Executive Management

Manjeet Kripalani Executive Director

Manjeet Kripalani is the former India Bureau chief of Businessweek magazine. During her extensive career in journalism (BusinessWeek, Worth and Forbes magazines), she has won several awards, including the Gerald Loeb Award, the George Polk Award, Overseas Press Club and Daniel Pearl Awards. Kripalani was the 2006-07 Edward R. Murrow Press Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, New York, which inspired her to found Gateway House. Read more.

Neelam Deo co-founder

A distinguished diplomat, Neelam has been the Indian Ambassador to Denmark and Ivory Coast with concurrent accreditation to several West African countries. She has also served in Indian embassies in Washington D.C., Bangkok and Rome. Her last assignment was as Consul General in New York. Her most challenging mission was liaising with the U.S. congress on strategic issues in Washington D.C. Read more.

Research Team

Management Team

Aliasger Bootwalla Manager, Research, Media and Partnerships

Aliasger Bootwalla is the manager for Research, Media and Partnerships. In his current role he is responsible for the institution’s project management, strategic media consulting and is the front face contact for various stakeholders ranging from government and corporates to think tanks and academia. Ali also undertakes research and has produced publications on digital public infrastructure to promote global commons; China’s BRI and India’s deepened partnerships with Global South countries. He is an Alumni of the Managing Global Governance programme at the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) and graduated from the University of Mumbai with a BA in economics. He has previously worked with the Mullen Lowe Lintas Group where he managed communications for brands in corporate and finance practice. Ali is interested in geopolitics, geoeconomics, political economy and development studies. Read more.

Asha Rani is responsible for data collection, archiving, and coordinating the Gateway House library. Prior to this, she was the Reference Librarian at the American Library in Mumbai for 13 years, and taught at Isabella Thoburn College in Lucknow for five years. She holds a Masters in Library and Information Services from the University of Toledo, Ohio.

Maithili Ahluwalia is a Mumbai based brand and creative strategist with two  decades of experience in the design space. She is a lifestyle entrepreneur known for redefining India’s fashion and design landscape. She founded ‘Bungalow Eight’ in 2003, an iconic concept store in Mumbai, that quickly became a cultural landmark. Celebrated for its unique retail experience, sustainable materials used with refined craftsmanship, and distinctive global-local aesthetic, it set a new benchmark in Indian design-led retail. She was fortunate to collaborate with leading architects like Bijoy Jain to create the immersive experience that has defined Bungalow Eight. Bungalow Eight has been globally featured in publications like Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Condé Nast, attracting a diverse and well-known clientele such as Madonna, Sting, and Deepika Padukone. She has also championed designers such as Hanut Singh and Injiri, and has even launched her own label, ‘The BUNGALOW’, with French designer Mathieu Leguillon. She currently focuses on providing strategic guidance to brands, designers, entrepreneurs, and businesses, specializing in market positioning, consumer engagement, and brand strategy across the realms of design and craft.

Administration

Celine D’Silva Office Manager

Celine D’Silva has previously worked at a regional channel called TARA (Television Aimed at Regional Audience) as well as at Millipore India Ltd, a company that produces filters.