It is March, our World Bipolar Day National Conference is around the corner and Mumbai beckons!
Our pioneering journey of hosting World Bipolar Day National Conferences, which began in 2016, continues as we bring to you yet another such experience, in association with Amaha Health for the 4th year running of our collaboration.
Yet again, a community will converge to celebrate itself!
Saturday, 28th March, 2026 will see our Flagship Event at S P Jain Auditorium, Bombay Hospital, Mumbai.
Breakfast, Lunch & High Tea will be served at the venue and is included in the heavily subsidised Registration fee of Rs.350/-. As an NGO, the aim is to make such experiences as affordable as possible.
Dr Sachin Ganorkar
‘Being an Effective Caregiver’
Dr Sachin Ganorkar is a physician and public health professional with a lived experience as a family caregiver.
His work focuses on primary care, community-based mental health, and building peer networks for families navigating chronic mental health conditions.
Keynote Address
Shubhrata Prakash
‘From Lived Experience to Leading Change’
Shubhrata Prakash is an Indian Revenue Service officer of the 2002 batch and is presently posted as Commissioner of Income tax at New Delhi. In the IRS, she has been posted in various
capacities in Chennai, Delhi and Ahmedabad. While on central deputation, she has worked at Director level at NITI Aayog, where she has dealt with areas of Commerce, Revenue, Industry, Communications, the state of Odisha, Mental Health and also as PS to Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog.
She is the author of the best-selling book ‘The D Word: A Survivor’s Guide to Depression’ published by Pan Macmillan in 2016, which was released by the Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. As an author, she has spoken at the several literature festivals. As a mental health advocate, her speaking engagements of over a decade include UNICEF, Bangkok, WHO and Govt of Maharashtra, Bureau of Police Research and Development, American Embassy in New Delhi, NITI Aayog, FSSAI, Federation of All India Medical Associations, AIIMS Delhi, International Patients Union, Lancet Citizens’ Commission and South Asia Institute of Harvard University, NHPC Ltd, and the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. In the Income Tax Department, she has been conducting several training sessions on mental health including one at the National Academy of Direct Taxes, Nagpur.
In 2020, she was awarded as the Mental Health Champion by TISS and Neuroleap. In 2024, on Income Tax Day celebrations as a part of the 165th year of Income Tax, she was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (popularly known as the FM awards) which was presented by the Hon’ble Finance Minister of India.
We are honoured to have a staunch Mental Health Advocate of the stature of Shubhrata Prakash addressing us!
Dr Anjali Gokarn
Mind and Body Connect
Dr Anjali Gokarn, MBBS, MD is a Pediatrician by Profession. She has been in practice at Vasai, near Mumbai, for the last 37 years. Anjali has had first-hand connect with mental health conditions on several fronts. She has been living with Anxiety and Depression for four decades. A holistic approach to healing has helped her recover to remission. In addition to this, she has lived in a family with high prevalence of Mental illnesses. She has been a caregiver as well. Her struggles around mental health and as a caregiver has made Anjali determined to contribute to building mental health awareness and support.
Anjali is a fitness enthusiast and is a consummate communicator. In recent years, she has been a fine leader and contributor to the peer support community of Bipolar India and is on Advisory Board, Mental Health Support Foundation.
We at Bipolar India strongly believe in a whole mind body approach to wellbeing. Anjali practices what she preaches!
Milana Prakash
‘Story of an Attention Seeker’
Milana, 27, is a published author of three works of fiction, a musician, a songwriter, and a painter. She did her MBA from IIM Ahmedabad and is currently employed at The Magnum Ice Cream Company.
She mentors and guides aspiring MBA students and occasionally makes content on mental health, hope and healing. She lives with bipolar disorder.
We are eager to hear this youthful voice share her fascinating journey!
Sukriti Das
‘The Hidden Pillar of Bipolar Care: Family Management and Caregiver Sustainability’
Sukriti is driven by a deep sense of purpose to make meaningful choices and take actions that help uplift individuals from difficult moments toward their personal journey of growth, healing, and thriving. She is a licensed clinical psychologist with over six years of experience in therapy and counselling, including her trainee years. She completed her MA in Applied Psychology (specialising in Clinical Psychology) from Jamia Millia Islamia in 2017, along with a Post Graduate Diploma in Guidance and Counseling from the same institution. She further completed her M.Phil in Clinical Psychology from University of Calcutta in 2021.
She believes that a person is separate from their problems and focuses on helping individuals recognize that their challenges are only one part of their experience, rather than their entire identity.
Her therapeutic approach is grounded in Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), with a strong inclination toward a trauma-informed and client-centred framework. She encourages clients to lead their therapeutic journey while supporting them with structured goal-setting at a pace that feels comfortable and sustainable for them.
Ishaa Vidhu Vinod Chopra
‘Finding Order in Disorder’
Ishaa, based in Canada, joins us virtually.
Ishaa is an MSc. Thesis Candidate in Critical Family and Kinship Studies with a Collaborative
Specialization in Gender, Sexualities and Bodies at the University of Guelph, Canada.
She is the Founder and Executive Director of Finding Order in Disorder Foundation – a Non-Profit & Arts Collective- named after her memoir – seeking to explore projects such as hybrid podcasts, therapeutic dance and community engagement for mental wellness.
Her education spans degrees in Early Childhood Education and Performing Arts- Indian Classical Dance Kathak- Trained under Guru Pta. Maneesha Sathe, she has performed within community settings and festivals over three continents.
Her work is featured in Association of Early Childhood Education- AECEO’s eceLINK journal, student blog, and Solutions Project Podcast featuring her research supervisor and mentor, Dr. Adam W.J. Davies.
Dr Amit Malik
Person Centric Healthcare
Dr. Amit Malik is a psychiatrist and healthcare entrepreneur, and is currently the founder and CEO of Amaha, India’s largest mental health organisation. With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Malik is dedicated to improving mental healthcare accessibility, both in India and globally. He
completed his undergraduate medical training in India and pursued postgraduate and higher training in Psychiatry in Nottingham, UK, where he obtained Membership in The Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Certificate of Completion of Training in Psychiatry. In addition, he holds a MBA from London Business School and a Diploma in Geriatric Medicine from The Royal College of Physicians (London).
Dr. Malik practised psychiatry in the UK for 15 years, treating and overseeing care of thousands of patients with severe mental illnesses. He held several leadership positions within the NHS, including Clinical Director and Associate Medical Director. He also served as a trustee of The Royal College of Psychiatrists (UK) and was a board member of the European Board of Psychiatry. As Commercial Director on the board of an NHS mental health trust with a budget exceeding $200M, he played a critical role in building and managing multi-site services.
Under Dr. Malik’s leadership, Amaha has grown into India’s most trusted mental health organisations, with a strong in-house team of over 200 psychiatrists and psychologists.
Dr. Malik is also a globally published author, having co-authored and co-edited six textbooks, and has been published in several international academic journals. He has served on the editorial boards of International Psychiatry and the International Journal of Social Psychiatry.
Dr Vani Kulhalli
‘Improving Cognitive in Bipolar Disorder’
Dr Vani completed her MBBS from BJ Medical College Pune. Psychiatry is her chosen path and she earned MD Psychiatry from NIMHANS Bangalore and is working in Mumbai since 2003. Due to a busy practice, she was able to treat and be with persons with Bipolar disorder between ages of 7 to 90 years old, both men and women and of varying severity and complexity.
This has sometimes been exhilarating sometimes heartbreaking…but always rewarding.
In Conversation with
Ashish Kejriwal
Ashish is Program Lead at Let’s Walk Together, an initiative of Mental Health Support Foundation. He brings with him, his vast experience and wisdom from living with Scizophrenia and support to peers. A System Thinking enthusiast and a people first person. Loves Music and Technology.
Ashish believes in breakthroughs when faced with challenges. Listener.
Dr Milan Balakrishnan
Dr Milan is a licensed psychiatrist with over 15 years of experience in the field of mental health. A Consultant Psychiatrist at Bombay Hospital, Dr Milan is trained in both general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry and in psychotherapy. He is HOD & Professor at Masina Hospital, where he teaches medical students and psychiatry residents.
He is Founding Trustee of Mental Health Support Foundation, a mental health NGO, which he believes is doing dramatic work in mental health activism.
He is also ex-Secretary, Bombay Psychiatric Society, Member of Indian Psychiatric Society and Committee member of the Digital Mental Health Committee of Indian Psychiatric Society. He has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and has presented his research at national and international conferences.
Vijay Nallawala, Moderator
An Author, Lived Experience Advocate and a community builder, Vijay is Founder, Bipolar India & Co-Founder & Managing Trustee, Mental Health Support Foundation
His work also involves rehabilitation and disability inclusion through the program he
conceptualised and Co-Founded, Let’s Walk Together. He has been featured on numerous webinars, podcasts and in print media. Vijay has been a presenter at International Conferences and Symposia on mental health & disability rights.
An entrepreneur prior to this for several decades, he is on the Advisory Boards of several NGOs in the social Impact space and is on Steering Council of IMHA (Indian Mental Health Alliance). He also is associated with several Research projects.
He enjoys writing, nature, cricket and being with family and friends.
And meet our community folks who will be in charge of the day!
Barkha Bhatnagar
A HR Professional, will begin the day with the Welcome Address.
Avantika Bharad
A dynamic, young Mental Health Advocate is the Host for the day.
To make the experience more complete, there will be Artworks, merchandise, books by our community up for display and sale. Do try to support some amazingly creative work, if not with purchases, then with your appreciation. Your kindness helps!
Have you registered yet?
Registration Link:
https://imojo.in/7VPA8N
The Conference Venue:
S P Jain Auditorium, 4th Floor
Bombay Hospital & Medical Research Centre, New Wing,
12, Vitthaldas Thackersey Marg, near Liberty cinema, New Marine Lines, Marine Lines, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400020.
DISCLAIMER:
The Organisers, Bipolarindia, Amaha and Mental Health Support Foundation will take due precautions to ascertain that the content of the conference contributes to your knowledge in a safe way.
However, if you are a person living with mental health condition/s or other vulnerabilities, some of the sharing at the Conference has the potential of triggering you.
You may want to seek advice from your Mental Health Professional to ascertain whether this Conference is suitable for you to participate in or not.
The nature of the Conference makes participation suitable for age groups 18 and above.
Although all speakers have confirmed their participation, the Organisers reserve the right to change/replace any of the speakers due to unforeseen circumstances.
