Our 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.

Ambika Hiranandani

Government and Legal Specialist

Ambika is a qualified lawyer who studied at the Government Law College in Mumbai and holds an LL.M. from the University College, London. She has spent the last decade working in the environmental and animal rights movement in India. Her work has ranged from the filing of public interest litigations to advocating for changes in policy for the environment and animals. Ambika believes in working towards a more equal and compassionate world. At GFI, her role ranges from working on GFI’s legal issues to engaging with the government on behalf of GFI.

Shardul Dabir

Innovation Specialist

Shardul is fascinated by all things food! Over the past 8 years, he has studied food through the fields of Engineering, Applied Sciences, R&D, Entrepreneurship, Management and a highly complementary Liberal Arts. He is a Young India Fellow (YIF) from Ashoka University and has a Bachelors in Food Technology and Management from NIFTEM, MoFPI, Govt. of India. He has spent time as a researcher at Rutgers University (USA) and University of Saskatchewan (Canada). Shardul loves travelling & entrepreneurship and has been a Jagriti-Yatri in the past. At GFI India, Shardul works as an Innovation Specialist to accelerate early-stage innovation ecosystem for the smart protein sector and enable GFI's team of experts in shaping the future of food - efficiently, effectively and sustainably!

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!

Satvika Mahajan

Policy Specialist

A commerce graduate of Lady Shri Ram College, Satvika strives to leverage her knowledge of building strong organisations to optimise business models and value chains for enterprises, non-profits, corporates, philanthropic foundations and governmental institutions. Previously, she was a Project Lead at the International Innovation Corps, where she advised key government institutions on capacity building and programme development. She has worked as a development consultant at Sattva Consulting, in the International Business division, with a focus on Africa and South-east Asia emerging economies. Her sectoral portfolio includes providing strategic advisory for organisational/programmatic scale, capacity building and sustainability across agriculture and climate resilience, livelihoods, disability, education, water, gender inclusion, social incubation, and waste management. She holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Liberal Arts and Leadership from the Young India Fellowship programme. As a Policy Specialist at GFI India, she aims to address issues such as ensuring food security for a growing population, and climate change by building clear pathways for efficient food production systems.

Nicole Rocque

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.

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 Honours 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 analysing 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.

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.

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!

Core team

Varun Deshpande

Managing Director

Ambika Hiranandani

Government and Legal Specialist

Shardul Dabir

Innovation Specialist

Sneha Singh

General Manager

Satvika Mahajan

Policy Specialist

Nicole Rocque

Innovation Specialist

Akshay Vishnu Bhat

Science & Technology Specialist Cultivated Meat

Radhika Ramesh

Policy Associate

Ayesha Marfatia

Communications Associate

Husain Kurawadwala

Research Associate

Devika Suresh

Innovation Associate

Advisors

Hon. Smt. Poonam Mahajan

Hon. Shri. Pinaki Misra

Dr. Anand Bang

Science & Technology Specialist
Cultivated Meat