Born and bought up in Chennai, Sujatha Yarnagula went on to do her Post graduation from New York University. She also attended a summer school program at Harvard University .While living in New York , She gained valuable work experience in a startup company for about a year before she joined her family’s struggling business back in Chennai , it give it a new lease of life .
Donracks is a private limited company, which specializes in offering hypermarket, supermarket and warehouse storage solutions across India. The company has its manufacturing facilities at Ambattur Industrial Estate. Under the training and guidance of her father Y.sudharsana Rao who heads a group of manufacturing companies, she was asked to take over Donracks.
Having joined the company as Sales Head in 2009, Sujatha went on to become the Managing Director within a decade, highlighted by consistent growth. With her at the helm, Donracks is poised to emerge a Frontrunner in the industry.

Mr. Kartikay Mehta, Director and shareholder is an esteemed alumnus of the IIM, Bangalore. With over two decades of invaluable experience in fast-moving consumer goods, he has consistently demonstrated a remarkable ability to build and scale profitable businesses. Joining Unibic in 2012, Mr. Mehta spearheaded a remarkable turnaround, transforming the brand from a ₹500 million to a thriving business turnover at ₹ 10 billion. His simple business acumen and go-getter approach have propelled Unibic’s growth at a staggering 30% CAGR, positioning the brand for continued expansion and reaching the ambitious milestone of 50 billion in the near future. Unibic’s global footprint, now spanning 20+ countries, is a testament to Mr. Mehta’s visionary guidance and unwavering commitment to excellence”.

Born in a family of industrialists, Aastha is a true-born entrepreneur. She was a student of Economics from the prestigious Hindu College of Delhi University after which she studied PGDM in Fashion Marketing from Pearl Academy of Fashion to pursue her passion in retail and branding. She is also an alumni of Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta. She is a serial entrepreneur, who is always looking for solutions to simplify businesses – making them more productive and efficient. Prior to launching The New Shop, Aastha spearheaded a series of startups across diverse industries such as mobile gaming, online reputation management and consumer retail. While studying for a Bachelor’s, she joined her father’s stock broking firm making her one of the youngest certified stock-brokers from National Stock Exchange. She has lived an adventurous life and has amassed 12 years of diversified experience in entertainment, finance, branding, and retail. Her interests and pursuits are also reflected in her well-rounded personality. Aastha has the capability of turning everything she touches into a profitable venture. Much like the Virgin Group of UK, Aastha enters every domain afresh but quickly disrupts & evolves the landscape of the chosen industry.

Vishaal Natural Food Products is a 26 years old company who have been in the industry of vegetable Processing , We have adapted and grown over the years to the market trends in products , Packaging style and sizes. This has given us to cope with the markets needs and be the leader in our field . We have been a part of the responsible farming , where we participate with the farmers and Customers who have 100% transparency in how the produce is being grown , Packed and delivered . This establishes the trust with the customer and company , this is where we have captured the market . We are a BRC , IFS , Kosher and Halal certified company. We specialise in the products like Gherkins Jalapeno Babycorn Sweetcorn Red Bell Pepper Jalapeno Chutney Spicemixes and herbs Red Cherries Mango pulp Frozen vegetables Coconut milk and Products Pineapple slices and Tidbits And More . We are very proud to have the brand accepted and noted in the B2B space where we have been a part of many kitchen, many occasion and our trust is always there with the chefs and consumers.

An ace Pastry Chef, Chefpreneur, Entrepreneur, Chef & Founder Star Anise Fine Foods, Co-Founder of Gourmelange Hospitality LLP and a seasoned F&B professional, Chef Anees has risen to the top of the culinary world since winning the “Chef Entrepreneur Of The Year Award” by WICA in the year 2018.  Chef Anees was was also conferred as one of the “Top Most Hospitality Icons” of the year by Asia food congress & awards, 2023. He has been awarded as “Chef Entrepreneur Of The Year Award” by Better Kitchen popular choice awards in the year 2023 and also “Popular Choice Entrepreneur Chef” by FBAI in the year 2023. Chef Anees recently has been awarded “The Patisserie Maestro Of India” 2024 by Better Kitchen Awards.

His pet project “Star Anise Patisserie” at various locations in Mumbai are a toast for many Mumbaikars and is flourishing with amazing guest feedback and positive comments. Star Anise Patisserie was declared the “Best Bakery Of The Year”- Mumbai in 2023 by Food Connoisseurs India Awards

Hailing from Orissa, Anees Khan graduated from IHM Chennai in 1997. He went on to join The Leela
Kempinski in Mumbai. A year in the hot kitchen later, he found himself in the patisserie kitchen of the
hotel, where he trained and worked under expatriate pastry chefs, who showed exquisite and fine pastry
skills. Anees has trained under the Swiss Master Pastry Chef Beat Loeffel, who is credited to have changed
the patisserie kitchen in India. Soon after he became the Head the Pastry kitchen of The Leela, Goa,
where he managed the millennium festivities and mastered fusion and Asian desserts.

A year later, chef Anees joined Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, as their Chef De Partie
and brushed shoulders with some of the best talents in Canada. Anees returned to India in 2001 and joined
hands with celebrity chef Moshe Shek in Mumbai to set up his bakery kitchen, and design desserts for his
various delis, cafes and restaurants. When in 2004, he felt the need to get back into the mainstream, he
joined Hyatt Regency, Mumbai, as a Sous Chef, Pastry.

He then moved to Goa, to join The Leela again, as their Pastry Chef. During his tenure here, he served
among many other high-profile guests, then US president Bill Clinton and his entourage. His next move
was to Egypt, as the Executive Pastry Chef at JW Marriott in Cairo. Here he mastered the craft involved
in Arabic desserts and learned the bedrocks of Middle Eastern Cuisine. In 2007, he was invited as the
Pastry Chef for Kilimanjaro Hotel Kempinski, Dar Es Salaam, to revamp their patisserie and impart
training. He also served the likes of multiple International cricketers. During his stint here, he received
recognition as the best pastry chef in the region.

His next stop on the world map was Oman, where he joined Six Senses Resort & Spa, as their Executive
Pastry Chef. The stint brought along immense exposure as he worked with chefs of 35 nationalities.
Among the famous patrons of his creations here were Rowan Atkinson, Robin Williams, and cricketers
like Andrews Strauss. Later, he completed Advanced Gelato Training at Bolognia, Italy. In 2010, he
returned to Mumbai to pursue his dream of setting up a premium catering company. He set up Star Anise
Fine Foods & Leisure Pvt. Ltd. (SAFFL), bringing to it his 20 years of culinary experience working for
several International five-star hotels across the world.

Mohit Khattar is Director and CEO, for Graviss Foods Pvt Ltd (GFPL), the master franchisee for Baskin Robbins in India and the SAARC region. He is responsible for growing and managing the business and the brand in this geography. Mohit has earned his spurs building several successful programs and customer centric initiatives for leading organisations, including Titan Watches, Reckitt Benckiser, T.I Cycles of India, Subhiksha and Godrej. He is actively involved as an advisor to New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE), to help New-Zealand based businesses enter India and scale their business here. He is also on the board of several food start-ups in the healthy eating as well as in the gourmet food space apart from being a mentor to budding entrepreneurs in the food retail space.

Shail Pancholi is the Country Director for India at Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds (WP&A), LLC. A wholly owned operating company of The Wonderful Company, WP&A is the world’s largest grower, processor, and marketer of pistachios and almonds. Shail began his career at WP&A in 2019. As Country Director for India, Shail is responsible for leading the company’s business and all related activities in India. During Shail’s tenure at WP&A, pistachio consumption in India has grown exponentially as a result of the company’s focused efforts towards creating consumer awareness for pistachios, and strong partnerships with the Indian nuts and dried fruits industry. Prior to Wonderful, Shail has worked in several new market development roles. In his free time, Shail likes to run, workout, and read.

I have over 25 years’ experience in Sales and Marketing .

Starting my career with sales of IT products in The Sanjay Dalmia Group at Chennai, I moved to Godrej & Boyce in their erstwhile division-EBE.I then moved to National Panasonic in their Systems Division for handling their business of Communication as well as IT Products for Southern Region .

In the year 2000, I changed my industry and  joined Blue Star  in their newly created ROOM AC DIVISION as their Regional Manager for South based out of Chennai. The next 6 years saw me being moved  across the country to handle the Eastern Region and SAARC  based out of Kolkata and then the Northern Region operation of this division based out of Delhi.

In 2006 with the market looking to expand on the retail side as well as on the HORECA segment, I was moved to the Head office  to handle the new businesses like retail as well as Refrigeration solutions for the HORECA Industry.  I was responsible for the tie ups the co established with many foreign partners in these fields. I subsequently handled the Product Management function for the entire Refrigeration Products business. Then I handled the National sales operation of the Refrigeration Products Division  for about 3 years and moved to Head the Product Management function of the Commercial Refrigeration Division and Sales Operation of Key Account Business and New Lines of Business (Commercial Kitchen Refrigeration, Medical Refrigeration and Supermarket Refrigeration).

In my current role, I am responsible for the

1. a) Sales Operations for the Commercial Refrigeration Division comprising of Refrigeration Products Division and Cold Storage Division,
2. b) Division Marketing Function

Rachit Vohra is Sr Director Sales, part of leadership team at Kellanova, South Asia. Has over 22 years of experience in FMCG & Consumer durables industry, worked with reputed organizations like Whirlpool, Marico and Philips Limited. Rachit has rich experience in GTM strategies, category & channel management delivering transformational agendas for the organisations propelling growth and capability. He is particularly enthusiastic for evolving Indian channel landscape, especially Omni channel driven by technological advancements, increased internet penetration, and changing consumer behaviours. Rachit has received recognition for his leadership and transformation projects through multiple industry awards.

Chef Ishijyot Surri stands as a beacon in the global culinary arena. With a background rooted in the prestigious Taj Group, he has been formally trained in the culinary field at the Taj IHM-A institute with an affiliation to the prestigious University of Huddersfield, UK. Ishijyot’s stints across various restaurants fortified his understanding of different culinary traditions, allowing him to oversee a North Indian BBQ poolside restaurant. His accolades, such as the ‘Young Chef of the Year’ and ‘Best Chef Led Restaurant’, are a testament to his relentless pursuit of culinary perfection. The chef’s vision transcended the boundaries of the traditional kitchen.

By 2018, determined to perpetually evolve, Ishijyot’s entrepreneurial flair led to the inception of three distinct culinary hubs under the banner of the SJI Hospitality group: Mulk, reflecting old world North Indian charm; and Pachinco, a haven for Italian diner and coffee enthusiasts alike.

Yet, it was his venture, MiniyaTurk, inspired by his trip to Turkey, that truly showcased his unwavering commitment to pushing culinary boundaries, offering a harmonious fusion of Turkish street foods giving rise to a multi-speciality restaurant offering Turkish, Middle-Eastern, Mexican and Pan-Asian flavours. The Outdoor Catering vertical “SJI Gourmet” has earned immense recognition and love under his leadership.

Nitin has completed more than 25 years in the Food & Beverage Industry. Having worked as a chef
with Taj Hotels and Hotel Oberoi’s kitchen in the initial 8 years of his career, he was inspired to open
his first dessert store in 1992. The next three milestones that followed were – Pot Pourri, Lemongrass
Café and Seijo and Soul Dish. In the year 2012, he was voted as one of the top 50 Master Chefs in
India by the Indian Culinary Forum.

Currently, he is the founder and chief stylist at “Nitin Tandon Food Stills & Video Production”.
It’s a production house with a team of stylists and photographers that cater to any kind of Food Styling
and photography assignments. The studio also churns out many Digital Videos and other food video
content for social media marketing. Rising from a single owned Food Stylist as an Organisation that
now has gone way beyond just food styling.

Nitin Tandon has worked on countless brands for fine dine restaurants and cafés, print ads, TVCs ,
feature films, web series, etc. He has worked on various assignments for industry giants like KFC, ITC
Food, McDonalds, Amul, Vadilal, Dominos, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, Tata Cliq, Maggi, Nestle, etc. He has
also shown is magic in many feature films like Ki & Ka, Lunchbox, Robot, Cheeni Kum, Dear Zindagi,
Ghayal Once again, Mission Mangal, etc.

Amongst the innumerable accolades earned along the way, one of his prized features in his cap is the
award for the “Best Food Stylist”, presented at the ZEE Living Foodz Powerlist Awards 2016.

1. Awarded as “Chef Entrepreneur of the year 2022” by Chef Connect 2022 & WICA (Western Indian
Culinary Association.
2. Most Admirable Chef Award, Asia Chapter by World Food Congress 2022
2. Award for the “Best Food Stylist”, presented at the ZEE Living Foodz Powerlist Awards 2016.
3. In 2012, voted as one of the top 50 Master Chefs in India by the Indian Culinary Forum.
4. Only Indian nomination for Pink Lady Food Photography of the year 2020.
5. Food Photo Affair 2020/21 Exhibition Finalist.
Nitin Tandon has been an inspiring speaker at many events, seminars, webinars, etc.
1. Workshop with all the Chefs and their team at Taj Resorts & Convention Centre, Goa, 2022
2. Workshop for Goa Culinary Conclave 2022
3. Workshop by NRAI Hyderabad for The India Restaurant Conclave 2022 on Customer Acquisition
and Brand Building through Food Photography.
4. Speaker for AHAR 42nd Annual General Meeting, 2022 on “Adapting to the New Wave in F&B.”
5. IFBA 2021 Jury Member and lecture on Food Photography organised by Vikhroli Cucina & FBAI
6. Webinar on Food Styling & Photography by NFCI 2021
7. Live session for DY Patil University on “Food Styling as a Profession”, 2020
8. Food Photography & advertising, a talk show for live online audience along with Photographer
Bharat Bhirangi, 2020
9. Webinar on “Food Styling: Making students future ready for the food industry” by LPU, 2020
10. Webinar & Live talk show on Food in Motion with motion stylist Goldwin Fonseca, 2020
11. Speaker and Influencer on 2 separate sessions for Capturing Wow Global Summit 2020.
12. Talk Show on “5 Keys to Running a successful Bakery” by Bakery Business 14th Edition, 2019
13. Speaker & Talk show event #FBAIDialogues by the FBAI 2016.
14. Speaker at the event by Inspire Young India, 2017
15. Food Styling & Photography workshop at Food Studios in the year 2017 in association with Burrp.
16. Session done for The FBAI & Godrej event #HomeChefMatters 2.0 Lost Recipes
17. Seminar & Talk show Speaker for Bakery Business 2019 on Creating Brand intensity for Bakery.
18. Webinar along with Chef Harpal Sokhi on The Journey of Media Chefs, 2020

19. Jury of The FBAI Food Bloggers Association India) in the year 2017.