Agenda

Ashutosh is currently responsible for engaging with the UN and other international organizations to facilitate policy discussions that promote the responsible use of technology. This is achieved through programmatic interventions aimed at advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and socio-economic growth while ensuring an enabling innovation ecosystem, inclusion, and a safe, secure, and interoperable internet.

Until recently, he was the Director and Country Head of Corporate Affairs and Public Policy for India and South Asia at Microsoft. He collaborated with the Government, Academia, Industry, and Multilaterals to shape policies that promote technology usage, drive digital inclusion, and ensure innovation and safety in the digital ecosystem.

With a career spanning over 37 years, Ashutosh has held positions at Mastercard, Wipro Ltd, Intel India, Shell India Pvt Ltd, NIIT, and the National Dairy Development Board. A graduate of the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) in Gujarat, Ashutosh possesses extensive experience in business development, channel management, strategic planning, corporate affairs, government relations, and policy advocacy.

Ashutosh frequently speaks at national and international forums on topics such as corporate affairs, public policy, education, CSR, innovation, and entrepreneurship. He has participated in events organized by WB, WTO, UNICEF, UNESCO, and various national and international academic institutions.

Ashutosh is passionate on promoting the use of technology for socio-economic development and enhancing lives through education, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Ashutosh actively mentors’ startups, coaches students and executives, and is a certified Level 2 NS-NLP Executive and Corporate Coach.

Anita Gurumurthy is a founding member and Executive Director of IT for Change where she leads research and advocacy on data and AI governance, platform regulation, and feminist frameworks on digital justice.

She is a Visiting Fellow at the UN University International Institute for Global Health and serves as an expert on various bodies – including the T20’s digital transformation track and the UN CSTD’s Working Group on Data Governance.

Anita has been part of the High Level Committee of the NetMundial+10 under Brazil’s leadership, the UN Secretary-General’s 10-Member Group on Technology Facilitation, and the Paris Peace Forum’s working group on algorithmic governance. Anita is also a Board member of global justice organizations such as the ETC Group, and University centers such as the Tech & Policy Lab at the University of Western Australia. Anita contributes regularly to academic and media spaces.

Dr Jovan Kurbalija is the Executive Director of DiploFoundation and Head of the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP). He was a member of the UN Working Group on Internet Governance (2004‒2005), special advisor to the Chairman of the UN Internet Governance Forum (2006‒2010), and a member of the High Level Multistakeholder Committee for NETmundial (2013‒2014). In 2018-2019, he served as co-Executive Director of the Secretariat of the United Nations (UN) High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation.

A former diplomat, Jovan has a professional and academic background in international law, diplomacy, and information technology. He has been a pioneer in the field of cyber diplomacy since 1992, when he established the Unit for Information Technology and Diplomacy at the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies in Malta and later, DiploFoundation.

Since 1997, Jovan’s research and articles on cyber diplomacy have shaped research and policy discussions on the impact of the Internet on diplomacy and international relations. His book, An Introduction to Internet Governance, has been translated into 9 languages and is used as a textbook for academic courses worldwide. He lectures on e-diplomacy and Internet governance in academic and training institutions in many countries, including Austria (Diplomatic Academy of Vienna), Belgium (College of Europe), Switzerland (University of St Gallen), Malta (University of Malta), and the United States (University of Southern California).

His publishes regular articles on DiploFoundation’s blog, and the Huffington Post.