Experience

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  Godrej Consumer Products Limited

  • Mumbai, India

  • Head - R&D (GAUM), Global Hair Care R&D & Open Innovation

    • May 2019 - Present
    • Mumbai, India

    I am responsible and accountable for new product development for the GAUM (Godrej Africa US Middle East) business cluster of Godrej Consumer Products Limited. This business has multiple verticals - Dry Hair extensions, Wet Hair products, hair colours, and skin care. The R&D team for this business cluster is spread across Mumbai, Nairobi, Durban, and Savannah in USA.I lead the Global Hair Care R&D and Open Innovation for GCPL.

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  Bajaj Consumer Care Ltd

  • Mumbai Area, India

  • R&D Head

    • Feb 2017 - May 2019
    • Mumbai Area, India

    I consult Bajaj Corp Limited (Consumer Goods) as its R&D-Head from Feb 2017. My responsibilities include strategising the RD function for BCL, recrutiment of key talents, coaching and mentoring the R&D team, setting up of the world-class laboratory, creating & driving projects as per the needs of the Brands and in short infuse a long-lasting innovation culture that fuel the accelerated growth of the company.

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  Happily Unmarried Marketing Pvt. Ltd.(Ustraa)

  • New Delhi Area, India

  • R&D Director - Ustraa

    • Oct 2016 - May 2019
    • New Delhi Area, India

    Ustraa is a fast growing male grooming personal care brand from a startup company - Happily Unmarried Marketing Pvt ltd. I help identify the product opportunities that are unique to men and create products that satisfy those specific / unmet needs of men. I help the company to set up its own R&D lab to formulate new and niche products and streamline its product manufacturing.

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  R&R Salons Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru, India

  • Bengaluru Area, India

  • Head R&D

    • Jun 2015 - May 2019
    • Bengaluru Area, India

    As the R&D Head for R&R Salons (a chain of professional high end beauty salons – branded as YLG salons), I lead their product strategy. I help identify the partners in abroad, work with them to identify / develop products, compile the product dossiers and necessary legal documents (PoA, FSC) to get the registration process completed in India for import of products.I created an innovation cum execution ecosystem across the country and orchestrate the innovations for R&R Salons all the way from product development to manufacturing. I help indigenize the manufacturing of some of the products that have been imported from abroad.

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  Famy Energy Private Limited

  • Mumbai Area, India

  • Consultant

    • Sep 2016 - Mar 2019
    • Mumbai Area, India

    I offer expert advise and consulting services in connection with knowledge building, research, investment theme development, sourcing and diligence of potential investment opportunities in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) and Fast Moving Consumer Healthcare Goods (FMCHG). This includes analysis of competition to the identified targets, quality of portfolio of products, projecting growth prospects based on market perceptions, customer & KOL views, and competitiveness.I help in early evaluation of the Targets by having meetings with the management of the Targets and create a financial model of the business opportunity. Later on, when this group established Elegare Beauty Private Limited, I offered Consultancy to that team on depilatory products (cream and wax strips).

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  Everstone Capital Advisors Private Limited

  • Mumbai Area, India

  • Sr Technical Advisor

    • Jun 2015 - Feb 2017
    • Mumbai Area, India

    I work with an experienced set of Investment Directors in this large Private Equity (PE) firm and support them in their endeavours to scout for potential investment targets. My responsibility is to help assess the value of the potential investment opportunities by conducting diligence of their products portfolio & technologies deployed therein, and post the investment deal I help the investees create value in a bigger and faster way primarily through external innovations, as most of these entities are small to medium in size. This opportunity helps me to enlarge and deploy my external network built across the world. This role also helps me to closely work with the investors on one hand to learn how to assess the value of a business / emerging technology and with entrepreneurs on the other hand to understand their business needs & priorities, and these help me to establish myself as an entrepreneurial scientist.

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  Unilever

  • Personal Care R&D Director - Open Innovation & New Businesses Unit

    • Jul 2012 - May 2015

    Open Innovation R&D Director- Personal Care: Identifying the technology needs by closely working with about 30 of my counterparts who lead the Discover and Design teams in Personal Care (PC) category and scout for external technologies for the PC programs and help to put the appropriate deals for collaboration. This current stint hones my people skills, technology diligence skills, and influencing skills. Personal Care category in Unilever covers skin cleansing, skin care, hair care, oral care, and deodorants. I repatriated to India in Feb 2015.

  • Personal Care R&D Director - New Businesses Unit

    • Nov 2010 - Jun 2012

    I moved to London in Feb 2011. In-charge of product innovations for emerging new business activities;I led the product development team that developed product mixes for Dove Spa; Performed the role of Innovation Orchestrator for an emerging new business. During this period, I worked very closely with Unilever Ventures and developed business models (using the Canvas business model template).

  • Global Design Technical Project Leader and Global Claims Manager

    • Jun 2006 - Oct 2010

    The responsibility included launching of Lifebuoy global projects across continents and developing a road map for Lifebuoy claims. The responsibility also includes defending Lifebuoy claims across the globe. I led a global team of 10-12 senior level colleagues spread across multiple regions in the world (South Asia, South East Asia, Africa, Middle East,Latin America) and successfully launched Lifebuoy products across the world. In this role, my team and I supported the accelerated growth of Lifebuoy in terms of roll out countries and format extensions.As a TPL, I led a team of peopel managing CTI workstream, Processing, Formulation and Packagaing development.Received “PEER RECOGNITION AWARD” of Bioscience division in Unilever R&D Centre in Port Sunlight, United Kingdom in October 2007. Recognized as the R&D Hero in Skin Category by SVP-R&D, Skin Category in 2010.Delivered a talk at Hanoi, Vietnam on hygiene in a launch conference. http://www.myfew.net/lifebuoy-aims-to-reach-out-to-1-million-malaysian-household.html

  • Senior Product Development Manager – Skin Cleansing Regional Technology Centre

    • Jan 2005 - May 2006

    I led a team of 7 product development Mangers, 8 Officers, and about 20 Pilot Plant Assistants; My team and I ensured OTIF launches of local jewels and groomed the team. My team and I successfully deployed more than half a dozen launch and re-launch projects for various soap brands - Hamam, Liril, Breeze, Pears. Apart from this, deployed global innovations on Lux and Lifebuoy in the South Asia region.

  • Senior Product Development Manager, Skin Global Design Centre (GDC)

    • Dec 2002 - Dec 2004

    I led a team of 3 officers and 4 Pilot Plant Assistants and developed global mixes for skin lightening bars and face wash. Developed global mixes for Lux and Fair & Lovely Skin Lightening bars and also worked on enhancing the sensory of leave-on formats of Pond’s, and Fair & Lovely.

  • Research Scientist

    • Oct 1997 - Nov 2002

    This job involved developing innovations for enhanced performance of fabric wash formats (powders and bars) for tough particulate soil cleaning and improving lather properties of detergent bars & laundry soap bars. I managed a team of 2 officers. I started the career in Unilever as a member of a global innovation team. During 2000-2002, I led a project on laundry soap bars for South Africa. I handled a collaborative project (1999-2000) with an academic Institute (UDCT, India) on ultrasonic atomisation of liquids to from droplets and the publication resulted from this collaboration has received numerous citations. Also, I handled a collaborative project on Foam science in relation to altering foam profiles of detergent bars & Laundry soap bars in 2001-2002. I travelled across the globe to many countries for factory trials, project meetings, supplier audits, and conferences.

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  Regional Engineering College

  • Tiruchchirappalli Area, India

  • Lecturer

    • Dec 1996 - Sep 1997
    • Tiruchchirappalli Area, India

    I taught core chemical engineering subjects for 2 semesters and guided projects on polymerisation and depolymerisation using ultrasound.