Dr. R. Pandiselvam is a Senior Scientist (Agricultural Engineering) at ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi. He received his B.Tech. in Agricultural Engineering (2010) and M.Tech. in Agricultural Processing & Food Engineering (2012) from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore. He completed his Ph.D. from TNAU in 2015 and joined ICAR in 2016 as a Scientist at the ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), Kasaragod, Kerala. During his tenure at CPCRI (2016–2024), Dr. Pandiselvam significantly contributed to the design and development of several post-harvest technologies including a minimal processing machine for tender coconut, a continuous-type coconut testa removing machine, a tender coconut cutting machine, and preservation protocols for trimmed tender coconut. He was also involved in the development and commercialization of value-added coconut-based food products such as Kalpa Krunch, Frozen Coconut Delicacy, and Matured Coconut Water-Based Beverages, benefitting over 40 entrepreneurs. He has trained more than 8,000
stakeholders through demonstrations and capacity-building programs. Dr. Pandiselvam has authored over 100 research and review articles in reputed journals, co-authored 7 books and 67 book chapters, and serves on editorial boards of several international journals. His achievements have been recognized with prestigious awards, including the NAAS Young Scientist Award (2020), NAAS Associate (2021), ISAE Distinguished Service Award (2020), and inclusion in the World’s Top 2% Scientists list by Stanford University & Elsevier. Recently, he was honored with the Rashtriya Krishi Vigyan Puraskar 2025– Young Scientist Award for his outstanding contributions to agricultural engineering and technology dissemination.
Kaavya Rathnakumar is a Market Development Manager Mineral Nutrition – Technical and Custom Solutions at Jungbunzlauer Inc. She brings over a decade of experience spanning research, product development, technical services, and commercialization in both B2B and B2C environments. Prior to her current role, she served as a Food Scientist at Balchem Human Nutrition and Health in St. Louis, Missouri, Innovation Scientist at Beyond Meat in Los Angeles, California, and as Postdoctoral Research Associate and Director at the Frozen Dessert Center in the Department of Food Science, University of Wisconsin–Madison. Dr. Rathnakumar’s expertise lies at the intersection of scientific innovation and market-driven product development. Her work encompasses sustainable by- product utilization through non-thermal processing, ingredient and process innovation for dairy and non-dairy frozen desserts and beverages, plant-based meat analogs, and advanced formulation strategies involving milk lipids, phospholipids, structured fats, and emulsions. She has led multiple strategic innovation initiatives in plant and dairy protein systems using novel process engineering techniques. In addition to her technical credentials. Dr. Rathnakumar has formal training in business analytics, economics, and financial strategy through the Harvard Business School’s Core Business Certification, equipping her with a strong foundation in commercial strategy. She is an active member of several professional associations, including the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA), the American Association of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), and the American Oil Chemists’ Society (AOCS). Her contributions have earned her nine international awards, such as the John Brandt Award from Land O’Lakes and Midwest Dairy, and the Women in Engineering Award from ASABE in 2020. Dr. Rathnakumar is the author of over 30 peer-reviewed articles, 10 book chapters, and 6 edited books, and has delivered more than 40 conference presentations. She serves as a special editor for journals such as
Journal of Food Quality and
Food Measurement and Sustainability, and is an active reviewer for USDA research programs.She holds a Ph.D. in Dairy and Food Science from South Dakota State University, a Master of Engineering in Food Engineering and Bioprocess Technology from the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand, and a Bachelor's degree in Food Processing Engineering from the Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology, India.
Dr. Anjineyulu Kothakota is working as a Scientist in CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram. He has done his B.Tech in Food Technology from ANGRAU, Andhra Pradesh, India, M.Tech in Food Engineering and Technology from SLIET, Punjab, India and PhD in Agricultural Processing and Food Engineering from GBPUAT, Uttarakhand, India. He has a well-proven track record of achievements in the field of post-harvest technologies and agri-waste management, especially in the area of development of cost-effective biodegradable tableware utilizing agro-residues to replace single-use plastics, utilizing a wide range of agro-residues such as rice and wheat bran, rice husk, rice straw, corn wastes, fibre-rich plant parts etc. The technology for the production of such biodegradable products has been so far transferred to 16 companies/start-ups and even multi-national companies like ITC and Nestle have shown interest in taking up the technology. His keen interest in research is evident from the numerous publications in high-impact-factor journals, having a combined citation count of over 2493 and an h-index of 27. Recognizing his contributions to Engineering and Science, he has received several accolades like the Kerala State Young Scientist Award, INAE–Young Engineer Award 2022, ICAR-NAAS Young Scientist Award 2021, ICAR-NAAS Associate Award 2023, CSIR Award for Science and Technology Innovations for Rural Development (CAIRD) 2020, Young Scientist Representing India in DST Shanghai Cooperation Organization-Young Scientist Conclave 2020, etc.
