Mr. Ashish Dikshit, 53, is currently the Managing Director of Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail Limited (ABFRL), India’s largest pure play fashion company. Ashish has worked in diverse roles across industries and functions over his career spanning more than 30 years.
Ashish started his career at Asian Paints and spent initial years in Sales & Distribution across the country before moving to Madura Garments, where he worked across multiple functions ranging from Sales, Brand Management, Supply Chain and Sourcing.
He then moved to the corporate office of Aditya Birla Group where he served as the Principal Executive Assistant to the Chairman of the Group. In this assignment, Ashish built strong knowledge across Group’s various businesses in multiple industry sectors ranging from metals, cement, financial services, telecom, textile and several others, both in India & overseas, assisting Chairman in strategic oversight over these businesses and participating in some of the largest M&A transactions of the Group.
Ashish was appointed President of Lifestyle Brands of Group’s apparel business in 2007 and went on to become the CEO of its branded division, Madura Fashion & Lifestyle in 2012. He took over as the Managing Director of ABFRL in Feb 2018 and has led company’s rapid transformation through diversification into new business segments, category extensions & market segments to build it into the most comprehensive branded fashion company in the country. Under his leadership, the company has forged partnerships with leading International brands and has forayed into Indian ethnic wear market through joint ventures with some of the most iconic Indian designers to build an unrivalled portfolio of fashion brands across price points, consumer segments and usage occasions.
Ashish is an Electrical & Electronics Engineer from IIT - Madras and holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from IIM – Bangalore. He is also an alumnus of Harvard Business School through its Advanced Management Program.
Ashish is the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award from IIT Madras. He was also awarded the Outstanding Leader Award by the Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group.
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Mr. Vivek Sharma, an IRS officer of 2003 batch of the Indian Revenue Services has joined Footwear Design & Development Institute (FDDI) as the ‘Managing Director’ from 10th February, 2025.
Prior to joining FDDI, he was working in the Income Tax Department and handling the charge of Additional Director General-2 (HRD), Central Board of Direct Taxes, New Delhi.
He has done Bachelors of Engineering with specialization in Industrial Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)- Roorkee.
Having wide exposure in the field of Administration and Finance, Mr. Sharma intends that FDDI must play a transformative role to promote the industry by providing skilled workforce and technology adoption to the Leather, Footwear and Allied industry which is a major constituent of India’s manufacturing sector.
He has broader integrated vision to make FDDI, as one of the best hub of ‘International Skill Learning Centre’, develop industry-institute interface for collaborative research in the field of Footwear, Leather, Retail, Fashion & Management to stand up to the expectations of its stakeholders in the educational landscape globally.
He is also having holistic view to help the micro-entrepreneurs and artisans in their capacity building and to benefit from emerging opportunities.
A sports enthusiast, he has played at state level in Taekwondo and actively engages in playing tennis, table tennis, badminton and swimming. He is a movie enthusiast & loves listening to music and playing a little guitar once in a while.
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Col. Pankaj Kumar Sinha has joined the Footwear Design & Development Institute (FDDI) as ‘Secretary’ from 06th April 2023.
An alumnus of Sainik School Tilaiya, and a graduate from Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Col. Sinha completed his training from the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun and got Commissioned in Electronic and Mechanical Engineer Corps in 1997.
His professional qualification is B. Tech., M. Tech. and have done Diploma in HR and PGDM (FM) from NIFM (Faridabad).
He is an associate member of the Institution of Engineers (India) and also a Chartered Engineer (India).
Col. Sinha has served the Indian Army in various capacities and tenanted appointments across the country. As GM (Works) at base Workshop, was instrumental in planning and development of Infra of the production unit, finances, machine, manpower, overhaul receipt of dispatch of equipments.
He has also performed as ‘Instructor’ at Technical Staff Course where officers of the Indian Army, Air Force and Navy were imparted Middle level training to equip them for their career progression and step into higher management. Owing to his significant contribution, Col. Sinha was awarded commendation by “Chief of Integrated Staff Committee’ (CISC) of Integrated Defense Staff under the Ministry of Defense.
He has been an avid sportsman and plays Tennis, Football, Squash, Badminton and Golf. Prior to joining FDDI, Col. Sinha was Joint Director (Asset and Account Management) at Regional Center, ECHS, Patna.
Having wide exposure in the field of HR, Finance and Administration, Col. Sinha has broader integrated vision to make FDDI a vibrant and best hub of ‘Global Skill Learning Centre’ in the field of Footwear, Leather, Retail, Fashion & Management.
His wife, Mrs. Babita Sinha been a teacher, academic coordinator and a registered counsellor of NCERT, is currently working as a Registered Counsellor in a school.
Ms. Pragya Singh, IRS has joined the Footwear Design & Development Institute (FDDI), Chandigarh (Banur) campus as ‘Executive Director’ from 16th March 2023.
She is an officer of the 2010 batch of IRS (IT) who has served in various capacities during her tenure. After completing her training at NADT - Nagpur, she has been posted in and around Chandigarh for the last 10 years.
During this time, she has gained extensive experience in different profiles like Income Tax Assessment, General Administration, Vigilance, TDS and in Exemptions vertical of the Income Tax Department.
Ms. Pragya Singh having a Master's degree in Geography and Masters in Taxation and Business Law has grand visions and pragmatic ideas about making FDDI, as one of the best international skill learning centre in the field of Footwear, Leather, Fashion & Retail Management.
Dr. Narasimhugari Tej Lohit Reddy, IAS has joined the Footwear Design & Development Institute (FDDI), Hyderabad campus as ‘Executive Director’ from 23rd August 2023.
Dr. Narasimhugari TL Reddy is a medical doctor by qualification with a MBBS degree from the prestigious Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad.
He belongs to the 2013 batch of Indian Administrative Service of Kerala Cadre.
He has served for 10 years in various positions in Government of Kerala before joining FDDI.
After completing training as Assistant Collector in Kottayam district of Kerala, he worked as Sub Collector in Idukki District, Secretary to Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation, Director Food and Civil Supplies Department, Registrar of Cooperatives, District Collector Pathanamthitta and District Collector Kozhikode.
He is excited to join FDDI and desires to take it to greater heights with support of faculty, staff and its bright students.
Mr. Anil Kumar has joined the FDDI, Jodhpur campus as Executive Director from 26th October 2023. Prior to joining FDDI, he was working as the Joint Director & Controller of Examinations (COE) of National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Jodhpur from 06th November 2020 to 25th October 2023.
Mr. Anil Kumar is an officer of Armed Forces Head Quarters Civil Service (AFHQCS) under Ministry of Defence selected through UPSC LDCE 2005. Before joining to the NIFT Jodhpur, Mr. Kumar was working as Deputy Director (Administration & Training) at Air HQ, New Delhi.
Mr. Anil Kumar had also been working in different Organisations earlier like Delhi Milk Scheme (DMS) under Ministry of Agriculture & NHAI under Ministry of Road Transport & Highways having experience and exposure in handling of Administration, Establishment, HR, Personnel, Recruitment, Vigilance & Legal, Finance matters for more than 18 years of experiences in different setup of organizations under Central Government.
He has a rich & blend experience and exposure in training and attended a lot of different Management Development Programme (MDP) & Training at IIM Lucknow, ASCI(Hyderabad), ATI Mysore, ISTM New Delhi, Seneca International, Toronto, Canada etc.
His educational qualification is B.A(Hons), LLB(MU), B.Ed(B.H.U), P.G(Public Administration), PGDCLM(ILI), DLM(Hyd), PGDFM((NIFM) etc. Besides, He did his Certification Course on People’s Management at Work Place & Human Resource Analytics from University of London & University of California, Irvine respectively.
He aspires to contribute significantly to make FDDI as a Centre of an Excellence as per its visions by dint of his vast experience, prudence and leadership qualities.
His wife Dr. Sangeeta Singh is working as Scientist ‘F’ in AFRI, Jodhpur under Ministry of Environment & Forest, Govt. of India.
Mr. M. Sundaresan has joined FDDI, Chennai Campus, as ‘Executive Director’ (ED) on 01st May 2024. Prior to joining FDDI, he was working as Deputy Director, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) New Delhi. During his service in AICTE, he has worked as Southern Regional Officer of AICTE for nearly ten years.
Mr. Sundaresan has also worked as faculty in the Department of Automobile Engineering, MIT Campus, Anna University, Chennai for more than five years. He has an experience of more than 10 Years in teaching and nearly 15 years in Regulating Technical Institutions in AICTE.
His Education qualifications are B.E., Mechanical Engineering and M.E., Thermal Sciences with diversification in Internal Combustion Engineering.
He desires to make FDDI be on par with other INI Institutions.
Ms. Manju Maan has joined FDDI, Noida campus as ‘Executive Director’ FDDI, Noida campus on 07th November 2024.
A dynamic and versatile leader, Ms. Manju Maan has served in various senior capacities across multiple Ministries within Government of India, including Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Department of Biotechnology, and Ministry of Tourism. With a career marked by a passion for public service and social change, she has been a driving force behind many impactful policies and initiatives.
Her advocacy to sustainability and environmental conservation is evident in her focus on making the world greener. She holds a Diploma in Public Policy and Sustainable Development and has undergone numerous training programs to further her expertise. Ms. Manju Maan is deeply committed to creating positive social change and has been involved in various activities that improve social welfare and promote sustainability.
A distinguished academic, she topped her postgraduate course in Hindi Literature and has authored seven books. Her literary creations have been published in several prestigious newspapers and magazines, and her programs have been broadcasted on All India Radio, showcasing her versatility as a communicator. Her work in broadcasting and writing has earned her numerous accolades, including recognition from cultural associations and Government of India.
As an enthusiastic and accomplished individual, Ms. Manju Maan has also won the Mallika-e-Kitchen Contest by LG, adding to her array of achievements.
With a deep-rooted passion for design innovation and a commitment to nurturing the next generation of designers, she craves to focus on fostering a culture of creativity, entrepreneurship, and sustainability. She believes in cultivating an ecosystem where creativity meets commerce, ethics merge with aesthetics, and innovation.
She is keen to take FDDI to new heights, creating an inclusive, innovative, and sustainable future for fashion education.
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Mr. Sunil Kumar Dwivedi has joined the FDDI, Fursatganj (Raebareli) campus as ‘Executive Director’ from 04th December 2024. His professional qualification is LL.B. from Lucknow University and has also completed M.A. & M. Ed.
He started his journey as Administrative Officer- Academics from National Brain Research Center (NBRC) Manesar, Gurugram, an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Science and Technology, which has been developed as a ‘Center of Excellence’. Thereafter, has served as Assistant Registrar in Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University) (IIT, BHU), Varanasi.
Before joining to FDDI, he was serving as Deputy Registrar – Research and Development in National Institute of Technology (NIT), Patna. Mr. Dwivedi has vast administrative experience. He worked with top level academicians of the country and has very well acquaint-with the work-culture of an academic autonomous institution. He has been involved with almost all known areas of administration. He also has a working exposure in leather sector.
By using his wide exposure of academic administration, he aspires to make FDDI, the first choice of the student’s decision to make their career in the field of Footwear Design, Fashion Design and Retail Management and Leather accessories etc. His plan is to make FDDI more visible across all National & International platforms associated with the above specialization by ensuring best teaching and training & facilities to FDDI students and thus, to produce best skilled & trained youth to serve the nation.
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Ms. Sarita Duhan has joined the FDDI, Rohtak campus as the Executive Director on December 31, 2024.
She brings a rich experience in education, leadership, and skill development. Before joining FDDI, Ms. Sarita worked as Deputy Director at the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Ministry of MSME for three years. She served as Principal at the Multi-Disciplinary Training Centre, KVIC Delhi, where she made significant contributions to skill development and entrepreneurship projects.
Ms. Sarita has worked as a Physics faculty in the Technical Education Department, Government of Haryana, at Government Polytechnic, Loharu. Over 14 years, she was deeply involved in teaching and mentoring students.
Her educational qualifications are M.Sc. and M.Phil. in Physics and attended a training programme in nanomaterials at Grenoble, France, under the Marie Curie Fellowship in 2009. She has also published more than 20 research papers in reputed international journals and conferences.
With her knowledge, experience, and leadership skills, Ms. Sarita is set to guide FDDI Rohtak campus to new levels of growth and excellence.
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Mr. Lalit Prakash Jangra has joined the FDDI, Ankleshwar campus as the ‘Executive Director’ on 31st December 2024.
He is an Educationist with an impressive 17 years of service in Haryana’s Technical Education with a strong academic foundation with B.Tech. in Electrical engineering from Haryana.
Throughout his illustrious career, Mr. Prakash has made significant contributions to educational development in Haryana. His leadership has been pivotal in introducing innovative teaching methods, enhancing skill-based learning programs, and fostering industry-academic collaborations. Known for his commitment to excellence, he has left an indelible mark on the education landscape, empowering both students and educators to excel.
Mr. Prakash’s technical background complements his strategic leadership style, enabling him to approach challenges with a blend of analytical thinking and practical solutions.
His expertise is expected to drive innovation, efficiency and growth at FDDI, Ankleshwar, further solidifying its reputation as a premier institute in the footwear and leather industry.
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Mr. Neeraj Kumar joined FDDI, Patna campus as ‘Executive Director’ on 3rd February 2025. He is an educationist with an impressive 20 years of service with a strong academic foundation. He brings a rich experience in education and leadership. Before joining FDDI, Mr. Neeraj Kumar worked as a Deputy Registrar, Academic Affairs at the Indian Institute of Technology, Indore.
He served as Assistant Commissioner (Administration) at Navodya Vidyalay Samiti, Patna for two years. He has also served in Vivekananda College, Delhi University and Vasanta College for Women, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.
His educational qualification are Masters of Business Management in Finance, Post graduate Diploma in Material Management and Diploma in Labour Laws with Administrative Laws. He has also qualified NET in management.
Mr. Neeraj’s technical background complements his strategic leadership style, enabling him to approach challenges with a blend of analytical thinking and practical solutions.
His expertise is expected to drive innovation, efficiency and growth at FDDI, Patna, further solidifying its reputation as a premier institute in the footwear and leather industry.
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