Corporate Roundtable on leveraging the private sector expertise for disaster preparedness
ADRA and IIMB join hands to drive private sector-led early action in disaster preparedness on June 3, 2025
03rd June 2025, Bangalore: Santhosh SP, Country Director at ADRA India, and Prof. Gopal Naik, Chair of the Centre for Public Policy at IIM Bangalore, opened the roundtable on ‘Leveraging the private sector expertise for disaster preparedness’ with welcome remarks and set the stage for the discussions ahead.
Keynote Address
Smt. Mrinalini Srivastava, IPS, Director, NDMA, Government of India
Smt. Mrinalini delivered a compelling keynote on the urgent need for proactive, inclusive, and tech-enabled disaster management in India. She addressed the country’s increasing vulnerability from cyclones and pandemics to severe heatwaves and emphasized that preparedness must move beyond response to anticipation and collaboration.
She highlighted the growing role of public-private partnerships, especially in early warnings and real-time financial aid. Stressing the importance of robust state-level governance, she spoke about enhancing infrastructure, building local capacity, and implementing the Crisis Preparedness Plan (CPP) as a framework for readiness at all levels.
“State preparedness is the foundation of national resilience. We must move from intent to execution,” she concluded.
Technical Session: Understanding Disasters – What Are We Dealing With?
The speakers of the technical session, Abhinanth, Sr. Technical Official, Karnataka SNDMA, and S.S.M Gavaskar, Jr. Scientific Officer at the KSNDMC (Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre). This session explored Karnataka’s evolving approach to disaster management. It highlighted the increasing frequency of extreme climate events and how disasters are becoming more complex.
Key Highlights:
- Use of 15–20 years of historical weather and disaster data for informed planning.
- A 360-degree real-time communication system reaching all—from officials to farmers.
- ERSS and Common Alerting Protocols for rapid emergency communication.
- Multilingual CRM system with 20,000+ interfaces for hyperlocal outreach.
- Govardhan Mitra call centre enabling two-way interaction at the grassroots level.
- Public dashboards, alerts via WhatsApp, apps, emails, and social media.
- VarnaVidra: Karnataka’s unique weather alert system providing user-specific insights.
- Mass Communication Facility using automated alerts for disaster and non-disaster notifications.
Panel Discussions on Disaster Management and the Role of the Private Sector.
The first panel discussion, titled Proactive Preparedness, was moderated by Rohan Jain from ADRA and featured panelists Dibyakanta Nayak from Reliance Foundation, Lanvin Concessao from the World Resources Institute (WRI), and Samhita R from Resilience AI. The discussion focused on forward-looking strategies for disaster preparedness. Dibyakanta Nayak shared insights from Odisha, highlighting the implementation of multilingual megaphone systems for early warnings and the use of mangrove afforestation to strengthen ecological resilience. Lanvin Concessao underscored the significance of solar-powered, reliable healthcare infrastructure and advocated for blended finance models to reinforce public systems, while also discussing WRI’s use of geospatial tools to map disaster-prone areas in states like Jharkhand and Assam. Samhita R presented AI-based risk assessment solutions from Resilience360 AI, stressing the importance of routine disaster “check-ups” and introducing a scalable, accurate, and actionable framework built on the pillars of Pilot, Process, and Policy.
The second panel discussion, Private Sector Support During Emergencies, explored how private, scientific, and philanthropic sectors are increasingly contributing to disaster response strategies. Prakash Thakur from ADRA Deutschland emphasized the importance of aligning private and public sector goals to build long-term resilience. Mona Chhabra Anand of ADPC advocated for moving beyond traditional donation-based support toward co-creating solutions for risk reduction. Dr. Veena Srinivasan from WELL Labs shared insights on how scientific research and climate modeling can be used to improve monsoon management. Manisha Shah Nayyar of Synergos highlighted the critical role of philanthropy in bringing stakeholders together and funding scalable, community-driven solutions. Finally, Manisha Shah Nayyar, Philanthropy Partner – Asia, Synergos, reinforced the need for community-led and equitable approaches to disaster preparedness.
The third panel discussion, Business’s Role in Rebuilding, was moderated by Prof. P.D. Jose, Strategy area and featured speakers Shravani Kalkonda from Donatekart, Imran Majid from ADRA India, and Chandra Mouli T from Bosch Global Software Technologies. This session focused on how businesses are playing a pivotal role in post-disaster recovery. Shravani Kalkonda highlighted Donatekart’s unique in-kind donation model and its rapid 72-hour disaster response system, supported by CSR contributions from companies like Amazon. Imran Majid shared ADRA India’s efforts in Assam and Varanasi, emphasizing initiatives that address water, shelter, and livelihoods to rebuild communities. Chandra Mouli T presented a case study from drought-affected regions in Maharashtra, where community-led watershed development projects have helped establish long-term, climate-resilient livelihoods.
The last panel discussion, Strengthening Multistakeholder Engagement for Disaster Resilience was moderated by Prof. Gopal Mahapatra, Chairperson, OB & HRM.
Dr. Indu K Murthy, Sector Head – Climate, Environment, and Sustainability, CSTEP
She highlighted resilience as the ability to bounce back through acceptance, values, and improvisation and emphasized the importance of translating scientific research into actionable ground-level communication. She also called for collaborative roles from all sectors to bridge the gap between information and timely action.
Dr. Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan, Sr. Fellow, ATREE
He focused on vulnerability linked to inequality and the need for grassroots, micro-level disaster planning. He advocated for capacitating local response teams and improving coordination among government departments. He stressed continuous engagement and livelihood support as keys to sustained disaster resilience.
Dr. Subhashree Banerjee, Professor at Christ University, Bangalore
She shared insights from fieldwork in Odisha’s coastal areas impacted by climate change and cyclones and brought human stories of loss and adaptation to highlight the lived realities behind disaster statistics. She also called for integrating local knowledge and experiences in building resilient communities.
Mrs. Padmashree Balaram, Mentor at NSRCEL, IIMB, Smart City Auctioneer
She emphasized the power of community-led initiatives and neighborhood response preparedness. She highlighted the critical role of continuous awareness, capacity building, and local leadership and advocated for sustained collaboration between residents, NGOs, and local authorities to enhance resilience.
Please click here for photo gallery
Corporate Roundtable on leveraging the private sector expertise for disaster preparedness
ADRA and IIMB join hands to drive private sector-led early action in disaster preparedness on June 3, 2025
03rd June 2025, Bangalore: Santhosh SP, Country Director at ADRA India, and Prof. Gopal Naik, Chair of the Centre for Public Policy at IIM Bangalore, opened the roundtable on ‘Leveraging the private sector expertise for disaster preparedness’ with welcome remarks and set the stage for the discussions ahead.
Keynote Address
Smt. Mrinalini Srivastava, IPS, Director, NDMA, Government of India
Smt. Mrinalini delivered a compelling keynote on the urgent need for proactive, inclusive, and tech-enabled disaster management in India. She addressed the country’s increasing vulnerability from cyclones and pandemics to severe heatwaves and emphasized that preparedness must move beyond response to anticipation and collaboration.
She highlighted the growing role of public-private partnerships, especially in early warnings and real-time financial aid. Stressing the importance of robust state-level governance, she spoke about enhancing infrastructure, building local capacity, and implementing the Crisis Preparedness Plan (CPP) as a framework for readiness at all levels.
“State preparedness is the foundation of national resilience. We must move from intent to execution,” she concluded.
Technical Session: Understanding Disasters – What Are We Dealing With?
The speakers of the technical session, Abhinanth, Sr. Technical Official, Karnataka SNDMA, and S.S.M Gavaskar, Jr. Scientific Officer at the KSNDMC (Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre). This session explored Karnataka’s evolving approach to disaster management. It highlighted the increasing frequency of extreme climate events and how disasters are becoming more complex.
Key Highlights:
- Use of 15–20 years of historical weather and disaster data for informed planning.
- A 360-degree real-time communication system reaching all—from officials to farmers.
- ERSS and Common Alerting Protocols for rapid emergency communication.
- Multilingual CRM system with 20,000+ interfaces for hyperlocal outreach.
- Govardhan Mitra call centre enabling two-way interaction at the grassroots level.
- Public dashboards, alerts via WhatsApp, apps, emails, and social media.
- VarnaVidra: Karnataka’s unique weather alert system providing user-specific insights.
- Mass Communication Facility using automated alerts for disaster and non-disaster notifications.
Panel Discussions on Disaster Management and the Role of the Private Sector.
The first panel discussion, titled Proactive Preparedness, was moderated by Rohan Jain from ADRA and featured panelists Dibyakanta Nayak from Reliance Foundation, Lanvin Concessao from the World Resources Institute (WRI), and Samhita R from Resilience AI. The discussion focused on forward-looking strategies for disaster preparedness. Dibyakanta Nayak shared insights from Odisha, highlighting the implementation of multilingual megaphone systems for early warnings and the use of mangrove afforestation to strengthen ecological resilience. Lanvin Concessao underscored the significance of solar-powered, reliable healthcare infrastructure and advocated for blended finance models to reinforce public systems, while also discussing WRI’s use of geospatial tools to map disaster-prone areas in states like Jharkhand and Assam. Samhita R presented AI-based risk assessment solutions from Resilience360 AI, stressing the importance of routine disaster “check-ups” and introducing a scalable, accurate, and actionable framework built on the pillars of Pilot, Process, and Policy.
The second panel discussion, Private Sector Support During Emergencies, explored how private, scientific, and philanthropic sectors are increasingly contributing to disaster response strategies. Prakash Thakur from ADRA Deutschland emphasized the importance of aligning private and public sector goals to build long-term resilience. Mona Chhabra Anand of ADPC advocated for moving beyond traditional donation-based support toward co-creating solutions for risk reduction. Dr. Veena Srinivasan from WELL Labs shared insights on how scientific research and climate modeling can be used to improve monsoon management. Manisha Shah Nayyar of Synergos highlighted the critical role of philanthropy in bringing stakeholders together and funding scalable, community-driven solutions. Finally, Manisha Shah Nayyar, Philanthropy Partner – Asia, Synergos, reinforced the need for community-led and equitable approaches to disaster preparedness.
The third panel discussion, Business’s Role in Rebuilding, was moderated by Prof. P.D. Jose, Strategy area and featured speakers Shravani Kalkonda from Donatekart, Imran Majid from ADRA India, and Chandra Mouli T from Bosch Global Software Technologies. This session focused on how businesses are playing a pivotal role in post-disaster recovery. Shravani Kalkonda highlighted Donatekart’s unique in-kind donation model and its rapid 72-hour disaster response system, supported by CSR contributions from companies like Amazon. Imran Majid shared ADRA India’s efforts in Assam and Varanasi, emphasizing initiatives that address water, shelter, and livelihoods to rebuild communities. Chandra Mouli T presented a case study from drought-affected regions in Maharashtra, where community-led watershed development projects have helped establish long-term, climate-resilient livelihoods.
The last panel discussion, Strengthening Multistakeholder Engagement for Disaster Resilience was moderated by Prof. Gopal Mahapatra, Chairperson, OB & HRM.
Dr. Indu K Murthy, Sector Head – Climate, Environment, and Sustainability, CSTEP
She highlighted resilience as the ability to bounce back through acceptance, values, and improvisation and emphasized the importance of translating scientific research into actionable ground-level communication. She also called for collaborative roles from all sectors to bridge the gap between information and timely action.
Dr. Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan, Sr. Fellow, ATREE
He focused on vulnerability linked to inequality and the need for grassroots, micro-level disaster planning. He advocated for capacitating local response teams and improving coordination among government departments. He stressed continuous engagement and livelihood support as keys to sustained disaster resilience.
Dr. Subhashree Banerjee, Professor at Christ University, Bangalore
She shared insights from fieldwork in Odisha’s coastal areas impacted by climate change and cyclones and brought human stories of loss and adaptation to highlight the lived realities behind disaster statistics. She also called for integrating local knowledge and experiences in building resilient communities.
Mrs. Padmashree Balaram, Mentor at NSRCEL, IIMB, Smart City Auctioneer
She emphasized the power of community-led initiatives and neighborhood response preparedness. She highlighted the critical role of continuous awareness, capacity building, and local leadership and advocated for sustained collaboration between residents, NGOs, and local authorities to enhance resilience.
Please click here for photo gallery