Dr. Naresh Bana: A Visionary Architect of India's Infrastructure Future
In 2011, Dr. Bana laid the foundation of BBV Consultants LLP, a testament to his foresight and belief in the power of collaborative development. Since its inception, the firm has been instrumental in advising on PPPs for diverse infrastructure projects, both within India and on the global stage. His expertise helps bridge the gap between public sector needs and private sector efficiency, fostering mutually beneficial partnerships that drive progress.
Dr. Bana's influence extends far beyond his consulting firm. He is a Co-Founder, Steering Committee Member, and Chair of the South Asia Chapter at the World Association of PPP Units & Professionals (WAPPP). This pivotal role underscores his dedication to fostering global best practices in PPPs and promoting their adoption across various economies. His leadership within WAPPP is crucial in shaping the international discourse on infrastructure development. Furthermore, his position as Vice Chairman of the Indo Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce and Industry highlights his commitment to regional economic cooperation and the facilitation of cross-border investments.
Dr. Bana is a consistent and valuable contributor to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) policy planning efforts. His engagement with such a prestigious international body speaks volumes about his expertise and the recognition he commands on a global scale. Notably, he is leading their railway project team, a critical endeavor given the importance of rail infrastructure in economic growth and connectivity. This role allows him to directly influence and guide the development of robust and efficient railway systems.
Beyond his practical experience, Dr. Bana's academic pursuits have significantly enriched his understanding and approach to PPPs. He was awarded a Ph.D. for his seminal work analyzing the suitability of the Swiss Challenge Approach (SCA) along with PPP for expediting rural project delivery in the Indian context. This research is particularly vital for a developing nation like India, where efficient and timely delivery of rural infrastructure projects can dramatically improve quality of life and economic opportunities. His academic rigor underpins his practical recommendations, offering evidence-based solutions to complex development challenges.
Dr. Bana's impressive credentials extend to various esteemed organizations. He is Post Staff College from Defence Services Staff College, a Fellow of Institution of Engineers (India), a Life member of Indian Management Association, and a Member of Institute of Permanent Way Engineers. These affiliations reflect his broad expertise and his dedication to professional excellence across multiple disciplines.
At the core of Dr. Bana's philosophy is the conviction that PPP is the panacea for the infrastructure woes of developing Nations. He tirelessly propagates this belief, understanding that strategic collaborations between public and private entities are essential for overcoming resource constraints and accelerating development in these regions.
While his professional commitments are extensive, Dr. Naresh Bana also finds time for personal pursuits and community engagement. He occasionally plays Golf, a testament to his well-rounded approach to life. More significantly, he reaches out to rural areas for business capacity building of village youth. This initiative underscores his commitment to empowering the next generation and fostering entrepreneurship at the grassroots level, ensuring that the benefits of development are inclusive and far-reaching.
Dr. Naresh Bana truly embodies the spirit of a visionary leader, skillfully blending academic insight with practical application to build a more prosperous and connected future.
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Hamilton Spectator
14 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
What is the Lawrence Bishnoi gang? And why do Canadian politicians want them labelled terrorists?
An India-based criminal organization is drawing increasing political scrutiny in Canada, with some saying it needs to be declared a terrorist organization. This week, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown called on Ottawa to declare the Lawrence Bishnoi gang a terrorist organization, joining a chorus of other voices. 'We must take transnational crime seriously and that means giving law enforcement the investigative tools to combat these sophisticated criminal networks,' Brown said on X. Brown was joined by deputy mayor Harkirat Singh and regional councillors Gurpartap Singh Toor and Navjit Kaur Brar in the request to have the Lawrence Bishnoi gang declared a criminal organization by Ottawa. 'The Bishnoi gang, a transnational criminal network, led from India, has been linked to a growing wave of violence, extortion and intimidation targeting South Asian communities in Brampton and across the Region of Peel,' Brown said in a prepared statement. The statement did not give examples of specific violent incidents. The Lawrence Bishnoi group was also named in the murder of Brampton-based rapper Sidhu Moose Wala, when Wala was in India in 2022. Bishnoi, who is in his early 30s, is the son of a police officer and was educated in a convent school. Now in custody in India on more than two dozen charges, including murder and extortion, he awaits trial. He has been accused of using intimidation tactics to extort business owners in Punjabi diaspora communities in North America, Europe and the Gulf states. The gang is reportedly run by Bishnoi through encrypted cell messages, even though he is behind bars in India. Brown's comments follow similar ones earlier this week, when B.C. Premier David Eby urged the federal government to label the gang a terrorist organization because of extortion and other crimes against the South Asian community on the West Coast. Eby said Tuesday that he was going to write to Prime Minister Mark Carney, asking that the Lawrence Bishnoi group be labelled a terrorist group 'to enable police to be able to use the necessary tools to investigate.' Last fall, the RCMP stated the gang was targeting members of the pro-Khalistan movement who were on Canadian soil, allegedly acting for the Indian government. On the West Coast, the Lawrence Bishnoi group was accused this week of firing bullets into the home of a Punjabi music producer. Last year, shots were reportedly fired at the home of Punjabi music star A.P. Dhillon on Vancouver Island and in 2023, shots were fired outside the West Vancouver home of Bollywood singer and actor Gippy Grewal. Indian media said the Lawrence Bishnoi group claimed responsibility for both attacks. Moves to label the Lawrence Bishnoi gang a terrorist group throw complications into Carney's attempts to rebuild the Canada-India relationship. Eby's announcement on Tuesday was praised by the World Sikh Organization of Canada. 'Canadian law enforcement and intelligence agencies have linked the Bishnoi gang to assassinations, extortions, and intimidation carried out at the direction of Indian government agents including the 2023 murder of Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar and other violent crimes,' the organization said. With files from The Canadian Press
Newsweek
a day ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump Moans He Won't Get Nobel Peace Prize
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President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, June 20, 2025. President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, June 20, 2025. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Earlier on Friday, the Pakistani government said it intended to nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, which is awarded to those who have done "the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses." "The Government of Pakistan has decided to formally recommend President Donald J. Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership during the recent India-Pakistan crisis," the Pakistani government's official X, formerly Twitter, account wrote in a post Friday. Trump has claimed he played a key role in last month's ceasefire agreement between the two nations. 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"He's obsessed with the fact that Mr. Obama got it and he didn't," a former senior White House official from Trump's first term told NBC. What People Are Saying Donald Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social: "I am very happy to report that I have arranged, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a wonderful Treaty between the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of Rwanda, in their War, which was known for violent bloodshed and death, more so even than most other Wars, and has gone on for decades. Representatives from Rwanda and the Congo will be in Washington on Monday to sign Documents. "This is a Great Day for Africa and, quite frankly, a Great Day for the World! 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Newsweek
a day ago
- Newsweek
India Seeks Peace Says MP Shashi Tharoor, But Would Respond to Pakistan
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. India does not want war with Pakistan, but its neighbor is a legitimate target if it does not close "terrorist camps" and should avoid "nuclear blackmail", said Shashi Tharoor, chairman of the Indian Parliament's Committee on External Affairs. The nations clashed over four days in May as India struck targets it alleged were terrorist infrastructure after the killing of the 26 civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir. Pakistan denied any role in the Islamist attack on tourists and retaliated for the Indian strikes before the nuclear-armed neighbors agreed a ceasefire. "We're not interested in war. We're focused on our own growth and development, on the well-being and prosperity of our people," Tharoor told Newsweek in Washington, D.C. Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament in India and Chairman of Committee on External Affairs, speaks with Newsweek's Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Cunningham at the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC on June 6, 2025. Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament in India and Chairman of Committee on External Affairs, speaks with Newsweek's Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Cunningham at the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC on June 6, 2025. Maansi Srivastava for Newsweek A member of parliament from the opposition Indian National Congress, Tharoor showed a unified front with the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on "Operation Sindoor." In Washington, his delegation met with Vice President JD Vance. Tharoor said the Indian operation had been designed to send a message to Pakistan and to avoid civilian casualties while striking infrastructure of groups designated as terrorists by the U.S. and United Nations. Some elements of Pakistan's military are "deeply complicit" in terrorism targeting India and its denials are not believable, he said. "We want to send them a signal. Don't just think you can walk across the border and kill our people and get away with it because we're so nice. Sorry. We'll stop being nice." "Probably the terror buildings and infrastructure we've demolished will be built again in six to nine months, and then what happens? That's the real question. Will Pakistan understand that as long as these things are on their territory, their territory becomes a legitimate target for reprisals anytime a terrorist attack happens?" The office of Pakistan's prime minister did not respond to a Newsweek request for comment. Pakistan has said over 50 people were killed in the Indian strikes, 40 of them civilians. India said around 30 of its people were killed, mostly by Pakistani shelling. More than 20 were civilians. Tharoor accused Pakistan of escalating the brief conflict after the initial Indian strikes. Despite Pakistani claims to have shot down Indian aircraft, satellite damage showed that Pakistani air bases had suffered worst, he said. "When they said they were ready to stop, we stopped immediately. We didn't need persuading," he said. With both countries having nuclear arsenals, Tharoor said there was concern over statements from Pakistan, which had said it could use nuclear weapons if it felt its existence was threatened. India did not plan to change its own policy of no "first use" of nuclear weapons, he said. "We are a little concerned about this nuclear bogey being brandished every time by the Pakistanis. To begin with, they are the only ones who are waving the threat of nuclear action, not us," he said. "The very existence of terrorism is being threatened, not of Pakistan. So I don't see why they need to even raise that threat. It's kind of a silly sort of nuclear blackmail to which India would not succumb." Pakistan should rather take steps to dismantle the "infrastructure of terror," he said. "If they actually arrested and jailed the people involved in camps, then we can talk, because that'll be a very sincere sign that they want to live in peace, and they wanted this mental terror," Tharoor said. "Otherwise, what they're saying is just words." Pakistan has accused India of supporting insurgents in its Balochistan province, though Tharoor denied this. Although U.S. President Donald Trump took credit for the India-Pakistan ceasefire, India did not seek mediation from the U.S., said Tharoor, 69, a former United Nations Under-Secretary General and author. "The reason we will not ask the U.S. or anybody else to mediate between us is that that implies a sort of moral equivalence which is not possible. There can be no equivalence between terrorists and their victims. There can be no equivalence between a country that provides safe haven to terrorism and a country that is a flourishing multiparty democracy," he said. Tharoor voiced optimism for a trade deal with the U.S. and in the relationship more broadly. Both are members of a "Quad" of democracies, along with Japan and Australia, that form a counterweight to China. China is a close ally of Pakistan and Chinese weapons were at the center of the Pakistani response to the Indian strikes. "We have no illusions about China's role, because China has developed a considerable stake in Pakistan over the years," he said. "We are fighting Chinese weaponry, Chinese defense systems, I believe, Chinese radar, Chinese GPS, Chinese everything else. Also, we've seen that China gives Pakistan pretty strong and unconditional support from the United Nations Security Council.... So now I think India will have to be reviewing its posture vis-à-vis China. But, as I say, we are not a nation that's seeking confrontation with anybody." China's embassy in India declined to comment in response to questions from Newsweek. India also has border disputes with China, and Prime Minister Modi told Newsweek in 2024 that he hoped they would be resolved quickly. There has been no sign of progress. "There doesn't seem to be an immediate inclination on the part of China to move towards a settlement. India, on the other hand, has come a long way from its earlier position," Tharoor said. "Until China decides to come around on this, I don't really see how we're going to be able to do so.... The world is large enough that India can grow and prosper. We don't have to tread on each other's toes." Nonaligned India is a member of the BRICS group with China and Russia, but in so doing it is part of a voice for the Global South and not an indication of it being aligned with the autocracies, Tharoor said. "We're proud of being a democracy, and we will always want that across the partisan divide," he said. As a major power with an independent foreign policy, India traditionally played a global bridging role between power blocs. That was now a challenge, Tharoor said. "I find it one of the two superpowers we're talking about is sitting on our borders and nibbling away at our frontiers. We ourselves inevitably have concerns about one of the superpowers that we don't have about the other one."
