BRIDGES for Conscious Travel 2026 by RARE

Asad Lalljee is SVP, Essar Group, CEO of Avid Learning, a public programming initiative and creative platform under the Essar Group, and Curator of the Royal Opera House, Mumbai. Before relocating to India, Asad worked for 14 years as one of the ‘Mad Men’ advertising executives on New York's Madison Avenue. Asad has transformed Avid Learning into India’s leading cultural hub through international collaborations and partnerships with some of the country’s biggest cultural platforms. A distinguished member of the FICCI Art and Culture Committee (now the Tourism and Culture Committee) since 2018, Asad has convened multi-stakeholder conferences in Mumbai and Bengaluru to democratise the arts. His is a story of drive, intent, and fearlessness. Since the Royal Opera House's restoration, Asad’s curatorial programming has re-established its reputation as the city’s cultural crown jewel. He also serves on the Kala Ghoda Association’s Executive Committee and is an Executive Committee Member of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage’s (INTACH) Greater Mumbai Chapter for 2026/27. He previously served on the advisory board of the Mumbai Urban Art Festival for 2022–23. In April 2020, Asad pivoted from AVID to AVID ONLINE, presenting 240 programs within a year. An early adopter of technology trends, he takes a special interest in new media, curating programs around NFTs and the cyber future. In 2026, Asad Lalljee joined a global cohort of cultural leaders as a Salzburg Global Fellow. Asad holds a B.A. in Economics from St. Xavier’s College and an M.A. in Global Marketing Communications from Emerson College, Boston.

Arti Kumar Rao working across South Asia, Arati Kumar-Rao documents — with images, words, sound, and art — environmental degradation that has reached cataclysmic levels. She chronicles how drastically depleting groundwater, habitat destruction, and land acquisition for industry devastates biodiversity and shrinks common lands, displacing millions and pushing species towards extinction. Arati is a National Geographic Explorer and was named in BBC’s 100 Influential and Inspiring women from around the world in 2023. Her first book, Marginlands, won the book of the year at the Green Litfest and Publishing Next in 2024, and was listed in the Best Books of 2025 by Foreign Affairs and Publishing Weekly. Marginlands is available at your favorite Indie bookstores in India and North America, and on Amazon: Marginlands In India Marginlands in North America Arati’s work has also appeared in the National Geographic Magazine, Emergence Magazine, BBC, Guardian, among other outlets. She is currently on a National Geographic grant to document human migration in India.  When not on assignment, she splits her time between a biodiversity hotspot — the Western Ghats — and Bangalore in India, where she plays a happy mother to three rescued cats.  

Atul Khanna is a heritage conservationist and cultural revivalist dedicated to conserving India's architectural heritage through the thoughtful restoration and adaptive reuse of historic buildings. Over the past two decades, he has led the restoration and adaptive reuse of numerous historic havelis across Shekhawati, Rajasthan, and Old Delhi, transforming them into museums, heritage hotels, cultural institutions and community spaces that celebrate India's living heritage. Widely recognised for his contribution to the conservation of Shekhawati's architectural legacy, Mr. Khanna has received numerous awards and accolades for his restoration initiatives and sustained efforts towards heritage preservation. His work has played a significant role in bringing renewed attention to the region's extraordinary frescoed havelis while demonstrating how conservation, adaptive reuse and cultural programming can together create sustainable models for heritage revival. His philosophy is rooted in the belief that heritage should not merely be preserved, but experienced. Through every restoration, he seeks to breathe new life into historic spaces—creating places that honour the past while remaining relevant, accessible and meaningful for future generations. Mr. Khanna is the founder of The Museum of Shekhawati, housed within the historic Jaipuria Haveli in Nawalgarh. The museum presents the story of Shekhawati through its remarkable architecture, frescoes, art, history and communities, offering visitors an immersive journey into one of India's richest cultural landscapes. He is also developing new museum projects in Ramgarh and Mahansar, each dedicated to preserving and interpreting different facets of the region's heritage. His work was showcased at the Red Fort Biennale 2023, where sculptures from The Museum of Shekhawati, along with a curated collection of heritage photographs, highlighted the artistic and architectural legacy of Shekhawati.  

Bharat’s connection to the travel industry spans his entire life, shaped by more than four decades of experience within his family. While advising companies in Morgan Stanley’s M&A investment banking team, he saw firsthand the significant financial cost of inefficient administrative processes across businesses. He recognised that the opportunity in travel was even greater: manual workflows were not only expensive, but could slow companies down enough to lose bookings and revenue. After leaving finance, Bharat retrained as a software engineer, spoke with 500+ travel professionals across 40+ countries, and spent months working inside travel companies to understand these workflows firsthand. Alongside Karthik Nooli, he then founded Totem, an AI coworker for travel companies that handles customer enquiries and operational work end-to-end.

Dr. med. vet. habil Ilse Ulrike Köhler-Rollefson is originally from Germany, a veterinarian by training and the founder/coordinator of the League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock Development (LPP) as well as the co-founder of India’s first dedicated camel dairy in Rajasthan and the social enterprise Camel Charisma that promotes cruelty-free and natural camel products. She has worked with the Raika camel breeding community for the past 35 years. She has consulted for diverse clients such as World Bank, GTZ/GIZ, Misereor, FAO, ILRI, UNDP and many others. Her work for camel conservation has been awarded by the presidents of both India and Germany and she is author of a popular book entitled Camel Karma. Twenty Years among India’s camel nomads. Her latest book ‘Hoofprints on the Land. How traditional herding and grazing can restore the soil and bring animal agriculture back in balance with the Earth came out in January 2023 in the UK and USA.

Hashim Tyabji has been involved with wildlife and adventure tourism since 1978 beginning with the Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge in Nepal and its sister company Mountain Travel India. He was a founding partner of Wild India Camps which set up the pioneering Bagh Van Lodge in Pench – which opened wildlife tourism in what was then an unknown park. In 2008 Wild India Camps also opened Satpura for tourism with the innovative Forsyth’s Lodge, one of India’s first true eco lodges. He is a founding partner of Kaafila Luxury Camps which – until the pandemic - operated truly mobile luxury camps to access some of the most remote but spectacular locations in Central India and Ladakh going “Beyond the Last Hotel”. Kaafila also set up the first dedicated wildlife lodges in Ladakh - The Snow Leopard Lodges in Ulley and Mangyu. He has also served as honorary wildlife warden of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and as member of the National Board of Wildlife.

As Chief Operating Officer, Mahesh guides Ananda’s brand, business vision and goals, leads wellness strategy, product development, research & innovation and extension of Ananda’s expertise in wellbeing into new brands and strategic developments.   Mahesh has been at the helm of Ananda in the Himalayas since 2008. In this period, Ananda has established itself as a leader in the wellness industry, being ranked consistently as the world’s leading holistic wellness retreat with an expertise in healing through traditional and integrated practices.  Mahesh has over 30 years of experience in strategy, brand building and business development. He has worked in global strategy consulting organisations, luxury hotel industry, consumer goods multinational companies, spanning organisations such as Accenture, Oberoi Hotels, Procter & Gamble and now for the past 18 years with Ananda.   His passion for Ayurveda, Yoga, & Meditation and research of wellness trends continues through his association with Ananda. He is a student and practitioner of Vedic mantra chanting for several years and a music enthusiast with training in Indian classical music and interest in several other genres.

Meghana AT is a theatre artist who works as an actor, writer, director, producer, teacher, dramaturg – and more. She has a Master's in Authorial Creativity and Pedagogy from The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. As the founder of tafreehwale, she is dedicated to facilitating original, political, and playful theatre and training.

A key driver of India's hospitality revolution, Michael Dominic, along with his brothers, has played a pivotal role in shaping CGH Earth into a beacon of responsible tourism and wellness.After graduating in Commerce from Sacred Heart's College, Thevara (1988), Michael pursued a Post-Graduate Diploma in Hotel Management from the Indian Institute of Hotel Management & Catering, Mumbai. His professional journey began with the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai, before joining his family business in 1991.Michael's leadership has been instrumental in establishing CGH Earth's iconic properties. Notably, he spearheaded the group's expansion into Kerala with Spice Village in Thekkady, building on the success of their pioneering venture, Bangaram Island Resort in Lakshadweep. He oversaw the group's expansion as Finance Director, managing operations and finance.Currently, as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CGH Earth, Michael steers the brand's vision, fostering sustainable tourism practices, cultural preservation, and exceptional hospitality experiences.Beyond his professional accomplishments, Michael is an avid trekker and passionate wildlife photographer. He is married to Sunita, and they have two children, Deepak and Rhea

Minhazz Majumdar is a curator, writer, cultural heritage specialist and travel consultant with more than three decades of experience working in India and globally. She has worked closely with rural communities, artists and craftspeople, developing an intimate understanding of the country’s diverse cultural landscapes. She has also helped build collections of Indian art for museums across the USA, UK and Australia. As a Study Leader and India expert for Smithsonian Journeys, National Geographic Expeditions, TCS World Travel and other travel companies, she leads specially curated journeys for international travellers, sharing her knowledge of India’s history, art, spirituality, architecture, food and contemporary life. A prolific writer and engaging speaker, Minhazz has written extensively on Indian art, craft, culture and society for national and international publications. She has also taught and conducted workshops for diverse audiences, bringing together research, field experience and storytelling.

Ram Badrinathan brings over 32 years of distinguished global experience across advertising, interactive multimedia, e-business strategy, and executive learning spanning India, Hong Kong, China, and the United States. Since 2001, he has pioneered domain leadership at the intersection of travel, digital media, and emerging technology, previously heading Asia-Pacific research and intelligence for PhoCusWright. As Co-Founder of OmniDEL.ai and KarmYog for 21st Century, Ram is actively driving the Agentic AI transformation. He architects autonomous AI agent frameworks, intelligent workflows, and human-centric digital learning ecosystems designed to elevate operational capabilities and workforce productivity. His strategic focus bridges cutting-edge artificial intelligence with ethical, accessible deployment—empowering enterprises, hospitality leaders, and informal sector communities alike to harness transformative AI tools. Ram is dedicated to shaping how next-generation media, technology, and intelligent agents redefine education, sustainable livelihoods, and the future of travel.

Sharad Kumar Vats is a Wildlife Tourism Pioneer, Author, Conservationist, and Wildlife Photographer based in New Delhi, India. Formerly worked with the Taj Group of Hotels, a life-changing tiger sighting in 1990 led him to transition to wildlife conservation. In 2000, he founded Nature Safari India, leading nearly 40,000 tiger safaris across different protected areas under the ethos of "Conservation through Tourism." He also owns MeruVann Safari Lodge, a solar-powered boutique property in Kanha National Park. Sharad is the author of The Tiger CEO: How to Be an Effective Leader by Embracing the Tiger in You (2020), translating decades of wild tiger observation into executive leadership insights. An accomplished photographer featured in BBC Travel, his conservation work spans native reforestation—having planted over 30,000 native trees in Central India over the last three years—alongside supporting three local schools in Kanha and championing sustainable forest-fringe community livelihoods.

Sophie Hartman founded Holidays in Rural India in January 2015, guided by the ethics of her late friend John Ash with whose company Green Gondwana she had travelled in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. She did an MA at SOAS in London in the Languages and Cultures of South Asia. Holidays in Rural India encourages guests to slow down, spend more time in each location, and to explore beyond the gates of national park or major sites. Working where possible with NGOs and social enterprises we can support them and they can give us locally lead experiences and sensitively informed engagement with communities. With guests who are able we do as much of our travels as possible on foot or by bicycle, both being means of transport with which the people through whose land we travel are familiar.

Toby Sinclair has spent the last fifty years living, working, and learning across South Asia. In 1976 he came to Kathmandu to work with Tiger Tops Lodge for six months. Eighteen months later he moved to Delhi to help set up Mountain Travel India, and has been based in India since 1977. He later helped establish two Tented Camps and a Lodge on the edge of parks in Central India. He then managed a travel company in Delhi for 5 years. He has worked on various books including An Introduction to India (1991), Divine Ecstasy: The Story of Khajuraho (1992) and edited books on The Birds of India (1993), For the Leopard: The Story of Sri Lanka’s Leopards (2003), and co-author and contributing photographer of A New History of India (2023). Since 1995 he has been totally involved in the production of wildlife documentaries in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal, with special responsibilities for all production planning, permits, permissions and logistics plus some research. He has been a director of & Beyond Asia since 2006. A leading Tour Operator specialising in Natural History, Art & Architecture, Cultural, and Academic tours throughout South Asia, &Beyond has offices in New Delhi, Jaipur, Udaipur, Leh, Colombo, Kathmandu, and Thimphu. Throughout this time, he continues to be involved in conservation issues. And in 2007 he received the Carl Zeiss Wildlife Conservation Award.    

Shoba Rudra is a storyteller, marketing and communications professional who runs a hospitality marketing platform called RARE India which promotes hotels and experiences which are boutique and experiential. Run by owner / hosts, these hotels and experiences are chosen on the basis of their key ethos – that are community inclusive and planet sensitive. A graduate in Zoology and Post Graduate in Mass Communications, Shoba has travelled extensively in India and has a personal interest in nature and wildlife conservation, cuisine, handicrafts, performing and esoteric arts. She has been accompanying small groups and interested couples who have specific interests in India and wish to understand the social, religious contexts as well as enduring traditions as cuisine, artforms and crafts still prevalent and practised in the country. RARE India has been a pioneer in promoting hotel with a strong focus on responsible travel, over the years the events that they have organised like The RARE Showcase and Discover RARE are run on a green agenda.