Bejon Kumar Misra

About Bejon Kumar Misra

Prof Misra was born in Jamshedpur, India in 1951. He acquired his academic degree from Senior Cambridge Board and Degree in Business Management with Marketing as major from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in the year 1971. Awarded “Distinguished Alumni Award” 2012 by the Institute of Management, BHU. The World No-Tobacco Day 2013 Award Winner, South-East Asia Region (SEARO), World Health Organisation (WHO). Recognized by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD); as a Rural Innovator; improving access to safe drinking water. Conferred with “BHAMASHAH AWARD” 2013; by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), for service to the consumers

45+ years of professional career starting from Kolkata as a Marketing Executive with TATA Steel in the year 1971, subsequently became an entrepreneur in Jamshedpur in the Travel & Leasing Business. At present Adviser and Consultant to several Industry Associations and Business Entities. Founder Director of Hamara Consumer Dost Pvt. Ltd. Independent Director on the Board of Sunil Healthcare Ltd. Adviser Public Affairs, Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), Ombudsman to Amway India Limited & Advisory Board Member of Global Healer LLC, USA. Mentor to Arvine Lifesciences LLP, (a start-up company), Honorary Managing Committee Member and Chair of the Consumer Affairs & Public Health Committee of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, New Delhi & Committee Member of FICCI Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy (CASCADE) New Delhi.

35+ years in the consumer education and advocacy: as a volunteer in the Consumer movement since 1983; Founder Managing Trustee, Consumer Guidance Society of Jamshedpur. Founder Trustee of Consumer Online Foundation, Healthy You Foundation and Founder Director of Patient Safety and Access Initiative of India Foundation. These are all not-for-profit Charitable Organisations.

25+ years as an International Expert on User (Consumer) Focus; for developing Strategies and capacity building programs in developing countries on Quality Management Systems for public and private organisations. Have work experience as a short term consultant with UNDP, UNICEF, UNCTAD, World Health Organisation (WHO), World Bank, GIZ, British Council, DFID, GAIN, PSM, EPOS, & ASOP; working on consumer protection policies and building customer-centric culture in public/private organisations.

Adviser to the Government of Odisha, Department of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare (FS&CW), Former Visiting Professor in the Institute of Management (IM) BHU and Adviser/Consultant to Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) BHU, Former Governing Board Member; Quality Council of India (QCI), Board Member, National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH), National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET).  Expert Member of the Core Training Panel, National Coordination Center, Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (NCC-PvPI), WHO Collaborating Centre, Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. A Member of the Planning & Monitoring Board of JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, (Deemed to be University), MYSURU. Member of the Ethics Committee of National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL), Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India.

Former Member of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) from 2008-2013 and the Central Advisory Committee (CAC) FSSAI; Special Invitee on the Steering Committee of National Foundation of CSR (NFCSR), Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India, Served as a member on Expert Groups on framing Government Policies like the Mashelkar Committee for Review of Drugs Regulatory System and Tandon Committee on the Scientific and Technological Measures to Counter Spurious and Sub-standard Drugs and Diagnostic Centres in India, Expert Committee Member to Address the Issue of Faulty ASR Hip Implants manufactured by M/s DePuy International Limited, UK, Member of several Government of India Committees like how to tackle the nexus between Diagnostics Centre-Pharmaceutical Companies and the Medical Practioners- Hospitals, Inter-Ministerial Monitoring Committee on Misleading Advertisements, Expert Committee on Patient Safety Implementation Program, Expert Committee on the Implementation of the UN Guidelines on Consumer Protection in India, Member Pharmacovigilance and Haemovigilance Advisory Committees & Member National Drug Survey Core Expert Committee. Former Member of the Consumer Complaint Council (CCC) of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI); Printer, Publisher and Editor of THE AWARE CONSUMER, English Monthly Consumer Magazine published from Delhi and registered with RNI. An Associate Member and Former Board Member of the International Alliance of Patients’ Organisations (IAPO), which has official relationship with World Health Organisation (WHO).

Since 1983 visited more than 35 countries, as member of delegations and missions. Attended all the six Intergovernmental Negotiations; on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) at Geneva from 2000 to 2003. Represented Consumers International (CI) in various international negotiations as a member and head of CI delegations at various international committee meetings of Codex Alimentarius Commission, World Health Organisation (WHO), World Health Assembly (WHA), Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) & International Conference on Renewable Energies. Represented India;  as the member of the Indian delegation, as a consumer representative, at the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) and the Codex Committee on Food Labeling (CCFL) and ISO meetings abroad. In November 2004 lead the Indian delegation at ISO, TC 126/WG 9 Meeting at Geneva.

Founder Signatory of the Consumer Coordination Council (CCC) and served as the Founder Governing Council Member and Former Chairman of CCC. As the Chairman of CCC received support from Government of India to develop and manage several innovative projects like the JAGO GRAHAK JAGO Multi-Media Campaign and the Consumer Online Resource and Empowerment Centre (core.nic.in).

Member of the First Constituted Central Consumer Protection Council (CCPC) by Government of India in 1987 and the First Bihar State Consumer Protection Council in the same year, as per the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act 1986. Since 1983 played an important role in Drafting several regulations in the interest of the Indian Consumer like the Consumer Protection Act 1986, Electricity Act 2003, Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, the Real Estate Regulation and Development (RERA) Act, 2016, Consumer Protection Act 2019, including rules and regulations.

Published several research papers on consumer behavior, perspectives, complaint handling mechanisms, accessibility, affordability and quality of service related issues on Healthcare, Electricity, Water, Banking, Insurance, Telecom and similar for the World Bank, WHO and National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), Government of India. Authored and published several books on “Safety Issues Concerning Storage Water Purifiers”, “Direct Selling: Is It ethical?”, “Patient Safety and Access to Safe Internet Pharmacies”. Presently working on the subject of “How Technology can play a Role to Empower the Indian Consumer to recognize Safe and Quality Products and Services”; Also working on issues concerning GOOD GOVERNANCE by preparing an INDEX to Measure the MOST Consumer-Friendly State(s) in India and the Most Consumer Friendly Brands globally.

Contact address: D 603, Fortune Towers, Madhapur, HYDERABAD 500081, INDIA.