Team

Varun Deshpande

Managing Director

As the son of a cancer surgeon from Mumbai, Varun has been deeply immersed in healthcare and technology from a very young age. He spent several formative years studying Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at technology hub Carnegie Mellon University. He then went on to work on implementing digital health in India and the United States, helping vulnerable populations through care coordination, and a systems approach to healthcare. While in the United States, Varun learned about Effective Altruism, a philosophy which seeks to investigate and target the world's most pressing problems. He came to understand the tremendous impact of industrial animal agriculture on the world, and the imperative need to transition away from it using markets and technology. In dedicating his work to the future of protein and combining his duty to human and planetary health, Varun aims to help build a more healthy, sustainable, and just global food system, starting right here in India.

Sneha Singh

General Manager

Sneha is a CIPD qualified HR professional from Manchester Business School, and has worked as an HR professional in the UK for eight years. Before joining GFI, she was the strategic and operational HR Lead for London Wildlife Trust, developing and implementing robust HR policies, ensuring best practice HR and driving organisational change. Sneha is passionate about all things nature conservation, sustainability and climate change, which led her to working for GFI -- as she continues on her journey of shaping the workforce for the greater good!

Nicole Rocque

Senior Innovation Specialist

Nicole studied Economics at the University of Warwick, UK. Prior to joining GFI India, Nicole worked at Invest India, the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of the Government of India, as a primary advisor to lifesciences groups' looking to set-up or expand their presence in India. As a special project nomination via Invest India, she worked directly under the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India to launch the national innovation commercialization initiative AGNIi as an in-roads to greater cooperation between industry, government labs and academic institutions. Nicole brings experience in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and technology commercialization to promote innovation in the plant-based, cultivated meat, eggs and dairy industry in India. Nicole is passionate about climate action and public health, which has led her to GFI India, in the hope to shape an Indian response to the biggest challenges of our lifetime.

Devika Suresh

Innovation Associate

A civil engineer from National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Devika worked as a software analyst at Citi for two years before getting acquainted with GFI India through the India Smart Protein Innovation Challenge. As a challenge finalist and through her own explorations with a plant-based diet, Devika found herself drawn towards the smart protein sector and the immense scope for innovation within it. She finds the future of food to be an exciting realm that marries her interests in technology and sustainability. Devika has always been focused on creating societal net-positive outcomes in every venture she has been a part of and finds the work she does at GFI India truly rewarding!

Chandana Tekkatte

Science & Technology Specialist

Chandana is a biomedical research scientist with a Master’s degree in Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine from the University of Sheffield, UK. Before joining GFI India, she worked as a clinical researcher at the University of California San Diego for 5+ years, helping study human placental development using 3D stem cell-based models. Being passionate about driving scientific solutions to address the challenges posed by climate crisis and global food insecurity, Chandana was driven to switch from bench-side research to the high-impact sector that GFI India is involved in. As a SciTech Specialist, Chandana actively engages academic and scientific communities to build and foster a robust smart protein research and training ecosystem.

Akshay Vishnu Bhat

Science & Technology Specialist -
Cultivated Meat

With a deeply scientific background, Akshay holds a BSc in Biotechnology from Bangalore University, a Masters in Medical Biochemistry, and a PhD in Cancer & Muscle Biology from the National University of Singapore. He was most recently a founder of FalconBio, a cancer drug delivery and services platform based out of Singapore. Akshay is an accomplished scientist and an entrepreneur with 7 years of experience in translational and cross-functional R&D projects with a focus on commercialization.

Radhika Ramesh

Policy Associate

Radhika holds a degree in law, having completed her Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law with Political Science and International Law Honors from Alliance University, Bangalore. As a student she interned in several litigation firms, but deepened her passion for climate change and environmental protection after working with climate think tanks and the Asian Nature Conservation Foundation where she studied the human influence on urban, rural and wildlife geographies, and worked on analyzing animal protection laws and suggesting reforms. Radhika's passion towards international trade law, nutrition, sustainability, and policy has led her to GFI India. She believes that GFI India's work will bring India to the forefront of sustainable nutrition and a powerhouse of alternative protein production.

Ayesha Marfatia

Communications Associate

Ayesha is a graduate of St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai and has experience working in the development sector in India. Prior to joining GFI, she was a part of the founding team at India Development Review (IDR), India’s first and largest journal for the social sector. Her work has been featured by The Times of India, The Wire, Scroll, The Hindu and other publications. In addition to editorial and communications expertise, Ayesha has a background of working closely with a wide range of stakeholders and tailoring messaging for different audiences, a skill she is keen to bring to her work at GFI. Passionate about the larger issues that GFI’s work aims to address—climate change, food security, public health—she believes that alternative protein holds immense promise for India.

Rajyalakshmi G

Market & Consumer Insights Specialist

Rajyalakshmi is a marketing professional with over 15 years of experience in Consumer and Business Insights, Data Analytics, and Marketing Strategy. Before joining GFI India, Raji worked with stalwart consumer brands such as Unilever, McDonalds, Aditya Birla Retail, and Nielsen. In her previous stints, she has focussed on Business and Brand Strategy driven by consumer insights, business and financial goals, macro trends, and competitive forces. At GFI India, Raji focuses on creating and executing consumer research that can meaningfully drive the smart protein market forward.

Husain Kurawadwala

Research Associate

Husain holds a Master's degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Through his experiences with organizations like the World Wildlife Fund and Soybean Innovation Lab, Husain has worked on international research projects to understand the impact of food production and consumption from a holistic perspective (environmental, economic, and health). Husain's passion for finding solutions across the food system has led him to GFI India, where he hopes to use his research and analysis skills to help India become a leader in the alternative protein industry.

Core team