Vikas Swarup is a former Indian diplomat and internationally acclaimed author, who gained global recognition with his debut novel Q&A, which was adapted into the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire. His other works include Six Suspects, The Accidental Apprentice, and The Girl with the Seven Lives (2024). His books are translated into 47 languages, and he holds four honorary doctorates.

Himalayan history, local movements, the freedom struggle and the culture of Uttarakhand are his forte. He is the founder of the People’s Association for Himalaya Area Research (PAHAR.) Amongst his numerous published works the latest are collection of his essays Dastan-i-Himalay (2 volumes) is being published by Vani and another work The Chipko Movement ( Hari Bhari Umeed): A People's History, His recent work includes ‘हिमांक औरक्वाथनांक के बीच’( Between Freezing & Melting Points).

For 16 years running around India and the world in search of food and adventure on his cult show ‘Highway On My Plate’ on NDTV Goodtimes and ‘Roadtripping with RockyandMayur’ on History TV18. He co-authored 2 Gourmand World Award winning books based on the show. Mayur currently works with Zomato as an Ombudsman. Feel free to ask him separately what that means.

Sujeev Shakya is a Himalayan citizen who works across geographies bringing new dimensions to how human beings interact with business, development, management, and the economy. He is the founder and CEO of beed, a Nepal based global consulting firm, chairs the Nepal Economic Forum that also operates the Himalayan Circular Economy Forum. An acclaimed columnist, he is the author of Unleashing Nepal and Arthat Arthatantra. He also has a chapter in the book Himalayan Arc edited by Namita Gokhale

Rakhshanda Jalil is a Delhi-based writer, translator and literary historian. She has written over 30 books and published over 50 academic essays. Her latest book is Love in the Time of Hate: In the Mirror of Urdu (Simon & Schuster, 2024). She runs an organisation called Hindustani Awaaz devoted to the popularisation of Hindi-Urdu culture. She has been awarded the Kaifi Azmi Award for her contribution to Urdu and the First Jawad Memorial Prize for Urdu-Hindi Translation.

Rohini Rana is a seasoned culinary aficionado and former army wife. Her first book “The Rana Cookbook, Recipes from the Palaces of Nepal”, came out of her passion to cook. She continues her culinary odyssey in her second book "The Nepal Cookbook, 108 Regional Recipes"! sharing the diverse flavours of Nepal's culinary mosaic.

Saurabh Kirpal is a self-described ‘accidental activist’, he also is a trustee of the Naz Foundation Trust, the NGO that first fought for decriminalisation of homosexuality in India. He is the author of Sex and the Supreme Court, and Fifteen judgments: Cases that shaped India’s financial landscape. His latest book is Who is Equal also published by Penguin. He read law at the University of Oxford and did his Masters in law at the University of Cambridge.

Jennifer is an expert in snow leopard behaviour and tracking in Ladakh. She is a naturalist, trekker and a guide with extensive field experience in ornithology. For over 3 decades, Jennifer been criss-crossing the landscape of India, leading birding and safari trips on tailor-made experiences for her clients. From luxury cruises in the Sundarbans to tiger-tripping at the less-frequented reserves, she's done it all. She has an in-depth knowledge of the astroverse. She lives in New Delhi.

S Natesh is a botanist who taught at Delhi University for nearly a decade. He moved to the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, and headed several divisions there. He received the Biospectrum Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution toward raising the Indian Bioscience Sector to new heights. A new plant species, Aponogeton Natesh has been named in his honour. He is an honorary fellow at Ashoka Trust for Research in Energy and the Environment.

Chetan Mahajan, a Penguin Published author. His writing also appears in Outlook Magazine, the Mint, HT Brunch, the Hindu Business line, the scroll etc. The Himalayan Writing Retreat he co-founded is a residential centre for learning where teachers like Shekhar Kapur, Jerry Pinto, Arundhathi Subramaniam, Manav Kaul and many others teach.”

Namita Gokhale is a writer, festival director, and author of twenty works of fiction and non-fiction. Her acclaimed debut novel, Paro: Dreams of Passion, was published in 1984. Her latest book, The Blind Matriarch, examines the Indian joint family against the backdrop of the pandemic. which Gokhale is a founder and director.

Dr Anju Khanna, is a former professor of English. first as director and now as mentor Madhuban-Sri Aurobindo Ashram -Delhi Branch. She has lived, worked, and researched the Talla Ramgarh region since 200. She set up project Khushali for schools and women’s livelihoods which now is a model for others to emulate and create their own local village focus .

Priya Kapoor is Editorial Director, Roli Books where she oversees the publishing list and the day to day functioning of the company. She has commissioned and edited bestselling books such as Dongri to Dubai by Hussain Zaidi; Taj Mahal Foxtrot by Naresh Fernandes, Black Warrant by Sunil Gupta and Sunetra Choudhury and The RTI Story by Aruna Roy. She is also the co-founder of CMYK, India’s only chain of bookshops dedicated to art and illustrated books.

Emma Horne is a boutique travel expert for the Indian subcontinent. She travelled to Nepal in 1979 and took to the region's enormous potential in the field of travel and tourism for her UK market. In 2015 she started Emma Horne Travel, a bespoke travel company in India aiming to highlight all aspects of the diversity of the Subcontinent.

Anjali Capila is a well-known scholar and author, who has written about the lives and traditions of women of the Garhwal and Kumaon Himalayas. As part of Project Khushali at Madhuban she has co- created the magic behind this book.

Kelly Dorji, the Bhutanese- born model transitioned into films in 2005 as the antagonist in Tango Charlie, with Ajay Devgn and Bobby Deol in the lead. Having acted in close to 30 films in multiple languages, Kelly moved to Bhutan a few years ago to establish his travel company, start an art gallery and co-direct the Mountain Echoes Literary Festival. The 48-year-old has now written and illustrated his first book called The Hidden Rainbow published by Penguin India.

She was the Editorial Lead for BW Businessworld, where she launched the new vertical 'BW Well-being world.' She curates content, speaking opportunities, and event production on mental health and well-being. She is a 'Key Contributor' to Deepak Chopra's film "The Mindfulness Movement" (April 2020). Her mental health journey led to the launch of her platform, Pursuit of Balance with Nina Kler, creating content on all aspects of well-being, mental health, and relational dynamics.

Ambreen Khan is the communications head for Indian Express. She believes that the world only seeks innovative minds. Therefore, she dabbles with diverse work interests that offer her opportunities to keep herself motivated and moving ahead. Based out of Delhi, she is also associated with IHCL for collaborations & brand makeovers.

Vijayluxmi Bose is an academic and Communication Specialist. She has published short stories and co-authored publications for the Madhuban Sri Aurobindo Ashram – Delhi Branch. For the past five years she has been a valuable team member of the Madhuban community.