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Sheela Patel is the founder Director of the Society for Promotion of Area Resource Centres (SPARC), an NGO that has been working since 1984 to support community organizations of the urban poor in their efforts to access secure housing and basic amenities. She is also a founder of Slum/Shack Dwellers International (SDI), an international network of poor people’s organizations and the NGOs that support them in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Sheela is widely recognized – nationally and internationally – for seeking urgent attention to the issues of urban poverty, housing and infrastructure onto the radar of governments, bilateral and international agencies, foundations and other organizations. 

Sunita Narain is the director general of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the director of the Society for Environmental Communications, and publisher of the fortnightly magazine, Down To Earth. She is a writer and environmentalist, who uses knowledge for change. Sunita was a member of the Prime Minister’s Council for Climate Change as well as the National Ganga River Basin Authority.  She has also linked issues of local democracy with global democracy, arguing that every human being has an entitlement to the global atmospheric common. In 2012, she has authored the 7th State of India’s Environment Reports, Excreta Matters, which presents a comprehensive analysis of urban India’s water and pollution challenges.

Bimal Patel is an architect, urban planner and academic. As President of CEPT University, he heads a leading habitat-focused education and research institution. As Director, HCP Design, Planning and Management, he heads a highly reputed professional firm. He is deeply engaged in transforming education and practice of architecture, urban design and planning in India to make them more relevant and effective. His research interests are in land-use planning, real estate markets, building regulations, land management and urban planning history.