Amitabh Kant IAS

Ex-G20 Sherpa , Government of India,Former CEO of the NITI Aayog(National Institution for Transforming India), & Former Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion

André Kich

Managing Director

FUCHS GMBH & CO. KG

Bhavik Desai

Chairman - Business Committee

ISC 2026

Dr. Paresh G. Shah

Chairman, Scientific Panel on Pesticide Residues

FSSAI

About: Name : SHAH PARESH GOVINDLAL E-mail / Mobile : paresh243@yahoo.co.in (M): 9426385411 Address for the correspondence : 243-Amitnagar Society, VIP Road, Vadodara – 390 018 (Gujarat), India Date of Birth : 24 th March 1959 Degree : Ph.D. (Agricultural Chemicals) from IARI, New Delhi Experience : 36 years at AINP on Pesticides Residue Scheme, ICAR-Unit, Anand Agricultural University, Anand (Gujarat), India. Retired as Head of the Laboratory on 31 st March 2021 Present Assignment : Chairman, FSSAI Scientific Panel on Pesticide Residues, New Delhi w.e.f March 2023. Publication : More than 90 in national & international journals Patent : One Projects conducted : More than 100 for Central Govt./State Govt./Sponsored by Pesticide Industries Foreign visits : Taiwan, Japan, USA

Emmanuel Nambusseril

Chairman

AISEF

Gulbahar Celtik

European Sales Director

Kutas Europe BV.

About: With over a decade of extensive experience in the food industry, Gulbahar specializes in agricultural food products, particularly focusing on herbs and spices, overseeing sales operations across Europe, the UK, and Asia. My role requires a profound understanding of market trends, customer needs, and the cultural dynamics of these regions. Beyond my professional scope, I am very passionate about food, nature, sustainability, and innovation.

Hari Nair

CEO

GadgEon Smart Systems Pvt. Ltd.

About: Hari Nair is a visionary technologist and entrepreneur with over three decades of experience in driving innovation across global technology landscapes. As the CEO and Co-founder of Gadgeon Smart Systems, he has led the company’s growth into a trusted provider of end-to-end digital transformation and Industrial IoT solutions. Under his leadership, Gadgeon has delivered connected and intelligent systems across manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, and utilities — enabling enterprises to harness the power of IoT, edge computing, and data analytics for measurable business outcomes. Prior to founding Gadgeon, Hari held key techno-managerial roles in leading organizations such as Wipro Technologies, Centillium Communications, Jasmin Networks, Silicon Graphics, and the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). At Wipro, he established and scaled the Telecom Equipment Product Engineering Center in Kochi to a strength of over 450 professionals. Hari holds an MTech in Computer Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras. His passion lies in creating business value by making sense of the connected world and solving real-world problems through AI, Machine Learning, and digital innovation.

Hoang Thi Lien

Chairperson

Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association

About: Mrs. Hoang Thi Lien has a passion for working in international organizations related to international trade, business and economic integration. Before taking the position of Chairperson of Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association, she used to hold important positions of international organizations that Vietnam involved such as Director of APEC & International Economic Cooperation Div; Director of ASEAN Division; First secretary of Viet Nam Embassy to Malaysia; Executive Director of International Pepper Community (IPC). With the current important role of the Vietnam Pepper and Spice Industry, she wants to drive the Vietnam pepper and spice production and business for sustainable development. She is also frequently invited as a presenter and speaker at various national and international conferences, forums, and industry events, sharing insights on sustainable development, global trade, and the spice sector.

Jasvinder Singh Sethi

Founder & CEO

Namagro

About: Jasvinder Singh Sethi is the Founder and Owner of NAMAGARO, one of the world’s leading agri-services companies. Established in 2015, NAMAGARO has grown into a globally trusted platform offering Brokerage, Trade Finance, Consulting, and Outsourcing Services, managing a throughput of close to USD 500 million annually. With a career spanning over 25 years across international agri-commodities, Jasvinder has held senior leadership positions at ITC and Olam International, two of the most respected names in global agribusiness. A widely recognized expert in the spices, nuts, and food ingredients sectors, he has built long-term partnerships with some of the world’s largest food manufacturers, importers, and trading houses. He is well known for his market foresight, hands-on operational experience, and ability to navigate complex global supply chains.

Kamesh Ellajosyula

Chief Innovation & Quality Officer

Olam Food Ingredients (OFI)

About: Chief Innovation & Quality Officer - Olam Food Ingredients (OFI) Kamesh Ellajosyula is Chief Innovation & Quality Officer at ofi (Olam Food Ingredients) and a member of the executive team at ofi. Kamesh joined Olam in 2010 and has held various senior manufacturing, innovation, regulatory and quality roles. In his current role he oversees a global network of Innovation centers and drives quality and food safety across 120+ food ingredient manufacturing plants. Currently, Kamesh serves as the founding member of the Asia Innovation Council of the Conference Board and is the member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Food Technology magazine, Chicago. Kamesh last worked in technology roles in Frito Lay. Prior assignments include leadership roles in food safety, quality, procurement, international R&D, new product development at Rich Products Corporation. Kamesh received a Master’s degree in Food Science from the Pennsylvania State University and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the State University of New York. Kamesh's graduate research on destruction of Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7 was adopted by the USDA FSIS to drive guidelines on fermented food safety.

Kuriakose Vinay Thomas

Director & CEO

Mane Kancor Spices Pvt Ltd

Laura Shumow

Executive Director

American Spice Trade Association

About: Laura Shumow has served as Executive Director of the American Spice Trade Association (ASTA) since 2018. In this role, she partners with the ASTA Board of Directors to define the association’s strategic priorities and leads the staff in executing initiatives that advance the interests of the global spice industry.  Laura brings extensive experience in U.S. and international regulatory advocacy, risk management, and food supply chain policy. She has a proven record of success navigating complex issues affecting food ingredients sourced from diverse regions around the world. Before joining ASTA, Laura was Vice President of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs at the National Confectioners Association, overseeing the science and regulatory team addressing labeling, safety, regulatory, nutrition, and supply chain issues related to the candy industry. She also directed the Chocolate Council at the National Confectioners Association, a governing body addressing key policy, sustainability, and technical issues within the cocoa and chocolate sector.  Laura holds a Master of Health Science degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a bachelor’s degree in Food Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She is an active member of several professional organizations, including the Institute of Food Technologists (Past President of the Washington, D.C., Section; Past Chair of the Food Laws and Regulations Division), and currently serves as Chair of the Food and Beverage Issue Alliance.

Li Yi

Secretary General

China Spices Association

About: Ms. Li Yi Secretary General of China Spice Association (CSA) has worked for the association for more than 20 years, and knows well of spice industry and market in China. She has hosted 10 international spice conferences in China from Y2016 and set up good relationships with other associations of USA, Europe, India, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and IPC. CSA has made more than 50 standards for spices in China, and aims to promote global business cooperation for spice companies.

Martin Sonntag

CEO

Oterra Group

About: Martin Sonntag is Chief Executive Officer of Oterra, a leading supplier of natural colors. He joined in January 2024 from ingredients company Doehler, following many years’ broad experience in the global food and beverage industry. Martin has worked in corporate executive business leadership positions in multi- billion companies in the food ingredients industry and driven significant organic growth and M&A in specialty ingredients, natural and plant based alternative ingredients. He also has extensive experience from global business leadership positions in food, pharma, personal care, ingredients, and industrial chemicals at Dow Chemical. During his first 10 years with Dow Chemical, he worked as an engineer leading plants and global technology development and deployment. Martin holds an engineering degree from Hamburg University.

Matthieu Guemas

Agricultural & Sustainability Director

McCormick & Company

Matthijs Pieter Kan

Research Manager

Nedspice EMEA BV

About: Matthijs Kan joined Nedspice in 2025 as Research Manager, focusing on crop research and market developments in the spice industry. He holds degrees in Industrial Design Engineering (BSc) and Biomedical Engineering (MSc) from the Delft University of Technology. Prior to Nedspice, he gained experience at Philips and Shell and worked in management consulting with a focus on operational strategy, implementation, and performance improvement.

Mayank Srivastava

Vice President & Business Head

Olam Food Ingredients Pvt Ltd. (OFI)

Mayur Gohil

Vice President - ITCMAARS

ITC Agri Business Division

About: Mayur hails from Mumbai and received his B. Tech. in Chemical Engineering from LIT – Nagpur. After working for 2 years in NOCIL and refinery business of Reliance Industries, he pursued his PG from NITIE (now IIM, Mumbai) specializing in Supply Chain and Operations. Mayur’s association with ITC started as a summer intern. He joined the organization in 2006 and has worked in four different businesses of ITC in last 19 plus years. For most part of his career, he has worked for ITC’s FMCG Businesses in multiple roles within sourcing, manufacturing, Supply Chain. CAPEX projects, EHS and Sustainability. Mayur moved to Agri Business Division (ABD) of ITC in Feb-2025 as Vice President ITCMAARS which is a full stack Agritech platform with a physical ecosystem engaging with 2,050 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) across 10 States and covering more than 2 million farmers.

Mia Sarojini Kynadi

Co-founder & CTO

VentureFactory.AI

About: Mia Kynadi is a data scientist, entrepreneur & early stage investor who has co-founded multiple tech companies in India and the United States. She is the Co-founder & CEO of VentureFactory.AI, a venture studio focused on building AI startups across the globe, along with domain experts from different industries. She is the Managing Director & CEO at Beyond Z LLC, an AI first digital transformation company in the US, and she also leads tech investments at Venture Way, a unified global startup ecosystem where she serves as Joint Managing Director. Mia is also an active angel investor, and a member of the Board of Governors at Sparks Angel Network. After completing her Masters in Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo, Mia worked at Qualcomm Inc in San Diego, California. She later went on to complete a MicroMasters in Data Science and Statistics from MIT, as well as the Artificial Intelligence Graduate Program from Stanford University. She also holds a Professional Certificate in Artificial Intelligence from Harvard. Mia is also actively involved in different non-profit organisations, and is the Founder & Managing Trustee of Chhaya Foundation, a trust that supports the education of underprivileged children in India. Currently, she is also in the process of setting up GETAI Foundation in Geneva, a non-profit initiative that supports Global Empowerment Through Artificial Intelligence. She believes AI presents an unprecedented opportunity for inclusive and equitable global growth through curated and targeted AI training initiatives that can help underprivileged and marginalised communities around the world break traditional socio-economic barriers.

Nishesh Shah

Vice- Chairman

AISEF

Padmini Sampath

MD & CEO

Green Collar Agritech Solutions Pvt Ltd

About: Padmini Sampath is a technology business leader with 30+ years of experience in the electronics, semiconductor and deep-tech industries, w ith a passion to creatively and collaboratively solve problems. Backed by her demonstrated leadership capabilities in building result-oriented organizations delivering products for a $1B+ business in a highly reputed semiconductor company (Texas Instruments), Padmini is excited to harness the power of technology to build solutions that will contribute to making a significant positive impact in improving productivity and profitability for the global agricultural, agri and food processing value chains. Her industry experience of more than 3 decades in technology development, engineering management and senior leadership roles in the deep-tech, semiconductor and electronics industries equips her with an uncanny ability to understand both details of technology as well as tie the dots for a big picture business view, which enables her to champion productization of complex technological solutions in a simple, intuitive and user-friendly manner to industries that are underserved from a technology penetration standpoint, like agriculture. Innovations from Green Collar Agritech Solutions are finding exciting applications in the spices industry worldwide. Padmini is an Electronics and Communication Engg graduate from Government College of Technology, Coimbatore. She holds 3 granted US patents.

Parneet Swani

Director

Swani Spice Mills Pvt. Ltd

About: Parneet Swani is one of the most compelling leaders in India’s agri–value chain. As the seventh generation of a 160-year legacy, he carries its heritage while reshaping the organization for a world that expects responsible, ethical & sustainable supply chain. As he heads Client Relations, he has built a strong global customer network anchored in trust, transparency, and shared values. As his role expanded, he steered the organization toward growth grounded in responsibility - supporting the land, its ecosystems, and the communities tied to it. This philosophy crystallized into The Green Footprint, the initiative that today defines Swani’s identity across global markets. The first Rainforest Alliance certification in Indian spices, achieved under his leadership, wasn’t just a certification. It was a declaration that Indian agriculture, when guided with intention and intelligence, can meet the world’s testing sustainability standards.

Prakash Namboodiri

Commercial Director

A.B.Mauri India Pvt. Ltd.

Rachna Sharma

Founder & CEO

Climate Ready Leaders

About: Founder & CEO, Climate Ready Leaders Rachna Sharma is a communications leader with over 25 years of experience advising senior executives and organizations across the Asia-Pacific region. Her career spans the development, corporate, and agency sectors across India and overseas. She began her journey in the development sector with the National Dairy Development Board (F&V) in India and subsequently spent 15 years in Indonesia leading communications mandates with global firms such as Edelman and Cohn & Wolfe (WPP). She has since managed communications and research for Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation projects and led sustainability communications for Publicis Groupe firm, MSL India. Recognizing communications as the missing link in addressing the climate emergency, Rachna founded Climate Ready Leaders, a venture dedicated to demystifying climate and sustainability for professionals and building talent for the emerging green economy. A passionate advocate for greening the workforce, she speaks regularly at local and global forums about green skills and the future of work, including recently at the International Green Skills Summit, Global Sustainable Development Congress 2025 in Istanbul, Turkey.  She is an alumna of Delhi University and the Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA), with further learning in Business and Net Zero Emissions from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

Raf Nonneman

CEO

Spice Services

Ramkumar Menon

Chairman - Technical Committee AISEF & Chairman - WSO

World Spice Organisation

Roberto Fanni

Head of Supply Chain (QA) & Direct Farmer Sourcing

Jayanti Herbs & Spice

About: Roberto Fanni is Chairman of the Technical Committee of the KNSV (Dutch Spice Association) and Vice-Chairman of the Technical Committee of the ESA (European Spice Association). (ESA). Roberto works for Jayanti Herbs & Spice as Director of the Supply Chain (QA) and the Direct Farmer Sourcing (DFS). He has over 20 years of experience in the spice industry with extensive knowledge and experience in quality processes, food safety and regulatory affairs. Roberto is also a member of the Contaminants Working Group of FDE (Food Drink Europe).

Sanjeev Bisht

Vice President

Value-Added Agri Products ITC Limited

About: Sanjeev Bisht is the Vice President of Value-Added Agri Products (VAAP) at ITC Limited’s Agri Business Division. A graduate in Agriculture from GBPUAT and a post-graduate in Agri Business Management from MANAGE, Hyderabad, Sanjeev has further strengthened his leadership journey by completing the Advanced Management Program from Cornell University. With over two decades of cross-functional leadership experience, Sanjeev has been instrumental in building and scaling ITC’s Spices business from its inception. He has led the development of robust backward integration models, farmer partnerships, and sustainability initiatives, establishing ITC Spices as a trusted name in domestic and global markets - exporting to over 35 plus countries today. As part of ITC’s Agri Business Leadership Team, Sanjeev plays a key role in driving capability building, team development, and strengthening customer-centric value chains across the Spices, Aqua, Coffee, and Horticulture businesses. He is a member of the CII Task Force on Fisheries & Aquaculture and serves on the Management Committee of the All India Spice Export Forum, actively contributing to shaping the future of India’s agricultural and agri-export landscape. His passion for creating scalable, inclusive, and sustainable agri-value chains continues to drive transformational impact within ITC and across the industry.

Tamas Sarkadi

Chairman, Sustainable Spices Initiative,Group Head of Sustainability

Ramon Sabater

About: Chairman, Sustainable Spices Initiative Group Head of Sustainability, Ramon Sabater With a career spanning over two decades in the food sector, Tamas dedicates his attention and resources to sustainability in multiple capacities and organisations. He is the Group Head of Sustainability at Ramon Sabater, a global leader in primary processing of mono-spices. He is responsible for the overall development and implementation of a group- wide sustainability strategy that is coherent with the company’s values, business strategy and model, in close collaboration with internal and external stakeholders. Cultivating an engaging, inclusive, and diverse organizational culture with a high level of sustainability awareness is another focus area. He also serves as the Chair of the Sustainable Spices Initiative (SSI), the foremost sustainability platform driving the transformation of the spice industry. Passionate about creating positive impact and value across the spice industry and beyond, he actively contributes as the Sustainability Committee Chair at The American Spice Trade Association. His expertise lies in navigating the intricacies of global spice and soft commodity supply chains, addressing the complexities and opportunities they present for sustainability, strategic sourcing, M&A, and supplier & business development. His commitment to fostering sustainability is underlined by his academic background, having completed Executive Education in Circular Economy and Sustainability Strategies at Cambridge Judge Business School. Additionally, he holds an Executive MBA from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.

Vinodini Sukumar

President

The Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry

About: Vinodini is a seasoned Branding and Advertising professional with over three decades of experience working with leading national and regional brands across various sectors, including FMCG, Retail, Finance, Real Estate, Pharma, Hospitality, and more. After over a decade of experience with leading multinational advertising companies, she established Team One Advertising Pvt Ltd, a company that has been thriving for 25 years under her leadership as Managing Director. In addition, Vinodini is the Director of CELSE Labs Pvt Ltd, a skill development start-up. She holds multiple prestigious positions in various forums and has been a long-standing committee member of the Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where she currently serves as President. Vinodini is also a TiE Charter Member and the Global Chair for the TiE Young Entrepreneurs (TYE) Global Program, through which she has successfully extended the program's reach to over 12,000 students across the state in the last three years. She is the Chair for TiE University, which focuses on developing entrepreneurial skills in college student teams. An angel investor with the Kerala Angel Network, Vinodini supports promising start-ups, providing them with the resources and mentorship needed to grow. She is the past President and now an Advisor to the Women Entrepreneurs Network Kerala (WEN). She is also the past President of the Rotary Club of Cochin West, where she chaired global initiatives. Additionally, she serves as a committee member of ROV, an NGO dedicated to women and child rights, and is an active member of the Kerala Management Association.

Yogesh Mehta

Trustee – Federation of Indian Spice Stakeholders

SpicExim

About: With a legacy spanning more than five decades, Yogesh Mehta has established himself as a prominent and influential figure in the global spice trade. Coming from a family engaged in the spices business since 1900, he joined the industry in 1971 and has since played a pivotal role in expanding its global footprint. Under his leadership, SpicExim has grown into a widely recognized international brand, representing several European and American countries as a trusted sourcing partner for agricultural commodities from major origins. Supported by a vast and reliable network of suppliers from India and beyond, the company operates as a leading international broker for seeds and spices. Mehta has also contributed significantly to various industry bodies, having served as Former Chairman of the World Clove Council, Founder Member and Former President of the Indian Spice Foodstuff Exporters’ Association (ISFEA), Trustee of the Federation of Indian Spice Stakeholders, Member of the Spice Board’s Task Force on Seed Spices (Government of India), and Regional Committee Member of the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India Ltd., among other key roles.

Yusuke Horiuchi

Senior Manager, Spice Procurement Strategy Division

House Foods Group Inc.

About: Horiuchi joined HOUSE GABAN Corporation (formally known as GABAN SPICE Co., Ltd.) in 1996 and has been developing the carrier mainly in procurement and production planning. He started to involve in spice procurement since 1999 and handled wide-range of spices, herbs and other food products more than two (2) decades. He had been appointed as the Managing Director of GABAN SPICE MANUFACTURING in Malaysia during 2014 to 2023 (9 years), and successfully expanded the business volume by quality-driven approach, without relying solely on the Japanese market. In his current role, as the Senior Manager of Spice Procurement Strategy Division in House Foods Group Head Quarter, he is mainly taking care of the major spices procurement of the group such Cumin, Coriander, Nutmeg and Black Pepper, and leading the procurement strategy planning while nurturing the next generation of spice procurement.