Speakers
Four directors, twenty years, and one building that didn’t always exist.
Long before BIC had a building to call its own, it was but an idea. This conversation turns the lens on the institution itself, bringing together three directors to reflect on the different Bangalore International Centres they each inherited, built, and passed on. Structured as an AMA, the session draws questions from RSVPs, from BIC’s own staff, and from the audience in the room.
From an institution without walls, to the construction and induction of its home, to the shaping of the team that runs it today, and now, into its next chapter — this open, unscripted conversation looks at what it takes to build and sustain an institution like this one, and what each director would like to see it become.
This talk is part of a series marking twenty years of BIC. It is a chance to trace what has changed, what has endured, and how ideas evolve over time. BIC is proud to have been host to conversations that connect culture, ideas, and public life across two decades.
Speakers
V. Ravichandar
V. Ravichandar is a civic evangelist with decades of engagement in shaping Bengaluru’s governance and civic landscape. He was a member of the Brand Bengaluru Committee that drafted the Greater Bengaluru Governance (GBG) Bill and continues to advise on its implementation. Earlier, he played a key role in the Bangalore Agenda Task Force (BATF), a pioneering public–private partnership for urban reforms. He has consistently championed participatory governance and institutional reform, bridging the gap between citizens, government and business, with initiatives ranging from improving ward-level governance to influencing city-wide reforms in infrastructure, planning and accountability.
Vikram Bhat
Vikram Bhat is a passionate educator and currently Chief Executive Officer at SCALE Foundation. He previously had successful careers in technology at Deutsche Bank and finance as a Portfolio Trader at Sanford Bernstein in New York. His areas of interest include educational equity, holistic integration of the arts into school education, and school-to-work transition. He was recently a key member of the Education Task Force in Delhi. He has held leadership positions at Dream a Dream, Teach for India and Parikrma Humanity Foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s in Electronic Engineering from the University of Mumbai, a Master’s in Computer Science from New York University, and a B.Ed. from Christ University, completed at age 38.
Anupama Sekhar
Anupama Sekhar is an arts manager specialising in transnational cultural relations. Previously, she was Director for Culture at the Asia-Europe Foundation, and Director for Policy and Engagement at IFACCA, the global network of ministries of culture. Since 2015, she has been a consultant for UNESCO. She is currently the Director of Bangalore International Centre.
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