Shri Sanjay Kumar Panda
- formerly a career bureaucrat, following up promotion of Handloom and welfare of the handloom weavers with passion, zeal and enthusiasm.
- had a brilliant academic career with university gold medal(s) as the Best Graduate and in master’s in science (Chemistry), silver medal in Public Administration from IIPA, Diploma in Forestry from AIFC, Dehradun, and Ph. D in Economics.
- awarded the prestigious International Louis Pasteur award for outstanding contribution to sericulture and silk industry. His major publications include Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in India, Promotion of Sericulture in new areas empowering tribal women and Making One plus One Eleven (Making changes Transformational), which have been cited by various scholars.
- carries rich administrative experience as Secretary, Government of India; Chief Secretary, Government of Tripura; Chairman, Executive Committee of the Tripura Skill Development Mission, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment; among other capacities in the Central and State Government(s) of Tripura and Odisha.
- closely associated with promotion of handloom and handicraft for over three decades in the state Government of Odisha as Director of Textiles (1989-94), state Government of Tripura and as Secretary, Ministry of Textiles in Government of India (2014-15).
- associated with the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, National Institute of Technology as adjunct professor/faculty.
- Associated with civil society organizations namely “Sahaya” dealing with empowering the people with disability and as a member of the central “Bharat Sevak Samaj”.
- Set up “SHRADDHA” dedicated for revival of the craft sector in 1994.
- Has authored several publications dedicated to promotion of handloom and related subjects.
