School Partnership - SmartGaon Development Foundation

Mr. Navneet Nigam is a professional with over 17 years of rich, relevant, and varied experience in Software Programming and program management in India. He has worked on a wide canvas of issues including the issues of Farmers, Education in rural India, and health and sanitization in rural areas. He has looked at all issues within a rights-based framework. His own experiences of engaging with Private IT/Non-IT organizations, citizen groups as well with donors help bring fresh insights to SmartGaon India’s work with the poor and the marginalized sections of society.

Bio Sketch of Prof. Dr. Ram S. Upadhayaya

Dr. Ram Upadhayaya is a serial entrepreneur and a distinguished scientist specialized in the field of infectious
diseases (HIV, Tuberculosis, and other neglected tropical diseases).
He has more than 20 years of experience in established pharmaceutical industry like Ranbaxy, Lupin and
academia (Principal scientist-Institute of Molecular Medicine, Assistant Professor-Uppsala University,
Sweden).
He holds 25 peer reviewed publications and 15 patents to his credit. He was a key player in bringing couple
of drug candidates to clinical trial for various disease indications.
He is distinguished visiting professor Plasma Bioscience Research Center (PBRC)/ Applied Medicine
Research Center, Kwangwoon University, Seoul Korea.
Dr. Upadhayaya has been instrumental in establishing multiple discovery projects worldwide during his
tenure as Assistant professor at Uppsala University, Sweden; Max-Planck Institute (MPI), Berlin, Germany,
Medical Research Council (MRC), London and as Head of medicinal chemistry at Bioimics AB, Sweden.
He is a molecular oncologist and has contributed in the discovery of three clinical candidates.
Currently, he is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Laxai Life Sciences, Hyderabad http://www.laxai.com/,
and Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of Ohm Oncology Inc., USA, a company focusing on oncology and
neoplasm with a vision to bring forth novel drugs for management of treatment-refractory and difficult to
treat cancers. http://ohmonco.com/
Co- Founder and Board Member Green Fire Inc. USA: Green Fire is a diversified biotech business exploiting
an undercapitalized critical stage of medical product development led by a team of experienced life science
business and development executives.
Editorial Board and Scientific Advisor: Advisory Board Member of the journal “Coronaviruses”.
Benthamscience.
He is also involved in forging the collaboration with CSIR, Govt of India to identify the unique and rational
drug combinations and conducting a clinical trial “ MUCOVIN” with Medanta Hospital, Gurgaon.
https://www.expresshealthcare.in/covid19-updates/csir-partners-with-laxai-sciences/422908/
He is instrumental to work on the idea of “Make in India” in that regard his company is working on various
essential and key drug intermediates to decrease the dependency of China.
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/csir-iict-ties-up-with-laxai-lifesciences-to-reducedependency-on-china-for-apis-key-intermediates/article31426547.ece
He is keen to develop new business across India with primary focus in Uttar Pradesh. The key areas being
healthcare, innovative technology to name a few. He has the passion to contribute in building the economy
of India and providing jobs to youths of the country .
One of his dream is to establish a “FUTURISTIC RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CENRE FOR
INFECTIOUS DISEASES” primarily in Uttar Pradesh.

Pradeep is a Business Advisor and an Advisor to the Corporate Boards. He gives his services to the companies as an Independent Director on their Board. He is associated with Niti Aayog as a ‘Mentor of Change’ and with Start-up India as a Mentor of Start ups.

He has over 35 years of professional experience as an entrepreneur, an innovator and an investor. His experience spans different sectors which include business consulting, manufacturing of pharmaceutical and specialty chemicals, a B2B online chemicals exchange, eCommerce, B2B retail and businesses with social impact. He has been part of future focused businesses, for example -performing highly complex chemistry to manufacture beta blockers and ACE Inhibiters in 1996, setting up an ‘online chemical exchange’ platform in 1998, setting up drop-off stores in 2007, introducing ‘trading assistant’ model for eBay Inc. in 2009, making internet retail available for rural and non-urban India in 2012, and green mobility (bike share) project in 2018.

In 2014, he led the team who created a new concept of ‘internet retail’ – a low-cost zero-risk business model for small and micro-retailers. Thru this model, brands can access remote and rural areas of India in the shortest possible time – provide speed to market. It also has a huge social impact in many ways – it enhanced income for micro and small retailers with no new investment and no risk, and making available global products to remote consumers.

While continuing as a Non-Executive-Director and member of the Board of his businesses, he is now a Mentor for couple of startups in different areas like green mobility, retail, ecommerce, digitization tools etc.

During last 35 years, he served on Boards of several companies as an Independent/Non-Executive Director and also as a Chairman/Member of several Board Committees.

With such social impacting and innovative work, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India conferred ‘Business Leader of the year 2015’ award.

He loves speaking on subjects like Corporate Governance, Startups, and Entrepreneurship, with an idea to share his experience and knowledge with GenNext. In past, he has been a speaker/panel member at various forums like the Indian Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Indian Association of Internet & Mobile Industry, and so on.

He has been associated with social projects such as Teach India (a Times of India initiative), Tuberculosis Eradication pilot project and several more.

LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/pradeepmalu/