Professor Gopal Naik is the JJM Chair Professor at IIMB. He is also the Senior Fellow at the Centre for Public Policy at IIMB. Prof. Gopal Naik’s research focuses on agricultural and environmental economics, rural development, and technology adoption. He is the recipient of the Dr. D.K. Desai Award and the American Agricultural Economics Association Award. He has held consultancy positions in national and international organisations and has contributed significantly to government committees and policymaking. He also spearheaded the Unnat Bharath Abhiyan, and led the development of SAMIE, a tele-education project recognized with the WSIS 2015 Award.
Parameswaran Iyer, an Indian Administrative Service officer, has held several senior management roles. From 2016 to 2020, he was the Secretary of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, where he led the Swachh Bharat Mission. During this period, he also led the design of India’s flagship Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and kickstarted its implementation. He served as CEO of NITI Aayog, India’s National Think Tank, from July 2022 to February 2023. Currently, he is the Executive Director at the World Bank Group, representing Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Sri Lanka. Listen to what he has to say about us.
