Who we are

Dr Umesh Maheswari

Founder of the Fruitful India Fund

Dr Umesh Maheshwari is a computer technologist and entrepreneur. He was the founding CTO of Nimble Storage, a pioneer in data storage systems based on flash memory. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a BTech in Computer Science from IIT Delhi, where he was awarded the President of India Gold Medal for achieving the highest grades in the graduating class.

Dr Maheshwari is passionate about promoting the widespread cultivation of fruit trees. He believes that fruit trees offer a rare opportunity to provide healthy nutrition for low-income families and, at the same time, improve environmental health and address climate change. With this goal in mind, he founded the Fruitful India Fund in 2017.

Dr Chris J. Kettle

Principal Scientist, Lead Tree Biodiversity for Resilient Landscapes, Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT

Dr Chris Kettle, one of the founders of the Centre for Fruitful Lands India, is an internationally renowned, transdisciplinary scientist. He has 22 years of experience working on landscape restoration and tree-based solutions to sustainable agriculture across Asia, Africa and Latin America. With over 90 peer-reviewed publications, he has been innovating and promoting biodiversity-based solutions, especially the diversity of trees and other non-timber forest products as a critical and underutilised nature-based solution for multiple Sustainable Development Goals.

Chris currently leads a large cross-cutting interdisciplinary research team within the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, focusing on the conservation and sustainable use of socio-economically and ecologically important trees and their genetic diversity for multi-functional landscapes across Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa. In addition, Chris is currently leading the Restore work package within the CGIAR Initiative on Nature-Positive Solutions, and is a Group Leader in the Department of Environmental System Science at ETH Zurich, teaching final year graduate and postgraduate students in rainforest ecology and resilient landscapes.

Dr Prem Mathur

CFI’s Technical Advisor, Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT
Scientific Leader and Coordinator, The Kirkhouse Trust SCIO

Dr Prem Mathur is an expert in Plant Breeding and Genetics. He worked for over 21 years at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT in various positions, including as the South Asia Coordinator, and Regional Representative for Central and South Asia, and strengthened many national programmes on Plant Genetic Resources, including the establishment of the Pacific Plant Genetic Resources Network. Before that, Dr Mathur worked as a Principal Scientist at the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) for 18 years at ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute and at ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources. He was awarded the “Dr Harbhajan Singh Award” in 2016 for his outstanding contributions to the field of Plant Genetic Resources and has over 95 scientific publications to his credit.

Since retiring in 2016, Dr Mathur continued to actively engage with the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT as a technical advisor for projects implemented across India. In addition, he currently advises the Kirkhouse Trust on their Stress Tolerant Orphan Legumes project in India and African countries, and also served as Senior Technical Advisor for Sustainable Land Management for the UNDP-India office, among other positions.

Professor Kamal Bawa

Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biology at the University of Massachusetts
Founder-President of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment

Kamal Bawa is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biology at the University of Massachusetts, USA and Founder-President of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, one of India’s top-ranked environmental think tanks, based in Bangalore. Over the past five decades, Professor Bawa has worked extensively in the Himalayas and the Western Ghats on a wide range of issues, from biodiversity conservation to climate change, publishing more than 230 papers and 10 books.

Professor Bawa has received many awards, including: the Bullard Fellowship at Harvard University, the Guggenheim Fellowship, the Pew Scholar in Conservation and the Environment, the Giorgio Ruffolo Fellowship at Harvard University (2009), the Gunnerus Prize in Sustainability Science from the Royal Norwegian Society of Letters and Sciences, the international MIDORI Prize in Biodiversity from the Aeon Foundation in Japan, the Linnean Medal, and honorary doctorates from the University of Alberta and Concordia University in Montreal. He is an elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Norwegian Society of Letters and Sciences, the Royal Society, the American Philosophical Society, and National Academy of Sciences in the USA. Kamal Bawa is the founding editor of two interdisciplinary journals: Conservation and Society and Ecology, Economy and Society.

Seema Paul

Programme director, Sequoia Climate Foundation

Seema Paul is a programme director at Sequoia Climate Foundation, where she leads the grant-making portfolio for India. Before joining Sequoia, Ms Paul successfully led the launch of two environmental start-ups in India – Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation and, more recently, The Nature Conservancy. She has also worked in two philanthropic start-ups focused on climate change – Ted Turner’s United Nations Foundation and Climateworks Foundation – as well as for international organizations such as UNAIDS. She is the Rockefeller Foundation’s Lead International Fellow and an Alfred Friendly Press Fellow.

Ms Paul completed the International Executive Programme at INSEAD and holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Maryland, USA and another in English literature from the University of Delhi, India. She has published widely in global and Indian media including Time magazine, The Dallas Morning News and The Times of India, as well as in peer-reviewed and other professional journals.

Dr Smitha Krishnan

Senior Scientist, Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT

Dr Smitha Krishnan is a Senior Scientist at the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT and has been with the organisation since 2019. She is an ecologist focusing on agricultural diversification and ecosystem service provisioning through biodiversity conservation. Her research interests include pollination biology, plant-animal interactions, restoration, soil-plant relationships and sustainable livelihoods. She is also one of the founding members of Indian Pollinator Initiative.

Dr Krishnan has a PhD from ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich), Switzerland, where she researched pollination services and coffee production in a forested landscape mosaic in the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot. Currently, in addition to working on projects on agroecology, pollination services, nature-based solutions and fruit trees, she is also coordinating the development of diversity for restoration tool, a decision support tool for tree-based restoration or planting activities for India.

She brings nearly 20 years of research experience in pollination ecology, focusing on the essential ecosystem services provided by insects thriving in seminatural habitats and their contributions to neighbouring agricultural landscapes.

Dr Harishchandra Prasad Singh

Founder and Chair of the Confederation of Horticulture Associations of India (CHAI)

Dr H. P. Singh is a renowned expert in agriculture and horticulture who has made outstanding contributions to these fields as a researcher, academic, research manager and chairman of associations, among many other positions, over his long career. Dr Singh is committed to providing scientific and technology-led solutions to emerging challenges.

Dr Singh is the Founder and Chair of the Confederation of Horticulture Associations of India (CHAI). He has had many appointments over his career, including as an Independent Director in agro-companies such as Jagaon and Vindhyachal Agro, Chairperson of the Accreditation Committee of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Horticulture Commissioner at the Ministry of Agriculture and a board member for several universities. As an academic, Dr Singh has guided many PhD and MSc students and established an education management institute.

Dr Singh promotes cluster-based development and the formation of farmer producer organisations in various capacities. As part of India’s Technology Mission on Horticulture, between 1998 and 2003 he was the first to initiate a cluster-based approach for the development of horticulture. Dr Singh was also involved in the formation of farmers’ associations for various crop commodities that were integrated into the Confederation of Indian Horticulture. His work in these areas helped fuel India’s “Golden Revolution” of the 1990s and early 2000s, which saw horticulture production greatly increase.

Dr Singh’s contributions have earned him 4 international and 41 national awards as well as 13 fellowships, including a Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Dr Singh was also the recipient of the National Academy of Agricultural Science’s M. S. Randhawa Memorial Award in 2025. He has authored and edited 65 books, 37 bulletins and has published more than 315 scientific papers, as well as organising 25 international conferences and more than 105 national conferences, national dialogues and workshops.

Dr Neelam Patel

Senior Adviser, NITI Aayog (Agriculture and Allied sectors)

Dr Neelam Patel currently works with NITI Aayog, an Indian think tank, as a Senior Adviser in the Agriculture and allied sectors. Dr Patel has worked extensively on developing policy and strategy papers on precision farming technologies, hi-tech horticulture, agroecology, capacity-building for different stakeholders, and empowering women. She is currently a Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers, and the Indian Society of Soil and Water Conservation. She has received several awards and honours, including the Panjabrao Deshmukh Outstanding Woman Scientist Award in 2015, hosted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, and the Watsave annual award for Young Professional of the International Commission on Irrigation & Drainage in 2006, the Gyan Vigyan Puraskar in 2004 from the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Siksha Puruskar in 2006 from the Ministry of Human Resources Development.

Previously, Dr Patel joined the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in 1997 as a scientist, where she worked for 18 years. She has a PhD from ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. As a respected expert in the sector, Dr Patel has developed syllabus content for the integration of natural farming in BSc and MSc courses, experiential learning programmes, and certification courses at the four Gujarat State Agricultural Universities.

Dr P. K. Joshi

President at Agricultural Economics Research Association and Vice President, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Dr P. K. Joshi has worked extensively in the areas of technology policy, natural resource management, climate change, markets and institutional economics – receiving several awards for his outstanding contributions to agricultural economics, policy research and management and exemplary leadership in the agricultural research system. Currently, he is the President of the Agricultural Economics Research Association, India; the Vice President of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, India; and a member of the Board of Directors of the Asia Pacific Agriculture Policy Forum, South Korea.

Previously, Dr Joshi has held positions as the Director of ICAR-National Academy of Agricultural Research Management; the Director of ICAR-National Centre for Agricultural Economics and Policy Research; and the Director-South Asia at the International Food Policy Research Institute. Dr Joshi has represented the Government of India in various international and regional cooperations, including as a member of the BRICS-Agriculture group. He has also served as a member of the International Steering Committee for the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security. Additionally, he served on state-level advisory committees on agriculture in nine Indian states.

Ajit Jain

Dr Bharat Kakade

President and Managing Trustee, BAIF Development Research Foundation

Dr Bharat Kakade is the President and Managing Trustee of the BAIF Development Research Foundation in Pune. BAIF has dedicated over 57 years to fostering sustainable rural livelihoods and climate action initiatives across 14 Indian states. The organisation creates opportunities for gainful self-employment – impacting more than 100,000 villages and over 4 million rural poor families.

Presently, he is also a member of the water resource-based Green Credit Committee set up by the Government of India. Dr Kakade has previously played an advisory role for many civil society organisations and several state government departments in India. As a sustainable development professional, he has also previously undertaken several international and domestic assignments for organisations including India-Canada Environment Facility, Plan International, Concern Worldwide, Sathguru Management Consultants Pvt Ltd, International Water Management Institute, Tata Trust, Hindustan Unilever Ltd, the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security, and USAID.

Dr Kakade has around 30 different publications to his credit, including watershed manuals, case studies, research reports, and research papers on sustainability, livelihood and natural resource management.

Dr Sanjay Kumar Singh

Deputy Director General (Horticultural Science), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research

Dr Sanjay Singh is the Deputy Director General, Vice President, and former Secretary of the Indian Academy of Horticultural Sciences, and President of the Society for Promotion of Horticulture, Bengaluru. Currently, his research interests include fruit breeding and the application of transcriptomics and functional genomics in fruit crops.

Dr Singh is a Fellow of many organisations, including the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the recipient of many awards including the Hari Om Ashram Trust Award of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), as well as the Bharat Ratna Dr. C. Subramanium Best Teacher Award (ICAR), Lifetime Achievement Awards (Indian Pomological Society, Periyakulum; HARWF, Agra), Scientist of the Year Award (Hi-tech Horticulture Society, Meerut), Distinguished Scientist of the Year Award (The Society for Recent Developments in Horticulture, Modipuram, Meeru), Best Teacher Award( IARI, New Delhi), and Shri Giridhari Lal Chadha Memorial Gold Medal of Indian Academy of Horticulture Science. His contributions include the development of improved varieties of grape, mango and guava, and the development of micropropagation and bio-hardening protocols for many types of flowers and fruit crops.

Previously, Dr Singh was the Director, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru and the Editor and Editor-In-Chief of the Indian Journal of Horticulture, among other roles. He has a PhD from the University of Florida, USA, specializing in Tropical Fruit Biotechnology. He has published over 300 research papers, as well as many books, practical manuals and seminar papers.

Dr Suresh K. Malhotra

Vice Chancellor, Maharana Pratap Horticultural University, Karnal, Haryana

Dr Suresh Malhotra is the Vice Chancellor of Maharana Pratap Horticultural University, Karnal. He has served in top leadership positions in India, including Agriculture Commissioner, Horticulture Commissioner and Director of two Indian Council of Agriculture Research institutes.

He has successfully planned and implemented new mission programmes on pulses, edible oils, millet and honey. As a researcher, he developed 16 varieties of seed spice crops, used in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. As Chair of four regulatory systems in India, he brought about several policy changes, related to pesticides, biostimulants and fertilisers. He was Chair of the Shadow Committee of the FAO – Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables tasked with finalising Codex standards for aubergine, okra, ware potato and date palm, which are now used as the basis for trade globally. His contributions have earned him many prestigious awards, including Bio Ag Asia and Global Leadership in Agriculture.

Dr Malhotra has chaired national-level task forces and committees to provide solutions to emerging problems in agriculture. In addition, he has represented the government at international events, including introducing the proposal for the International Year of Millets to the FAO, which was approved for 2023.

He has published over 324 research papers, books and book chapters and is the President and Vice President of six professional societies, among other positions.

Dr V. B. Patel

Assistant Director General (Fruits and Plantation Crops), Horticultural Science, Indian Council of Agricultural Research

Dr Vishaw Bandhu Patel is the Assistant Director General (Fruits and Plantation Crops), Horticultural Science, at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi. Before this position, he worked as the Principal Scientist (Horticulture) at ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. He has also previously headed the Horticulture Department at Bihar Agricultural University and served as a Professor and Chief Scientist (Horticulture) and Associate Director Research.

Dr Patel currently coordinates fruits and plantation crops research throughout India, addressing the research and development needs of the sector. He has contributed significantly to pre- and post-harvest management as well as developing leaf sampling, nutrient standards and fertiliser recommendations for many fruits. He has supported the development and release of four grape varieties and one variety each of bael, litchi and makhana. He was also associated with the formulation of several government programmes, including BharatGAP, Clean Plant Program and the National Horticulture Mission.

Dr Patel is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Agricultural Leadership Award (Agril Today/IFCA, 2012), the ICAR-Hari Om Ashram Trust Award (ICAR, 2007), the Lal Bahadur Shastri Young Scientist Award (ICAR, 2009) and the NAAS Young Scientist Award (National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 2008). He has a PhD in Horticulture from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi.

Dr Prabhat Kumar

Horticulture Commissioner with the Government of India

Dr Prabhat Kumar is the Horticulture Commissioner with the Government of India, and previously he was the National Coordinator ICAR-National Agricultural High Education Project. He is also a member of the Board of Management and the academic council in state agricultural universities.

Before that, Dr Kumar served in various positions as a Professor and Principle Scientist at many institutions, including several universities and the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) where he was actively engaged in teaching, researching and developing four varieties of flower crops. He has published 75 research papers alongside popular articles, book chapters, technical bulletins and books. He established the Model Floriculture Centre under the Horticulture Technology Mission at the Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar.

As National Coordinator, he developed a Monitoring and Evaluation cell and facilitated the establishment of 16 Centres for Advanced Agriculture Science and Technology in cutting-edge areas like genomics, climate-smart, conservation and secondary agriculture.

Dr Kumar has a PhD in Floriculture and Landscaping from IARI. He is also a life member of many professional societies in the field of horticulture and agriculture and has been honoured with awards and fellowships highlighting his important contributions.

Dr Geeta Joshi

Assistant Director General (Media and Extension), the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education

Dr Geeta Joshi is presently working as a scientist and Assistant Director General (Media and Extension) at the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Dehradun, Uttarakhand, and is coordinating the implementation of the Council’s forestry extension activities in nine institutes for the dissemination of research outcomes to stakeholders.

Dr Joshi studied for her PhD in Forest Seed Science and Technology at Forest Research Institute Deemed University, Dehradun. She started her career at the ICFRE-Institute of Wood Science and Technology, Bengaluru, Karnataka and worked in the field of tree improvement and genetics for 20 years – subsequently becoming the Head of the Tree Improvement and Propagation Division. For two and a half years she worked as the Head of the Extension Division in the ICFRE-Tropical Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.

She has worked on the seed-related aspects of threatened and endangered tree species of the Western Ghats, the propagation and cultivation of sandalwood and bamboo, and the diversity of teak and Melia dubia.

Dr Joshi has published more than 50 research papers and has supervised PhD students and post-doctoral fellows.

Dr Ruchi Pant

Head of Climate Adaptation and Biodiversity, UNDP India

Dr Ruchi Pant is Head of Climate Adaptation and Biodiversity at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India. She has over 30 years’ of experience working on key issues including agro-biodiversity, natural resource management, land restoration, biodiversity conservation, sustainable livelihoods and biodiversity finance.

At UNDP, she leads the development and implementation of programmes contributing towards achieving India’s commitments under key Multilateral Environment Agreements and the Sustainable Development Goals. She is currently leading the India chapter of the Biodiversity Finance Initiative, UNDP’s global flagship programme to catalyse the mobilisation of financial resources for biodiversity conservation.
Dr Pant holds a Doctorate in Protection and Promotion of Indigenous Plant Breeder Rights looking at legal and non-legal mechanisms for the protection of traditional knowledge systems associated with bio-genetic resources. She is passionate about the revival of traditional knowledge systems and customary laws about biodiversity and genetic resource conservation. Before UNDP, she worked, and led, at many conservation and development organisations including WWF, ATREE and the International Institute of Environment and Development. She also served as the Ford Foundation Visiting Law Fellow at the Boalt Law School, University of California, Berkeley in 1994.

Dr R. Uma Shankar

Professor and Emeritus Scientist (retired) and Co-Founder of Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment

Dr R. Uma Shankar (Shaanker), a retired professor and scientist, is a renowned expert in plant evolutionary biology. He is a Founder Trustee of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bangalore, a leading institution dedicated to conservation science and sustainable development.

Dr Shankar served as a Professor and Head at the Department of Crop Physiology and School of Ecology and Conservation at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore. In addition to teaching and supervising student projects, Dr Shankar’s research focus was on plant evolutionary biology, conservation genetics and bioprospecting important plant secondary metabolites. Following his tenure, he continued as an Indian Council for Agricultural Research Emeritus Scientist at the same institution, during which period he became interested in the concept of the hologenome. Using endophytes as a model system, his work extensively demonstrated their role in accelerating plant adaptations to abiotic stresses.

Between 2021 and 2024, Dr Shankar was a Senior Professor in the Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, IIT Jammu, where he contributed to inter-disciplinary research and mentorship. Dr Shankar is a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore.

Dr Rekha Warrier

Senior Principal Scientist, Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore

Dr Rekha R. Warrier holds several positions in the Bioprospecting Division at the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education-Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, including as a Senior Principal Scientist and Head of Chemistry. Dr Warrier has over 25 years of forestry expertise and her work spans stress physiology, forest genetic resources conservation and cutting-edge biotechnologies, significantly advancing sustainable forestry and restoration initiatives.

Leading tissue culture innovations, she has pioneered commercial propagation and secondary metabolite studies in medicinal plants, including the genetic improvement of species like teak, Melia and bamboo, establishing seed production systems for different tropical species.

She holds leadership roles in the Asia Pacific Forest Genetic Resources Programme and the International Society for Tropical Foresters. She is a member of the IUCN SSC Western Ghats Plant Specialist Group and Seed Conservation Specialist Group. With significant experience in tropical ecosystems, she has led many research projects, authored 70 research papers and contributed to 15 books and chapters.

Dr Ruchika Singh

Executive Program Director at Food, Land and Water, WRI India

Dr Ruchika Singh is the Executive Program Director of Food, Land and Water at WRI India. She has more than two decades of experience with environmental and developmental issues, providing leadership, and building programmes. At WRI India, she provides overall strategic direction on India’s transition towards sustainable food and land use systems. She also focuses on developing solutions with a cross-cutting lens of people, nature and climate, emphasising intersectionality and enhancing livelihoods.

Dr Singh holds a PhD in Development Studies from the Centre for Development Research, University of Bonn, Germany. She began her career with the Foundation for Ecological Security, Dahod, Gujarat. She has then gone on to work in many roles, including undertaking research with the Energy and Resources Institute in New Delhi, as an independent research consultant for the World Bank and leading on two studies on the Forest Rights Act in India. Dr Singh has also taught courses at the University of Massachusetts, USA, and developed course modules on gender and water and institutional and governance issues at the TERI School of Advanced Studies, New Delhi. As a distinguished researcher and expert in her field, she is a recipient of many prominent grants and fellowships.

Dr Prakash Tyagi

Executive Director, GRAVIS

Dr Prakash Tyagi is the Executive Director of GRAVIS, where he has been leading the organisation for the last 19 years. GRAVIS reaches 2.5 million people living in poverty with its work, mainly in the Thar Desert, India, focusing on water security, food security and community health. The organisation has formed over 4,000 community-based organisations, and Dr Tyagi has also founded an important rural hospital in the Thar Desert.

Dr Tyagi has studied medicine, public health and geriatrics, and has supported various non-profits working on health and development aspects nationally and internationally. With his global health and development experience, Dr Tyagi has contributed to various international forums and has written frequently on major health and development aspects, especially healthy ageing, drought mitigation and nutrition.

Dr Tyagi is an active development practitioner and public health professional, contributing significantly to the fields of ageing, HIV, tuberculosis and occupational health through his writing, research and fieldwork. He is also a Clinical Professor at the School of Global Health at the University of Washington, USA.

Dr T. Longvah

Fellow, the Centre for Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems

Dr Longvah, a retired director-grade scientist from the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, is a renowned expert in food composition and nutrition. His research focuses on Indigenous Peoples’ food systems, food composition, micronutrient deficiencies, non-communicable diseases and biofortification.

He has made significant contributions to studying the food systems of Northeast India, exploring the region’s biodiversity for improved nutrition, sustainability and cultural preservation.

His work has integrated Indigenous knowledge into global food and nutrition strategies. Dr Longvah established the Indian Food Composition Database, resulting in the Indian Food Composition Tables, published in 2017, which has been acclaimed worldwide for its standard and data completeness.

He is also the Global Vice Coordinator of INFOODS and a member of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences Task Force on Traditional and Indigenous Food Systems and Nutrition. He received the prestigious Nevin Scrimshaw Award in 2017 from FAO/INFOODS. Currently, Dr Longvah is a Fellow at the Centre for Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems, based at Dimapur, Nagaland and continues to shape global discussions on sustainable nutrition.

Dr Gina Kennedy

Principal Scientist, the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT

Dr Gina Kennedy is a Principal Scientist with the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT and is engaged with the CGIAR Better Diets and Nutrition science programme and leading research grants to understand linkages between agriculture, food composition and diet quality. Dr Kennedy is passionate about food biodiversity and the role that food biodiversity can play in creating healthier food systems that nurture both people and the planet. She has a deep understanding of food-based indicators to measure diet quality and diet diversity and has worked on projects connecting diet diversity, biodiversity and food systems.

Before her current position, Gina worked for the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, Bioversity International, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Public Health Service of Guinea and the Tungaru Central Hospital in Kiribati.

Dr Kennedy holds a PhD in Public Health Nutrition from Wageningen University, Netherlands.

Dr Jai Rana

Senior Scientist and Country Representative for India, Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT

Dr Jai Rana has worked with the Alliance of Bioversity & CIAT as a Senior Scientist and Country Representative for the India office since 2017. He is also currently working with the CGIAR Systems Transformation Science Group on Agrobiodiversity and the CGIAR Initiative on Nature-Positive Solutions. Previously, he worked for 30 years with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, working on the management of genetic resources of temperate agri-horticultural crops.

His research primarily focuses on enhancing adaptive management of crop diversity for resilient agriculture and improved livelihoods. Among many achievements, Dr Rana has developed 15 varieties of rice and secured six patents. Through his work, he has strengthened the Indian informal seed system with over 50 community seed banks, conserving over 5,000 native varieties. Dr Rana holds a PhD in Genetics and Plant Breeding. He has published over 200 research papers in peer-reviewed national and international journals, as well as many popular articles, books and chapters. Dr Rana has won many awards and recognitions, including the ICAR-MS Swaminathan National Award for Outstanding Research on Hill Agriculture; the Recognition Award and Dr L.C. Sikka Endowment Award of the National Academy of Agriculture Sciences; the B.R. Barwale Award; the IBRA Golden Peacock Award; the Dr R.B. Ekbote National Prize for PGR use; NAAS, ISGPB, ISPGR Fellowships; and a Postdoctoral Fellowship at South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.

Dr G. Ravikanth

Senior Fellow and Convenor, ATREE Academy

Dr G. Ravikanth is a Senior Fellow (Professor) at the SM Sehgal Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation at Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment.

Over the past 25 years, Ravikanth has spearheaded research employing biotechnological tools to tackle tropical forest conservation and species recovery. Focusing on conservation genetics and molecular ecology, he delves into spatial genetic patterns of economically important species. He received his PhD from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, and has received several awards, such as the DST-Young Scientist award and the Erasmus Mundus Action NAMASTE award.

He has published over 150 research papers in national and international journals, and his research interests encompass agrobiodiversity, conservation genetics, habitat conservation and niche modelling.

In recent years, he has been using environmental DNA to track and monitor species, aiming to enhance our understanding of how to better manage and restore ecosystems and their functions, which are vital to our society and economy.

Disha Sanwal

Programme Coordinator

Ms Disha Sanwal will be the main point of contact for the Centre for Fruitful India within the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT. Ms Sanwal is an agribusiness professional with over 17 years of experience, including roles at BASF Vegetable Seeds and the Bayer Group.

She has extensive experience leading various marketing and sales enablement and support functions, as well as implementing local and global projects and managing change. As a process expert, Disha has introduced pioneering digital solutions to enhance process effectiveness and increase the adoption of existing digital tools.

As a people-centric leader, Ms Sanwal has managed diverse teams, excelling in training and mentoring members, and fostering a culture of continuous personal development that supports individual interests. She is passionate about diversity in nature and society and champions equity.

Ms Sanwal has also served as the Chairperson of the Internal Complaint Committee and a Brand Ambassador for the Women’s ERG group. Disha holds an MSc in Horticulture from Govind Ballabh Pant University, Uttarakhand, where her thesis focused on the effect of pinching and spacing in Pyrethrum cinerariifolium.

Gaurav Srivastava

Programme Assistant

Mr Gaurav Srivastava will oversee all the Centre for Fruitful India programme activities. He is an experienced professional with over 12 years in the corporate sector, particularly within IT organizations where he has collaborated closely with clients and teams. For example, he has led and trained a team of over 200 IT professionals, ensuring the minimization of client data risks.

For the past two years, Mr Srivastava has been associated with the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT, managing projects and all related activities, including operations, financial reports, fund releases and coordinating with project partners and farmers.

Mr Srivastava has worked closely with numerous NGOs and government institutions. He is passionate about the Indian farming and seed sectors, and the advanced technology that can benefit farmers. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science from Visvesvaraya Technological University, Karnataka.