Vir S. Advani has been appointed as Managing Director of Blue Star Limited from April 2016. He currently oversees the Electro Mechanical Projects business, the International Business Group, Corporate Financial Services, Corporate Planning and Investor Relations, apart from Blue Star Engineering & Electronics Ltd. He is also a Director of Blue Star Engineering & Electronics Ltd. and J T Advani Finance Pvt. Ltd. Vir holds Bachelor’s Degrees in Systems Engineering and in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, and has completed a comprehensive Executive Management Programme on Leadership Development at Harvard Business School. After a 2-year working stint in private equity in New York, Vir joined Blue Star Infotech Ltd. in 2000 and then founded Blue Star Design & Engineering Ltd., in 2003, designated as its CEO. In 2007, he moved to Blue Star as Vice President – corporate Affairs, where he made valuable contributions in a profit improvement programme as well as in electro mechanical projects. He was promoted as Executive Vice President in 2008; President – Corporate Affairs & Special Projects in 2009 and Executive Director in 2010.

B. Thiagarajan has been appointed as Joint Managing Director of Blue Star Ltd. from April 2016 and currently oversees Manufacturing and R&D,
Marketing, Supply Chain and Service operations pertaining to Products Business, Corporate Communications & Marketing and Public Relations as
well as Human Resources. Thiagarajan is a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronics from Madurai University. He has also completed the
Senior Executive Program of London Business School. He has over three decades of experience, having worked for reputed companies such as Larsen & Toubro, BPL Systems and Voltas, prior to joining Blue Star in 1998. Thiagarajan was promoted as President – AC&R Products Group in 2009. In 2013, he was elevated as Executive Director & President – AC&R Products Business. He plays an active role in various industry forums and is a past President of Refrigeration and Airconditioning Manufacturers’ Association (RAMA). He is a nominated Member of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) National Council, Chairperson of the CII National Committee on State Level Co-ordination in Agriculture, and represents Blue Star in the Western Regional Council of CII.

Anil Chaudhry, MD and Country President, Schneider Electric India has been conferred Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of
Honour), the highest French civilian award. This award is given in recognition  of outstanding contributions to French society over a minimum of 20
years of one’s professional career. It was presented to Anil for significant contribution towards strengthening Indo-French relations through association with French organizations. Working for over three decades for French business interest in India and in the world, Anil has created a significant body of work in the fi eld of infrastructural development, climate change, Indo French economic relations, access to energy and skill development. The award was conferred by the Ambassador of France to India, François Richier. Schneider Electric is a global player in energy management and automation, with revenues of about €27 billion in FY2015. It has over 160,000 employees in more than 100 countries, and is in the business of managing energy and processes.

Sunil Khanna, president and managing director of Emerson Network Power (India), has been elected as chairman of the CII Maharashtra State
Council. He previously served as the vice chairman, and was a member of the CII national executive during 2008-2009. He is also a founding member of the Automation Industry Association, where he served as president during 2008-2010. Sunil has led Emerson Network Power India since
September 2012, and prior to that worked at Emerson Process Management India for seven years, including five years as its managing director. He has more than 30 years of experience in the industrial and IT sectors with various companies and has vast international experience from his postings in Singapore, Indonesia, the UK and the USA. Sunil holds a Master of Technology degree in electrical engineering from IIT Kanpur and a bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering from IIT-BHU, Varanasi. He is also a graduate of the Emerson Leadership Program.