Dr Niranjan Hiranandani is the past President of the Hyderabad (Sind) National Collegiate Board, Mumbai, which manages 22 educational institutions including schools, polytechnics, degree and post-graduate colleges. A real estate billionaire entrepreneur, he is the President of the apex industry body, ASSOCHAM (The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India).

Dr Hiranandani is a chartered accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. He is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Hiranandani Group, engaged in real estate business. Dr Hiranandani is the past President of the Maharashtra Chambers of Housing Industry; the former Chairman of Advisory Council of Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India (CREDAI) and Chairman of Mumbai City, Development and Environment Committee of the Indian Merchants' Chambers (IMC) Mumbai. He is member of the task force of the Government of India for reforms in housing and urban development and member of the study group, Slum Rehabilitation Scheme, Government of Maharashtra. Dr Hiranandani was the adviser to the Government of India on housing and habitat policy and real estate, and President of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). He is the Chairperson of the Priyadarshni Academy which facilitates social and cultural work. He is on the Board of Trustees, Nathdwara Temple Board, Nathdwara (Rajasthan), Babulnath Temple and Jhulelal Temple, Mumbai.

Dr Henal Shah is a Professor (Additional) in the department of Psychiatry at Nair Charitable Hospital, Mumbai and part of the team that runs services for child and adolescent health, including clinics for Specific Learning Disorder, Autism and School Mental Health.

Dr Shah has obtained her Masters in Psychiatry from KEM Hospital, Mumbai and has had experience at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Glasgow. She is keenly interested in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry and presented and published widely in this field.

During her tenure as President of the Bombay Psychiatric Society, she actively contributed in the field of child and adolescent suicide, creating awareness and channels of communication. She is the Chair, Scientific Committee, Indian Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Dr Shah has received the Bai Savitribai Phule award by the Mayor, Mumbai for excellence in work and contribution to health services of MCGM and International Fellowship for Medical Education (IFME) awarded by Foundation for Advancement in International Medical Education and Research, (FAIMER) Philadelphia.

Dr Mahesh Balsekar has been in practice since 1985, and is Senior Consultant at SRCC Children’s Hospital and is Consultant at the Paediatrics Department at Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre, and at Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai. Assessment of critically ill children and handling of high-risk neonate pregnancy, which can lead to intellectual and developmental challenges, is his specialty.

Dr Balsekar has spoken at several national and international conferences and has numerous publications to his credit. He has a special interest in Social Medicine, founded a charitable trust, Healing Touch, and is on the advisory board of  St. Judes and Project NEEDS.

Dr Archana Nayar, MBBS, Master's in Public Health, is the Founder Director of Autism Centre for Excellence (ACE), Delhi, and The Special Child Trust (TSCT). As a parent of a child with autism, she experienced the gaps in India for children with special needs compared to services available globally.

Dr Nayar has brought together international experts in the field of autism to build a programme at ACE that provides research-backed interventions in an ethical and professional environment. Her goal is to bring about a systemic change in the Indian autism landscape. She works actively with multiple stakeholders to create greater awareness and sensitisation of society towards mental health issues. She serves as the Director at ACE overseeing all aspects of the school programme. View Autism: From awareness to acceptance | Dr Archana Nayar | TEDx Delhi.

Dr Meghna Basu Thakur is the Head of Department of Psychology at R. D. National College, Mumbai. She holds a Ph.D in Psychology from University of Mumbai and a Bachelor of Law (LLB) and Management Studies from NMIMS. She loves working with differently abled students and is passionate about their inclusion. She has published 25 research papers in well-known national and international journals and books.

Dr Basu Thakur has extensive experience in the field of education for more than two decades. She has worked as a professor of Psychology at the BA, MCOM, MBA and MA level, as well as taught BMS and BMM, in various esteemed institutions across Mumbai. She is a member of the visiting faculty at Maniben Nanavati’s Women College and Russell Square International College. She is especially enthusiastic about working with differently abled students and students with special needs, such as those with Down Syndrome and Austism Spectrum Disorder. She feels strongly about promoting inclusion and mainstreaming, having had one of the most worthwhile teaching experiences with one such special child, helping her grow into an incredibly outstanding adult. 

Driven by her passion for research, she has presented 40 research papers in various International and National Conferences, and published 25 research papers in National and International Journals and books with UGC recognition. She has also provided guidance to students on various research projects in Industrial Psychology. She has held prestigious positions in professional bodies, including the Bombay Psychological Association and University of Mumbai. In addition to her experience in academia, she has rendered her services to the community by working with various NGOs in Mumbai and Calcutta, and in renowned institutions like TISS, Mumbai.

Dr Bindiya Hassaram has a Ph.D in Multicultural Special Education from the University of Texas at Austin and is the founder of learningdifferently.in. She held the position of Middle/High School Learning Coach at the American School of Bombay, India and is current faculty at the Gateway School of Mumbai.

At the American School of Bombay, Dr Hassaram consulted, collaborated and co-taught with teachers from grades 6-10. She worked with students with learning differences, and those at risk. She has taught students of all ages, in international schools in Indonesia, the UK and the US.

She has supervised and mentored novice special education and EAL teachers, and provided professional development in various topics including differentiated instruction, inclusion and culturally responsive instruction.

She works with individuals and groups, providing remediation, professional development, mentoring and coaching. She is currently faculty at the Gateway School of Mumbai.