Dr. A K Tyagi
Executive Director
Haldiram Snacks Pvt. Ltd

About : Dr. A.K. Tyagi is heading Haldiram Group of Companies as Executive Director from March 2014 and as Executive President since July, 2006. Under his leadership, Haldiram has grown 25 times, established itself as a market leader in salty snacks with a 46% share and traditional snacks with a 60% share. Dr. Tyagi began his career in 1984 with Wimpy International and has received numerous awards, including the Food Industry Icon Award, Life Time Achievement Award in India Food Forum, and CEO – Food Company of the Year Award from India Food Safety Summit & Awards by Synnex Group.

Abheek Singhi
Managing Director & Senior Partner, Boston Consulting Group
Chair of Practices & Partner Committee, BCG India

About : Mr. Abheek Singhi is a distinguished Managing Director and Senior Partner at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). With a wealth of experience and expertise in strategic consulting, Mr. Singhi has been at the forefront of driving impactful transformations across various industries. At the International Spice Conference 2024, Mr. Abheek Singhi will be delivering a compelling address on "Shaping the Future: The Great New India Story."

Abhijit Bhattacharya
Managing Director
Terova Inc.

About : Mr. Abhijit Bhattacharya is the Managing Director of Terova Inc. In his current role, Abhijit manages worldwide operations for growing, sourcing and processing spices, herbs, plant extracts and fruit /vegetable dehydrates with Terova’s team based in Asia, USA, Mexico, Central and South America, Europe and Africa. He is a co-inventor for patents on extracts of Capsicum, Paprika and Marigold in the area of human health, metabolism and nutrition.
Company Details : Terova is a new venture of Griffith Foods established with a mission to deliver sustainable, ethically sourced, traceable natural ingredients. Terova develops and commercializes innovative applications of plant-based materials for food, and nutrition that add value to the products and brands of Griffith Foods and its customers worldwide.

ABHISHEK PODDAR
MANAGING DIRECTOR
NANI AGRO FOODS (P) LTD.

About : Mr. Abhishek Poddar is the Managing Director of Nani Agro, a company established in 1968 with a focus on turmeric processing. He joined the traditional business sector in 2002 and has since diversified the company's operations to include private label business of spices with European customers, as well as traditional, export, and HORECA (Hotel/Restaurant/Café) segments. Under his leadership, Nani Agro has become one of the largest processors for turmeric and has expanded its business to include pepper, chilies, and other seed spices.
Company Details : Nani Agro Foods (P) Ltd., Erode in India is in the Spice business since 5 decades. It was established in 1969 by our Chairman, Mr. Hari Poddar, and initially focused on Turmeric Sourcing and thereon has grown to a full fledged manufacturing and packing business catering to over 200 customers worldwide and is packing for over 40 brands worldwide. It's spice and spice blends make food taste great. A fully integrated, end-to-end solution provider in Spice business, we specialize in bringing together traditional expertise with state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.

Ajith S
GM - Sales
SYNTHITE INDUSTRIES LTD

About : Ajith Sankaran has over 12 years of experience in the spices industry, currently serving as the General Manager - Sales and Marketing at Synthite Industries Pvt Ltd. Ajith has played a pivotal role in enhancing market share and brand visibility. Prior to his current role, he spent 5 years at Maruti Suzuki as a Manager in the supply chain function, contributing significantly to operational efficiency. Ajith holds an MBA from the prestigious Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kozhikode, complemented by a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the esteemed Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay.
Company Details : Synthite Industries Private Ltd is an Indian oleoresin extraction firm, world's largest producer of spice extracts , spice powders and essential oils. synthite has foot prints in India, China, Brazil, USA, Vietnam and Srilannka

Anand Venkitraman
President
Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry

About : With a rich career spanning 38 years, Mr. Venkitraman Anand is a seasoned professional with comprehensive experience across varied business and functional domains. Currently spearheading Harrisons Malayalam Limited as the Chief Executive and Whole-time Director, Mr. Anand thrives in guiding family businesses towards sustainable growth while maintaining their core values. Mr. Anand presides over The Cochin Chamber of Commerce & Industries, contributes as an Executive Committee Member at the Kerala Management Association (KMA), and holds membership in the Kerala State Council of the Confederation of Indian Industry.

Mr. Ankur Bhaumik
Director - Operations
ORKLA INDIA

About : Ankur Bhaumik is a highly experienced professional with over 30 years of expertise in end-to-end supply chains. He is also the Chair of the Agro and Food Processing Expert Committee at the Bangalore Chamber of Commerce.

Aparajita Baruah
Founder
Crafts and Looms Gallery - Agro & Livestock

About : Aparajita Baruah is a visionary entrepreneur with a flair for creativity and a heart for social impact. She empowers artisans and revolutionizes agro, focusing on poultry and chilly farming. She is a holistic healer and Reiki practitioner. She has been honored by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Govt of India in 2017 and by the Government of Assam 2018.

Benoit Winstel
Vegetal Division Director
COLIN PALC

About : Benoit Winstel serves as the Vegetal Division Director of Colin group, a European leader of dry ingredients and culinary bases for the food industry and food service. He joined the company in 1994 as a factory manager and subsequently held various responsibilities in purchasing. For the past two years, Benoit Winstel has been serving as the Chairman of the European Spice Association.
Company Details : COLIN INGREDIENTS/DIAFOOD PROVIDE THE EUROPEAN FOOD INDUSTRY WITH HERBS, SPICES, VEGETABLES, MUSHROOMS, SEASONINGS, FUNCTIONAL MIXES, FLAVOURS AND COLORING AGENTS

Bhasker Goud
Senior Manager
ITC Limited - ABD

About : Mr. Bhasker Goud is the head of procurement in ITC Ltd holding over 18 years invaluable experience in the spices industry. Mr. Goud's strategic acumen serves as the bedrock for the efficient value chain that underpins the success of domestic spice brands such as Aashirvad and Sunrise. Mr. Goud's visionary approach, coupled with his profound product knowledge, has propelled the growth of overall spices exports from India to unprecedented heights.
Company Details : ITC is one of India’s leading multi-business conglomerates with a market capitalisation of over US$ 60 billion and a turnover of over US$ 8.5 billion with presence in FMCG, Agri Business, Hotels, Paperboards & Packaging and Information Technology. ITC Spices, a dedicated unit of ITC’s Agri Business Division, was established as an independent business in 2004. Located in Guntur – “the chilli capital of the world” – in Andhra Pradesh, ITC Spices has emerged as a country leader in backward integrated food safe spices and is today a trusted and preferred supplier to discerning customers and global food ingredient majors, handling over 70,000 MT annually.

Mr Brendan Foley
President and Chief Executive Officer
McCormick & Company

About : Brendan Foley is McCormick’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Since joining McCormick in 2014, Mr. Foley has held several executive management roles, including: President – U.S. Consumer; President North America; President Global Consumer – Americas and Asia; and most recently, President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Foley was promoted to Chief Executive Officer for McCormick on September 1, 2023. He was also elected to the Company’s Board of Directors in June 2023. Mr. Foley joined McCormick after H.J. Heinz where he spent 15 years in Marketing and General Management roles including President for the North America Zone. Prior to H.J. Heinz, Mr. Foley worked in Marketing for General Mills, Inc. Mr. Foley holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Miami University of Ohio. Mr. Foley serves on multiple industry and not-for-profit groups, including: the Greater Baltimore Committee and the Consumer Brands Association. Mr. Foley served on the Board of Directors for the YMCA in Sewickley Valley, Pennsylvania, and the Maryland Food Bank where he completed his role as Board Chair in 2021.

Christiaan de Leeuw
Manager - NFPP
Nedspice EMEA BV

About : As manager of Nedspice’s farmer partnership programme, Christiaan emphasizes the importance of sustainable farming practices and the support for smallholder pepper farmers, to enable them to earn a fair income. Starting as data analyst for Nedspice four years ago, Christiaan learned about the importance of research to make meaningful change in the spice supply chain. Working alongside various stakeholders and placing sustainability insights in a broader perspective is fundamental to have a positive impact. In addition to his work for Nedspice, he is finalizing his PhD in Marine Biology at Wageningen University & Research.
Company Details : Nedspice is a privately-owned group of companies with worldwide activities in the sourcing, processing and distribution of spices, herbs and dehydrated vegetables. Our business activities include sourcing, cleaning, sterilization, grinding, packing and distribution of single spices, herbs and dehydrated vegetables. Nedspice is headquartered in the Netherlands and operates processing facilities in India and Vietnam. Sales offices, warehouses and distribution facilities are located in the Netherlands, India, Vietnam, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and China.

Cyril GALLARDO
DIRECTOR INGREDIENTS EMEA
V. MANE FILS

About : Cyril Gallardo was born in Toulouse, France, in 1974. He holds a master in chemistry from Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie Paris and an Executive MBA from IMD, Lausanne. He started his career in the space industry, continued in the field of optical fibers, and eventually moved into the fine chemical industry. He joined MANE in 2010, where he ran the aroma chemical operations, developing and manufacturing MANE’s natural extracts and synthetic molecules. In 2015, he took the head of the newly created Ingredients Division, for the EMEA region. Cyril is also one of the founders of Green Motion™, this unique tool which measures greenness of ingredients, flavors and perfumes.
Company Details : MANE is the leader in France.

Emmanuel Nambusseril
Chief Marketing Officer
AKAY NATURAL INGREDIENTS PVT.LTD.

About : Emmanuel Nambusseril is a seasoned professional with a profound expertise in the realm of marketing within the natural ingredients sector. As the Chief Marketing Officer at AKAY Natural Ingredients Pvt. Ltd., Emmanuel has been instrumental in driving the company's growth and establishing its brand as a leader in the industry. His strategic vision and innovative marketing strategies have significantly contributed to AKAY's global presence and reputation for quality. In addition to his role at AKAY, Emmanuel serves as the Vice Chairman of the All India Spices Exporters Forum (AISEF) and the Business Committee Head of the International Spice Conference 2024.
Company Details : Akay Group is one of leaders in the spice extracts and nutraceuticals industry. Founded in 1995, our proactive innovation and intelligent use of modern technology have enabled us to create and offer a wide range of value-added spice products. Our product range includes nutraceuticals/dietary supplement ingredients, spice oleoresins, natural colours, essential oils, seasonings, and whole or ground sterilized spices. Our high-quality natural nutraceutical ingredients and precise quality retention methods make us the preferred sourcing partner for many renowned global companies. Akay is now a part of the Oterra Group of Denmark.

Evert-Jan Verschuren
Sustainable Supply Chains
Verstegen Spices and Sauces BV

About : With over 16 years of experience, Evert-Jan Verschuren has been a leading advocate for environmentally conscious and socially responsible business practices in the international spice industry. Evert Jan's expertise includes the successful implementation of a blockchain traceability system, a mobile app using geospatial satellite data to support farmers, and a climate-smart farming program based on regenerative agriculture. Currently, as the sustainable supply chain manager at Verstegen Spices & Sauces BV, he focuses on developing and implementing sustainable supply chain solutions in Asia, particularly in Indonesia.
Company Details : Verstegen Spices & Sauces B.V. is a Rotterdam family business since 1886, now with the 4th generation at the helm. For us, herbs and spices are the foundation of taste. Verstegen therefore only supplies the very best quality herbs and spices. we source the best ingredients from the source, where we have a unique and sustainable partnership with local farmers. And we are proud of that! Because Verstegen keeps the entire chain in its own hands, we can keep the chain from farmer to consumer fair, transparent and sustainable