Karuna Gopal

Karuna Gopal Vartakavi

President | Foundation for Futuristic Cities
Independent Director | Engineers India Ltd
[Union Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas]
BJP National In-charge | Women Policies & Research

Rotary GSE Scholar | USA
IVLP Fellow (US Department of State)
Distinguished Fellow | India Foundation
Member-Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS) | UK
John F. Kennedy School of Government | Harvard University,USA

Ms. Karuna Gopal, is an Internationally acclaimed Thought Leader, Keynote Speaker and a Futurist. She is the Founder President of Foundation for Futuristic Cities a think tank that has influenced Urban Transformation in India for two decades.

Her work is at the Intersection of TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | FUTURE CITIES

As a Plenary Speaker, she represented India at the Commonwealth Local Government Conference (CLGC) 2023 Rwanda, AFRICA|BRICS Innovation Forum 2023 Moscow, RUSSIA and COP21-UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) Paris, FRANCE 2015. In 2018, Ms Gopal was invited by the Prime Minister of UAE to address their flagship event – World Government Summit at Dubai.

Governments of USA, Sweden, South Korea, Russia, UK, Philippines, Malaysia, UAE, Singapore, Turkey, Sri Lanka and Israel have invited her for inputs on Smart Governance.

Ms Gopal contributed to the design of the '100 Smart Cities Mission' of India and has been invited to speak at the launch of the Mission by the Prime Minister. Her innovation SCULPT YOUR CITY- 2009 (Crowd Sourced Protocol for Co-Creation) has shaped the Mission guidelines and has been declared a National Best Practice.

In the past, she served as an Urban Expert for The WORLD BANK, DFID (Department for International Development, UK), USAID (United States Agency for International Development) &ADB (Asian Development Bank).

Ms Gopal lectures senior IAS officers at India’s Premier Academy LBSNAA (Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration) Mussoorie, WBI (World Bank Institute) and ASCI (Administrative Staff College of India).

Ms Gopal has given more than 100 Keynote addresses globally and was invited to address HARVARD ASIA – BUSINESS CONFERENCE 2020 at Harvard University, USA. She has been widely published with columns and articles in National & International publications and her articles have been incorporated into Parliamentary Documentation of Lok Sabha for their policy relevance.

Her Innovation (IWIN) International Women Innovators Network has been launched by the Vice President of India. Her current initiative SURGE (Smart Urbanization Reinventing Growth with Equity) is about transformative policies for ushering a NEW INDIA. She currently serves as the Distinguished Advisor for COWE India (Confederation of Women Entrepreneurs) and has contributed to INDIA TECHNOLOGY Roadmap 2047.

Ms. Gopal has been inducted into BJP, (Bharatiya Janata Party) in 2014 and she hails from a family of freedom fighters and IAS officers.

She currently heads the Policy Research division for Women in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She serves on the Board of Engineers India limited, under the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India.

Awards

  • WOMEN LEADER DRIVING ENERGY SECTOR- The India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) 2023
  • RE-ENGINEERING G20- Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya Recognition 2023
  • ROTARY Vocational Excellence Award 2022
  • SKOCH CHALLENGER AWARD 2021
  • DEVI AWARD for ‘Dynamism & Innovation’ 2015 presented by The Sunday Standard, New Indian Express Group
  • CHANAKYA AWARD for Visionary Leadership – Presented by Public Relations Council of India
  • MAHILA RATNA Award at Madras Music Academy, Chennai
  • The Most Impactful SMART CITIES LEADER – World HRD Congress
  • The most talented GREEN LEADER AWARD for demonstrating exemplary leadership in Sustainability for Social Change.
  • Honored for Eminent Leadership & Achievements -Union Ministry of Labour & Employment, 2015
  • Featured in DIVAS of DECCAN – a compilation of women achievers in South India
  • ICONIC WOMAN Award 2019 - Shrishti Foundation
  • WOMAN INNOVATOR AWARD  - TEACH for Change Foundation
  • WOMAN LEADER (May, 2013) (May, 2012) at Dallas, Atlanta and Houston USA
  • Adjudged top 5 Woman Leaders of India - LEAD INDIA Campaign of Times of India 2007
  • IVLP FELLOW (International Visitor Leadership Program of US Dept of State) 2011
  • Rotary GSE SCHOLAR to USA, 1991

Urban Innovations

Ms Gopal introduced the following innovations:
  • SCULPT your CITY,
  • CORPORATES for CITIES
  • STOC
To Usher NEW INDIA she initiated the following
  • Created INR a REGISTRY of NEW INDIANS who align with the Prime Ministers Vision and are willing to work for the nation
  • Conceptualized SURGE (Smart Urbanization Reinventing Growth with Equity) transformative policies for Indian cities
  • Conceptualized IWIN (India Women Innovators Network) a Global Network

Launched

  • INDIA INFRASTRUCTURE DIALOGUE Series (Ongoing)
  • SMART PROCUREMENT Framework (MoHUA)
  • WOMEN & EMPLOYABILITY Roundtables(In Partnership with Ministry of Labour & Employment)
  • SMART CITIES & INCLUSION Roundtables(In Partnership with UK Deputy High Commission – Presented to MoHUA Minister)
  • URBAN HEALTH Dialogue Roundtables (Presented a Report on DEFEAT DENGUE to HE Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan Hon’ble Governor of Telangana State

TECHNOLOGY | START UP Mentor for Youth

  • As a Mentor at IIT (Bombay) Tech Fest and at ISB (Indian School of Business) guided their efforts and was a Jury for their Innovations
  • Jury and Chief Guest at R&D showcase at IIT (Hyderabad)
  • Created the first prototype for CRIME ANALYTICS and FACIAL RECOGNITION with tech partners
  • Launched two AI (Artificial Intelligence) certification course of NIT Warangal and later evolved the same into APPLIED AI for India relevance.

Ms. Gopal served as

  • International Jury at GSMA GLOMO Awards for Smart Cities, 2017, BARCELONA
  • International Jury, Intelligent Communities Forum (ICF), NEW YORK
  • Council Member of GLG (Gerson Lehrman Group) NY , USA
  • Mentor, Technology Entrepreneurship Program (TEP), Indian School of Business (ISB)
  • Mentor Tech Fest, IIT Bombay
  • Jury at India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF) Innovation Awards (PPP initiative of Ministry of Power, Govt of India)
  • Mentor, India Smart City Fellowship Program - Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India
  • Member, Media Outreach Advisory Committee AICTE (All India Council For Technical Education) & MHRD Innovation Cell, Govt of India(Ministry Of Human Resource Development)
  • Eminent member RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) UK

Global Conferences - Chair / Keynote Speaker:

  • Plenary Keynote Speaker – Commonwealth Local Government Conference, Nov 2023, Kigali, RWANDA, AFRICA
  • Plenary Speaker - BRICS Innovation Forum, August 2023, MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • Speaker- HARVARD ASIA BUSINESS CONFERENCE - 2020, Harvard Business School, March 2020, BOSTON, USA
  • Speaker, FT Future of Cities Post Covid as part of EXPO 2020 DUBAI, FINANCIAL TIMES, Oct 2021, LONDON
  • Plenary Speaker - FUTURE CITY SUMMIT, Dec 2020, HONGKONG
  • Keynote Speaker - India Immersion Program (IIP) for Urban Tech Startups by Anthil Ventures, Aug 2020, SINGAPORE
  • Expert Speaker - 'ThinkIn' Series by Tortoise Media along with Mr Greg Fischer Mayor of Louisville, June 2020, UNITED KINGDOM
  • Speaker- SOUTH ASIAN DIASPORA CONVENTION (SADC) invited by Ambassador-at-Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nov 2019, SINGAPORE
  • Plenary Keynote Speaker - GLOBAL INNOVATION FORUM, invited by the President of World Technopolis Association (WTA)South Korea, Oct 2019, Republic of KOREA
  • Speaker - ASIA SUMMIT 2019, the Milken Institute, Sept 2019, SINGAPORE
  • Keynote Speaker - 'SMART CITIES ASIA', Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA, September 2019
  • Keynote Speaker, Science Gala 2018- SCIENCE INDIA FORUM, DOHA, February 2019
  • Plenary Speaker - The WORLD GOVERNMENT SUMMIT - Invited by the Prime Minister of UAE. Interviewed by Richard Quest of CNN. Feb 2018, DUBAI
  • Key Speaker - 6th ISTANBUL INTERNATIONAL SMART GRIDS AND CITIES CONGRESS organized by 3 ministries of Republic of Turkey - Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and Ministry of Environment, April 2018, TURKEY
  • Key Speaker - WORLD BUILT ENVIRONMENT FORUM, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) April 2018, London, UK
  • Keynote Speaker - WORLD GIS DAY 2017, Turkish Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, Nov 2017, TURKEY
  • Key Speaker - UAE-INDIA ECONOMIC FORUM, UAE Ministry of Economy, Nov 2017, DUBAI
  • Key Speaker - 5th INTERNATIONAL ISTANBUL SMART GRIDS & CITIES CONGRESS (ICSG) Istanbul, organized by 4 ministries of Turkey - Ministry of Environment & Urbanization, Ministry of Energy & Natural Resources, Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology, Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs & Communication, April 2017, TURKEY
  • Speaker - THE EU-INDIA PLATFORM (EQUIP) Showcasing Event in association with The Economic and Social Research Council, UK, 24th April 2017, BELGIUM
  • Key Speaker & Guest of Honor  - WORLD BUSINESS Conclave, Dec 2016, HONG KONG
  • Keynote Address-INTERNATIONAL GREEN BUILDING CONFERENCE (IGBC), September 2016, SINGAPORE
  • Distinguished Speaker/ Session Chair - GLOBAL SUMMIT ‘SMART, SECURE AND SUSTAINABLE CITIES', July 2016, London UNITED KINGDOM
  • Plenary Keynote Speaker  - 'CITIES IN A DIGITAL WORLD' Co-located Conference of Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), in partnership with WORLD CITIES SUMMIT, SINGAPORE, July 2016
  • Plenary Speaker - NXCITIES : CLARK GREEN CITY, March 2016, Manila, PHILIPPINES
  • Key Speaker - SMART CITIES INNOVATION, June 2016, Austin, Texas, USA
  • Speaker - SMART CITIES AT COP 21 (UNFCCC) - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change December 2015, PARIS
  • Key Speaker - 2nd Smart Cities Asia 2016, October 2016, MALAYSIA
  • Speaker - Investor Roundtables with FOREIGN INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS (FIIs) from North America, Europe and Asia (representing over $7 Trillion in Assets Under   Management), by Pacific Pension & Investment Institute (PPI) July 2015, USA & TOKYO
  • Keynote Address - BERG Awards, July 2015, SINGAPORE
  • Speaker - Forum Smart City ‘Build our Metropolis in an Urbanized World’, SMART CITY OF BORDEAUX MÉTROPOLE, April 2015, Paris, FRANCE ( web presence )
  • VIP Speaker - CREATING FUTURE CITIES, CEO & BUSINESS LEADERS SUMMIT, Sydney, November 2014, AUSTRALIA
  • Speaker - The International Forum of Human Smart City, Paris in partnership with French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development & Energy, Academy of   Technology and UN HABITAT, June 2014, Paris, FRANCE
  • Key Speaker  - Global India Business Meeting & Liverpool International Festival of Business, June 2014, UK
  • Speaker-"FESTIVAL SCIENCE FRONTIÈRES-24 HOURS ON EARTH" actors of innovation around the world, November 2013, Paris, FRANCE ( web presence )
  • Speaker - "Mega Trends in Urbanization" TANA Convention, May 2013, Dallas, USA
  • "Sustainable Urbanization in India" for Executive MBAs at Pontificia Universidad Católica de, November 2012, Chile, SOUTH AMERICA
  • Speaker - "Urbanization and Business Opportunities in India" NATA Conference, July 2012, Texas, USA
  • Speaker - “Opportunities in Urban Infrastructure” at ATA Convention, June 2012, Atlanta, USA
  • Speaker - Women Leaders Conference, May 2012, Dallas, USA
  • Speaker - Affordable Housing Conference, February 2012, SINGAPORE
  • Speaker - Round Table discussions with Federal Departments at Washington DC & City Governments Corporate entities of Seattle, San Francisco, New Orleans & Milwaukee, February 2012, USA
  • Speaker - "Mega Cities - Can we live in them? – Can we improve them?" Forum for Women, January 2011, Paris, FRANCE
  • Speaker - Urbanization in India, MICROSOFT Corporation, May 2010, Seattle, USA
  • Speaker - World Conference on Remaking Sustainable Cities in the Vertical Age, February 2010, CTBUH, USA
  • Speaker - Water Sector Reforms, National Water   Supply & Drainage Board, (NWSDB), September 2006, SRILANKA
  • Speaker - India as a democracy and Indian Constitution – Rotary Club of Houston, Texas 1991, USA

International Conferences – India

  • Speaker - G20 - Asian Cities Summit - Women Power &Leadership, April 2023, New Delhi
  • Plenary Special Address - India's Road Map to NET ZERO by Climate Group, New Delhi, July 2022
  • Speaker - CYFY2019 BY Observer Research Foundation (ORF), October 2019, New Delhi
  • Speaker - Water Wise Cities - Dialogue Series of Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), UK - July 2019, New Delhi
  • Speaker, KAUTILYA FELLOWS PROGRAMME, India Foundation, Feb 2019 New Delhi
  • Speaker, World Organization of Students and Youth (WOSY) International Conference, Jan 2019, Bhubaneswar
  • Keynote Speaker, AICE'18 conference by AMERICAN WATER WORKS ASSOCIATION, Nov 2018, Hyderabad
  • Keynote Speaker, THE THINGS CONFERENCE INDIA by IB HUBS, Nov 2018, Hyderabad/li>
  • Plenary Speaker - INDIA-UK TECH Summit, Nov 2016, New Delhi
  • Special Address along with Shri. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI AAYOG - “SMART NEXT” ERICSSON (India), 2016, New Delhi
  • Keynote Address - FUJITSU WORLD TOUR, 2015, Mumbai
  • Speaker - Roundtable on Smart Cities & Urbanization, WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, 2015, New Delhi
  • Keynote Address - “India Smart Cities Vision”, World CSR Congress, 2015, New Delhi
  • Speaker - HITACHI Social Innovation Forum, NDTV, 2015, New Delhi
  • Chair - Roundtable on SMART CITIES AND SUSTAINABILITY with MAYOR JAMES BRAINARD, CITY OF CARMEL, Indiana State (USA), 2015, Hyderabad
  • Speaker - GREAT CONVERSATIONS, British Deputy High Commission, 2015, Bhubaneswar
  • Plenary Speaker - The XI METROPOLIS WORLD CONGRESS, 2014, Hyderabad
  • Speaker - NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, Roundtable on “Global Big Energy Challenge”, 2014, New Delhi
  • Speaker - ‘CONNECT 14’, GREAT BRITAIN-INDIA BUSINESS CONVENTION, 2014, New Delhi
  • Speaker- INDIA–USA TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT, Linking Earth Sciences to Smarter Cities, 2014, New
  • Plenary Speaker - Roundtable on Smart Cities, AMSTERDAM MISSION, headed by the Mayor of Amsterdam, Mr. Eberhard van der Laan, 2015, New Delhi
  • Speaker - Round Table with Mayor of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, INTELLIGENT COMMUNITIES FORUM (NEW YORK), Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), Canada   Technology Triangle, 2012, New Delhi
  • "FUTURE OF CITIES" Track with Amithabh Kant, CEO & MD, Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), Mohit Gujral, VC & MD, DLF at India Design 2013   Symposium, New Delhi
  • Address along with Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Former President of India on "Transforming India's Social Fabric", 2013, Hyderabad
  • Speaker- UK-INDIA ROUNDTABLE (based on India's 12th Five Year Plan) on BIG DATA & E-Infrastructure, 2013, New Delhi
  • Speaker- UK-INDIA ROUNDTABLE on Sustainable Cities, 2013, New Delhi
  • Plenary Speaker with Sir David King, Scientific Advisor to UK Govt– "Renewable Energy and Sustainability", 2013, Hyderabad
  • Speaker - 3rd BRICS URBANIZATION FORUM: Pre-Summit event of 8th BRICS Summit, Sept 2016, Vizag

India Conferences - Chair / Keynote Speaker:

  • Chair - Roundtable on WOMEN HEALTH - Policy Recommendations to Govt of India - Hosted by Hon'ble Governor of Telangana, RAJ BHAVAN August 2023, Hyderabad
  • Chief Guest - ‘Eco Divas’ Create Eco-friendly Diyas by IMPACT HUB, Oct 2023, Hyderabad
  • Guest of Honour - National Medical Conference- Women Health & Obesity, August 2023, Hyderabad
  • Speaker - Roundtable on Flood Risk Mitigation & Management - Engineering Staff College of India (ESCI), July 2023, Hyderabad
  • Key Speaker - ET - National PSU Summit, June 2023, New Delhi
  • Speaker – India Technology Vision 2047, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, May 2023, Hyderabad
  • Speaker – India Startup Festival, August 2023, Bangalore
  • Inaugural Address –National Conference on Endometriosis, March 2023, Hyderabad
  • Guest of Honour - International Women’s Day Celebrations - Engineering Staff College of India March 2023
  • Speaker - ENVISIONING INDIA 2047: Amrit Kaal of Bharat by Think India - Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Nov 2022, Varanasi
  • Speaker - CII-IGBC - GREEN BUILDING CONGRESS, Oct 2022, Hyderabad
  • Chief Guest & Plenary Keynote - Urban Infra Business Summit & Awards - Nov-2022 New Delhi
  • Special Address - CII- Indian Women Network (IWN) Regional Council Meeting, Hyderabad Oct 2022
  • Inaugural Address - National Medical Conference - 'Heart Health & Women', August 2022, Hyderabad
  • Chief Guest & Plenary Keynote Speaker – Launch of ‘Blockchain & Allied Technologies’ Course, Engineering Staff College of India, May 2022, Hyderabad
  • Realizing EIL’s Vision – Engineers India Ltd, Gurugram, March 2022
  • Chair, Roundtable on ‘Cities & Nutrition – Are We Eating Right?’ Jan 2022, Hyderabad
  • Lecture - 'SMART CITIES Post Covid' College of Defence Management- Ministry of Defence, Govt of India, Dec 2021, Hyderabad
  • Keynote Speaker – TiE-Hubli Infrastructure Summit, Oct 2021, Bangalore
  • Keynote Speaker - Women & Inclusion, NHRD, Dec 2021, Hyderabad
  • Keynote Speaker - CII Women Leadership Conclave, Oct 2021, Hyderabad
  • Keynote Speaker- SKOCH Summit - State of Cities Dec 2020 New Delhi
  • Chief Guest & Speaker - Roundtable on COVID Treatment Protocol with 250 Eminent Doctors, Dec 2020, Hyderabad
  • Inaugural Speech - SRM University-AP Orientation Programme, Sept 2020, Hyderabad
  • Chief Guest & Keynote Speaker - The Indian Dialect Model UN conference, Sept 2020, Hyderabad
  • Jury & Mentor - Tweet4Bharat Competition by Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini Aug 2020 Mumbai
  • Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker – Aatma Nirbhar Bharat & Youth by Amity University June 2020, Noida
  • Chief Guest & Keynote Speaker – ‘COVID Inspired Innovation for India’ with Directors & Professors of IIT/ NIT/ IIIT, Universities, Startups, May 2020 Hyderabad
  • Keynote Speaker – Future of Cities & Business Post COVID - World Hindu Economic Forum, April 2020 Mumbai
  • Guest Speaker – ‘Future of Smart Cities’ - Indian Institute of Democratic Leadership (IIDL) Lecture Series, April 2020 Mumbai
  • Speaker - CELEBRATING NEW INDIA, December 2019, New Delhi
  • Chief Guest & Plenary Keynote Speaker – Economics Conclave, University of Hyderabad, Sept 2019, Hyderabad
  • Speaker - INDIA MOBILE CONGRESS 2019, Oct 2019, New Delhi
  • Speaker - GLOBAL CYBER SECURITY CONFERENCE by Computer Society of India, Sept 2019, Hyderabad
  • Keynote Speaker - HYSEA LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Workshop for Women Leaders, August 2019, Hyderabad
  • Keynote Speaker - PMI India National Conference, Sept 2019, Hyderabad
  • Chief Guest - Launch of 'APPLIED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE' Course by ZettaMineLabs &National Institute of Technology (NIT) Warangal, August 2019, Hyderabad
  • Chief Guest & Keynote Speaker - Model United Nations (OakMUN) by Oakridge International School - July 2019, Hyderabad
  • Chief Guest- Model United Nations (MUN) by Suchitra Academy, Aug 2019, Hyderabad
  • Guest of Honour - Launch of 'All Women manned Metro Station', Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL), April 2019, Hyderabad
  • Guest of Honour & Keynote Speaker, HYSEA INFRASTRUCTURE SUMMIT, April 2019, Hyd
  • Key Speaker, Mahindra World City 'CONFLUENCE 2019', Feb 2019, New Delhi
  • Keynote Speaker, 'TechX - Demystifying the Future' by Kalaari Capital (a $650 Million in Assets under Management company) Dec 2018, Bangalore
  • Speaker, WINNERS-Women in India’s Energy Sector by Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI), Oct 2018, New Delhi
  • Speaker, Climate Change & Energy Security - 'YOUNG THINKERS’ Conference, the British High Commission, Oct 2018, Chandigarh
  • Speaker, VIBRANT GUJARAT START-UP & TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT, Oct 2018, Gujarat
  • Speaker, 'Smart Cities 2.0' Conference, India Infrastructure, Oct 2018, New Delhi
  • Chief Guest, BHEL Management Committee Meeting on 'Opportunities in Smart Cities', Sept 2018, New Delhi
  • Speaker, Plenary Session on 'Smart Cities Governance & Policy' ALL INDIA SERVICE OFFICERS (IAS) of 2018 Batch, MCR HRD Institute, Sept 2018
  • Esteemed Speaker, SMART MOBILITY SUMMIT by Economic Times, Sept 2018, New Delhi
  • Chief Guest, TIMES PRO, Aug 2018, Hyderabad
  • Chief Guest, Shradhanjali of Shri AB Vajpayee by Nehru Yuva Kendra, Aug 2018, Hyderabad
  • Speaker, Shradhanjali meeting of Shri AB Vajpayee, by BJP, Aug, 2018, Hyderabad
  • Chair, Roundtable on 'A deep dive into the psyche of an URBAN VOTER, June 2018, Hyderabad
  • Guest of Honor & Keynote Address – World Water Day, Institution of Engineers, March 2018, Hyderabad
  • Guest of Honor& Key speaker, NALSAR University of Law 'Leadership Summit– Led by Women', March 2018, Hyderabad
  • Chief Guest, International Women's Day Celebrations, ESIC, Union Ministry of Labour & Employment, March 2018, Hyderabad
  • Guest of Honor &Inaugural Address-R & D Showcase by IIIT Hyderabad, Feb 2018, Hyderabad
  • Keynote Speaker, WOMEN LED DEVELOPMENT, National Summit for Women, Feb 2018, Hyderabad
  • Key Speaker, PRAGYAN YOUTH SUMMIT 2018 National Institute of Technology (NIT-Trichy) Jan 2018, Chennai
  • Chair, Roundtable on STATE of HYDERABAD City, Jan 2018, Hyderabad
  • Session Chair - CLOUDCON, October 2017 Bangalore
  • Keynote Speaker - STANDARDS MAKE CITIES SMARTER - Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, October 2017, Chennai
  • Keynote Speaker- Smart Cities- Business Opportunities for Startups, September 2017, Mumbai
  • Keynote Speaker - ‘AIR SUMMIT - A World of Artificial Intelligence, IoT & Robotics’, October 2017 Hyderabad
  • Key Speaker - CII 7th INDUSTRIAL INNOVATION SUMMIT 2017, October 2017, New Delhi
  • Speaker - CII Roundtable 'SMART URBAN MOBILITY', October 2017, New Delhi
  • Keynote Address - INDIA MOBILE CONGRESS, September 2017 Delhi
  • Keynote Speaker - The Big Five Construct India Conference, September 2017 Mumbai
  • Keynote Speaker - IoT Conference Expo, September 2017 Hyderabad
  • Speaker - UEM 2017 (Urban Environmental Management), CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), August 2017, Hyderabad
  • Session Chair and Chief Host - “Transforming India” Roundtable, August, 2017, Hyderabad
  • Speaker- EMERGING WORLDS CONFERENCE by ISME & Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), June 2017 Mumbai
  • Session Chair - Women & Employability Roundtable hosted by Ministry of Labour and Employment, March 2017, Hyderabad
  • Session Chair - INDIA SMART GRID FORUM (ISGF) Innovation Awards 2017, New Delhi
  • Speaker, VIBRANT GUJARAT GLOBAL SUMMIT, Jan 2017, Gujarat
  • Keynote Speaker - Business Conclave 2017, Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), Feb 2017, New Delhi
  • Key Speaker - GEOSPATIAL WORLD FORUM, Jan 2017, Hyderabad
  • Keynote Speaker - "INDIA ONWARD – SCALING DIGITAL INDIA" at IBM flagship event Dec 2016, New Delhi
  • Keynote Speaker - PMI India National Conference, Nov 2016, Mumbai
  • Key Speaker and Expert Jury Member - BW Smart Cities Conclave & Awards, Dec 2016, New Delhi
  • Keynote Speaker - 8th Project Management National Conference, Project Management Institute (PMI), Nov 2016, Mumbai
  • Chief Guest & Session Chair - INFOCOMM Forum, INFOCOMM International, Sept 2016, Mumbai
  • CXO Round Table Series on Project Management: Indispensable for Vision India, Project Management Institute (PMI) in association with The Economic Times, Sept 2016, New Delhi.
  • Key Speaker - DATA DRIVEN WORLD, The Economic Times, Sept 2016, Hyderabad
  • Chair - GLOBAL NAGPUR SUMMIT, Nov 2016
  • Keynote Address - Sustainable Smart Cities India conference, Sept 2016, Bangalore
  • Speaker - Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) National Conclave 2016, Hyderabad
  • Keynote Address - “ICT solutions for Digital and Smart Telangana” Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and INFOCOMM International, 2016, Hyderabad
  • Keynote Speaker - Smart Living series Forum, 2016, Hyderabad
  • Speaker - SOUTH ASIAN CITIES SUMMIT, 2016, New Delhi
  • Keynote Address - Smart Cities & Connectivity Conclave & Expo 2016, Mumbai
  • Session Chair - Smart Grids as anchor Infrastructure - INDIA SMART GRID FORUM, 2016, New Delhi
  • Keynote Speaker - TIE, 2016, New Delhi
  • Speaker - ‘Smart Cities’ - TEDx NALSAR University of Law, April 2016, Hyderabad
  • Keynote Speaker - “ICT opportunities in India’s Smart City Program” INFOCOMM Forum, 2016, Hyderabad
  • Speaker - AAKAAR 2016, IIT Bombay
  • Plenary Speaker - 100 SMART CITIES MISSION, Launch by Hon'ble Prime Minister of India with over 2500 Dignitaries, Ambassadors, High Commissioners & leaders from 25 Countries, 2015, VigyanBhawan, New Delhi
  • Speaker - Roundtable on Smart Cities for India, Ministry of Urban Development, Vigyan Bhawan, 2015, New Delhi
  • Speaker - “Urban Governance and Swachh Bharath”, Seminar with Government officials, Ministry of Urban Development, 2015, Mumbai
  • Distinguished Speaker  - School of International Futures (SOIF), UK , Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) Retreat, Department of Science and Technology, Govt of India, October 2016, Pune
  • Speaker - Urban Governance and Swachh Bharath”, Seminar with Government officials, Ministry of Urban Development, 2015, Kolkata
  • Speaker - SMART CITIES MISSION, Ministry of Urban Development - Regional Workshop with 9 States, 40 Cities Mayors, Principal Secretaries, 2015
  • Chair - GLOBAL NAGPUR SUMMIT, 2015, Nagpur
  • Speaker - INK Conference, 2015, Mumbai
  • Inaugural Address - Sustainable Smart Cities - India, 2015, Bangalore
  • Speaker - India Gadget Expo – Smart Cities - Is India Ready? 2015, New Delhi
  • Keynote Address - Vision for a Smart Hyderabad, Roundtable, 2015, Hyderabad
  • Chair - Roundtables series on SMART CITIES & INCLUSION, 2015, Vijayawada
  • Keynote Address - 'Data center Dynamics Converged Conference & Expo', 2015, Bangalore
  • Chair - Roundtables series on SMART CITIES & INCLUSION, 2015, Hyderabad
  • Keynote Address - Smart Cities: India Scenario - Macro Economic Trends, Policy and Regulatory Environment - India Tech Triple Expo, 2015, Mumbai
  • Chair - Urbana World Smart Cities Leadership Conclave, 2015, Hyderabad
  • Smart Cities Conference, Business World, 2015, New Delhi
  • Roundtable on SMART CITIES INDEX, Indian School of Business (ISB), 2015, Mohali Campus, Punjab
  • Speaker - NASSCOM India Leadership Forum, 2015, Mumbai
  • Keynote Address - EDELWEISS India Conference, 2015, Mumbai
  • Speaker - ISB LEADERSHIP SUMMIT – India’s 100 Smart Cities Agenda, 2014, Hyderabad
  • Inaugural Address - Smart Cities in India - Key Trends and Outlook, India Infrastructure, 2014, New Delhi
  • Inaugural Address- Smart Cities for India -The Institution of Engineers (India) 2014 Hyderabad
  • Speaker - Roundtable on Good Governance, Union Ministry of Labour & Employment, Dec 2014, Hyderabad
  • Chair - GLOBAL NAGPUR SUMMIT, 2014, Nagpur
  • Chair - “What is SMART CITY? Is India ready?” Smart Cities Summit, 2014, Mumbai
  • Address along with Dr. Subramanian Swamy, Senior BJP Leader & Harvard Professor - "Planned Urbanization & Economic Development in India", 2014, Hyderabad
  • Speaker - G D Birla Memorial Lecture, BITS Pilani, 2014, Rajasthan
  • Pioneers Unplugged, ISB, 2014, Hyderabad
  • Women & Safety organized by ITsAP, INFOSYS Campus, 2014, Hyderabad
  • BIGDATA and Smart Cities, IIT Kharagpur, 2014
  • "Shaping India's Smart Cities" - Phase IV training for senior IAS officers at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA, India's Apex Training Institution for the Senior Civil Service), 2013, Mussoorie
  • Cloud & Big Data Strategies for Cities – CII CLOUD SUMMIT 2013, New Delhi
  • "HEALTHY CITIES – OXYMORON?" John F Welch Technology Centre, 2013, Bangalore
  • Voice of BIGDATA launch, 2013, Hyderabad
  • Keynote Speaker- Global Green Summit by The Economic Times ACE Tech, 2013 Mumbai
  • IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Region 10 Congress on Leadership & Innovation, 2013, Bangalore
  • CEO Round Table on Diversity at Indian Institute of Management, Ahmadabad (IIM-A), 2013, Gujarat
  • Keynote Address - Leadership Program on "Women in Technology", National Association of Software & Services Companies (NASSCOM), 2012, Hyderabad
  • Keynote Address - "BIG DATA impact on Government", MICROSOFT, India, 2012, Hyderabad
  • Speaker - Building Smart & Sustainable Cities in the National Capital Region (NCR), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Annual session, 2011, New Delhi
  • Keynote Address - 4th Infrastructure Today International Conference, 2011, New Delhi
  • Speaker - TALL BUILDINGS INDIA CONFERENCE, 2011, Mumbai
  • Speaker - BUILDING LIVABLE CITIES, 2010, New Delhi
  • Speaker - Sustainable Cities Conference, RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors), 2010, New Delhi
  • Speaker - National Conference on Investment Opportunity in Power & Infrastructure Sector, 2010, New Delhi
  • Speaker - GREEN BUILDING CONGRESS (Asia's largest event), IGBC Indian Green Building Council, 2010, New Delhi
  • Speaker - National Travel and Hospitality Entrepreneurship Summit, TiE, Ministry of Tourism, 2010, New Delhi
  • Speaker - All India Mayors Meet, HICC, 2010, Hyderabad
  • Speaker - The Truth about Indian Cities, TEDx Hitec City, ISB, 2010, Hyderabad
  • Speaker - Leadership & Governance for Members of Legislature (MLAs), Centre for Good Governance, Andhra Pradesh, 2009, Hyderabad
  • Track Chair - "TAKING INDIA FORWARD", TIE – ISB Connect, 2009, New Delhi
  • Keynote Address - "Building Futuristic Cities – Role of Women "ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization), 2009
  • Speaker - "Urbanization in India - The Changing Equation" ISB LEADERSHIP SUMMIT, 2008, Hyderabad
  • Chief Guest - International Conference on Retailing in the Globalized Era, University of Hyderabad 2008, Hyderabad
  • Speaker - Making City Development Strategies Work, WBI, Govt of Japan, GOI, 2006, New Delhi
  • Speaker - National Conclave on "WATER & CITIES", World Bank, USAID, 2006, New Delhi
  • Speaker - Conference on Urban Infrastructure, FICCI (Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry), 2005, Hyderabad
  • Speaker - Visioning at Delhi Jal Board (DJB), 2005, World Bank
  • Speaker - Leadership & Governance programs at World Bank Institute (WBI), ASCI, 2003-2006, Hyderabad
  • Speaker - City Scapes Conclave, (FICCI) Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, April 2006 Hyderabad
  • Speaker - Realizing the City Vision - Leadership of Bangalore City Corporation, Bangalore, 2003, Bangalore
  • Speaker - "HYDERABAD AHEAD" Visioning Exercise for Hyderabad City anchored by ASCI, World Bank, Cities Alliance, 2003, Hyderabad
  • Speaker – ‘E-Governance Implementation’ for Municipal Commissioners of Indian Cities, ASCI, 2002, Hyderabad

Interviews

  • Indian Cities will not be the Same in Future, New Indian Express, Jan-2020
  • Karuna Gopal: Contributor to the design of the ‘100 Smart Cities Mission‘of India, a&sINDIA Magazine, Jan 2019
  • A Vision for Telangana: Drawing up a Citizen-Centric Development Plan, Swarajya Magazine, Dec 2018
  • Smart Cities meant cities that are progressive with ‘Universal Infrastructure’, Urban Transport News, Dec 2018
  • How to Become a World Class City, Interview with Karuna Gopal, The New Indian Express, July 2018
  • Championing the cause of smart cities, The Hans India, Jan, 2018
  • India’s Biggest Bottleneck is its Bureaucracy – The Hindu, September, 2016
  • A Global Woman,  SC – Actual Smart City, Barcelona April 2015
  • Interview with Karuna Gopal, Smart City: a Better World – SC Actual Smart City Magazine, Barcelona - October, 2013 (read in 92 countries)
  • Karuna Gopal – An Internationally Acclaimed Thought Leader and a Philanthropist (Biographical Note of the Luminary in an Area of Information Systems) by Global Journal of Enterprise Information System, Vol 7, Issue 3, 2015
  • Clean City is the Top Priority, Clean India Journal, December 2015
  • Technology should resonate to the local needs, Economic Times, August 2015.
  • He is my Mother, The New Indian Express, May, 2015
  • Developing Smart Cities, ET Cases (Economic Times), September 2014
  • Smart India will be ushered in sooner than we believe is possible, Construction Opportunities, May 2014
  • A Mighty Heart, Channel 6, May 2012
  • Divas of Deccan: An Ode to Women of Hyderabad, Oxford Book Store, March 2012
  • I love to infuse New Age Thin king into Policy, Construction World, November, 2011
  • If Hyderabad could come up trumps, Why not Gurgaon, The Times of India, March 2011
  • Power and Purpose, Interview with Karuna Gopal, You & I, December, 2010
  • Planning for a City’s Growth, The Hindu, February, 2010
  • Nothing is Impossible, The Hindu, November, 2009
  • Woman on Top, Times of India, April, 2000
  • She Has Got It Going On, Times of India, 2005
  • Sharing Sage advice, Deccan Herald, 2003
  • India is a country to watch out for and to rely on, Times of India, 2003
  • Interviews in American Newspapers: South West Daily Times, The TELEGRAM, Guymon Daily Herald – 1991

Invited Articles

  • India’s Growth in Able and Skilled Hands – Deccan Chronicle, Dec 2022
  • How India Repurposed ‘Smart Infrastructure’ for COVID Control - The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) June 2022
  • Women Leadership - Views of Women Professionals - The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) March 2022
  • Ensuring Sustainable Development is Key – Times of India, Sept 2021
  • Can we Co-Create Cities of the Future? Times of India August 2020
  • Can Cities become Free? Independence Day Special, Times of India August 2018
  • Boot Strapping India’s Smart Growth, FuturArc of BCI Asia, September 2014 (widely read in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and beyond.)
  • Smart Growth – An Economic Imperative for India, The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Singapore Charter, August, 2014
  • Hack the Plan, not the Trees – Times of India – April 2016
  • Innovating to Procure for Smart Cities (Invited Column), Business World, Smart Cities, May 2015
  • Building a Smart Capital, The Times of India, April, 2015
  • Life to Get smarter, The Asian Age, December, 2014
  • Smart Vizag in the Making, Times of India, November, 2014
  • Building a Smart Capital, Times of India, June 2014
  • Hive off Hyderabad for Higher Gains, The Times of India, June, 2013
  • Is Flying Blind an Option? Times of India, January 2013
  • Ecotourism in India, FuturArc, Magazine of BCI Asia October 2012 (widely read in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and beyond.)
  • Sustainable Cities for India – Can the goal be achieved, FuturArc, Magazine of BCI Asia, September, 2011 (widely read in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and beyond.)
  • Building World Class Cities, Horizons, June / July, 2011
  • Can Hyderabad be made Livable, Times of India, November 2009
  • Inclusive Cities & Special Children, The Hindu, 2008 (Incorporated into Parliamentary Documentation of Lok Sabha)
  • Partnerships for School Transformation, Times of India, October 2007
  • Making a Pitch for Brand Hyderabad, The Times of India, October 2007
  • Global City: Towards A World Class City - A Clarion Call, Times of India, September 2005
  • Branding Cities: Citizens as Brand Architects - India My Dream launched by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, June 2003

Edit Page (OPED) Column

  • Why BJP deserves credit for Ram Mandir in Ayodhya?
  • Why Raghuram Rajan is wrong about India’s Economic Path
  • Congress And Its Fellow Travellers Should Stop Insulting Voters of India
  • Fascist Roots of The Trudeau Political Dynasty in Canada
  • ‘How Indian rupee has been stable in last 10 years compared to currencies around the world’
  • India's Lost Decade: Falling behind BRIC economies between 2004 and 2014 and the subsequent recovery
  • The Great turnaround of PSBs in India
  • 'Jairam Ramesh is wrong: Becoming third largest economy is not easy, it needs leadership'
  • Decoding the 'God Complex' of George Soros
  • When World History can be Re-Written – Why not India’s?
  • Harbingers of a New India
  • India and China – Economic Decoupling
  • Congress should have embarked on a PARTY JODO YATRA - Part 1
  • Rahul's yatra: Too little, too late for a fragile Congress -Part 2
  • Make in India - Make For World
  • Why PM Modi’s Net Zero Vision is Truly Viable
  • India is unique, Consider that in Measuring Hunger
  • Truth Twisters Feast on Dattatreya Hosabale’s Poverty Statement
  • ERGO Telangana
  • ART Regulation Bill – A Beacon Light of Hope
  • Resurrecting Indian Economy during Covid Times
  • Corona Crisis Leadership – The Modi Way
  • Can Modi do a Diplomatic Aikido?
  • Decoding Delhi Election Verdict
  • Why fear Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh?
  • Is the youth of India with Modi?
  • Anatomy of Soft Terror in India
  • Vision for India: A Perfect 20/20 and More
  • Anti-CAA Protests: Elixir for Survival?
  • Can Place Making Create Jobs?
  • World Economic Forum at Davos 2019: Agenda Possible?
  • Can Women Lead India’s Development?
  • Re-Thinking Infrastructure Planning for Hyderabad
  • WATER the NEW INDIA dream
  • Sardar’s India – An Architectural Marvel
  • Why I will not enter Sabarimala Temple
  • Not a Happening Hyderabad
  • How to Woe the Urban Voter?
  • A National Mission for Breast Cancer
  • Integral Humanism for a New India
  • The Autoimmune Disease of India
  • Will the REAL HINDU Standup Please
  • Rebuilding Psychological Assets
  • Make hay while the fake shines
  • Atal Leadership theory for India
  • Rise of the New Indian
  • Woo Impact Investors to Agricultural Sector
  • Human Capital Policy for India
  • Celebrate AI (Artificial Intelligence) with Caution

BJP

  • National In-charge for Women Policies & Research
  • Member, National Manifesto Sub-Committee, General Elections (LS) 2019
  • Incharge - Greater Hyderabad City Manifesto Committee, Telangana Assembly Elections 2018
  • Developed 'Vision Hyderabad 2030' document – Released by Shri JP Nadda, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, December 2018
  • Taskforce Member – Telangana Public Service Commission (TSPSC) Question Paper leakage and Corruption
  • Member – Strategy Team, BJP National Executive Meeting 2022
  • Campaigned for Assembly Elections – Delhi 2020, Karnataka 2023, Telangana 2018 & 2023
  • Represented BJP on National Channels like NDTV, Times Now, Republic, CNN, CNBC etc.
  • Participated in all National Executive Meetings of Mahila Morcha
  • Pravas – Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana States
  • Special Invitee - State Executive Committee, Telangana
  • Conducted many press meets on behalf of the party.
  • Published many columns in newspapers sharing BJP’s perspective on National Issues.
  • Represented BJP and shared Modi ji’s vision in all the international forums that she addressed.

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