Senior Expert, OECD
Mr. Antonio Fanelli is Senior Expert in the Global Relations Directorate of the
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), based in Paris (France).
He joined the OECD in 2001, having previously worked at the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), in London and in Albania and at Beijing and
Rome offices of the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade. Within the Global Relations
Directorate, Antonio Fanelli is coordinating SME policy, competitiveness and industrial
policy projects in emerging economies, including China. Mr. Fanelli holds a B.A in Economics from Universita´
Bocconi, Milan, Italy, and a Master Degree on International Economics from Sussex University (UK).
Austrian Research Promotion Agency
Mr Matthias Weichhart is currently technical expert for R&D software projects in the
Basisprogramms & Forschungsprämie. Fields of expertise here include Internet Platforms,
Business Intelligence, Business Process Modelling, Databases. He is additionally
responsible for Innovation Vouchers and is the Austrian Expert for the European Union in
this domain. Other topics he is handling within the Austrian Research Promotion Agency
include Social Innovation in the basis programme and business or sector public funding of research and
development. Further he is the technical expert for service, ICT & industry for local authorities and the Austrian
economic chamber.
Head – Innovation Voucher, Ministry of Economics, Labor & Housing, State of
Baden - Württemberg, Germany
Ms. Tabea Dick is responsible for the programme 'Innovation vouchers for small and
medium sized enterprises Baden-Württemberg' of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour
and Housing of the state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany. The programme is managed in
the unit responsible for start-ups and business succession. Therefore, she is not only
involved with the operational and strategic management of the innovation vouchers, but also with the various
promotion programmes dealing with business formation and transfer. In this context she closely works
together with all the multipliers in that field and gets involved a lot with the target group in the state.
Ms. Tabea Dick holds a bachelor's degree in Public Administration and a master's degree in European Public
Administration and gained experience in several positions in the public sector especially in the fields of
economic promotion, international cooperation and development of the public sector.
President & CEO of India Council on Competitiveness
Dr. Amit Kapoor is President & CEO of India Council on Competitiveness; Honorary Chairman
at Institute for Competitiveness, India and Editor-in-Chief of Thinkers. He is the chair for
the Social Progress Imperative and Shared Value Initiative in India and sits on the board of
Competitiveness initiatives in Mexico, Netherlands, Italy & France and University of
Vermont’s SEMBA Advisory Board. In addition to being advisor to Thinkers50 and
participant with the Global Solutions Network, he is an affiliate faculty for the Microeconomics of
Competitiveness & Value Based Health Care Delivery courses of Institute of Strategy and Competitiveness,
Harvard Business School and an instructor with Harvard Business Publishing in the area of Strategy,
Competitiveness and Business Models. He has been inducted into the Competitiveness Hall of Fame which is
administered by Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness at Harvard Business School. Dr Kapoor is a Ph.D. in
Industrial Economics and Business Strategy and has received the Ruth Greene Memorial Award winner for
writing the best case of the year, by North American Case Research Association (NACRA). Dr Kapoor is the
author of India City Competitiveness Report, India State Competitiveness Report, India Manufacturing
Competitiveness Report, India State Sustainability Report, Livability Report et al. He chairs the jury and
curates Porter Prize in addition to curating events like Competitiveness Forum, Thinkers 50 (India) etc. He
tweets @kautiliya.
Additional Secretary & Development Commissioner
Shri S.N. Tripathi is currently holding the charge of Additional Secretary & Development
Commissioner in the MoMSME and has been with the Ministry since 2013; earlier as Joint
Secretary. Shri SN Tripathi - SNT to his friends and well-wishers did his post-graduation
in Political Science from Allahabad University and later had his MBA in Public Policy from
University of Ljubljana Slovenia. He has worked in Gramin Bank and lectured in Allahabad
University before switching to administrative service.
Shri Tripathi joined Indian Administrative Service in 1985 and served in Odisha in various capacities like Sub
Collector, Project Director DRDA in Cuttack and Collector and District Magistrate Sambalpur before joining as
Director Special Project in Panchayati Raj Department and Secretary Information Technology. Shri. Tripathi has
been pioneering the use of digital technology in govt. processes, systems and service delivery and his works in
strengthening accounting system of all the Gram Panchayats through PriaSoft web-based accounting system
was awarded PM Award by Ministry PR GoI, Rs. 50 lakhs cash prize and was later adopted by other states for
full automation of 3 tier Panchayati Raj Institutions. He was also awarded with State eChampian for
automating entire filing and document management system in Rural Development Department that later
became a benchmark in office automation.
Programme Director, Private Sector Development- GIZ
Mr. Leidig is the Programme Director, Private Sector Development at GIZ India, with
projects on Innovation and Modernization in SME as well as on Responsible Enterprise
Financing. He has worked within the German administration as well as in international
cooperation. As Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Economics of the German State of
Baden-Wuerttemberg Innovation in SME was a focus of his attention. He has worked on
issues of technology policy for more than 10 years in the German Federal Ministry of Research and Technology
as well as Sponsored Research Assistant in the Field of Innovation Policy at MIT, Cambridge USA. He holds a
degree in Public Administration.
Consultant, Former Team Leader IVP, Frankfurt School of Finance & Management
Ms Maren Richter holds an MBA from Manchester Business School and started her carrier
in the German banking sector. Since more than 20 years, she works in developing
countries in the field of microfinance, rural finance, financial sector development and SME
development. In West Africa and the Philippines, she has joined GIZ as a long term
advisor. After a two years engagement for the Swiss development cooperation, she
started to work as a freelance consultant in 2002 with engagements in Africa, Asia and South-East-Europe
for GIZ, KfW, Frankfurt School of Finance & Management and many other development agencies around the
globe. In India, she was the team leader of a KfW financed project with SEWA Bank and from 2012 to 2015 she
led the Innovation Voucher Program (IVP) in Tamil Nadu.
Secretary General, FISME
Mr. Anil Bhardwaj is Secretary General of the Federation of Indian Micro & Medium Enterprises (FISME) from 1996. Mr. Bhardwaj is well versed with industrial and trade issues as well as promotional and regulatory environment in India.
He has served on a number of high profile committees formed for promotion of MSMEs at national and international fora. He has been advisor to several SME development projects supported by multilateral and bilateral donor agencies. He contributes regularly on SME issues through books, research papers and articles.
Chief Executive Officer, BOS Balance of Storage Systems AG
Mr. Benjamin Seckinger, one of the founders and shareholders of BOS AG, has a Bachelor of
Industrial Engineering with majors in energy systems and energy economics and a
Masters in Advanced Management with a focus on finance and controlling. He has several
years of practical background as mechatronic engineer and can hence contribute actively
to the development and the testing of electronics. Benjamin worked for several years in
management positions on the one hand as Head Operations Manager of fosera (Pico PV manufacturer) and on
the other hand as founder and leader of engineers without borders Ulm/Neu-Ulm. He has about 5 years’
experience in rural electrification and worked in several African and Asian countries. His work in setting up a
Pico Solar Home System manufacturing in Mozambique was awarded with two internationally-known awards.
Mr. Benjamin is passionate about rural electrification and remote energy supply and convinced that a holistic
business approach, with optimization of the three areas -People, Planet and Profit- will lead to significant
competitive advantages and long term business leadership.
Principal Secretary/Director, Entrepreneurship Development Institute, Chennai Mr. K. Rajaraman is currently Principal Secretary/Director, Entrepreneurship Development Institute, Chennai. Prior to this role, Mr. Rajaraman was Principal Secretary to Government, Tourism, Culture Religious Endowments Department, He was Commissioner of Commercial Taxes and Secretary to Government (Special Initiatives) and the Managing Director of Chennai Metro Rail Limited. Mr. Rajaraman has held several key positions like Executive Director of Tamil Nadu State Industrial Development Corporation, Commissioner for Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, Government of Tamil Nadu and Special Secretary to Government, Industries Department. He had in the past been involved in public policy analysis, debates, drafting, approval and implementation of public policies. He had also been involved in stakeholder consultations, drafting, debates and approval of National Policy for Consumers in India and Tamil Nadu Industrial Policy in 2007. Born in 1963, Mr. Rajaraman holds a Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Communications from Kerala University, and MBA in Financial Management from IGNOU, as well as Masters in Economics from Annamalai University. Mr. Rajaraman has published the following papers in 1996 and 1997 respectively – Right to Information in Business Line, as well as Energy Conservation Policy in Business Line. His areas of interest include Right to Information, Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion, Human Development, Consumer protection and Disaster Management.
Director & Promoter, Nellisery Walls and Panels Private Limited Mr. Antony Nellisery is Director and Promoter for Nellisery Walls and Panels Private Limited, based in Chennai. He promoted this company in 2015. He has over two decades of experience working with varied companies, including Citymax Promoters and Developers; Microland Corporation, Hong Kong etc. He is interested in innovative product like EPS Cement sandwich wall panels (replacement for bricks), soft ceramic tiles and Hydroponic (soil less agriculture). Mr. Nellisery holds masters degree in Public Administration and has is a MBA in Human Resource Management from Annamalai University.
Chairman, IamSME
Mr. Rajiv Chawla is Founder & Chairman of Jairaj Group of Industries engaged in
manufacturing of auto-components, Electrical & White goods, Moulds & Moulded
Products. Mr. Rajiv Chawla has been Director (Independent) on the Board of The National
Small Industries Corporation Ltd. (NSIC) for six years. He is Chairman of Integrated
Association of Micro, Small and Medium. Enterprises of India (I am SME of India), a
globally recognised Institution created and run by SMEs. IamSMEofIndia has earned Gold Category
Accreditation from the Quality Council of India. Mr. Rajiv Chawla is Member of the Haryana Micro & Small
Enterprises Facilitation Council to resolve the issues of delayed payments to Micro & Small Enterprises located
in the State of Haryana. Mr. Rajiv Chawla has served as Director on the Board of various Banks and Subsidiary
Companies. He is on the Governing Councils of various Educational Institutions and visiting faculty to many
Universities & Institutions.
