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Board of
Directors

 
Nadir Godrej

Nadir Godrej

Chairman and Non-executive Director

Mr. Nadir Godrej is the Chairman of Godrej Agrovet Limited.

He holds B. S. degree in Chemical Engineering in 1973 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a M.S. in Chemical Engineering in 1974 from Stanford University. He has done an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1976. Since 1977 he has been a Director of Godrej Soaps.

He has been very active in developing the animal feed, agricultural inputs and chemicals businesses of Godrej Industries Limited and associate companies. He has been very active in research and has several patents in the field of agricultural chemicals and surfactants. In 2001 Godrej Soaps was renamed to Godrej Industries Limited and he was appointed as the Managing Director of Godrej Industries Limited. He is also the Chairman of Godrej Industries Limited and Director of Godrej Properties Limited, subsidiary of Godrej Industries Limited. He is a Director of Godrej and Boyce, Godrej Consumer Products and other Godrej group companies.

He has been active in CLFMA (Compound Livestock Feed Manufacturers Assn. Of India), ICC (Indian Chemical Council) [erstwhile ICMA (Indian Chemical Manufacturers Association)], OTAI (Oil Technologists’ Association of India) and the Alliance Française de Bombay. He is currently the President of the Alliance Française de Bombay. He is on the National Council of CII (Confederation of Indian Industry). He is also very active in the Harvard Business School and M I T Alumni Association in India.

The French government awarded him the Ordre national du Mérite in 2002 and the Légion d’Honneur in 2008. He has also received Life Time Achievement Awards from OTAI (Oil Technologist Association of India) and Chemexcil and the All India Liquid Bulk Importers and Exporters Association (AILBIEA). The Board of Management of Manav Rachna University has unanimously conferred Mr. Godrej with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. And he has been inducted as Fellow of Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE). Mr. Godrej is deeply committed to the GOOD and GREEN strategies and achievement of set targets for the Godrej Group. He encourages and supports a shared vision value for all programs of Good and Green.

Balram Singh Yadav

Managing Director

Balram Singh Yadav

Balram Singh Yadav is the Managing Director of Godrej Agrovet Ltd., one of India’s foremost diversified agribusiness companies. He also serves as Managing Director of Godrej Tyson Foods Ltd. He has been the Chairman of CLFMA of India (Twice), an Association of Livestock Industry. In addition, he is a Director of numerous firms including ACI Godrej Agrovet Pvt Ltd. - Bangladesh, Creamline Dairy Products Ltd. - Hyderabad, Astec Lifesciences Ltd and Godrej Maxximilk - Mumbai.

Balram began his career with Godrej in 1990 and over the years he has handled roles of increasing responsibility across businesses and regions in the company. He became the business Head in 1999 when he was asked to establish & lead the Poultry Business. He established the Real Good Chicken and Yummiez as the leading processed poultry brand in India.

In 2007, he took over reins of Godrej Agrovet Ltd. as Managing Director and since, has put Godrej Agrovet on the path of rapid growth. In 2017, Balram was instrumental in taking GAVL public. The public offer received record response & was subscribed over 96 times. He is a regular contributor to National & International fora in areas of Food & Agriculture.

Balram completed his BSc (Hons) in Agricultural Science at Haryana Agricultural University, where he ranked 2nd in his class. He earned his MBA from IIM-Ahmedabad. He lives in Mumbai.

Burjis Godrej

Burjis Godrej

Executive Director

Mr. Burjis Godrej is currently Head of Special Projects at Godrej Agrovet Limited (“GAVL”), where he focuses on agrochemical projects for Astec LifeSciences Limited and Godrej Agrovet Limited Crop Protection businesses. His role involves evaluation of products, synergies, technologies, business models, geographies, consultant engagements and capex plans. He has been appointed as an “Executive Director” of GAVL w.e.f. 1st November, 2022.

Mr. Burjis Godrej is also a “Non-Executive Director” of Astec LifeSciences Limited and Godrej Maxximilk Private Limited, Subsidiaries of GAVL

Mr. Burjis Godrej completed his MBA from Harvard Business School in 2021. He first joined GAVL in 2017 working on new product development in the strategy division. His role involved monitoring R&D activities, product quality improvement, new product trials and innovation partnerships with external organizations. Before joining GAVL, he worked for Conservis Corporation, a firm that provides software for farmers (now a Joint Venture between RaboBank and Tellus Corporation). His role there involved software implementation, customer success, water quality monitoring and sales development.

Nisaba Godrej

Non-Executive Director

Nisaba Godrej

Nisaba Godrej is the Non-Executive Director of Godrej Agrovet Limited.

Nisaba Godrej is the Executive Chairperson of Godrej Consumer Products. She has been a key architect of Godrej Consumer Products GCPL's strategy and transformation in the last fifteen years.

She is also the Chairperson of Teach for India and sits on the board of Bharti Airtel, Mahindra and Mahindra and VIP Industries.

She has a BSc degree from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Nisaba is passionate about education, the human mind, trekking and equestrian sports.

Tanya A. Dubash

Tanya A. Dubash

Non-executive Director

Tanya serves as the Executive Director and Chief Brand Officer of Godrej Industries Limited, and is responsible for the Godrej Group's brand and communications function, including guiding the Godrej Masterbrand.

Tanya is also a Director on the Board of Godrej Consumer Products Limited and Godrej Agrovet Limited.

She also serves on the boards of Britannia, Escorts, Go Airlines, AIESEC and India@75.

Tanya was a member on the Board of the Bharatiya Mahila Bank between November 2013 and May 2015. She was a trustee of Brown University between 2012 and 2018 and continues to be member of the Brown India Advisory Council and on the Watson Institute Board of Overseers.

Tanya was recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader in 2007. She is AB cum laudé, Economics & Political Science, Brown University, USA, and an alumna of the Harvard Business School.

Pirojsha Godrej

Non-executive Director

Pirojsha Godrej

Pirojsha Godrej, aged 38, is a Non - Executive Director of our Company. He is the Executive Chairman of Godrej Properties Limited (GPL). In the years that he has led GPL, it has become one of the fastest growing real estate developers in India and for the first time in the fiscal year 2016, GPL emerged as India's largest publically listed real estate developer by sales. He is the recipient of several recognitions in recent years including the "Green Champion Award from the Indian Green Council" in 2016, "Best CEO of the Year at the Construction Times Awards" in 2015, and "Best People CEO Award" by the National Human Resources Development Network in 2014 and "Person of the Year" at the GIREM Leadership Awards in 2013.

Pirojsha Godrej holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, a Master Degree in International Affairs from School of International Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University's and a Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Columbia Business School, U.S.A. He was appointed as a Director of our company with effect from November 5, 2018.

Roopa Purushothaman

Roopa Purushothaman

Independent Director

Roopa Purushothaman, aged 41, is an Independent Director of Godrej Agrovet Limited (GAVL).

She is the chief economist and head of policy advocacy at the Tata Group, and the founder of Avasara Leadership Institute.

She is the co-author of the book Bridgital Nation: Solving Technology’s People Problem.

Also a co-author of the path-breaking 2003 Goldman Sachs report, Dreaming with BRICS: The Path to 2050, she has contributed to a number of publications on globalization and development.

Ms. Roopa is a graduate of Yale University and the London School of Economics, and has served on the prime minister of India's advisory council on urban infrastructure.

Dr. Ritu Anand

Independent Director

Dr. Ritu Anand

Ritu Anand, aged 59, is an Independent Director of our Company. She has a degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Mumbai. She is the Senior Vice-President and the Deputy Head of Human Resources at Tata Consultancy Services and heads Talent Management and Diversity.

Ritu has been a Board Member of the National HRD Network. She is a recipient of 'Meritorious Service Award' by Worldwide ERC. She was appointed as a Director of our company with effect from July 18, 2017.

Kannan Sitaram

Kannan Sitaram

Independent Director

Mr. Kannan Sitaram ("Kannan") is B. Tech from IIT, Madras and MBA from IIM, Ahmedabad. He has participated in executive programs at Carnegie Mellon and Kellogg Business School.

Mr. Kannan has over 3 decades of experience building consumer product businesses in India. He started his career with Ponds (India) Limited and had several stints as a Sales and Brand and Category Manager. He moved to Hindustan Lever Limited ("HLL") in 1993, post Unilever's global acquisition of Chesebrough Ponds. At HLL, he held several Senior Leadership positions first as National Sales Manager for the rapidly growing personal products business, then as National Sales Manager for the Detergents business, at that time India's largest consumer product business. In these roles he led HLL's thrust into rural markets and played a key role in several restructuring initiatives. He, thereafter, was Head of Marketing for HLL's large beverages business where he led the consolidation of the tea business under 2 brands - Brooke Bond and Lipton. He then moved to Unilever's corporate Head Quarter in London in 2002 to join the Corporate Strategy Group where he worked with Unilever's Executive Committee to develop Unilever's global corporate strategy across the foods, home care and personal care businesses.

In 2006, Mr. Kannan joined Dabur India Limited, a leading Indian CPG company as Chief Operating Officer responsible for Dabur's consumer product businesses in India, Nepal and Bangladesh including foods, health care, personal care and home care. His leadership challenges during this assignment included accelerating Dabur's revenue and profit growth and successfully integrating 2 acquisitions - Balsara and Fem. In 2010, Kannan joined India Equity Partners (IEP) as an Operating Partner where he worked with the investing team exploring investments in the consumer products sector and as CEO of Innovative Foods, a company in the frozen foods business. He successfully managed IEP's exit from Innovative Foods to Peepul Capital. He left Innovative Foods in 2017 to join the board at Fireside as Venture Partner. Fireside is a venture capital fund focused on investing in early stage consumer companies and Mr. Kannan mentors many of these young companies. Mr. Kannan was appointed as an Director of our company with effect from June 17, 2019.

Aditi Kothari Desai

Independent Director

Aditi Kothari Desai

Aditi Kothari Desai, aged 41, is an Independent Director of Godrej Agrovet Limited (GAVL). She has a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Master's degree in Business Administration from Harvard University, Graduate School of Business. She is currently Head - Sales & Marketing, e-business in the grade of Executive Vice-President at DSP BlackRock Investment Managers Private Limited. She has experience in Corporate Strategy and Business Planning.

Aditi is a trustee in the Hemendra Kothari Foundation and the Wildlife Conservation Trust. She also serves on the Board of Impact Foundation (India), a philanthropy foundation in India. She was appointed as a Director of our company with effect from July 18, 2017.

Dr. Ashok Gulati

Dr. Ashok Gulati

Independent Director

Dr. Ashok Gulati is currently the lnfosys Chair Professor for Agriculture at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). He is an eminent agricultural economist and a former Chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), Government of India (2011-2014).

Dr. Gulati was also on the Central Board of Directors of Reserve Bank of India and Board of Directors of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). He is currently a Member of the Tenth Audit Advisory Board of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and also a member of the Board of Directors of the National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX), as well as of Kotak Mahindra Bank.

He was Director at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) for more than 10 years (2001-11) and has worked as a Chair Professor NABARD at Institute of Economic Growth (1998-2000). For his contribution to the field, Dr. Gulati was honored with 'Padma Shri' by the President of India in 2015. Besides numerous research papers in national and international journals, Dr. Gulati has authored/edited 17 books on the Indian and Asian agriculture and is a prolific writer with leading newspapers in India.

Natarajan Srinivasan

Independent Director

Natarajan Srinivasan

Mr. N. Srinivasan, aged 61 years, is an Independent Director of Godrej Agrovet Limited (GAVL). Mr. N. Srinivasan is a commerce graduate and a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and the Institute of Company Secretaries of India.

Mr. N. Srinivasan has more than 35 years of corporate work experience spanning across Finance, Legal, Projects and General Management functions. His last 15 years of service has been with the Murugappa Group, where he held several positions as Member of the Murugappa Corporate Board, Group Finance Director, Lead Director for the Financial Services Business and as Executive Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Cholamandalam Investments and Finance Company Limited. He also served the Boards of Tube Investments of India Limited, Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Limited, TI Financial Holdings Limited. Recently, the Government of India appointed him to the Board of Infrastructure & Leasing Financial Services Limited. Mr. N. Srinivasan was appointed as a Director of our company with effect from February 4, 2019.

Ms. Ritu Verma

Ms. Ritu Verma

Independent Director

Ms. Ritu Verma is the co-founder and Managing Partner at Ankur Capital – an early stage venture capital firm that invests in disruptive digital and science led technologies. She is passionate about supporting breakthrough ideas that can solve challenging problems and create a better world. She has sat on the sides of many category creating companies as they establish roots and scale across the globe over the past 10 years.

Ritu serves on the Board or at Board observer positions at multiple of Ankur’s portfolio – Cropin, Niramai, StringBio, Vegrow, Krishify, Piatrika, OffGrid, IBISA, Superfone and BigHaat.

Prior to starting Ankur Capital, Ritu ran Truven, an advisory firm for venture funds looking at investments in India and South East Asia. One of the funds she worked with was BASF corporate venture fund, which focused on investments in renewable energy, agri-biotech and materials. She has also brought products from lab to market across the globe as parts of innovation teams in Unilever and Philips working across roles from product development to marketing strategy. She holds 7 (seven) patents and has authored and contributed to 7 (seven) peer reviewed research publications in prestigious journals.

Ritu is a Director and a Member of the Steering Committee at ThinkAg, a non-profit platform for scaling ag-tech innovations in India. She is a Member of the Global Development Committee for American Society of Mechanical Engineers, that focuses on hardware innovations globally. She is also a Member of the Core Advisory Committee for the Centre of Excellence in Agri Innovation at C-CAMP and IKP Advisory Group for our Agri and Sustainability. She has also been part of Government led initiatives to drive agricultural growth and sustainability.

She holds an MBA from INSEAD and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Pennsylvania and has bachelors from Middlebury College, Vermont.