Aravind Sitaraman

Aravind Sitaraman is a Computer Scientist with over 29 years of work experience and is one Cisco System’s leading inventors with 57 patents. He led & was part of several international standards bodies.

He managed all Cisco’s R&D activities in India from 2007-09. He sponsored The Innovation Hub to incubate new technologies & create solutions for emerging countries. In 2008, he created Cisco ASR 901, in 2013 the CEED 2700. He led Cisco India’s CSR efforts and launched several successful programs including ‘Feed-a-Child’ and ‘Adopt-a-School.’

He rehabilitated tsunami victims in South India & championed flood relief efforts in Karnataka in 2009. Aravind created Project Samudaya, a volunteer-led program, to rehabilitate villages through technology & build 3323 homes, 1 hospital, & 2 schools. Aravind morphed this project into a vehicle to deliver inclusive growth worldwide. In October 2010, he was appointed President, Inclusive Growth. Recognizing his social contribution, the state of Karnataka conferred on him its highest civilian decoration, the Rajyotsava Award in 2012.

In 1994, Aravind co-founded ‘Prakash’ an organization to influence India policy in USA. He published several papers on strategic and social issues in several Indian & foreign journals. In 1996, he was invited to visit the National Human Rights Commission of India. Relocating to India in 2000, Aravind reestablished ‘Prakash’ as whatisindia.com. He organized strategy papers & digitized ancient inscriptions. He is a member of the Asia Center, a policy think-tank in Bangalore.

Aravind co-founded Sivagami Ammal Memorial Trust to promote Indian culture & art, serves on the Advisory Board of Akshaya Patra (feed poor children), and on the board of GTT (talent development).

In 2010, he wrote & produced an opera on the first woman freedom fighter of India called “Abbakka Rani: Queen of Spices.”