PARAS PAREKH

Paras is an experienced policy strategist with a strong background in public policy, government affairs, and community engagement. He currently serves at India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, working at the intersection of public policy, infrastructure systems, and international cooperation—developing strategies for the green transition, logistics diplomacy, and maritime legislation.

Previously, at NITI Aayog—the apex policy think tank of the Government of India—he helped shape the national maritime strategy for 2030 and 2047, as well as flagship missions in digital infrastructure, the circular economy, and multimodal logistics.

Before entering public systems, Paras worked at several leading multinational organisations, including Cognizant and Trafigura, and co-founded a social enterprise. He also volunteered with the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community, where he was elected Curator of the Nagpur Hub from 2018 to 2019, and later became Regional Lead for South Asia on the Climate and Environment Steering Committee from 2019 to 2021. His decisions have consistently been influenced by systems thinking and a strong commitment to serving in high-stakes environments.

Paras holds degrees from the University of London and the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong. He is recognized as a Reserve Bank of India Young Scholar, a U.S. State Department IVLP Fellow, a DFAT Australia Awards Scholar, and an ORF-Bucerius Global Governance Fellow.