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Anna L. Dallapiccola, Formerly Professor of Indian Art History at the University of Heidelberg, is now Honorary Professor at Edinburgh University and Visiting Professor at PRASADA, Department of Architecture at De Montfort University, Leicester. Among her recent publications are Sculpture at Vijayanagara: Iconography and Style, together with Anita Verghese (Manohar, New Delhi, 1998) and Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (Thames and Hudson, London, 2002). A member of the Vijayanagar Research Project since 1983, she takes a particular interest in the art and culture of the Vijayanagara era.

George Michell obtained his PhD in the field of early western Chalukya temple architecture from the School of Oriental African Studies, University of London, in 1974. From 1974 to 1977, he directed courses on Asian architecture at the Architectural Association, London, and was the co-editor of Art and Archaeology Research Papers from 1972 to 1982. Since the 1980s, he has co-directed an international team of scholars and students at Vijayanagara, the medieval Hindu site in Karnataka. George Michell has also lectured at universities and museums throughout the USA, Europe, India and Australia. Among his many Publications are The Royal Palaces of India, Islamic Heritage of the Deccan, Architecture of the Islamic World: Its History and Social Meaning and Hindu Art and Architecture.

Anila Verghese is Lecturer and Head of the Department of History at Sophia College, Bombay University. She has been working at Hampi since 1985 and has published extensively, both monographs and research papers, on this site. Her major works are Religious Traditions at Vijayanagara: As Revealed Through its Monuments; Archaeology, Art and Relition: New Perspectives on Vijayanagara and has co-authored, with Anna Dallapiccola, Sculptures at Vijayanagara: Iconography and Style.

Footloose for the last three decades in different parts of the world, have used Indian films as a potent tool of cultural diplomacy and organized retrospectives in 10 countries, most recently, three of them at the Gene Siskel Film Center Chicago: retrospective on Raj Kapoor, retrospective on Guru Dutt and a retrospective of contemporary Classics of Indian Cinema. In recent years Surendra Kumar has served as a Minister (Press, Information and Culture) at the High Commission of India in London and Ambassador of India in Mozambique and Libya. He also served as the Consul General of India in Chicago from February 2003. Presently, he is serving as the High Commissioner of India to Kenya in Nairobi.