Team : GFI 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!

Harini Shanmuga

Operations Associate

Harini is a Dairy Technology graduate who developed her passion for food tech during her schooling. Graduating during COVID-19 was a blessing in disguise for Harini, as she was introduced to the world of smart protein through the India Smart Protein Innovation Challenge 2020. She transitioned her career from Dairy Technology to Management Consulting, where she discovered her interest in Human Resources before joining GFI India as Operations Associate. Being a nature lover and a sustainability enthusiast, she is excited to expand her horizons in the field of HR and Operations by acting as an enabler in helping GFI propel its mission in India and beyond.

Mansi Virmani

Communications Manager

Mansi holds a Master's in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and has over 8 years of experience in Communications, Business Development, and Program Management. A University of Delhi rank holding Political Science graduate from Miranda House, she started her career with the World Health Organization and other nonprofits working for women's education, health, and reproductive rights. She then went on to lead strategic communications for philanthropic foundations and socially innovative companies. As a self taught chef who ran her own vegan restaurant, Mansi is no stranger to the world of smart protein and food innovation. She has also steered business development and marketing for plant-based brands and the Singapore Vegan Festival. As an animal welfare and sustainability advocate, Mansi believes in taking a values-first approach to her work. Deeply moved by GFI India's mission, she hopes to draw on her interdisciplinary experience to drive and elevate critical conversations around building a better, more just food future.

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.

Simrith Hundal

Innovation Specialist

As someone who has always applied herself to enabling sustainability—of systems, communities, and products—Simrith works with GFI to ultimately foster a robust innovation-entrepreneurship ecosystem for the smart protein sector. Prior to joining GFI India, Simrith worked with the State Innovation Cell of the Government of Telangana, where she led statewide capacity building for ecosystem enablers, with an emphasis on incubators and angel investors, alongside working with the Principal Secretary’s office to facilitate government procurement from startups. Simrith brings cross-functional experience in operations, community management, business analysis, and marketing from the manufacturing, advertising, and learning and development industries. Her work is informed by the principles of design and the social sciences, which she believes cut across sectors. As with all ecosystems, our planet’s health and resource use are shaped by the interplay of micro and macro forces, and through her work at GFI India, Simrith hopes to actively drive these systems towards long-term sustainability.

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!

Poorvasha Kar

Innovation Associate

With a degree in Environmental Studies and Philosophy from Ashoka University, Poorvasha worked at FTI Consulting as a Risk Advisory and Investigations Associate before joining GFI India. In her previous role, Poorvasha conducted risk analysis and pre-investment due diligence for business intelligence, investigation, and asset search projects commissioned by global private equity firms, investment managers, and law firms. Simultaneously, Poorvasha secured the 3rd place at Oxford University’s Map the System global competition for her systems mapping project that analyzed the environmental, economic, social, and institutional factors making Assamese populations vulnerable to human trafficking. Understanding the power of financial and technological drivers in developing impact-driven solutions, Poorvasha deeply resonates with GFI India’s mission to use food technology and markets to transform food systems. As an Innovation Associate, Poorvasha hopes to drive long-term solutions to ensure that sustainable, secure, and healthy food is accessible without any barriers.

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.

Astha Gaur

Policy Specialist - Regulatory

A law graduate from Symbiosis Law School, Pune, Astha practiced before the Mumbai and Delhi courts for 7 years where she specialized in dispute resolution and supported clients by providing advisory on complex legal issues, litigation strategy development, and compliance. Astha is deeply invested in environmental sustainability and the rights of all human and non-human animals and as a result, was drawn to GFI India's work that advocates for a sustainable and just food system. As a part of the policy team at GFI India, she is focused on employing tools of policy-regulatory advisory, capacity building, and knowledge dissemination to build policy and regulatory pathways for smart proteins in India.

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.

Divya Saravana

Corporate Engagement Specialist - Marketing and Distribution

As a passionate food systems professional, Divya’s career spans a diverse trajectory as she went from being a trained chef to a food systems economist. Divya earned her Bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts and Food Business Management from The Culinary Institute of America, where she found her career been driven by one core question - “how do we drive the demand and uptake of foods, practices and policies that lead to a sustainable, equitable, just and healthy food system?” To answer this, she worked at a Michelin-starred restaurant kitchen focussed on local sourcing, then went on to do research in behavioral economics and food choice architecture at Google Food and marketing at PlantBased Solutions. Divya holds a Masters in Agriculture, Food and Environment (Economics and Policy) from Tufts University - Friedman School. After her Masters, Divya worked at the Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) engaging with the Tamil Nadu Government to evaluate the impact of social welfare policies in public health, nutrition and agriculture. At GFI India, Divya resonates with the promise of alternative proteins for a sustainable food system and uses her multidisciplinary background to advance the space in product development, opening up channels for adoption and positioning for consumers.

Rajyalakshmi G

Market & Consumer Insights Advisor

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.

Varun Deshpande

Vice President Strategy, Asia, GFI

Varun Deshpande serves as Vice President, Strategy for Asia at the Good Food Institute, where he is focused on building the future of food by working with scientists, foundations, governments, entrepreneurs, and corporations to build the alternative protein sector across the continent. Varun has a background in healthcare, technology, and nonprofits, with positions as co-founder and board member at several startup and nonprofit organizations in areas such as food fortification, vaccine uptake, helping vulnerable populations through care coordination, and a systems approach to healthcare. For his work leading GFI India and Asia, Varun has been named a leading young voice for climate solutions by India Climate Collaborative, one of Asia’s Most Influential Tastemakers by Tatler Asia Group, and one of India’s 25 most influential young citizens by GQ. He has spoken at conferences and universities all over the world ranging from the Indian Institutes of Technology to Harvard University, and his writing has featured in media including The Hindu, FirstPost, and The Daily Guardian. In dedicating his work to the future of food and combining his duty to human and planetary health, Varun aims to help build a more secure, sustainable, and just global food system, particularly across the developing world.

Team

Core team

Sneha Singh

General Manager

Harini Shanmuga

Operations Associate

Mansi Virmani

Communications Manager

Nicole Rocque

Senior Innovation Specialist

Simrith Hundal

Innovation Specialist

Devika Suresh

Innovation Associate

Poorvasha Kar

Innovation Associate

Chandana Tekkatte

Science & Technology Specialist

Astha Gaur

Policy Specialist - Regulatory

Radhika Ramesh

Policy Associate

Divya Saravana

Corporate Engagement Specialist - Marketing and Distribution

Rajyalakshmi G

Market & Consumer Insights Advisor

Husain Kurawadwala

Research Associate

Varun Deshpande

Vice President Strategy, Asia, GFI

Advisors

Hon. Smt. Poonam Mahajan

Hon. Shri. Pinaki Misra

Dr. Anand Bang