Mentor Profiles

Senior woman speaker at India Food Safety Conclave.

Dr. Lalitha Gowda,

Retd. Chief Scientist, CSIR-CFTRI, Mysore

Dr. Lalitha comes with 36 years of professional experience as a research scientist in the domain. She is currently the chairman of the Scientific Panel of Genetically Modified Foods and formerly served as a Chief Scientist at CSIR-CFTRI, Mysore, a Member of FSSAI, Member Scientific Committee of FSSAI.

Man speaking at India Food Safety Conclave on food safety and quality.

Dr. Shashikanth Kunigal

Ex-Corporate Head, Britannia

Dr. Shashikanth has a Ph.D. in Food Microbiology from CFTRI, Mysore. He has nearly 41+ years of industry experience including Head of Corporate Quality Britannia, Heinz, and CII.

Ms. Sarika Agarwal

Founder & MD at Food Safety Works

Ms. Sarika has a B.Tech in Food Technology and has been leading the company since 2009. She has helped multiple clients to implement FSMS at their locations. She has an overall experience of 18 years in the domain.

Dr. P.A. Shankar

Ex Director of Dairy Science College, Bangalore

Dr. P.A. Shankar holds a Ph.D. from the National Institute for Research in Dairying, Reading, England. He served for over four decades at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, retiring as Professor and Director of Dairy Science College. Post-retirement, he worked as Director R&D in a company manufacturing activated carbon filters. Currently, he is a freelance consultant in food hygiene, probiotics, and microbial enzymes, and is actively associated with professional bodies like the Indian Dairy Association, AFST(I), and the Fermented Foods Network.

Dr. Mridul Salgame

Former Member, FSSAI

Dr. Balkumar Marthi

Dean- Innovation & Entrepreneurship, GITAM University

Dr. Balkumar has a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences (Microbiology) from the University of Delaware and has industry experience of close to 30 years of which 25 years were at Unilever R&D. He works with clients to provide a 360-degree view of food safety.

Mr. Srinivas KR

VP & Head – Quality Assurance at Metro Cash and Carry India Pvt Ltd

Mr. Srinivas KR holds a Master’s Degree in Dairy Microbiology focused in Dairy Science from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore. He is proficient and skilled in Food & Beverage, Operations Management, Retail, Pricing Strategy, and Team Building and is a veteran in the wholesale industry

Mr. R. Prakash

Expert in Agri Science & Food Processing

Mr. R. Prakash is a seasoned expert in food processing and agribusiness with over 40 years of experience. He has significantly contributed to food safety systems, cold chains, food parks, and value chains across fruits, vegetables, cereals, dairy, and spices. His work has supported over 200 food industries and positively impacted nearly 10 million farmers. A trained food safety auditor and early advocate of HACCP in India, he has led projects with global partners like the World Bank, JICA, and the EU. As Founder Trustee of InFoFo, he offers deep technical expertise and is committed to inclusive, sustainable food system development.