A part of the I.I.M.U.N. family since 2014, Padmashri Amish Tripathi is a celebrated Indian author and diplomat. He has gained widespread recognition for his literary works, particularly the Shiva Trilogy and the Ram Chandra Series. Amish's books have sold over 7 million copies in the Indian subcontinent since their release. In addition to his writing, he held the position of Minister (Culture & Education) at the High Commission of India in the UK and served as Director of the Nehru Centre in London. He is also a renowned host for TV documentaries, having recently worked on Discovery TV's "Legends of the Ramayana" and "The Journey of India" which he co-hosted with Amitabh Bachchan. His works have been translated into multiple languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide.
Amb. Anil Trigunayat served in Indian Missions in various countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Bangladesh, Mongolia, the USA, Russia, Sweden, Nigeria, Libya, and Jordan. In the Ministry of External Affairs, he worked in the Economic, West Asia, North Africa, and Consular Divisions. He also held the position of Director General/Joint Secretary for the Gulf & Haj Divisions. Before his retirement, he served as Ambassador of India to Jordan and Libya, as well as High Commissioner to Malta. Amb. Trigunayat has a postgraduate degree in Physics and studied Russian History, Culture, and Language. He conducted research on "WTO and Regional Trading Blocs'' at Oxford University as a visiting fellow. Since 2018, we are blessed to have him advise us on what needs to be disseminated to the students and what not.
Padma Shri Alur Seelin Kiran Kumar, most notably retired as Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, aka ISRO. With over four decades of experience, he's a highly accomplished space scientist known for his contributions to satellite payload and Electro-Optical Imaging Sensors. He holds degrees from Bangalore University and the Indian Institute of Science. Beginning his career at ISRO in 1975, he later became Director of the Space Applications Centre (SAC) in 2012, overseeing various space-related activities. He is most passionate about ensuring that children are exposed to Indian thought, and with a knowledge bank as large as his and a heart that is pure, we are truly grateful to have his blessings.
With a PhD in International Politics and International Relations, this diplomat is an expert in India's relations with South East Asia. Having served in Laos, Portugal and Ho Chi Minh City among others, he has published in over 25 book chapters and journals respectively. A sports aficionado, he has served as an advisor to the government of Odisha state on sports and is most particularly interested in promoting hockey! We are thrilled to have had him counsel us since 2016. As he likes to be called- he is a true foot soldier of the organisation and travels almost every month. Amb. Misra is responsible for spreading the concept to more cities than most volunteers at I.I.M.U.N. can claim to!
With a bachelor’s degree education in physics and further studies in communications and electronics engineering, this Ambassador has academic interests that span our entire library. He was Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, dealing with foreign affairs, nuclear energy, space, defence and national security. Having served in the UK, Poland, South Africa and Vietnam, he finished as Ambassador to Russia. As one of the most revered thought leaders, this expert on India's national security interests convenes the National Security Advisory Board; in addition, we are thrilled to have Amb. P.S. Raghavan joins as Chairperson of our very own Academic Advisory Council.
Amb. Saran joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1982 and retired as Deputy National Security Advisor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Prior to this, he was Ambassador to Russia, served as India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh and as India's Ambassador to Turkey. He has also served as the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, where he was responsible for India's relations with Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. The ambassador is known for his expertise in Indian foreign policy and is currently also a part of the National Security Advisory Board of India and founder & convenor of the think tank Nat-Strat.
KM Chandrashekhar, a distinguished civil servant, served as India's Cabinet Secretary from 2007 to 2011. A 1970-batch IAS officer, he played a key role in enhancing governance, streamlining disaster management, and coordinating national responses during critical times like the 2008 financial crisis. With prior roles as Revenue Secretary and Ambassador to the WTO, he contributed significantly to Indias trade policies and public administration, leaving a lasting impact through his pragmatic and reform-oriented leadership. As Cabinet Secretary, he spearheaded efforts to improve disaster management mechanisms, fostered transparency in governance, and ensured the seamless coordination of multiple departments during critical times, such as the 2008 financial crisis and national security challenges. His tenure is often praised for his pragmatic approach to administration and his commitment to the nation's development.
