Karishma Maniar Shah

Karishma has over 15 years of experience in industry and consulting. With an in-depth understanding of government policies in the defense and aerospace sector, she has served as the lead negotiator in many large defense contracts between the Indian Ministry of Defense and multinational corporations.

As a consultant, Karishma has advised clients on issues such as defense procurement, export controls and the government’s Make in India policy. She is actively engaged in defense sector policy advocacy with associations such as the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the Electronic Industries Association of India (ELCINA), the Defence Innovators and Industry Association (DIIA) and the Confederation of India Industry (CII). She sits on the defense and homeland security committees at FICCI.

Early in her career, Karishma worked in industry. She handled strategy and business planning, project bidding, human resources and investment planning. She oversaw key activities related to strategic partnerships, teaming arrangements and alliances.

Karishma completed the Post Graduate Executive Management Program (e-MBA) from SP Jain Institute of Management Research in Mumbai and holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering with a specialization in electronics from the University of Mumbai. She is fluent in English, Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati.