Board of Directors

Dr. Nilakshi Bhattacharya has about 29 years of experience in talent development, specializing in competency mapping, executive coaching, and leadership development for middle and senior management. She has worked with organizations such as SNDT University, Indian Navy, Standard Chartered Bank, Adecco, and IKYA, holding roles from lecturer and trainer to Business Head. She holds a Doctorate in Education from SNDT University, is a certified coach (Erickson Coaching International), and a certified assessor (Harrison Assessments). A gold medallist in Linguistics from Calcutta University, she has also trained with Lee Hecht Harrison (USA) and under Dr. Geoffrey Abbott. She is a certified examiner with the University of Cambridge and has received the PC Alexander Governor’s Award for her PhD thesis, along with a nomination for the President of India Medal (1995).

Sanjiv Chadha is the retired MD & CEO of Bank of Baroda, credited with transforming it into a top tech-driven bank, and has held key leadership roles across SBI and SBI Capital Markets.

Dheeraj Devata is a Partner at Gaja Capital. He has over 15 years of experience and currently leads Gaja Capital’s investments in the enterprise software/SaaS, banking and financial services, and education sector. He holds an MBA from Columbia Business School where he was on the dean’s list and a bachelor’s degree in commerce. He is a Chartered Accountant, a certified chartered financial analyst of CFA Institute and a certified financial risk manager by Global Association of Risk Professionals. Prior to joining Gaja Capital, he was associated with WestBridge Capital and ICICI Prudential Asset Management.

Madhumita Ganguli brings decades of leadership in Indian housing finance. At HDFC Ltd., as Member of Executive Management, she led All-India Retail Business and key initiatives enhancing transparency, customer experience, and efficiency. She played a pivotal role in the HDFC–HDFC Bank merger, strengthening compliance and governance. A strong advocate of ethics, she chaired HDFC’s Internal Complaints Committee and served on the Board’s Risk and Audit Committee. She has been invited to national and international housing conferences as a subject matter expert. Ms. Ganguli continues to advise businesses across financial services, education, and legal tech. Her expertise spans affordable and prime housing finance, regulatory engagement, and customer-centric strategies.

Mr. Balasubramanian Ganesh is a seasoned technology and banking leader with extensive experience in digital transformation, technology strategy, cybersecurity, and IT governance. He was a Board Advisor to Kotak Mahindra Bank and was on the IT Advisory Council to the State Bank of India. At Kotak Mahindra Bank, he was a member of the IT Strategy Committee, IT Risk and information security committee, providing independent feedback on IT Risk, Cybersecurity, IT regulatory matters, IT thought leadership, and other advisory matters. He currently serves as an advisor to ALTDRX, IIT Madras Pravartak, and Great Manager Research & Consultancy Pvt. Ltd. He was chairman and Head of HSBC Software Development India and Global CIO of HSBC’s Retail Banking and Wealth Management business.

Mr. Krishnath Suresh Kumar was a senior executive and national-level head in HDFC Limited with more than 40 years of experience in various aspects of housing finance at its regional and head office. As part of the senior management team at HDFC Limited, he headed the Credit Risk and Recovery function for over 21 years, holding its NPA at industry best. He developed IT-based tools for risk analysis and control for its large mortgage portfolio and previously headed lending functions in the Karnataka and Goa regions. He has also served as faculty at the Centre for Housing Finance and undertaken mortgage training programmes in India and abroad.