Who's Who
Founder Chairperson
Dr. Biswajit Roy Chowdhury
Biswajit Roy Chowdhury, faculty member in the Department of Geography of Vidyasagar College (affiliated to University of Calcutta), Kolkata and the founder Chairman of South Asian Institute for Advanced Research and Development (SAIARD), Radhanath Sikdar Institute of Geospatial Science and Technology (RSIGST) and Centre for River Affairs (CRA), has obtained his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Geography from Calcutta University with a specialization in urban and transport geography. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate from UN Rescue Services, Nigeria. Along with teaching, he has engaged in several academic and administrative activities and acted as a steering committee member in G-20 India. He has significantly contributed to the field of urban and river studies, has published several research papers in different national and international journals, and has written 11 books, out of which 7 books were published by the School Education Dept., Govt. of West Bengal. He was awarded the Junior Scientist of the Year 2017 Award & Young Innovator Award 2018 and has obtained life memberships of some reputed organizations like INCA, ISCA, IIPA, IMS, etc.
Co-Founder & Research Director
Dr. Aparna Bera Roy Chowdhury
With a profound commitment to advancing geospatial science and technology, Dr. Chowdhury has significantly contributed to the fields of climate change research, urban systems analysis, and geospatial education. Her leadership at SAIARD and RSIGST reflects a strategic vision aimed at integrating geospatial technology into various sectors, including transportation, national security, and smart farming. Dr. Chowdhury’s work is particularly noted for its emphasis on societal impacts and climate mitigation solutions, showcasing her dedication to addressing critical global challenges through innovative research. Her work in creating a geospatial database for the Sundarban Delta region underscores her commitment to environmental conservation and resilience planning. Through her leadership and innovative research, Dr.Aparna Bera Roy Chowdhury continues to inspire and drive advancements in geospatial science, contributing to the sustainable development and resilience of South Asian regions.
Our Advisors
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Dr. Parth Sarathi Roy
Ex. Director, IIRS-ISRO, GOI
With over 40 years of work
experience, Dr. Roy is passionate and dedicated stalwarts in the geospatial
domain As a Director of Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), ISRO, Govt
of India, he was involved in several projects and initiatives that aim to
promote restoration, conservation, and management of natural resources in India
and beyond. The development of the National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS),
the Forest Reference Emission Level (FREL), and the National REDD+ Strategy for
India, as well as the Global Forest Watch (GFW) platform etc. are some ground breaking
examples of his work. During his tenure he also has been leading the South Asia
Regional Initiative on Forest Landscape Restoration (SAFRI), which seeks to
catalyze and scale up forest landscape restoration across eight countries in
the region. As a pioneer in geospatial technology sector, he is passionate in
generating and disseminating information on natural resources, land use, and
climate change, and to support evidence-based decision making for sustainable
development.
Dr. Debarpriya Dutta
Ex. Advisor & Scientist, DST, GOI
Dr. Debapriya Dutta is a renowned Indian scientist with a Ph.D. from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute. He has held various positions, including Scientist at the Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, Senior Scientific Officer-I at the Natural Resources Data Management System Division, Counsellor at the Embassy of India, Director of the Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research, Head and Adviser/Scientist in SEED, State Science and Technology Programme, and National Geospatial Programme, and Chancellor of Mall Reddy University. Dutta has also served as the Chairman of the Geospatial Information Standard Group of the Bureau of Indian Standards. He has also held a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Geo-Information Management from the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation and a Senior Professional Research Fellowship on Groundwater Governance from the International Water Management Institute. His research interests include the application of Geoinformatics for Natural Resources Management, watershed management technologies, geo-information management, rural development, and international S&T cooperation.
Dr. S.P. Aggarwal
Director, NESAC, ISRO, GOI
Dr. Shiv Prasad Aggarwal, born on December 15, 1966, is the Director of the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) since September 2021. He earned his B. Tech. from Allahabad University, and postgraduate and Ph.D. degrees from IARI, New Delhi, with post-doctoral research from ITC/IHE, The Netherlands. With extensive experience in Remote Sensing and GIS, he previously led the Water Resources Department at IIRS, ISRO, Dehradun. Dr. Aggarwal has made significant contributions to hydrological modeling, disaster management, and climate change impact assessment, and has played a key role in capacity building through the United Nations-affiliated CSSTEAP. He is the President of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing (ISRS) and has received numerous awards, including the National Geospatial Award for Excellence (2018) and the National Award for e-Governance (2022). He is a Fellow of several professional societies and has over 170 research publications.
Mr. Nirmalendu Kumar
Addl. SG, Survey of India, GOI
Nirmalendu Kumar is
Additional Surveyor General, Northern zone, Chandigarh, in Survey of India. My
responsibility is now the overall management of all the departmental and
non-departmental mapping and surveying operations, pertaining to the areas of
Rajasthan, UP, Delhi, Uttrakhand, Panjab, Haryana, Himachal, JK and Ladakh. He
is also pursuing his PhD from Civil Engineering department of IIT Delhi . He
has completed his M Tech from J N T University, Hyderabad and Master degree in
geo-information management from I T C, The Netherlands. He has also worked as a
Director in National Spatial Data Infrastructure(NSDI) on deputation basis and
has assisted CEO, NSDI, Dr R Siva Kumar and Shri P S Acharya, CEO NSDI and Head
(TWF)/ Associate Head (NRDMS-NSDI)/ and Coordinator (MMGA) of DST in
administrative and technical matters. Earlier he was in Delhi State Spatial
Data Infrastructure (DSSDI) , 3 D GIS project of Delhi, since its inception and
assisted the Project Director in its planning and execution. Basically, he is a
core mapping and surveying professional and has over 30 years of experience in
spatial technologies viz. GIS , photogrammetry, Remote sensing and GPS. He has
experience in Systems Conceptualization and Design for Spatial Data
Infrastructures, including standards development, network design, database
design and schemas, applications development. He has published over 10
technical papers on GIS, geo-information management in various conferences/journals.
Dr. Deb Jyoti Pal
Sr. Vice-President, GalaxEye
Prof.
Deb Jyoti Pal is Sr. Vice President of GalaxEye and Professor of Practice in
the Department of Natural and Applied Sciences at TERI School of Advanced
Studies (TERI SAS), New Delhi, India. He received his Ph.D. in the groundwater
exploration domain from Visva Bharati University, West Bengal. He graduated in
Geology from Banaras Hindu University, Uttar Pradesh, and a PG Diploma in
Remote Sensing from the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun. With
more than two and a half With decades of experience, Prof. Deb Jyoti Pal has
worked across various verticals, providing solutions across the government and
public sector, water resources, environment studies, utilities, and defense. He
has also offered consulting and advisory support to leading geospatial
platforms and space data analytics companies, giving strategic insights on
everything from designing commercially feasible solutions to charting future
roadmaps. Through innovative, integrated, cross-sectional approach, and a
growth-oriented outlook, as a business leader he has delivered bespoke
solutions in a fast-transforming and rapidly disruptive industry landscape.
Working across corporations and social development organizations, he firmly
believes in the power of technology convergence, human ingenuity,
collaboration, and the spirit of dynamism to be a true change-maker.
Mr. Saurabh Rai
CEO, Arahas Tech. Pvt .Ltd.
Saurabh Rai, CEO of Arahas Technologies, is a visionary leader with over two decades of experience in Digital Transformation, AI/ML, and GIS technology. He has collaborated with major companies like Apple, Google, Meta, and HERE, and has consulted for companies across 25 countries. Saurabh’s deep expertise in geospatial technology has earned him prestigious accolades, including the Edison Award, GE Award, and British Cartographic Award for India. At Tech Mahindra BPS, he played a crucial role in establishing advanced platforms such as ‘SeeR’ and ‘Yantr.AI’. He also founded Surpluss.in, India’s first B2B2C e-commerce portal, demonstrating his entrepreneurial spirit and innovative mindset. His contributions to the field are further evidenced by his US Patent and numerous industry awards. Saurabh’s vision and leadership continue to drive Arahas Technologies forward, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the realms of Digital Transformation, AI/ML, and GIS technology.
Mr. Antony John
Director, iSpatial Tech Solutions
Antony John, is a seasoned technology leader and Senior Director at iSpatial Techno Solutions (IST), specializing in geospatial technology, AI-driven solutions, and services management. With extensive experience in operations, project delivery, business development, and presales, Antony has established himself as a key player in implementing innovative GIS and AI solutions for complex challenges across industries. Antony has led high-impact projects that leverage GIS and AI technologies to deliver actionable insights and transformative solutions. He has played a vital role in developing GeoAI expertise on the Energy.AI initiative, focusing on advancing energy sector innovations. A strategic thinker and hands-on leader, Antony is passionate about integrating GIS, AI, and data analytics to address real-world challenges. His ability to create tailored, client-focused strategies and his dedication to excellence have made him a trusted expert in the field, delivering value-driven solutions for organizations and stakeholders globally.
Our Team
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Ms. Antara Kundu
Program Director, RSIGST
Ms. Ayantika Ganguly
Project Director, SOG
Mr. Shahid Gulzar
Sr. GIS Analyst, SOG
Ms. Moonmoon Sen
Faculty, SOET
Ms. Anwesha Ganguly
GIS Analyst, SOG
Ms. Krithikaa Kathirvel
GIS Analyst, SOG
Mr. D. Bhoumick
Guest Faculty, SOET
Ms. Sumati Maity
Sr. GIS Analyst, SOG
Ms. Ankita Das
Faculty, SOG
Ms. Soumi Chakraborty
Project Coordinator, SOG
Mr. S. Bhattacharyya
Research Associate, SOET
Ms. Sharmi Khan
Research Associate, SOET
Our Fellow
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Dr. S. Somvanshi
Center Head, CAG, CEPT
Dr. Shivangi Somvanshi is Center Head, Center for Applied Geomatics at CEPT Research and Development Foundation. She is a professional with diverse experience and a reputation for success in Geospatial Technologies. She has a doctorate in ‘Geoinformatics & Remote Sensing’ and is a thought leader in space and geospatial domain worldwide. Over her fourteen years of experience in the geospatial technology domain, she is recognized for her result-oriented approach to exploring the impact of the cross-linkage of technology and policy using varied innovative tools and frameworks. She is passionate about harnessing spatial data’s power to derive informed decision-making in varied economic sectors. Her professional expertise includes working with cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary stakeholders across technology, academia, and government to provide geospatial-based solutions for various use cases, developing national policy and governance frameworks, and initiating and contributing to global technology and policy dialogue and debates through research, publications, and conference convening. She was involved in regular university teaching in the past and continues to be involved in geospatial curriculum development projects and the practice of teaching and learning in online and blended environments, contributing to the capacity-building ‘brainware’ component of a Digital Earth. She is an active member of the ‘National Aerospace Council’ of the Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (WICCI), which aims at building women’s entrepreneurship and business through greater engagement with government, institutions, global trade, and networks. Her latest focus includes the use of GeoAI/ML technologies to improve geospatial workflows and exploring the recent trends of geospatial industry like Data Cubes, Digital Twins etc.
Mr. V. Mukaddam
VP, Genesys Inter. Corp. Ltd
Vasim Mukaddam is a Mumbai University Engineering Graduate with 30 years of experience in the geospatial industry, specializing in urban planning, environmental management, disaster resilience, climate change, and agriculture. As the Vice President of Genesys International Corporation Ltd., he has been at the forefront of delivering cutting-edge geospatial solutions that drive innovation and transformation across industries.
A firm believer in the power of AI and emerging technologies, Vasim is actively involved in evolving GIS with advanced AI, automation, and next-gen innovations. His leadership has been instrumental in executing large-scale projects, leveraging geospatial intelligence for smarter decision-making and sustainable development.
A passionate mentor and thought leader, Vasim is committed to nurturing young talent, fostering industry-academia collaborations, and shaping the future of the geospatial ecosystem. He strongly believes that youth-driven innovation will be the driving force in revolutionizing the geospatial domain.
Let’s connect and build the future of geospatial technology together!