A PGDM from Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta with specialization in Business Finance, Marketing and Strategic Management, Mr. Sooraj Dhawan is attributed with inception and sustainable success of several landmark Trade Shows in India, including International Engineering Sourcing Show (since 2012), InfoComm India (since 2012), IPHEX India (since 2013), Cap India (since 2016), Source India (since 2016), Logix India (since 2019) PlexConnect (since 2023).
He is the Director of Falcon Exhibitions Pvt. Ltd. A visionary business strategist, Mr. Dhawan specialises in International Trade development and feels that trade shows are the best way forward to business expansion. He is also a big advocate of āMake in India ā Export from India and is an acknowledged specialist in organising International Buyer-Seller meets in India in areas, including Engineering, Power & Electricals, Automobile components, Rubber, Plastics & Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Textiles and Information Technology.
Mr. Dhawan is also a trained business mediator and empanelled with the Ministry of Company Affairs in New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kolkata for offering business mediation and conciliation
Ms. Sonia Prashar has been working in the Trade Fairs Industry for more than 21 years. At present, she holds the position of Secretary General at the Federation of European Business in India and is also the Chairperson cum Managing Director NurnbergMesse India Pvt. Ltd. (100% subsidiary of NurnbergMesse GmbH). NurnbergMesse is one of the 15 largest trade fairs companies in the world and among the top ten in Europe. The portfolio covers some 120 international exhibitions and congresses at the Nurnberg location and worldwide.
Ms. Prashar is also the Chairperson, Advisory Committee, Womenās Leadership Forum, formed by IEIA in association with IAEE.
A Science Graduate with specialization in Education & German Language, she is responsible for the Chamberās active role in Indian Trade shows in all the regions and promoting āTrade Fairsā as an effective tool for marketing, while looking out for new possibilities and making a judicious selection in the changing market. Since the inception of this activity, she has handled the German participation at more than 150 shows (Automotive, Electrical, Engineering, Chemicals & Pharmaceutical, Machine Tool, Analytical Instrumentation & Biotechnology, Aero, Defence & Aviation, Beauty, Home Care & Personal Care etc.).
NurnbergMesse India under the leadership of Ms. Prashar, is today one of the fastest-growing trade fair companies in India. Its current portfolio includes 16 shows spread across various industry verticals and occupying one of the leading positions.
Born in Cairo, Mr. Ravinder is the son of an Indian career diplomat. Having spent most of his early life around the world, he ended up doing his Bachelors in Economics (Hons) from Hindu Collage and Masters in Business Economics from Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi.
He ventured into the exhibition logistics arena in 1977, and a few years later in 1986, went on to establish R.E. Rogers India Pvt. Ltd along with his wife, Kiran. Apart from the logistics service, Mr. Sethi and his company, R.E. Rogers, play a dynamic role in the exhibition industry and have reached new benchmarks, both in India and on international turf.
He has been the past Chairman of IELA (the International Exhibition of Logistics Association), founder - member and presently on the Executive Committee of the IEIA (Indian Exhibition Industry Association), Vice president, AFECA, Chairperson of Industry Partners Working Group, UFI and Chairperson of āThe Committeeā, IELA. He is also the Vice Chairman of IAEE India Chapter.
Jagdish Patankar is the Co-Founder & Executive Chairman of MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications, India's leading company in Technology Events, Branding & Corporate Communications, B2B Media and India Partnering Services.
After his PG from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management,
Mr. Patankar started his career with India Today at Delhi & Indian Express and soon after floated his DM and Advertising firm Market Missionaries India Pvt. Ltd. which grew to become one of the top 40 Agencies of India ranked by A&M. His experience in media and brand building cuts across sectors like FMCG, Automobile, IT & Technology, TV Channels, Banks, Transport, Real Estate, Gems & Jewellery etc.
Inspired by leading scientists of India at the beginning of a new millennium, Mr. Patankar incepted first Research and Technology showcase of India during Indian Science Congress which has known to become flagship exhibition of the country. In the last two decades, he has curated over 100 national and international B2B events in the fields of IT & Electronics, Nanotechnology, Renewable Energy, Aerospace & Defence, Public Transport, Agrotech, Biotech, Food & Nutraceuticals, Higher Education, R&D and UN SDGs. These events have orchestrated interlinking industry, research, academia and policymakers. He has also been instrumental in attracting International Trade Shows, Conferences and Industry Delegations to India and vice-a-versa to build global partnerships.
Mr. Patankar is a publisher of leading print & digital media like BioSpectrum, NuFFooDS Spectrum and AgroSpectrum from India and Singapore. His group company also operates Mumbaiās only Integrated CIDCO Exhibition Convention Centre at Vashi.
Mr. Patankar is also a notable faculty, anchor & speaker on various fora. His other interest is in the field of entertainment and content creation for Cinema and OTT platform. He has also acted in a few well-known Marathi movies and TV serials.
With a proven track record of executing turnarounds in
P&L positions, his career milestones include establishing the India Mobile
Congress as a globally recognized event, startup work on Patented Green energy
storage Technology, developing the 1st Digital Modem in India, and contributing
to the deployment of the 1st cellular network in the state of Andhra Pradesh
under JT Mobile (Now Airtel). Furthermore, he was part of the team that
developed India's 1st lightweight Carbon fibre tower.
His cross-continental experiences encompass North and South
America, India, and Asia, holding prestigious positions in organizations such
as the India Mobile Congress, COAI, Aster Tele Solutions Inc, Aster
Teleservices Inc(USA), and Digicon.
As the CEO of the India Mobile Congress since 2017,
Ramakrishna has led the organization through six successful editions,
transforming the brand from its nascent stages into the largest physical event
platform in South Asia in the ICT, Emerging technology & telecom space. He
has successfully steered the brand and strategy, fostering key relationships
with tech & telecom companies and establishing a solid voice for the Indian
telecom & technology sector on the global stage.
Additionally, he has served as the Principal Advisor at
COAI, managing RoW Advocacy with Central, State, and UT authorities, EMF
Advocacy, and implementing the National Broadband Mission and Broadband
Readiness Index of States/UTs. His role involves overseeing relations with
Government & Operators, Corporate affairs, Crisis management, Advocacy,
Legal Inputs, Policy Inputs, and Implementation across multiple states and
central agencies.
Prior to his current roles, Ramakrishna founded Mpraxis
Technologies Pvt Ltd in 2006 and led as its CEO for over ten years. He was
responsible for operations, sales, business planning, and bringing in
operational efficiencies and green energy initiatives for telecom sites.
Ramakrishna holds a Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) degree
from the University of Mysore, a testament to his technical expertise evident
in his career journey. His work and influence have been instrumental in shaping
the telecom and technology landscape in India and beyond.
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Rakesh Kumar is responsible for the promotion of Exports from India in general and small and medium sector in particular. Currently Director General of most premier Export Promotion Trade Organization in India i.e. Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts, having membership of more than 10,000 member exporters and Chairman of the India Exposition Mart, a first state of art project for the cottage sector. Kumar is also on the board of National Centre for Trade Information (NCTI) as a Directorship.
Mr. Yogesh Mudras is the Managing Director of Informa Markets India. He is skilled in Business Planning, Management, Management Information Systems (MIS), Business Development and Marketing Strategy. With a demonstrated history of excellence and good leadership, Mr. Mudras has been steering the events services industry in the right direction.
He is responsible for managing and leading the entire India operations ofInformaMarkets (earlier UBM), focusing on strategy, business development and managing key client relationships.
In his career span, he has handled an extensive portfolio of businesses, which include large format B2B exhibitions, conferences, seminars, business magazines, web portals & Business Intelligence serving a number a key markets which include Pharmaceuticals, Jewellery, Security and Homeland Security, Occupational Safety, Renewable Energy, Nuclear Energy, Furniture, Food & FMCG, Beauty & Healthcare, Hospitality & Tourism amongst others.
Mr. Bhupinder Singh is the CEO of MesseMuenchen India. He holds a degree in Economics from Delhi University and is a post-graduate in Business Administration and PGDBA in Marketing from the Indian Institute of Management in Calicut. In the past 17 years, Mr. Singh has held various positions within the exhibition industry with a focus on project management, business development and strategic planning and implementation. He has been part of MesseMuenchen, India since its foundation in 2007 and has been responsible for trade shows such as LASER World of PHOTONICS INDIA, electronica India, productronica India, Intersolar India, India Lab expo, analyticaAnacon India, Drinktec India, baumaConexpo India, Air Cargo India to name a few.
Mr. Sudeep Sarcar, CEO, India Exposition Mart Limited, has been working in the MICE sector for over two decades. He has varied experience from achievements that span the entire gamut of the MICE industry, from Heading Business Operations, establishing Profit Centres to driving Operational Excellence. Mr. Sarcar is known for his āCustomer Firstā attitude and has been able to implement path-breaking best practices. Mr. Sarcar has, in his tenure as CEO, delivered record-breaking revenue growth on a year-on-year basis, by way of effective planning with special focus on product, people, processes and technology. Mr. Sarcar also drove infrastructure expansion to make India Expo Centre the biggest convention cum exhibition centre in India, with several large-scale upcoming projects. Previously, he has worked with BIEC, AEPC, ITC& Macmillan India.
Mr. Dharampal Singh Malhotra, is Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM) and a graduate from Badruka College of Commerce & Arts in the year2001 and holds a PG Diploma in Marketing & Sales Management from Bhavans.
In order to establish a better foothold and understand the production activity in his business at the grass root level, he got associated with his father Mr.Surat Singh Malhotra in 1996. Later in 2003, he started taking care of the business full-fledged and made it grow from strength to strength.
The 3rd generation disciple of Lallooji & Sons, the simple but talented visionary Mr. Vipul Agarwal, is the mascot of Expro Events & Exhibits.
During his early years in the industry, he felt the need to focus on an important aspects of the event infrastructure āoutdoor sets-upsā, which was missing in India. He did extensive research on how things were done globally and today the initiative of exploring and investing in the most modern and reliable outdoor solutions has become a benchmark for the industry. Investment in technology is at par with international standards and can be created throughout the length and breadth of the country.
Expro todays specialises in providing complete outdoor event set up solution of truly international standards across the country through its pan India presence. The client list include not only worldās most famous brands i.e Formula 1, Avantha Masters, India Art Fair, Lakmeā Fashion Week, IPL, India Design Show, Index, Auto Expo.
Ubaid Ahmad is a Senior Director at Indian Machine Tools Manufacturersā Association (IMTMA) and Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC). An alumni of AMU, a graduate in Economics and MBA in marketing, who also holds an EMD(Exhibition Management Degree) from UFI, France. He is also a Qualified IMS Auditor for QMS- ISO 9001:2015, EMS- ISO 14001:2015 and OHSMS-ISO 45001:2018 standards. He has been associated with IMTMA & BIEC since 2007 as an integral part of the trade fairs division which organizes IMTEX and regional machine tool shows across various cities in the country, besides being marketing head of BIEC - Indiaās leading green exhibition facility.
In his previous endeavors, he has worked both nationally and internationally in prestigious organizations such as TDI, Shamal Media, Star TV, etc. He has quite a few achievements like ā launched CCTV advertising in India, conceptualized the marketing & promotional plan for the first Hindi/Urdu FM station, HUM FM in Middle East, core team member to launch the first 24 hour FM Station, RADIOCITY in India, and many more. Ubaid is a family man who loves to travel, a keen athlete and a gifted hockey player who during his college and university days has won several medals and awards in different fields. Being from Lucknow he is a hard-core foodie and so is the tag attached.
Experienced Director with a demonstrated history of working in the Exhibition industry. Skilled in Marketing, Management, Entrepreneurship & Problem Solving. With 20+ years of industry experience, a professional who graduated from Delhi University, Masters from Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK and Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad alumnus. Also, the Co-Chair for the Women in Leadership Focus group.
This man has big plans for businesses in Punjab.
G S Dhillon is the founder & Managing Director of Udan Media & Communications Pvt. Ltd. is indeed a person of great virtue; he has proved his mettle in the field of Event Management and Trade Fairs.
With the vision of - Our endeavour is to bring about change in the industrial environment of Punjab, in particular, and India as a whole.
The state, he says, has the potential and manpower, all it needs is a push. And he is doing his bit to deliver it. G S Dhillon speaks about his journey.
I, me myself, My family comes from a lesser known village near Faridkot I was born in Village Baajakhana district Faridkot. Studied in Jaipur and Patiala and I got married to a Ludhiana based businessmanās daughter which further solidified my understanding of the industry. I have two children and am currently balancing my personal and professional life. An introvert by nature, books were my best friends while growing up.
My Education, Studied in Jaipur and Patiala and then moved to Ludhiana.
