Advisory Board Members

Dr.G.B.K. Rao, an Engineer-turned-Environmentalist, is the Architect of Pragati Biodiversity Knowledge Park and the Founder Chairman of Pragati Group & Chairman Expert Committee on Agriculture and Food Processing for Southern Region, Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

He was born in an agricultural family at Repalle, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh. This provided him knowledge of traditional farming.

Dr G.B.K. Rao, Chairman, Pragati Group received CERTIFICATE MOMENTO from WORLD BOOK OF RECORDS, LONDON on 22nd April’2021 for identifying Sacred, Herbal , Medicinal Mother Plants and preserving more than 650 varieties of medicinal flora and planting 40 Lakh of plants and trees in Pragati Sudhaama.

Dr. Rao’s Pragati Resorts has won over 400 State, National and International awards, including the highest recognition called Oscars of Global Business. His efforts are also recognized by the United Nations.

He is the board member of Asian PGPR Society and sponsor of its national and international conferences. On 19th August’ 2019, he had a successful talk and presentation at 6th Asian PGPR International Conference on Sustainable Agriculture at Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

On 19th August’ 2022, he has given paper Presentation entitled “Immunity boosting through therapeutic traditional herbal foods and sustainable green technology” in PGPR International Conference- 2022 in Malaysia.

Dr.Rao has received “Life Time Achievement Award” during 7th Asian PGPR International Conference for Sustainable Agriculture held in August, 2022 at Malaysia.

Dr.Rao has received the prestigious award “Telangana State Tourism Excellence Award, 2023 as Best Resort in Tourism Sector, Telangana State” during the World Tourism Day-2023 held on 27.09.2023 at Hyderabad which was organized by Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation Limited (TSTDC).

Recently, Dr.Rao has received “Mega Plantation Drive Award” during CII Telangana State Annual Meeting 2023-24 held on 2nd March, 2024 at Hyderabad. The award is being given to Pragati for planting more than 1.25 lakh saplings in Pragati Sudhaama during the year 2023.

Viiveck is a specialist in corporate strategy with over three decades of sectoral and cross-functional work experience. After serving as a C-level executive for many years, he made the decision to start his own enterprise. He chose the start up space to invest in, launch, and mentor new firms using his background in P&L and corporate strategy. His experience of creating of more than 10 notable intrapreneurial corporate ventures, was an added advantage.

Building brands is Viiveck’s forte, where he has demonstrated noteworthy accomplishments. All three TEDxHyderabad, SAHE, and Upsurge Global exhibit this brand-building talent.

Viiveck founded his own consulting business, Upsurge Global, and today holds a variety of responsibilities. More than 130 commercial start-ups and more than 10 social businesses have benefited from his investments, mentoring, and brand building efforts. He is a start-up enthusiast and business strategist. Beyond these 140 organisations.

Viiveck uses his network to increase efficiency and assist ecosystem growth. Viiveck’s philosophy is that the value of a network transcends the value of net worth. Viiveck achieves this through regular engagement with incubators, educational institutions, industry associations, and enterprises.

In order to comprehend the human mind and behaviour and apply it to his profession, Viiveck prepared himself with a variety of certifications, including Zengar Miller Leadership trainer and Professional Certified Coach (PCC) from International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Viiveck firmly believes that all enterprises have an impact and that corporate structures apply to both for-profit and nonprofit organisations. He provides significant knowledge and expertise to this convergence of business and impact, where the most growth lies. Being an eternal optimist, Viiveck applies this attitude to all he undertakes. He is an essayist for reputable publications and has authored a book.

PRESENT VOCATION: Medical Director, Sparsh Hospice, Palliative Care, Telangana

ANY SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS: Post retirement in 2010, Dr. Rohini been working at Sparsh Hospice-one of the very few hospices in the state of Telangana, offering free medical, in-patient palliative care for terminally ill patients and she also actively takes part in offering Cancer Awareness programs all over Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

She is also a part of Ashraya Foundation for palliative care in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh.

She also strongly believes that education is something that poor shouldn’t be deprived of. She also closely works with Seva Bharathi- an NGO that aims to provide quality education, health care and empowerment to the poor and needy. She used to run Suma Niketan School to provide free education for underprivileged children. She also runs Valmiki Orphanage to support education for the poor.

In order to comprehend the human mind and behaviour and apply it to his profession, Viiveck prepared himself with a variety of certifications, including Zengar Miller Leadership trainer and Professional Certified Coach (PCC) from International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Viiveck firmly believes that all enterprises have an impact and that corporate structures apply to both for-profit and nonprofit organisations. He provides significant knowledge and expertise to this convergence of business and impact, where the most growth lies. Being an eternal optimist, Viiveck applies this attitude to all he undertakes. He is an essayist for reputable publications and has authored a book.

Mr. Santosh Mehra IPS (Ex-DGP) is a distinguished professional with a diverse educational background, holding an MBA, a Masters in International Studies from the University of Queensland, and a Masters in Public Service & Administration from Texas A&M University. In 1995, he distinguished himself as the sole IPS officer selected from Andhra Pradesh for the UN Peace Keeping Mission in Angola, UNAVEM-III.

Throughout his illustrious career, Mr. Mehra has served in various capacities within the Andhra Pradesh Police Department, including roles such as Deputy Commissioner of Police, Additional Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Director of the State Crime Records Bureau, and Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau. His expertise extends to leadership roles as Inspector General (L&O) and later as IG/Addl. Director General (Welfare) before his tenure at the Border Security Force as Chief Instructor and Inspector General for five years.

Notably, Mr. Mehra has contributed significantly to national security and policing strategies, serving as the Additional Director General of the Bureau of Police Research and Development. His leadership continued to shine as the Director General of the National Human Rights Commission of India (2021-2022) and subsequently as the Director General of the Andhra Pradesh Special Protection Force (2022-2023). His wealth of experience and commitment to excellence make him a valuable addition to our International Advisory Board.