Dr. Swasti Rao is a geopolitical expert Commentator and Author. She is currently Consulting Editor, Strategic Affairs for India’s leading media house, The Print and Non- Resident Fellow at Eastern Circles, Paris.

She has worked at the prestigious Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), India’s premier think tank under the aegis of Ministry of Defence. At MP-IDSA, Swasti had worked on projects for Ministry for External Affairs and Ministry of Defence on European geopolitics and geo-economics. Her research project at MP-IDSA has been on Conflicts in Europe amidst Shifting Power Structures and Europe’s Indo Pacific outreach. Recognized as a "Geopolitical Expert" by the Government of Uttar Pradesh, India, for the G20 Summit in 2023, Dr. Rao was also honored as one of the under-40 Young Leaders by EICBI for substantiating India-Europe relations. She is affiliated with the EU-India Women’s Council and serves as a reviewer for the peer reviewed publications by National Maritime Foundation (NMF), India, and Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), London.

She is also a geopolitical advisor to the Uttar Pradesh Government on developing the “UP Defence Industrial Corridor” a key undertaking of the Ministry of Defence, Govt. of India. An alumnus of JNU, India; Tsukuba University, Japan and Institut des hautes études de défense nationale (IHEDN), France; she is a recipient of the prestigious Japanese Education Ministry Fellowship (MEXT) in 2011 and the‘Okita Memorial Scholarship’ in 2010 from ICCR.

She qualified the University Grants Commission’s National Eligibility Test in International and Area Studies in 2007. She has held an adjunct position at the Tokai University, Japan in the capacity of a foreign collaborator for the Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS).

She is a widely published author. Her latest publications are with Routledge, World Scientific Publishers, Palgrave Macmillan and Pentagon Press. Her work on the Ukraine war is soon to be compiled in a book, ‘Ukraine Untold’ by Harper Collins, India.
A regular commentator on IR across national and international media platforms, she writes a weekly expert's column that discusses key aspects of the geopolitical security from an Indian perspective. She has been representing India at the flagship EU Security Dialogue, The Schuman Forum, held at the European Parliament at Brussels since March 2023 among other international foras.
Dr. Rao has also been an academic, teaching courses on International Politics, Conflict and research methodology at one of India’s largest and oldest central universities, Aligarh Muslim University. She has contributed to syllabus development for Political Science at IGNOU and collaborated with the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA) on compiling resources for international relations and research methodology for higher education teachers.

She has hundreds of academic engagements at national and international conferences, workshops and panel discussions to her credit. Beyond her scholarly work, Swasti is a trained Kathak artiste and an HRD Ministry, Govt. of India, scholar on Kathak and Performing Arts. She is proficient in English, Hindi, Urdu and Japanese and is currently learning French.

Dr. Bhardwaj is a distinguished international lawyer, policy advisor and strategist, with expertise in international trade, climate policy, investment law, foreign policy, and governance. He has worked across multiple jurisdictions, including India, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States and currently Switzerland. His contributions span across prominent multilateral and governmental organizations such as the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat, the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C., the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, the World Bank Group and the World Trade Organization, where he has played a pivotal role in shaping global climate and trade issues. He also has a brief stint of working at the British Parliament.

With a robust background in international law, Manuj has been instrumental in developing strategies for sovereign states at international courts and tribunals, as well as during multilateral negotiations. His expertise extends to advising organizations on market entry strategies and facilitating profitable expansions. His participation in high-level diplomatic missions and international conferences, including the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Commonwealth Election Observer Missions, United Nations Annual Climate Conference, World Bank – IMF Annual Meetings and the UNCTAD World Investment Forum, underscores his significant impact on global policy discussions.

A passionate advocate for climate justice and sustainable development, Manuj's research has garnered international recognition. He was the first lawyer to be awarded the prestigious United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Doctoral Scholarship by Prince Albert II of Monaco. He completed his Doctor of Juridical Science (S.J.D. / Ph.D.) from American University Washington College of Law, Washington DC with specialization in international trade and climate law and policy with a focus on climate finance. His academic work focuses on the nexus between economic growth and climate action, particularly in developing nations like India. He holds dual master’s degrees in public policy and human development from the United Nations University and Maastricht University in the Netherlands, with a specialization in foreign policy and human development with a focus on international trade and climate policy.

Beyond his legal and policy work, Manuj is dedicated to education, serving on the Industrial Advisory Board of various universities in India and teaching international law courses. He is also an active mentor and speaker at international forums on human rights, climate change, and entrepreneurship. Additionally, he holds the position of Senior Advisor at the International Law Institute in Washington, D.C. Manuj frequently offers expert commentary on Indian news channels, particularly on issues related to energy security and defense, providing valuable insights into international relations.

Sanjay Notani is a Partner at ELP and co-heads the International Trade & Customs practice. He is a member of the Supreme Court Bar of India (SCBA) and Maharashtra & Goa Bar Council, American Bar Association (ABA) and has the distinction of being appointed to ABA’s Steering Group of the Export Controls & Economic Sanctions Committee, representing Asia. Sanjay is also Vice Chair on the ABA’s South Asia/Oceania & India Committee. He is also a member of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) and the Customs and International Trade Bar Association (CITBA) and represents various committees. Additionally, Sanjay has been nominated by the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF) to be a member on its Committee on Environment and Climate Change.
His advisory work includes, appellate litigation to obtain trade remedial reliefs from unfairly traded imports in anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard duty proceedings (Trade Remedial Actions) pertaining to inbound and outbound levy of duties, and disputes arising from Free Trade Agreements (FTA’s)/Regional Trade Agreements (RTA’s) including disputes at the World Trade Organization (WTO) representing India. Sanjay also provides trade advice on various FTA’s/RTA’s being negotiated and signed by India. The scope includes analysis of all the matters that constitute an import or export declaration including valuation, classification, country of origin, marking and labelling, qualification for the relevant Free Trade Program/Agreement and Free Trade zone issues.
He also has regulatory and advocacy experience in India’s emerging legal landscape in the evolving technologies space and advises clients on issues concerning privacy, e-commerce, data localization and digital tax. Sanjay provides strategic legal and commercial advice to corporates, trade bodies and governments on the inherent challenges in doing business globally, including the strategies to be adopted by Global Value Chains (GVC).