Our Team
Vikas Nautiyal
Director
Vikas Nautiyal
Director
He is a postgraduate in Physics with specialization in astrophysics from Delhi University. He has been teaching astronomy to students and teachers in schools across India for more than two decades. He is a rationalist who regularly advocates rationalism and ethics in various national TV news channels. He is a strong advocate for Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Act. He founded Leo Planetaria in 2007 and has played a pivotal role in bringing digital planetarium technology to India at grass root levels. In 2017 he extended his sphere of activities to create sensitisation cum awareness on child rights, gender equality and child abuse in schools. He is actively associated with project CACA Children Against Child Abuse and is its Advocacy Project Director. His working domain expertise is schools from policy to grass root levels.
Pankaj Bahmba
CEO
Pankaj Bahmba, a graduate in science from Delhi University and a hobbyist astro photographer has played a principal role in developing indigenous astronomy material like Telescopes, Solar Eclipse Goggles, Planispheres, Celestial Maps, Sun Dials, etc. His first hand experience in optics has helped him in developing Planetarium optics (folded full dome fisheye optics)that is a part of Digisky System.
Pankaj Bahmba
CEO
Sunil Kumar
Director (Finance)
S. Sanath Kumar
Advisor - Planetarium Education
He has a bachelors degree (1994) and has 8 years of experience as an Astronomer and a Science Educator at the Nehru Planetarium New Delhi, India. He earned a masters degree in Space Studies (2007) at the University of North Dakota, working on model inversion of visible near infra red spectra to deduce the surface mineralogy, albedo, and size of Near Earth Asteroids 2005 AB and 1999 HF1. He is now pursuing a PhD in Geospatial Science and Engineering at SDSU with Prof. David Roy as his research advisor, funded by Prof. Mark Cochrane's NASA biodiversity grant. His current research interests include the development of remote sensing models to characterize the physical properties of forest and grassland fires. All our planetarian training sessions are developed under his aegis.
S. Sanath Kumar
Advisor - Science communication
Pranjal Trivedi
Advisor - Astronomy & Space Science
Pranjal Trivedi
Advisor - Astronomy & Space Science
He went to Cambridge University, UK on a Nehru - Chevening Scholarship for a master's degree in physics. Subsequently he pursued research in astro- physics and cosmology at the California Institute of Technology, USA obtaining a masters degree in astrophysics. His research has involved cutting-edge facilities including the Hubble Space Telescope and the world's largest Keck Telescope in Hawaii. Currently he is teaching physics at Sri Venkateswara College, Delhi. To popularize Astronomy, he has conducted over a hundred astronomy lectures and observation camps with various kinds of audiences in Delhi (India), Cambridge (UK), and California (USA).
Tarun Vashist
Director
He did his graduation in computers from Delhi University in 1991, that was followed by Masters in Computer Applications from Gujrat University in 1994. He is a software consultant by profession. He has developed the Vendor specific positional astronomy sky simulation software based on Stellarium User Interface based on materput that is being used by DigiskyTM systems across India.
Tarun Vashist
Director
Pankaj Sharma
Advisor - Astronomy &
Space Science
Pankaj Sharma
Advisor - Astronomy &
Space Science
He is an amateur astronomer with a passion for astro photography. He has been associated with Amateur Astronomers Association - Delhi since 1996. He is one of founder members of NGO - SPACE (Science Popularization Association of Communicators and Educators). He has played a pivotal role in making planetarium education a regular feature in many schools. At present he looks after execution of outreach programmes of our associates Orange Education Pvt. Ltd.
Rajneesh Jain
General Manager Project &
Product Development
Rajneesh Jain
General Manager Project &
Product Development
He is an avid hobbyist Astronomer since his college days. He did his Bachelors in Physics from Delhi University in 1992 followed by Masters in Physics with specialization in Solid State Physics from Delhi University in 1994. Worked in Textile industry for 10 years before joining Leo Planetaria. He is a passionate planetarium educator. He has a unique experience of conducting more than 200 planetarium outreach programmes (K12) in various schools across India. He has designed and developed fabric based inflatable domes DigidomeTM that are being used by Digisky Mobile planetariums across India.
Dheeraj Sharma
MENA Head
He is a graduate and MBA with over 6 years of experience in Service Industry (Insurance) and Business Network Development. He has successfully extended our sphere of planetarium outreach programmes to various schools in Assam, Jharkhand, Chhatisgarh, Orissa, Maharastra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka and MENA. Currently he heads MENA operations through Al Nejoum Al Sathaa Management Consultancy.
Dheeraj Sharma
MENA Head
J.C. Dass
Manager Utility & Feasibility
J.C. Dass
Manager Utility & Feasibility
He is a diploma holder in electronics and communication and post graduate in political science. He has worked for 17 years with Indian Air Force in operations and maintenance of RADAR systems. He has executed various planetarium outreach programmes in Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand.
Camilo Roy
Manager Utility & Feasibility
He is a computer and commerce graduate from Vinoba Bhave University. He has over 10 years of experience of conducting various planetarium outreach programmes and star gazing camps across India.
Camilo Roy
Manager Utility & Feasibility
Sanjay Dimri
Illustrator cum Graphic Designer
Sanjay Dimri
Illustrator cum Graphic Designer
After finishing his diploma in commercial art in 1994, he started his career as a freelancer artist cum illustrator. Soon he joined the print media. He has worked with "The Hindustan Times" and "Dainik Bhaskar" as an Illustrator cum Graphic Designer. At present he is working with "Business Bhaskar" as a Sr. Illustrator cum graphic designer. As a freelancer he has produced thousands of sketches and drawings for hundreds of books including books for children like Champak. He has contributed thousands of sketches, drawings, landscapes for Hindu sky culture and symbols and various other planetarium shows being produced by us.
Pradeep Singh
Sound Engineer
He is a freelancer and is in the field of media since 2007. He is an expert in recording, mixing and other related back end studio processes. He has recently also ventured in the realm of video shooting. He has worked in various educational & entertainment and advertisement based audio/ video projects for Vigyan Prasar, Educomp, Anhad Studios, and Suyojan films. All our studio related work for various shows is done under his aegis at various studios.
Pradeep Singh
Sound Engineer
Suruchi Dhiman
Software Engineer
Suruchi Dhiman
Software Engineer
She is a graduate in Computer Science Engineering from UPTU. She works on development of vendor specific features in real time render planetarium sky simulation software Stellarium and their compatibility on Linux. She is an expert on programming based shows developed on vendor specific Stellarium. She has also developed a comprehensive and modular training programme for planetarians/ users on fisheye based full dome content development mostly based on freeware/ open source software.
Ramanpreet Kaur
Planetarium Content Writer
She is a bachelor in Science with major in Physics from IGNOU. Besides she has done diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering with major in electronics. She has flair for astronomy and passion for writing astronomy books for school students since her college days. She is actively involved in writing our planetarium show dialogue scripts, support books and tests for school students.
Ramanpreet Kaur
Planetarium Content Writer
Gaurav
Software Developer & Trainer
Gaurav
Software Developer & Trainer
He is a B.Tech in Computer Sience Engineering from NC College of Engineering from Kurusehtra University. He works on development of vendor specific features in real time render planetarium sky simulation software Stellarium and their compatibility on Linux. He has also developed many User Interface features like dynamic placement of vidoes in stellarium. Besides he conduct programming based training sessions for planetarians and teachers (users) on content development (star shows).
Sanjay Singh
Sr. 3D Blender Artist and Trainer
He is certified Graphic Designer and 2D & 3D Animator having a vast experience of more than 5 years. He has extensive knowledge of Flash, 3D Maya, Photo-shop, Fusion, Sillhouette, Adobe Premier, Adobe After Effects. Earlier he has worked with Ilex Media Solutions Pvt. Ltd. as a Sr. Graphic Designer and 2D animator and at Prime Focus Pvt. Ltd. as a 3D conversion Artist. He had been associated with various prestigious movie projects like RA-ONE, IMMORTALS, WORTH OF THE TITAN, and many more. His experience and expertise has helped him in understanding of blender and its use in developing various full dome visuals like star fields, 3D models (regular and irregular), character animation and many more, that are used in our planetarium shows.
Sanjay Singh
Sr. 3D Blender Artist and Trainer
Deepak Budakoti
Sr. Graphic Designer
Deepak Budakoti
Sr. Graphic Designer
His graphic background has helped him to develop expertise on GIMP, Audacity and video-pad. He develops show related booklets and creates Images, Landscapes, Textures and Diagrams that are used in real time render planetarium sky simulation software Stellarium as well as in pre-rendered planetarium shows/ videos. He is also a trainer for module based training programme for end users on Audacity, Video-pad and GIMP.