Speakers

• Bankim Kalra Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Green Mobility
  

  Bankim Kalra

  Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Green Mobility

  Bankim Kalra is an internationally recognized urban strategist and expert in Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), with 20 years of experience across India, the U.S., Canada, and the Middle East. As CEO of the Centre for Green Mobility and Director at Quantum Leap Studio, he advances sustainable mobility, walkability, cycling equity, and placemaking. He has worked with the World Bank, ADB, and Indian ministries and co-authored India’s National TOD Policy (2017). His planning expertise contributed to Bhubaneswar’s recognition as India’s top-ranked Smart City.

• Bibhuti Bhusan Barik Journalist, Writer, Heritage Enthusiast
  

  Bibhuti Bhusan Barik

  Journalist, Writer, Heritage Enthusiast

  Bibhuti Bhusan Barik is a journalist, writer, and heritage enthusiast with over 29 years of experience across media and government. A Life Member of INTACH, he has played a key role in heritage communication and guided heritage walks across Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, and Khordha. His expertise spans art, archaeology, architecture, urban development, and public engagement. He served with Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited and worked exclusively on CITIIS, contributing to heritage and public engagement initiatives. He is also an accomplished author and co-author.

• Preeti Prada Panigrahi Director, Socratus Foundation
  

  Preeti Prada Panigrahi

  Director, Socratus Foundation

  Preeti Prada Panigrahi is a senior public policy and equity-focused leader with over 17 years of experience driving evidence-based policy and large-scale development programs across India and other low- and middle-income countries. Currently serving as Director, Programs & Partnerships at Socratus Foundation for Collective Wisdom, she specializes in translating research into actionable policy, building strategic partnerships, and leading multi-stakeholder initiatives. Her expertise spans climate resilience, urban systems, and inclusive governance, complemented by academic training from the London School of Economics and Harvard University.

• Prof. Kajri Mishra Dean, School of Human Settlements, Professor, Urban Management and Governance, XIM University, Bhubaneswar
  

  Prof. Kajri Mishra

  Dean, School of Human Settlements, Professor, Urban Management and Governance, XIM University, Bhubaneswar

  Kajri Misra is a Professor of Urban Management and Governance, specializing in governance, institutional reform, participatory planning, sustainability, and climate-change adaptation. Her research focuses on strengthening local governance and planning systems, urban development, public service delivery, gender and marginalization, and migration. She has led research projects for the Government of India, UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA, and the Smart Cities Mission. Her publications examine Bhubaneswar’s Smart City development, decentralization, urban planning capacity, gender, water provision, and architectural heritage.

• Sashiprava Bindhani Former State Information Commissioner, Government of Odisha
  

  Sashiprava Bindhani

  Former State Information Commissioner, Government of Odisha

  Sashiprava Bindhani is a researcher, policy analyst, campaigner, trainer, and human rights defender with extensive experience in governance, public health, gender, and social justice. She served as State Information Commissioner, Odisha Information Commission, from 2015 to 2020, conducting hearings and training stakeholders on the Right to Information. A lawyer and former State Director of the Human Rights Law Network, she has worked extensively on women’s and children’s rights, health, marginalisation, and policy advocacy. She played a key role in advancing Odisha’s Prevention of Witch Hunting Act, 2014.

• Virajitha Chimalapati Senior Research Analyst, WRI India
  

  Virajitha Chimalapati

  Senior Research Analyst, WRI India

  Virajitha Chimalapati is a Senior Research Analyst with WRI India’s Sustainable Cities and Transport program, based in Bhubaneswar. She works on creating safe, healthy, inclusive public spaces for adolescents through stakeholder and community engagement. Her experience spans heritage conservation, community participation, disaster risk management, policy evaluation, and culture-led urban transformation across South Asia. She holds a Master’s in Architectural Conservation from SPA Delhi and a Bachelor’s in Architecture from Anna University. She is pursuing a PhD at the University of York on culture-based climate policy and digital governance.