Honorable Naoto Kan
Former Prime Minister, Japan

Naoto Kan is the former Prime Minister of Japan. In June of 2010, then-Finance Minister Kan was elected as the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and designated Prime Minister by the Diet to succeed Yukio Hatoyama.
Kan was also former Minister for Health and Welfare in 1996.
He graduated in 1970 from the Tokyo Institute of Technology and became a licensed benrishi (patent agent/attorney) in 1971.

 

Honorable Yoshiro Mori
Former Prime Minister, Japan

Yoshiro Mori the former Prime Minister of Japan, served the country from the year 2000 to 2001 as its 85th and 86th Prime Minister. It goes to the credit of Mori in the emergence of Japan as a strong industrial country and goes to his credit for adopting revolutionary fiscal policies and several economic reforms.

In 2004, Yoshiro Mori was awarded India's third highest civilian award Padhma Bhushan for his contribution in world economy and education.

He devoted himself to what he called the rebirth of Japan, promoting significant economic and fiscal policies in order to make Japan a major industrial country. While as the Education Minister, he made education policy the center of his work, as he believed that education is the key to the future of a society, nation and the World.

Honorable Yukio Hatoyama
Co-Chairman, India-Japan Global Partnership Summit & Former Prime Minister, Japan

Yukio Hatoyama, the former Prime Minister of Japan was the first ever premier from the modern Democratic Party of Japan and is the member House of Representatives in Diet. First elected to the House of Representatives in 1986, Hatoyama co-founded the Democratic party of Japan (DPJ) in 1996, and later served as DPJ leader (1999-2002, 2009-10). He then led the party to victory in the August 2009 general election, defeating the long-governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

As prime minister, Hatoyama aimed to improve people's living standards by increasing investment in welfare projects. On security and diplomatic affairs, he stressed the importance of developing relations with Asian countries.The Former Prime Minister of Japan, is also a strong supporter of India-Japan Global Partnership since its inception. He visited India in 2002 as a mark of protest to condemn terrorist attacks on the world’s largest democratic institution; Indian Parliament and Kashmir Vidhan Sabha in 2001.

Yukio Hatoyama is  one of the chairmen of IJGPS and also an Advisory Board Member of India Center Foundation and India Center.

Honorable Shinzo Abe
Former Prime Minister, Japan

Shinzo Abe was the 57th Prime Minister of Japan. He was Japan's youngest post World War II Prime Minister. He is an avid supporter of India-Japan Global Partnership from the time of India Japan Global Partnership.

He served as the Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary for Prime Ministers Yoshiro Mori and Junichiro Koizumi from 2000-03, and made a name for himself when he stood up to North Korea's Kim Jong Il over the North Korean abductions of Japanese nationals. In 2003 he became the Secretary General for the LDP, the ruling party in Japan for most of the last 50 years.

Abe succeeded Koizumi as Prime Minister on 26 September 2006.

Abe is  one of the Chairmen of IJGPS and serves on the Advisory Board of India Center Foundation and India Center.

Sam Pitroda
Advisor to the Prime Minister on Public Information, Infrastructure and Innovation, Govt. of India, India

Sam Pitroda is an inventor, entrepreneur and policymaker. Currently he is the Advisor to the Prime Minster of India on Public Information Infrastructure & Innovations He is widely considered to have been responsible for India's communications revolution.

He has served as Chairman of the National Knowledge Commission (2005-2008) and as an advisor to the United Nations in 1992.

Mr. Pitroda holds around 100 key technology patents, and has been involved in several start ups and lectures extensively around the world.

He is also the founder & CEO of C-SAM, Inc.

Mr. Pitroda is one of the Chairmen of IJGPS.

Vibhav Kant Upadhyay
Founder and Director General, IJGPS and Chairman, India Center Foundation , India

Vibhav Kant Upadhyay is the Founder and Director General, IJGPS, and Chairman, India Center. He is an emerging leader and is a well-known contributor in India's development process, known for his statesmanship, macro-vision and a holistic approach on integrated development.

A post-graduate in Computer Science (M.Sc) from the University of Allahabad, India and M.S from the University of Tokyo, Japan, he thrives to work as a catalyst in India's nation building process, from the perspective of national development.

His unique initiatives and works are supported and appreciated by top policy makers, business and opinion leaders from many countries around the world.

Mr. Upadhyay envisioned a new framework where India and Japan could pool their respective strengths for a mutually beneficial partnership.

His visionary leadership has manifested in the exemplary initiative of Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor and the India-Japan Global Partnership Summit in September, 2011.

He has a vision for India’s solution for energy, food and environmental challenges and is committed towards making India energy efficient, environment friendly and agriculturally strong nation. He is the Founder-Chairman of India Center Foundation.

Yoshimi ishikawa
Director General, India Center, Japan

Mr. Ishikawa is the Director General of India Center Foundation and also a Japanese author. In 1989, he wrote Strawberry Road (Hayakawa Publishing). For this work he was awarded 20th Oya Soichi Non Fiction Award. He is also a well known critique.

He also has been actively engaged in bridging the relations between India and Japan.
He was born in Izu-Oshima Island, Tokyo, in 1947. After graduating from high school, he travelled to California, USA, where he worked in a farm. After returning to Japan, he enrolled in the Faculty of Law of Keio University.

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev
Founder, Isha Foundation, India

Sadhguru, a yogi and mystic, is a visionary humanitarian and a prominent spiritual leader. His mastery of the mechanisms of life, an outcome of his profound experience of the Self, guides in exploring the subtler dimensions of life. Marking a clear departure from mere customs and rituals, Sadhguru's scientific methods for self-transformation are both direct and powerful. Belonging to no particular tradition, Sadhguru incorporates and presents what is most valid for the contemporary life from the yogic sciences. Sadhguru regularly speaks at the major International Conferences such as the World Economic Forum, the UN and TED, addressing issues as diverse as human rights, business values, social, environmental and existential issues. He has also served as a delegate to the United Nations Millenium Peace Summit and the World Peace Congress He founded Isha Foundation, a non religious, nonprofit organization that addresses all aspects of human wellbeing from yoga practices to social justice and the wellbeing of the planet. It implements several large-scale human service projects to support individual growth, revitalize the human spirit, rebuild communities and restore the environment. Operated by over 2 million volunteers from more than 150 city-based centers spread worldwide, Isha has benefitted 6.7 Mln people across the world. The foundation is headquartered in India at the Isha Yoga center, in Coimbatore and at the Isha Institute of Inner Sciences in the United States in Tennessee