CHANGING DYNAMICS OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND RURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP – AN INDIAN PERSPECTIVE –

Dr. Bhavana Singh is Associate Professor and Head of Management and Commerce at Microtek College of Management and Technology, Varanasi. With over 15 years of teaching experience, she holds a Ph.D., MBA, MA and PGDCA. She has published 20 research papers and eight book chapters, authored three books, edited five, and holds two patents. Her honours include the Jagran Excellence Award 2024 and Frontiers Sponsored Award for Best Oral Talk. She has extensively travelled to many countries like Germany, London, Venice, Paris, Malaysia, and Austria, to name a few, and has done voluntary community teaching at the London Borough of Harrow, United Kingdom. Also, during her stay in London, she handled after-school sessions and taught English to speakers of other languages (ESOL) from the South Asian community. She has one year of experience working with various international and national-level economists, including World Bank economists, during her tenure at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, for a project on “Sustainable Rainfed Agricultural Development.”.

Prof. (Dr.) Raj Kumar Singh is Professor & Head, Department of Commerce, School of Management Sciences (SMS), Varanasi — a NAAC “A” Grade, UGC Autonomous institution ranked among India’s Top 50 B-Schools. He also serves as Associate Dean (Innovation & Incubation) at Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU), Lucknow. An alumnus of BHU, he holds a B.Sc. (Hons.) and MBA from BHU, is UGC-NET qualified, and earned his Ph.D. from VBS Purvanchal University. A UGC Merit Scholar, he also holds PG Diplomas in Export Management and Journalism & Mass Communication. With over 30 years of combined academic and industry experience, including 20 years in leadership roles (CEO and Group GM) across FMCG, consumer durables, and pharmaceuticals, Prof. Singh integrates industry insights with academia. He mentors startups at IIM Kashipur-FIED, serves as Startup India panel mentor, Coordinator—NISP (MoE), and President—IIC, SMS. Founder-Managing Editor of the SMS Journal of Entrepreneurship & Innovation, his research spans entrepreneurship, innovation, frugal and green ventures, and sustainability. Honoured with several awards, including Mahamana Sapoot Samman, Global Educator Award, and Best Academician of Entrepreneurship, he continues to advance innovation and entrepreneurship aligned with Viksit Bharat @2047.