Dr. Rajeev Gowda is a distinguished academic, political leader, and public policy expert who currently serves as a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and the National Spokesperson for the Indian National Congress. His academic foundation—a Ph.D. in Public Policy & Management from the Wharton School—is rare in Indian politics and informs his incisive analysis of political process, economic growth, and governance.
Prof. Gowda is the quintessential Bangalorean and a committed educator, having been a Professor of Economics and Social Sciences at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) for two decades, where he was instrumental in setting up and chairing the Centre for Public Policy. He also pioneered the India-Women in Leadership (i-WIL) program to train women politicians and served as a Director on the Central Board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
His political impact is defined by both high-level policy work and grassroots activism. He helped formulate the Congress party’s youth-focused campaigns and was elected a Member of Parliament in 2014. He leads ‘Bengaluru Needs You’ (BNY), a citizen movement for positive civic transformation, and was given the title of ‘Super Citizen’ by DNA newspaper for leading protests against moral policing. He is also the founder of Mentor Together, an organization connecting disadvantaged children with professional mentors.
As a highly sought-after speaker, the Quizzer Extraordinaire and national runner-up on BBC TV’s Mastermind India delivers high-content talks on governance, political analysis, and low-carbon inclusive growth. His presentations are invaluable for understanding the interface of policy and strategy in India, offering practical insights on issues from financial inclusion (SEBI) to energy efficiency and women's safety campaigns.
