Independent Director Development Programme – FPO/FPC

Dr. Abhijeet Arun Gatade is an accomplished Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology at Shivaji University, Kolhapur, with a diverse professional background. He has served as a Consultant in Product Development for the PMU under the PMFME Scheme of MoFPI, Government of India, and NIFTEM-T. Holding certifications as a FoSTaC Trainer and Lead Auditor, he specializes in food safety and manufacturing. Dr. Gatade's educational qualifications include a Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology, with notable research contributions in areas such as noodle enhancement with legume flours and leafy vegetables, and off-flavor reduction in soymilk. He has published extensively, authored multiple books, and guided numerous research projects and publications. Additionally, he has received several awards and honors for his contributions to the field, and he actively engages in extension activities, social outreach, and industry consultancy.

Ramesh Venugopal, an experienced professional with 37 years of pan-India work across six states, holds a background in Microfinance, Watershed, Tribal Development, and Soil projects. Having served as Assistant General Manager at NABARD, he managed diverse responsibilities including overseeing refinance, monitoring tribal and watershed projects, and conducting training programs. Currently serving as a Consultant in NABARD's Inspection Department and Financial Literacy Counsellor in Palakkad District, he also holds roles as an Independent Director and Senior Consultant in various projects, showcasing his extensive expertise and commitment to community development.

Aswini Sahoo is a seasoned C-suite professional with over 21 years of experience in Corporate, Institutional, and Grants Sales/Fundraising across various Profit and Non-Profit Organizations. With a solid background in International Development, Fundraising, CSR, PR, and Strategic Positioning, he has raised significant amounts of funds, including over 100 Crores during his tenure with Samarthanam. Aswini has a proven track record of success in designing and implementing fundraising strategies, raising millions of dollars from HNIs and international grants, and spearheading business development efforts. His expertise extends to program management, media management, marketing strategies, and stakeholder relations, making him a valuable asset in driving organizational growth and impact. Aswini Sahoo's professional journey showcases his leadership and strategic acumen in various roles, including Director of International Development & CEO at World Blind Cricket for Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, where he directed program development efforts across multiple countries. His experience also includes roles such as Marketing Head at AVT Channels Pvt Ltd and Business Development Head at USAID/Internews in Afghanistan. Aswini holds several certifications in sports management, project management, digital marketing, and social sector initiatives, highlighting his commitment to continuous learning and professional development. With a string of accolades and awards recognizing his contributions, Aswini brings a wealth of experience and expertise to any organization he serves, making him a trusted leader in the field of international development and fundraising.

"Deva, impressed by his mother (a teacher) qualified himself to teach. He has Master’s in Science and Education from Regional College of Education.

Because of State Government policies, he failed secure a permanent teaching position, despite working temporarily for three years. This pushed him to take up a lucrative supervisory position with a large paper factory in QC.

His concern for the socially downtrodden made him to venture simultaneously into creating sustainable livelihood activities for a small group of destitute women. The unexpected success in this motivated him to learn management skills for effectively handling them. And, he had the chance to get into IRMA. After graduating from IRMA, He had to take up a job with the packaging unit of NDDB, to fulfill his obligations. Here he was instrumental in developing raw materials and quality control procedures. But his flair for human development made him to shift to HRD. Serving in different organizations chasing the mirage of a perfect HRD, he retired in 2012 to take up to develop a small gaushala. He also took up motivating nearby village children to do well in their schools.

In 2015, He was picked up by a startup MNC, for administrative support. He is still with them."

Ashish brings over 22 years of extensive experience in the development sector. Throughout his career, he has actively supported numerous NGOs and civil society organizations, collaborating with state governments to enhance the effectiveness of their flagship programs. He collaborated with multiple international and bilateral organizations, with a key focus on enhancing program quality and improving the governance of NGOs. Having engaged in varied thematic domains, Ashish has showcased proficiency in stakeholder management, establishing strategic partnerships, and implementing efficient program management. Currently, he is dedicated to developing the brand "Kisan Vajra," a mobile application aimed at providing precision agriculture advisory services to farmers. Ashish's wealth of experience reflects his commitment to driving positive change and innovation within the development sector.

A rural management professional with 3+ years of experience working in the Agriculture Finance and Consulting space. Currently working as an Impact Analyst with a non-profit organisation that works with corporates dealing with smallholder farmers.

Rakesh is a science graduate from Kanpur University. He started working with Shramik Bharti in 1991 as Community Facilitator. He has attended Management Development Programs at IRMA, studied small business promotion from Durham University, UK and micro-finance from Naropa Univeristy, Boulder, Colorado, USA. He has extensive experience in micro-finance, livelihood promotion, community development issues.Presently, Rakesh is working as the Chief Executive Officer in Shramik Bharti.

Mitesh Haria has experience in compliance, risk, legal, corporate governance and audit with pan Asia exposure in financial services sector for more than two decades. He was associated with global business houses like HSBC, ABN AMRO (now BNP), ING, State Street and Invesco.He has experience in conducting effective risk dialogues in various board/committee meetings across Asia including chairing risk, compliance, fiduciary and business control committees. He has structured risk and control framework, led regulatory change management programs, worked with regulators for lifting regulatory suspensions, conducted sensitive investigations and set-up center of excellence units covering services like AML/KYC, compliance testing and assurance. He has conducted trainings and created a compliance control environment for themes like fiduciary, conflict of interest, privacy, employee conduct risk. He worked on setting-up of various onshore and offshore fund houses, investment vehicles and distribution platforms including obtaining regulatory licenses.Mitesh is a qualified Company Secretary, Lawyer (LLM – International Law) and Masters in Business Laws from National Law School (Bangalore).

I, Sushma Kalvade am a Human Resources professional with over two decades of experience in Dubai, UAE. As HR Head I have provided  HR leadership and coaching to employees and managers regarding employee relation issues and resolution of employee and organizational issues. In my capacity as HR Head I have contributed in building and fostering rapport within organization staff and managers at all levels through a thorough understanding of the businesses, company culture, organizational structure and talent. I have managed many different roles along with standard HR role such as monthly Newsletter writing, staff events management and coordinating conferences. I found all facets of HR role challenging and invigorating. Each day would bring a new challenge and would need different kind of fire-fighting skills. I feel building rapport and caring for each staff has been my hall mark and helped me build a successful team for the companies I worked for.  I am a proud alumni of prestigious Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi.I have now retired and live in Pune, India. I want to use my experience and knowledge for doing social work and give back to society. Looking for channels to do so.

Dr. S.L. Kumbhare is an Agriculture graduate from Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Maharashtra, and holds Masters and Doctorate degrees in Agricultural Economics from the Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI - Pusa Institute), New Delhi. Between 1977 and 1982, he worked at the National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, focusing on postgraduate teaching, research, and consultancy. Joining the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in 1983, he served in various capacities for three decades, retiring as Chief General Manager, Micro Credit Innovations Department, Mumbai, in 2012. Post-retirement, he engages in policy-related studies, serves as visiting faculty at a Management School in Mumbai, and undertakes consultancy assignments including impact evaluations and promotion of agricultural initiatives, demonstrating his extensive expertise in agricultural economics and rural development.

Dr. Vikas C. Goyal, with a Masters and Doctorate in Earth Sciences from the University of Roorkee (now IIT Roorkee), concluded a distinguished 38-year tenure at the National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, retiring as Scientist ‘G’ & Head of Research Management and Outreach Division in 2022. Proficient in Project Management, Watershed Hydrology, Integrated Water Resources Management, and more, he also contributed significantly to innovative programs at the Department of Science & Technology, New Delhi, and is recognized as a Facilitator in the National Pool of Trainers on Leadership Skills by the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India. Dr. Goyal's extensive research portfolio comprises over 150 publications, including recent works such as 'Guidebook on S&T Interventions for Pond Rejuvenation' and 'Role of Hydrology in District Level Planning'.

Aneeta Pankaj is a Senior Digital Business and Operations Executive across multiple functions in the Travel, Media, & Telecommunications Industry. She has worked across geographies with special emphasis on the Middle East and India.. She strongly believes in in adding value by transformation through adoption of the latest and practical Digital practices, Creative Alignment, Business Insights with long term impact, Financial Analytics, Budget Management, Problem Solving & Operational Excellence, through a mix of People, Processes, Technology and Data Driven short term/ long term milestones and influence global/local stakeholders in a collaborative ecosystem of partners for win-win outcomes. Her strengths lie in adaptability, resilience, learning and thriving in ambiguous and challenging scenarios in varied hues of culture, creativity and relentless digital innovation. She is a certified Independent director under the aegis of Indian Institute of Corporate affairs. Recipient of HerRising Award at National Level in recognition of professional excellence by JobsForHer in Sep`2019 under Marketing/Content category, based on credentials and global voting. She has steered Digital transformation wave by leading Inflight Digital Solutions, Content Strategy & Operations, Multimedia New Media, Information Technology and Business Development at IndiGo, Anuvu, Reliance Jio, Sony Pictures Networks and Lamhas Satellite Services.

CA. Leena Chandak is a practicing Chartered Accountant since 20 years. She is the co founder and partner of Chandak and Co. She started her career with Deloitte Haskins & Sells & later on she moved to her own Practice. She’s a highly successful chartered accountant with an invaluable experience in Auditing & Financial reporting .She has also been a merit ranker in CA examination.

Mrs. Snimer Kaur Sahni has postgraduate degrees in Management Science and in Agricultural Economics, and over 36 years of experience as a Civil Servant (in India and in the Asian Development Bank) and as a Management Consultant (with Tata Consultancy Services and post-retirement). During her career, she has worked as an Under Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Research and Extension, the administrative department for the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. As a Management Consultant, she has led project teams for multiple projects in agriculture and rural development, primarily focusing on institutional strengthening; e.g., for ICAR and CAPART. As ADB staff, she has led project teams to prepare and implement projects in South Asia (Nepal, Sri Lanka and India) on rural development, commercial agriculture development, and agribusiness development. She also has experience in other sectors, including inland aquaculture development, coastal resource management, fisheries sector development, agricultural research management through technical assistance to CGIAR institutes, and subregional tourism development, in South and Southeast Asia. She lives in New Delhi after retirement from the ADB.