LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

India has a new tryst with destiny as a policy window — where politics, policy and problem align — has emerged in 2014, writes Manish Sabharwal.

AJIT DOVAL

National Security Advisor, India

Doval was director of the Intelligence Bureau of India before being appointed the NSA. Doval was India’s main negotiator with hijackers of Indian Airlines flight IC 814 in Kandahar in 1999 and received one of India’s highest military honours — the Kirti Chakra and also the President’s Police Medal for his services. He is also founder-director of public policy think-tank, Vivekananda International Foundation.

ROB RHINEHART

Software engineer and creator of Soylent

Rob Rhinehart created Soylent in 2013, a food product designed to act as a staple meal with maximum nutrition for adults. Rhinehart developed the formula for Soylent by self experimentation and self-sponsored the research. He aims to save people’s time, money and effort with Soylent. Soylent grabbed attention after Rhinehart’s posted a blog titled “How I Stopped Eating Food”.

DEVENDRA FADNAVIS

Chief minister, Maharashtra

Devendra Fadnavis is the first Bharatiya Janata Party chief minister of Maharashtra and at 44 years, is also the youngest state BJP president. Fadnavis is a law graduate and holds a postgraduate degree in business management. Fadnavis got the distinction of being the second-youngest mayor in India when he became mayor of Nagpur at 27.

JEET THAYIL

Performance poet, novelist and musician

Born in Kerala and educated in Hong Kong, New York and Mumbai, Thayil shot to fame with his debut novel, Narcopolis. The book was shortlisted for the Man Booker in 2012 and DSC Prize for South Asian literature. It won him The Hindu Literary Prize. Thayil has also published four collections of poetry. As a musician, he is one half of the contemporary music project Sridhar/Thayil.