Dr Mahesh Y Reddy, Advocate, is a distinguished legal professional, policy strategist, and industry leader with over three decades of experience spanning law, infrastructure, logistics, governance, and public policy. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Infrastructure Industry and Logistics Federation of India (ILFI) and the Confederation of Indian Small and Medium Enterprises (CISME), and is the Founder and Principal of Law Vistas – Advocates, Arbitrators and Legal Consultants. As an Advocate, he practices before the Supreme Court of India, various High Courts, and tribunals across the country, focusing on civil, criminal, commercial, infrastructure, arbitration, and regulatory matters. He is also an accomplished Arbitrator and Mediator, actively engaged in dispute resolution across sectors.
Dr Reddy is presently associated with NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, as an Adjunct Professor. In addition to contributing to academic discourse in areas such as management, logistics and supply chain, governance and dispute resolution, he plays an active role in fostering institutional engagement by building meaningful partnerships, facilitating collaborative initiatives, and contributing to the development of strategic academic and policy linkages aligned with NALSAR’s vision. He has also served as a Visiting Professor at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Mumbai, reflecting his interdisciplinary engagement with law, management, and public policy.
Over the course of his career, Dr Reddy has held key advisory and institutional roles, including serving as Member Secretary of the Expert Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Railways and as a Member of the Development Council for Textile Industry (DCTI) under the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. He has worked closely with multiple central ministries, including those relating to road transport and highways, ports and shipping, civil aviation, commerce and industry, and MSMEs, contributing to policy formulation, sectoral strategies, and institutional frameworks.
He has held senior leadership positions in premier industry bodies, including Assistant Secretary General of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Secretary General of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI), and Secretary General of the Association of Shippers Council of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka (ASCOBIPS). In these roles, he played a pivotal role in conceptualizing and executing large-scale investment promotion initiatives, facilitating public-private partnerships, and strengthening engagement between governments, industry stakeholders, and international investors. His contributions were instrumental in initiatives such as Vibrant Gujarat and Destination Madhya Pradesh, enhancing foreign direct investment and state-level economic development.
With extensive national and international exposure, Dr Reddy has worked closely with Chief Ministers, Union Ministers, Members of Parliament, and senior policymakers, and has represented Indian industry across 34 countries. His work includes fostering global partnerships, leading investment missions, and building institutional linkages between governments, industries, and international organisations. He has also been involved in research and policy initiatives supported by organisations such as USAID, DFID, IDRC, GIZ, and SEQUA ZDH, as well as national institutions including BICP, TIFAC, TDB, and the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council.
Dr Reddy has contributed to policy deliberations before Parliamentary Standing Committees and represented Indian employers at the International Labour Organisation (ILO), particularly on labour standards and occupational safety in the shipbuilding sector. A prolific writer and commentator, he has authored articles in The Economic Times, Financial Express, Hindustan Times, and Mint, and has appeared on NDTV, CNN-News18, and Republic TV. His work reflects a sustained commitment to bridging law, policy, and industry through informed, institution-oriented, and outcome-driven engagement.