Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Local Government, and Associate Minister for Māori Development As a mother, and a constituent MP with 20 plus years’ experience who has come from ‘flax-root’ politics, Hon Nanaia Mahuta remains connected to the aspirations of people from all walks of life.

Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control, Minister of State for Trade and Export Growth, Associate Minister for the Environment and for Immigration Hon Phil Twyford was born and raised in Auckland. He is the Labour Member of Parliament for Te Atatū. Phil’s vision is for New Zealand to deliver hope and opportunity to all people. After studying politics at Auckland University, Phil worked as a journalist and union organiser before becoming the founding Executive Director of Oxfam New Zealand.

High Commissioner of India to New Zealand Mr. Muktesh K. Pardeshi has been serving as the High Commissioner of India to New Zealand since 2019. He was Ambassador of India to Mexico from April 2016 to June 2019. He concurrently also served as High Commissioner to Belize. During his tenure, India-Mexico ´Privileged Partnership ’saw huge advancement: bilateral trade increased from $ 5.9 bn in 2015 to $ 10.15 bn in 2018 registering 75% growth over 3 years.

Chief Executive Officer, NITI Aayog Mr. Amitabh Kant is presently CEO of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI). He is a member of the Indian Administrative Service, IAS (Kerala Cadre: 1980 batch). He is the author of Branding India - An Incredible Story. Mr. Kant has been a key driver of the “Make in India”, Startup India, “Incredible India” and God’s Own Country” initiatives that positioned India and Kerala State as leading manufacturing and tourism destinations.

Hon. Consul of India, Consulate of India in Auckland Mr. Bhav Dhillon is the Hon Consul of India with jurisdiction over Northland, Auckland and Waikato. Mr. Bhav Dhillon, a well-known community leader, is a qualified MBA with strong management and leadership credentials, in business and community organisations. He is the Managing Director of CEMIX, an iconic Kiwi brand manufacturing innovative construction products for over 35 years. He is also on the board of six other companies.

Sr. VP and Chief Strategy Officer, NASSCOM Experienced Senior Vice President with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. Skilled in Business Planning, Business Intelligence, Business Development, Brand Management, and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). Strong professional with a Master's degree focused in Economics from Delhi School of Economics.

High Commissioner to India and Bangladesh, and Ambassador designate to Nepal David is an experienced diplomat. He was New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam from March 2011 until taking a break from the foreign service in December 2014. He had previously served in New York, Canberra, Kuala Lumpur and as Ambassador to the Philippines (2006-2008). In Wellington, he held a number of policy roles, including as the Director of MFAT’s Economic Division.

Managing Director & CEO, Invest India Deepak Bagla has a professional career of over three decades, with the World Bank, Citibank, and Private Equity having responsibilities across Europe, Africa and Asia. He is currently the Managing Director and CEO of Invest India, the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency promoted by the Government of India. Invest India is also the execution agency for Start-up India and the Prime Minister’s Science and Technology initiative.

Member of Parliament for Hamilton West, New Zealand Gaurav works as a General Practitioner in Nawton and lives in Frankton. He studied medicine at The University of Auckland Medical School and did part of his training in Waikato-Bay of Plenty region (Hamilton, Tauranga, Coromandel). As a local doctor from Hamilton West, he gets to hear first-hand the concerns of many in the community.

MP for Te Tai Tonga Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Oceans and Fisheries and Trade and Export Growth (Māori) Rino Tirikatene has been the Labour MP for Te Tai Tonga since 2011. He proudly represents Māori in the largest electorate in the country. Prior to entering Parliament, Rino had over fourteen years’ experience working in Māori economic development roles including working as a consultant for Federation of Māori Authorities, and working for Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.

Director of Research and Engagement, Asia New Zealand Foundation Suzannah joined the Asia New Zealand Foundation in March 2019, after serving as New Zealand’s Deputy High Commissioner to India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Deputy Ambassador to Nepal and as New Zealand’s Deputy High Commissioner to Vanuatu. During her thirteen years in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, she also served in the Ministry’s Australia, Pacific and Europe Divisions.

Chair, INZBC CEO, Glowbal NZ Ltd. Sameer Handa has been doing business with and in India for the past over two decades and has invaluable knowledge of both India and NZ markets. Therefore, with his hands on experience he will add immense value to improving the India-NZ Trade relations. Mr. Handa was responsible for setting up sales offices & factory in India for NZ company Patton Refrigeration since 2007 and is an approved Director for Indian businesses.

Head, International Trade Policy, Confederation of Indian Industry Pranav Kumar has over 25 years of professional experience in International Trade Policy advocacy including international business strategy for private sector, teaching, research, project management with primary expertise on trade and development, multilateral trade negotiations under the aegis of WTO (World Trade Organisation) and regional/bilateral Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).

Chair, FICCI Taskforce on Blue Economy, Distinguished Fellow,Gateway House He is a member of CII’s two bodies: International Trade Policy Council and Africa Committee. He served as Chair of FICCI’s Core Group of Experts on BIMSTEC and continues to head its Task Force on the Blue Economy. He is a founding member of the Kalinga International Foundation. As Director General of the Indian Council of World Affairs from 2012-15, he played a key role in strengthening India's Track-II research.

Director, Global Stakeholder Affairs Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited Simon Tucker is Director of Global Stakeholder Affairs at Fonterra. In this role he leads teams responsible for Fonterra’s global trade strategy, the company’s relationships with the New Zealand and foreign governments, and Fonterra’s industry partners.

Director, Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Mumbai and Head of Geoeconomics Studies Programme, ORF Within Geoeconomics, Akshay's research focuses on issues of economic diplomacy, international financial architecture, global trading system, international monetary system, global economic governance, multilateral financial institutions, economic statecraft. He is also a Senior Fellow with the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), based in Waterloo, Canada.

Head of Communications and External Relations, Zespri International Michael leads Zespri’s external communications, stakeholder engagement, policy, global tours and events and community investment programmes. He joined Zespri after a career in Parliament as a Press Secretary and Chief Press Secretary to former Prime Ministers Sir John Key and Sir Bill English and Opposition Leader Simon Bridges. Prior to that he was a journalist with Fairfax Media in Auckland and Wellington.

Co-chair, FICCI Fintech Committee and Co-founder and CEO, BankBazaar.com Adhil Shetty is the Co-founder and CEO, BankBazaar: an online financial marketplace focused on helping consumers access the right financial products. Adhil’s vision is to democratize finance and increase financial inclusion in India through BankBazaar by making personal finance entirely contactless. Under Adhil’s leadership, BankBazaar has grown to become India’s leading online financial marketplace.

Director General, Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil) Ravi Udaya Bhaskar joined the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India set up by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India (Pharmexcil) as the Director General in 2017. Presently Mr. Bhaskar is the also Honorary Director General of All India Drugs Control Officers Confederation (AIDCOC). In 2019, he was elected as 71st President of Indian Pharmaceutical Congress Association.

Trade Commissioner and Consul-General, India, Sri Lanka Ralph is New Zealand's Trade Commissioner and Consul-General in Mumbai and leads NZTE's activities across India and the wider South Asia. He has served across several different markets during his time with NZTE, including as New Zealand's Trade Commissioner and Consul-General to Brazil based in São Paulo, and as a business development manager for Spain and Portugal based in Madrid.

President, Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (GAPIO) Professor Anupam Sibal MD, FIMSA, FIAP, FRCP (Glasg), FRCP (Lon), FRCPCH, FAAP, has been a paediatrician for twenty five years. Prof Sibal established the division of paediatric gastroenterology and hepatology in 1997 at Apollo Hospital, Delhi (the first in the private sector in India). Prof Sibal helped set up the first successful liver transplant program in India in 1998 at Apollo Hospitals, Delhi.

Former CEO of TKEMKT, Economic Recovery Leadership Board (Post COVID). Deidre Otene has 15 years of extensive experience in leading project development, within local and central Government departments, the NGO sector in New Zealand and Australia. She is in the completion phase of an MBA with Massey University. Deidre is now focused on building Maori export potential and increase export revenue for Maori Businesses in her role with NZTE.

Senior Lecturer of Political Science & International Relations Programme, Victoria University of Wellington Dr. Manjeet S. Pardesi is a Senior Lecturer in the Political Science and International Relations Programme and Asia Research Fellow at the Centre for Strategic Studies at Victoria University of Wellington He obtained his PhD in Political Science from Indiana University, Bloomington (IUB). He has an MSc in Strategic Studies, a BEng (Electrical & Electronic), both from NTU, Singapore.

Executive Director, New Zealand International Business Forum and Executive Director, APEC Business Advisory Council Mr. Jacobi has broad experience in industry and trade development. He was formerly Chief Executive of the New Zealand Forest Industries Council, Executive Director of the NZ US Council 2005-2014 and Executive Director of the NZ China Council 2016-19, Stephen is a frequent media and public commentator on industry and trade issues.

Head of Strategic Partnerships, INZBC Sunil Kaushal is one of the leading commentator on Business, Commerce and International Trade particularly focusing on India. He has first-hand on the ground experience in guiding New Zealand firms expand into India. He is frequently invited by industry and academia for comments on New Zealand and India. He has held senior roles in the finance, education and not for profit organisations in New Zealand.

Pro Vice-Chancellor International and Dean, Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies, AUT Professor Guy Littlefair is the Pro Vice-Chancellor International and Dean of the Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies at Auckland University of Technology. Prior to returning his return to AUT in 2017, Professor Littlefair held a successful role as the Dean of Engineering in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and the Built Environment at Deakin University in Australia.

Founder & global CEO, Valocity Carmen Vicelich is the founder and global CEO of two fast growing international business, Valocity and Digital Insight. Carmen Vicelich has almost two decades of experience creating solutions with technology and data. Carmen’s company Valocity has revolutionised purchasing a property, by digitally connecting lenders, valuers, brokers and customers in one smart platform to streamline the valuation and approval process.

Knight is the CEO and Co-founder of Relab - a SaaS start-up for real estate agents to access the data and insights they need, all in one place so they can work smarter, deliver faster for their clients and be more successful. Prior to Relab, Knight held a number of leadership roles across Digital Technology and Marketing fields for some of New Zealand’s leading brands including Air New Zealand, Spark NZ and Datacom.

Spokesperson for Trade, National Party Todd attended Tauranga Boys College and also has a Master’s Degree from the University of Waikato. His career experience includes roles as a General Manager for Zespri, Chief Executive of Bay of Plenty company Apata, and Group Director Cooperative Affairs for Fonterra. He is a former University of Waikato Councillor, and sat on the Boards of Plant & Food Research and the Sustainable Business Council.

Director, ORB 360 Jay is a Chartered Accountant and a Director of Orb360, Chartered Accounting firms based in Auckland and Wellington. Jay has over 13 years of Accounting, forensic accounting and tax experience. Some of his previous roles includes, Tax Manager at Grant Thornton and Crowe Horwath (WHK), Tax Investigator at the IRD, Forensic Accountant at McDonald Vague, and Financial Accountant at Flight Centre. Jay specializes in International and domestic tax.

CEO, J curve and Delhi Chapter Head, INZBC Mr. Joshi has addressed fora in India, China, Japan, New Zealand and Europe. He serves on the National Council of CII (Confederation of Indian Industry), is a charter member of TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs), and was acknowledged in UNCTAD's World Investment Report 2006. He led a Future Leaders' delegation to Japan in 2017, upon invitation of Japanese Government. He was also made member of the World Cities Summit Young Leader (WCSYL) network.

Founder, MartinJenkins A founder of Martin Jenkins with 30 years’ experience as an advisor to business and government, Kevin works at the intersection of business, innovation and regulation. He specialises in strategy, performance, and change. He is also regularly called on for his expertise in public policy and issues management, and in governance, including internationally.

Senior Director- Public Policy, Ola International Prashant is the Senior Director for Public Policy and Corporate Communications at Ola International. In his role, Prashant oversees the public policy position in Ola’s international markets, including UK, Australia and New Zealand. Prashant is also the Executive Director of the Ola Mobility Institute, an in-house think tank focusing on policy research and discourse in the mobility ecosystem.

Senior Manager Strategy, Trade Policy and Advocacy at Meat Industry Association Esther joined MIA as the Senior Manager Strategy, Trade Policy and Advocacy in February 2021. Prior to joining MIA she was Senior Manager International Trade at Beef + Lamb New Zealand Ltd where she gained a solid understanding of the sector and the trade policy issues it faces. Esther joined the sector with a background in trade policy and trade negotiations following a diplomatic career at the MFAT.

Editor, BusinessDesk Pattrick was judged New Zealand's best overall columnist and business columnist of the year at the Voyager 2021 Media Awards. He has more than 35 years’ experience reporting and working in New Zealand politics and the commercial sector. A former Press Gallery chairman, he is an award-winning journalist and has worked for titles including The Dominion, The Press, Sunday Star-Times and National Business Review.

Board Member, INZBC and MD, Dairy Link Earl Rattray has a long-standing dairy industry career, both in farming, and in significant dairy industry leadership roles, including a founding Director of the Fonterra Co-operative Group, and inaugural Chairman of the NZ Dairy Companies’ Association. Earl currently holds interests in several dairy farming and related business’s both in New Zealand, and offshore.

Managing Director, The Advanced Learning Institute and Founder, Forethought Corporate Divya is a Dexterous Serial Entrepreneur, a TEDx Speaker, an Award-Winning Consultant, an Exemplary Orator and a Renowned TV Anchor in India. With an experience spanning two decades across Media, Education & Consulting industries, she has carved a niche for herself!

Christchurch Chapter Head, INZBC Sandeep Sharma has progressive experience as an Engineer, Entrepreneur and in International Trade. He holds a master's degree in Business Management from University of Canterbury (UC) and worked at UC as Regional Marketing Manager responsible for marketing and business development activities for South Asia and Middle East. Sandeep is the current Chair of New Zealand Institute of International Affairs (NZIIA), Chch and actively involved in track II diplomacy.