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Meet the individuals whose expertise and insights strengthen our mission and amplify our impact.

Our core team is dedicated to shaping a brighter future with passion, expertise, and innovation

Lt Gen Shokin Chauhan, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM (Retd)

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(Former) Director General Assam Rifles

Luis Miranda

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Dot Connector

Lt.Gen.Rana Pratap Kalita, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM (Retd)

C Balagopal

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Chairman, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation, Trustee, Anaha Trust; former Chairman, The Federal Bank Ltd

Dr. Vivek Bhaktaram

M.D. F.A.C.C. Cardiologist

Francis Lobo

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Investor, Founder, CEO, Board Member, CPO and CRO, Vice President, CISCO

Abhijit Raha

Former CEO, BNP Paribas Securities (Singapore)

Brigadier Raminder Singh Sethi

Indian Army Veteran, Championing Peace through Education, Community Growth & Development in Conflict Areas

Jatin Lucky

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Director, Cinematographer, and Producer

Dr Benjamine Khiangte

Sunbird Trust Alumnus and MD (Med), DNB (Gastro), PGDGM (Geriatrics), CEBDM (Diabetes). Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist.

Longni John Tao

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Freelance Accountant and Tax Professional

Ankita Phalle

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Conflict Data Analyst

Lt Gen Shokin Chauhan

Former Director General, Assam Rifles and Former Chairman, Ceasefire Monitoring Group

Lt Gen Shokin Chauhan, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM (Retd) is a highly decorated General Officer of the Indian Army who had the distinction of being the Director General of Assam Rifles, India’s oldest and largest Para Military Force (2016 – 2018). In August 2018, post his retirement from the Army, Gen Chauhan took over as Chairman of the Cease Fire Monitoring Group (CFMG). In this position, his role was to ensure that ground rules as per the ceasefire agreements were followed by various groups in the North East in order that a durable peace could prevail. He had a major role in reinvigorating the peace process and was able to develop considerable rapport with leadership of groups that had signed peace accords with the Government. In the recent past, he was, in a major way, responsible for extending the lapsed Peace Accord with Naga groups. Earlier in his military career, Gen Chauhan commanded the 2/11 Gorkha Rifles battalion in Doda-Kishtawar in Jammu and Kashmir and was the Defence Attaché of India in Kathmandu, Nepal. On repatriation to India, he commanded 70 Infantry Brigade located in Balpura, Shopian. His extended area of responsibility included restive Pulwama and Kulgam Districts also also. He later moved this the Brigade Headquarters to Kiari in Eastern Ladakh. After a brief tenure as the Senior Instructor at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Gen Chauhan was nominated to the prestigious National Defence College (NDC). Post his NDC course, he commanded 8 Mountain Division at Kumbhathang that was responsible for the entire Western Ladakh. From 2015-2016, 1 Corps, the elite strike corps of the Indian army, deployed in over 8 states and 25 cities and was responsible for operations on our Western borders. During his tenure as DGAR as well as Chairman CFMG, Gen Chauhan has extended his personal support and mentorship to Sunbird Trust. Given his most distinguished Army Service and his incisive knowledge of the North East as well as his personal engagement and rapport with overground militant groups, Gen Chauhan will be of immense help in advising Sunbird Trust in its primary task of building bridges of Peace and Friendship.

Luis Miranda

Dot Connector

Luis Miranda is Chairman of the Centre for Civil Society and CORO. He has been involved in setting up 2 highly successful companies – HDFC Bank and IDFC Private Equity. He is a Co-Founder of the Indian School of Public Policy. Luis spends his time, with his wife, connecting dots; using their networks to help the organisations they are connected with. He is also on the board of Educate Girls and SBI Foundation and co-founded, Take Charge, a mentoring programme for Catholic youth in Mumbai. Luis is also Chairman of ManipalCigna Health Insurance and Senior Advisor at Morgan Stanley. He is a Trustee of the UChicago Trust in India and a member of the Advisory Council of the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation at Chicago Booth. Luis blogs for Forbes, Thrive Global and Spontaneous Order and teaches at the Accelerated Development Program of Chicago Booth. Luis received an MBA from the Booth School of Business at The University of Chicago and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

Lt.Gen.Rana Pratap Kalita, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM (Retd)

Lt. Gen. Kalita was commissioned into the 9 KUMAON Regiment in June 1984 and served the Indian Army with distinction for four decades in some of the most challenging operational environments. He has extensive operational experience, having participated in several major operations, including Operation PAWAN in Sri Lanka. He has commanded a Rashtriya Rifles battalion, an Infantry Division in Kashmir, and a Corps in Northeast India. In addition to holding numerous key staff and instructional appointments, he also served twice in United Nations peacekeeping missions. Lt. Gen. Kalita retired as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command and is presently settled in Guwahati. On his retirement, he served as the Chairman of the 7th Assam State Finance Commission. He is currently a Visiting Professor at Guwahati University. With Sunbird Trust’s work deeply rooted in the Northeast, we are indeed privileged to have Lt. Gen. Kalita, a true son of the soil, on our Board of Advisors. His deep understanding of the region, visionary leadership, and commitment to its development resonate closely with our vision of “Peace through Education.” His guidance will undoubtedly strengthen our shared efforts to empower communities and nurture future leaders from the region.

C Balagopal

ex-IAS, Entrepreneur and Author

C Balagopal studied Economics at Loyola College, Madras from Madras University and joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1977 and worked in various posts in Manipur and Kerala. He resigned from the IAS in 1983, to set up a company using knowhow developed at SCTIMST, Trivandrum with the support of the National Research & Development Corporation and KSIDC to manufacture indigenously developed biomedical devices for the first time in the country. This came to be known as Terumo Penpol Ltd. and is today one of the biggest manufacturers and exporters of hi-tech blood bag systems in the world. He sold his stake in the company to Terumo Corp. of Japan in 2012 and retired from active business. Balagopal is today involved in mentoring and investing in startup ventures, community development activities and writing. He is a Charter member and first President of TiE Kerala. He is a member of Ethics Committee of Rajiv Gandhi Center for Biotechnology, member of the Board of Directors of India’s first medical devices incubator TIMed set up by SCTIMST, member of the Technology Development Council of SCTIMST, and an independent director on the Board of the Federal Bank Ltd. He is the founder of ANAHA Trust, set up to support social entrepreneurship in the fields of primary education and public health with a focus on rural areas. Projects supported by the Anaha Trust are currently under implementation in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Manipur. He has won many awards and accolades which includes National R&D Award for successful commercialization of Indigenous Technology by Ministry of Science & Technology, Outstanding Entrepreneurship award from KSIDC, Management Leadership Award of Trivandrum Management Association and National Exports Awards every year from 1994-95 onwards. He has written three books about his experiences as an IAS officer in Manipur and Kerala. The first book is “On A Clear Day You Can See India” published by Harper Collins in 2013, and the second book is “The View From Kollam: A Day In The Life Of A Sub-Collector” published by the same publisher in 2015. The third book ‘Maveli and Markets’ was published by D C Books. He is working on other books on subjects as diverse as governance, public services, and entrepreneurship. These books are intended as study material for administrative training institutes, as well as motivational material for young people interested in joining the government service. He is active on Facebook and writes a page on subjects such as community development, contemporary affairs, politics and governance, public health, education, and related subjects. He writes a regular column in Destination Kerala on contemporary issues. Balagopal has been closely associated with Sunbird Trust since 2015. He has generously contributed to raising educational infrastructure including three computer laboratories, a skilling centre, school classrooms, a school hall and two village water tanks. These projects are benefitting hundreds of children and village inhabitants. He has spent time visiting the Sunbird Trust projects in the remotest parts of Manipur and is a respected mentor to our young team members.

Dr. Vivek Bhaktaram

M.D. F.A.C.C. Cardiologist

Born in Edinburgh Scotland, Vivek had his early education at St Joseph’s Boys High School, Bangalore. He earned his MBBS degree in 1985 from Kasturba Medical College, Manipal before completing his MD in General Internal Medicine in 1988. He served as a lecturer in Cardiology and Intensive Care at St John’s Medical College, Bangalore from 1989 to 1993. In 1993, Vivek moved to the US and did a residency in Internal Medicine at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Centre before completing a Cardiology fellowship in 1999. He is board certified in Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology and now practices at the Oklahoma Heart Hospital as an interventional cardiologist. Dr Bhaktaram has been deeply involved with the activities of Sunbird Trust. He is married with three children. He enjoys gardening and loves to travel.

Francis Lobo

Francis has twenty five years of global, and strategic leadership of B2C and B2B companies. He currently works at Cisco a Vice President for their Strategic Execution Office. His most recent adventure was building Aikito, a “buy now, pay later” commercial real estate fintech company in NYC. Prior to that he held multiple leadership roles including the Chief Business & Product Officer at Nationstar Mortgage Holdings in Dallas, Chief Revenue Officer at WeWork and CEO at United Online Inc. Francis also spent ten years at AOL where he joined in their call center in India and left as their President of AOL Services. He also worked in Go-To-Market consulting in Chicago. Francis grew up in Bangalore, India and got his MBA from Loyola University in Chicago. He lives with his wife Roopa and their two children Samara and Ari in Dallas. He is an avid golfer and loves to travel. He also spends time working with multiple non-profits in India in the education space.

Abhijit Raha

Abhijit Raha has been a career banker with over 35 years of experience in South and South East Asia having worked for globally renowned institutions such as ANZ, Bank of America, CLSA and BNP Paribas. His last assignment prior to retirement from the corporate world was CEO for BNP Paribas Securities Pte Ltd in Singapore responsible for the ASEAN region. Abhijit’s areas of expertise span Investment Banking, Equities and Foreign Exchange trading. He brings his vast managerial experience and financial background to help support the activities of Sunbird Trust as an Advisor.

Brigadier Raminder Singh Sethi

Brigadier Raminder Singh Sethi is a distinguished veteran with over 35 years of exemplary service in the Indian Army. A “Scholar-Soldier” renowned for his leadership and strategic expertise, Brig Sethi has demonstrated a strong commitment to fostering peace, community development, and education, particularly in conflict-affected regions. As Commander, National Cadet Corps (NCC) Group, Manipur, Brig Sethi revitalized NCC across 102 schools and colleges, directly impacting over 8,000 cadets from diverse socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. His youth empowerment initiatives successfully mainstreamed the cadets towards careers in the services; fostering community cohesion and offering pathways out of conflict. As Chairman Army Public School, Lucknow, he mentored the school teams to transform the institution into a beacon of academic and extracurricular excellence, with special emphasis on Specially Abled students. Brig Sethi has pioneered peace and education initiatives in remote and conflict-affected areas of Manipur, including the expansion of youth programs in villages like Singngat and Kachai. These efforts integrated underserved communities into broader developmental frameworks and provided platforms for education and self-reliance. Brig Sethi believes that education and opportunities are the cornerstone for sustainable peace and development. His strategic focus combines academic excellence, character building, and emotional intelligence to nurture future leaders who value equity, inclusion, and harmony. Brigadier Sethi’s extensive experience in mentoring youth, managing diversity, and fostering peace through education uniquely positions him as a valuable advisor for Sunbird Trust. His deep understanding of the socio-political landscape of Manipur and his proven track record in delivering impactful programs align seamlessly with the organization’s mission of achieving peace through education.

Jatin Lucky

Director, Cinematographer, and Producer

Jatin Lucky is a seasoned director, cinematographer, and producer with over two decades of experience in various fields, including IT, sales, television production, and direction. His portfolio spans a wide range of television programming, including travel shows, reality shows, advertising, and more. He’s known for his creative vision and has contributed to numerous documentaries, corporate films, and TV programs. His work has been recognized with awards, such as the ITA award for Best Director of Reality in 2014 and 2016 for the show “Mission Sapne.” Jatin Lucky’s extensive experience and creative prowess make him a prominent figure in the industry. Jatin has been an integral part of the Sunbird Trust family, having created beautiful videos like the Luminous video, 15th August Tidings and a few music videos.

Longni John Tao

Longni John Tao is a Chartered Accountant by profession based in Senapati District Manipur. His education background includes B. Com (Hon. in Cost Accounting) from St Anthony’s College Shillong and CA from Institute of Chartered Accountant of India (ICAI). He is a fellow member of the ICAI. John is the first chartered accountant from the district with professional experience of over 8 years. He has worked in Bangalore for more than five years in a leading audit and tax consulting firm like Deloitte. He left the metropolis to partner with organizations in North East India to help them achieve their desired outcomes from the growing market. John’s focus is to help start-ups and other small and medium-sized business owners in starting, managing, and growing their businesses. He focuses on compliance and profitability utilizing best practices and developing trust. He is also a founding director of M/s TSIIBE Foundation, a Section 8 Company registered under the Companies Act 2013. As a son of the soil from the Senapati District of Manipur, John assists Sunbird in myriad outreach developmental activities in the District. He also advises the organization and its partner schools in financial compliance and audit requirements. Striving to continuously improve the quality of his services, John believes in the power of being humane and is a strong proponent of giving back to society. He highly values an act done with utmost honesty and integrity and considers it as a prerequisite for success in all the areas of life and profession.

Dr Benjamine Khiangte

Sunbird Trust Alumnus and MD (Med), DNB (Gastro), PGDGM (Geriatrics), CEBDM (Diabetes). Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist.

Born in an underprivileged agricultural family from Mizoram, Benjamine Khiangte sought the help of the Sunbird team in 2004 to complete his MBBS. With an interest free loan though the “Loan Scholarship Scheme” (then being run under the aegis of the Maria Seva Sangha), he graduated from Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Wardha. In 2009, Ben secured admission into the prestigious and competitive Post Graduate (MD, Internal Medicine) course at his old college. During this time, the Sunbird team continued to support him. Completing his post-graduation in 2012, Ben practiced as a consultant Physician, Geriatrician and Diabetologist at Nazareth Hospital, Shillong. Married to Hmai (an Audiologist) and with two sons Nathan and Caleb, he has now completed his super specialty (DrNB in Gastroenterology) at Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Thiruvananthapuram. Currently, Dr. Ben is working in Aizawl, Mizoram as consultant Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist. Today, Ben not only supports other needy students from his village but also sponsors two other children in the Sunbird Sponsor a Child scheme. Dr. Ben Khiangte, a distinguished alumnus, is also on the Advisory Board of Sunbird Trust. “I thank the Sunbird team for coming to my rescue at a critical time in my career. Their timely and sustained assistance helped me transcend my financial difficulties and complete my studies. Inspired by this initiative, I will remain an active and lifelong contributor in this noble endeavour.”

Ankita Phalle

Ankita Phalle, a former Sunbird Trust employee, brings youth to our Board of Advisors. Even before completing college, Ankita along with three others launched Mapping Journeys, a travel venture to create a community of travellers who learn from experiences and immerse themselves in local culture. Her desire to create an education system tailored for lesser privileged people led her to do the Teach For India Fellowship in a low-income school in Mumbai. Her immersive experience here taught her strategic problem-solving, building relations with external stakeholders, and creating strong classroom culture. In 2017, after completing of her Fellowship, Ankita joined Sunbird Trust as a Programme Manager. As one of the pioneer team members of the then-fledgling organisation, her task was to monitor and supervise the education of 2,100 students across 21 locations in three North Eastern States of Manipur, Nagaland and Assam. With her TFI experience, she instituted new processes in the organisation’s programme and imprinted her personal stamp on the educational and organisational methodologies being followed in these far-flung communities. She once trekked 80kms to study the need of establishing a school in a cluster of remote villages. Through her intimate connection with local people, children at the school and the security officials, Ankita was able to quickly pick up nuances of the triggers of conflict including issues of identity, resources and culture. Having worked for Sunbird’s Peace through Education initiative, Ankita was motivated to pursue and complete an MA in Peace and Conflict studies from the University of Manchester. Upon her return to India, she now works as a consultant with international NGOs. She continues to maintain a close connection with the team at Sunbird Trust.