reading and cricket.

K. L. Mukesh, Venture Partner, Unitus Ventures

KL Mukesh Mukesh brings an excellent balance of large scale global corporate experience across the television and healthcare business combined with rich entrepreneurial experience both as a successful entrepreneur and as a Mentor and advisor to a host of startups and investors. Mukesh ran the Japan and LATAM operations for DIRECTV and was also involved in their successful bankruptcy turnaround. Subsequently, he founded Akeso Healthcare, a fast growing healthcare startup which got acquired by the Apollo Hospitals Group. Mukesh holds an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad and a Masters in Statistics from Indian Statistical Institute (ISI).

K. Pandia Rajan, Founder, Ma Foi Group

K Pandiarajan (KPR) is one of the most well respected business leaders in India with over 28 years of experience in Management and Human Resources.  As the founder of Ma Foi Management Consultants, he was at the forefront of the transformational changes that swept the HR landscape over the last two decades and pioneered the HR outsourcing concept in India.

After his pioneering role in defining HR industry, he moved to Consulting, Analytics and Education businesses  with the incorporation of Ma Foi Strategic Consultants P Ltd as a holding Company in the year 2012. The new venture focuses on providing high end consulting solutions to Indian Industries with the special focus on SMEs.

KPR keenly believes in the fundamental principle of empowerment at all levels and is actively involved in the CSR activities that focuses on empowering children, women and youth through education, healthcare and livelihood support. He is also a Member of Legislative Assembly of the State of Tamil Nadu in India.

K. Ravindranath, Chairman & Managing Director, Global Hospitals Group

While working in some of UK's top medical institutions, witnessing the hardships of Liver transplant patients and their painstaking ordeal, spending huge amounts of money, Dr. Kancherla Ravindranath realized the urgent need for a Liver transplant facility in India.

Deeply touched by the plight of hundreds of patients' and inspired by his late Father's advice to come back to serve India, Dr. Ravindranath relinquished his very successful practice in UK and returned to India to establish Global Hospitals.

Dr. Kancherla Ravindranath, is a world-renowned expert in Surgical Gastroenterology, and the founder of Global Hospitals Group acknowledged as India's fastest growing chain of tertiary care multi super specialty hospitals. Under Dr. Ravindranath's visionary leadership and guidance, Global Hospitals Group has become the premier and niche healthcare center that is in to performing high-end surgeries, such as the first ever liver, heart, twin kidney and bone marrow transplants in Andhra Pradesh and multiple such cutting edge and pioneering surgeries in India. Currently, with eight world class tertiary care Hospitals in Chennai, Bengaluru & Hyderabad, and soon Mumbai centre opening up, today Global Hospitals has grown to be acknowledged as the world's most comprehensive centre for Liver & Pancreas Diseases and Transplantation.

K. Vaitheeswaran, CEO, IndiaPlaza

K Vaitheeswaran is a successful, serial entrepreneur in the Indian retail industry. He is also an internet industry veteran and is seen as the pioneer for e-commerce in India.

In 2001, he co-founded the Fabmall chain of grocery stores which went on to become a leading brand in the Indian organized retail industry and was subsequently acquired by the Aditya Birla Group for approximately US $ 100 million and later re-branded as the More chain of stores.

He also co-founded www.fabmall.com, the company which pioneered internet retailing in India in 1999. K Vaitheeswaran is the founder, CEO and currently runs www.indiaplaza.in - India’s largest online shopping destination.

K Vaitheeswaran is a veteran in the Indian internet and digital media industry and is seen as the pioneer of the Indian e-commerce industry. In November 2006, the Pitch magazine listed him among the Top 20 people in the Indian Internet industry.

Since 1999, he has spent all his time and efforts in not only building his company into a position of industry leadership but has also been engaged in evangelizing the cause of e-commerce in India.

Vaitheeswaran holds an electronics engineering graduate from Government College of Engineering, Tirunelveli affiliated to the Madurai-Kamaraj University.

He began his career in 1985 with Murugappa Electronics (part of the Murugappa & Parry Group) wherein he was responsible for sales and later product management of Test & Measuring Instruments.

He then spent 10 years in Wipro Infotech (1989-99) where he held various positions in sales, marketing and business planning of Computers & Peripherals. His last assignment in Wipro was as the Marketing Communications Manager in the Computers & System Integration division where he was responsible for Wipro’s brand development for computers.

Vaitheeswaran is a regular speaker on internet & e-commerce related subjects at various industry forums and management institutes across India.

His other interests include reading and passionately following the fortunes of the Indian cricket team and till some time back he was a registered cricket umpire in the Karnataka State Cricket Association. He can be reached on vaithee@indiaplaza.in.