Leadership

Mallika Srinivasan, a thought leader, strategist, and a well-known philanthropist with an abiding interest in ensuring development of agriculture, education, and healthcare in India, is recognized for entrepreneurship, commitment to excellence and contribution to Indian agriculture machinery business and academia.

She is presently the Chairman & Managing Director of TAFE - Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited, and serves on the Board of AGCO Corporation - USA. She is additionally the Chairperson of the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) - Department of Personnel & Training under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pension, Government of India. She is a Board Member of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and on the Global Board of U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC). She is a core member of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance (BRICS WBA) and a member of India-US CEO Forum. She is also the member on the Governing Body of Stella Maris College - Chennai.

She has served as a Director on the Boards of Tata Global Beverages Limited, now known as Tata Consumer Products (2008-18), Tata Steel Limited (2012-22), and the Executive Board of the Indian School of Business (ISB) - Hyderabad (2002-22). She was also a member of the Governing Board of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) - Madras.

Her awards include the prestigious Global Corporate Leadership Award 2021 by the U.S.- India Business Council (USIBC), Business Woman of the Year Award at the ETPrime Women Leadership Awards 2020, Outstanding Woman Entrepreneur Award at The Economic Times Family Business Awards 2018, the Devi Award 2016 by The Sunday Standard for ‘Putting Farmers First’, Business Thought Leader of the Year Award 2012 at the NDTV Profit Business Leadership Awards, the esteemed ABLF - Woman of Power Award 2011 by the Asian Business Leadership Forum (ABLF). In 2011, she was voted the Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young.

Mallika has been recognized and featured in the Fortune India list of Most Powerful Women in Business 2018 and 2019, BBC 100 Women - 2016 list, Femina magazine’s list of India's Most Powerful Women in 2014, India Today Woman magazine’s Power List 2013 - At the Top List.

Her accolades include the Honorary Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) in September 2017, in recognition of her contribution to global agriculture, machinery business and academia, and the Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) by the Hindustan University of Technology & Science, in October 2012.

In March 2015, she was conferred the prestigious Sir Jehangir Ghandy Medal for Social and Industrial Peace by the Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, India. In 2014, the Fortune India magazine ranked her sixth among the Most Powerful Women in Business. In the same year, the Business Today magazine featured her in the Hall of Fame of the Most Powerful Women in Indian Business, after featuring her in the list of the Most Powerful Women for 25 consecutive years. She was also named the Woman Leader of the Year by Forbes India and recognized by Forbes Asia in 2011, as one of the Top 50 Asian Power Businesswomen.

The Government of India also conferred her with the prestigious Padma Shri award for her contribution to Trade and Industry in January 2014.

She has an exemplary career over the last 35 years, establishing TAFE - Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited as a key player in the agriculture value chain through its mass manufacture of tractors and farm machinery.

Neerja Bhatia, In 1996, Neerja joined the Confederation of Indian Industry in the International Division. She has worked in the West Europe Desk and with World Economic Forum (WEF), Geneva and has been involved with the G-15 as well. The main highlight of her work with World Economic Forum was to the yearly India Economic Summit and coordinate the "India Presence" at all the WEF activities worldwide including the Annual Meeting in Davos. The India Inclusive @ Davos campaign in 2011 was a major initiative of CII in recent years.

Neerja headed CII’s Southeast Asia Office based in Singapore for nearly 5 years. Before that she was looking after CII's work with the ASEAN, Australia, New Zealand, and Commonwealth Business Council, London. CBC is the business arm of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting – CHOGM. Her efforts have broadened the relationship between ASEAN and ANZ and India by encouraging and supporting contacts and assisting both Indian industry and businesses.

Since 2010, Neerja has been working on several areas of work in CII including Special Projects and Events, India@75, CII’s branding and Corporate Communication and Multilateral work for CII working with several international agencies and regional groupings like OECD, World Bank, ITC, ADB, G2O, BRICS, IBSA, ASEAN, BIMSTEC etc and also organized large projects of CII like Davos, Hannover, AGM, Make in India, ASEAN India Car Rally and the annual Partnership Summit etc

In her previous role, she was heading the policy and advocacy work of key Services Sectors - Media & Entertainment; Retail; e-Commerce; Tourism; Art & Culture; Senior Care; Healthcare; Public Health; Life Sciences; Medical Technology, Educationalong with other key internal strategy work for CII. In addition, Neerja was involved in the setting up the “Nayanta University” – a full-service University which is a CII key initiative.

She is currently heading the International Department of CII and is also heading the policy and advocacy work pertaining to Trade Policy and EXIM. She is also supervising key projects related to select important States of India.

Neerja is also the CEO of the B20 Global Institute. The institute was a key recommendation by B20 India during India’s G20 Presidency in 2023 and will act as a bridge between G20 Presidencies.