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Vitafoods India Conference Agenda

Conference Partners

Time Topic
10:30 – 11:00
Welcome Address and Inauguration
11:00 – 11:45
Panel Discussion: Label It Right: Building Trust Through Claims, Compliance, and Clarity
  • Navigating evolving FSSAI regulations, clean-label demands, and claim substantiation
  • Practical insights on label approvals, hygiene, and compliance strategies
  • Safeguarding consumer trust and enabling business growth

Moderator:

Mujeeb Mohammed, Head Government Affairs IME & APAC Region, NSF

Panel Members:

Pritee Chaudhary, Director, Western Region - FSSAI

Dr. Adip Roy, Associate VP - Regulatory Affairs | R&D, Amway

Zaiba Shaikh, Associate Director, Medical and Regulatory Affairs Consumer Healthcare, Cipla Health Ltd.

Dr. Madhavi Marathe, Head, Clinical Nutrition | Medical Affairs and Clinical Research, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

Vikas Talwar, Director, Regulatory Affairs, Kenvue, India
11:45 – 12:15
Future-ready Nutraceuticals: Adult Resilience & Kids’ Wellness
  • Adult resilience focus: Nutraceuticals supporting stress management, healthy ageing, and vitality in modern lifestyles.
  • Kids’ health evolution: Gen Z parents shaping new expectations for formats, benefits, and wellness goals.
  • Innovation insights: Clear consumer shifts inspiring the next wave of nutraceutical product development.

Rushikesh Aravkar, Director, Mintel Reports India
12:15 – 13:15
Panel Discussion: Science-Led Nutra Packaging: Stability, Safety, Shelf Life & Sustainability
  • Advances in packaging technology supporting product stability and sustainability
  • Explore how innovative packaging solutions not only enhance product stability but also reduce environmental impact using biodegradable, recyclable, or reusable materials.
  • Ensuring safety across supply chains
  • Techniques to extend shelf life without compromising quality

Moderator:

Aarthi Janakiraman, Research Director, Everest Group

Panel Members:

Dr. Yashawant Kumar, Founder & CEO, Benefic Nutrition

Rajkiran Nayak, Senior Manager Market Development CSP India & SEA, Aptar CSP Technologies

Dr. Rohit Singh, President, MD & CEO – India, USA & Europe, Rclinical solutions

Ashwin Bhadri, CEO, Equinox Labs

Vilas Ramrao Shirhatti, Principle Advisor, Zydus Wellness Products Limited

13:15 – 14:15
NETWORKING LUNCH
14:15 – 14:45
KSM:66 Ashwagandha: Leading Ayurveda Globally through Science Safety and Sustainability

Dr. Deepika Ganju Gunawant, Additional Medical Director, Apollo AyurVAID
14:45 – 15:30
Route-to-Market & Retail Readiness
  • Optimize Channel Mix – Select and balance direct vs. indirect routes for maximum market coverage.
  • Strengthen Retail Execution – Ensure product visibility, availability, and in-store compliance.
  • Launch Preparedness – Align supply, promotions, and retail onboarding for seamless rollout.

Moderator:

Dr Prabodh Halde, Head Global Regulatory, Public Policy and Advocacy, Marico Limited

Panel Members:

Ketan Bhatia, Vice President – Consumer Products, Tata 1mg

Dr. Vivek Srivastav, CEO, Multani Pharmaceuticals Limited

Puru Gupta, Founder & Operating Partner, Proteus Partners

Sukhada Bhatte, Nutrition Science Specialist- Ideation Emerging Markets & Clinical Research, Dr Reddys Laboratories Ltd

Amreen I. Sheikh, Chief Dietician, KIMS Hospital Thane

15:30 – 16:00
Nutraceuticals offerings by Lubrizol
  • Introduction to Lubrizol Nutraceuticals portfolio,
  • A detailed insight into Lipofer.

Dr. Geeta Yadav, Technical Manager - Nutraceuticals, Lubrizol India
16:00 – 16:30
New Clinical Study of Magtein® Supporting Cognitive Performance, Healthy Brain Aging, Sleep Health and Beyond
  • Demonstrates Magtein®’s role in supporting healthy brain cognitive aging, validated by multiple clinical trials
  • Expands benefits to hand–eye coordination and stress physiology, with improvements in heart rate and heart rate variability.
  • Reinforces prior clinical evidence that Magtein® improves cognitive performance and sleep quality.

Rafea Naffa, PhD, Director of R&D, Threotech and Scientific Advisor to AIDP.
16:30 – 17:00
Fireside – Chat
The Future of Inner Health: How Nutrigenomics, Epigenetic Nutrition & Mitochondrial Science Are Shaping Everyday Well-being
  • The role of nutrigenomics and epigenetic modulation in personalised wellness
  • Emerging nutraceuticals supporting mitochondrial function, repair pathways, and metabolic resilience.

Moderator:

Dr. Kejal Joshi, Nutrition Manager, Marico India Ltd.

Panel Members:

Dr. Dnyanesh V. Darshane, Ph.D., M.B.A., Business Consultant & Partner – FOBE Solutions LLC

Subhaprada Nishtala, Founder Food Adroit, Past President AFST Mumbai
17:00
End of Day 1
Time Topic
10:30 – 11:00
Nutrition for Longevity & Healthy Aging
  • Interventions targeting bone health, cognition, immunity, and mobility in India’s aging population
  • Fortification strategies including Vitamin D, B12, and Calcium
  • Senior-friendly product formats and benchmarking global best practices

Dilip Ghosh, PhD, FACN, Director, Nutriconnect, Sydney
HADSA at Vitafoods India 2026
Theme: Evidence Based Specialized Nutrition for Chronic Lifestyle Diseases
11:00 – 11:10
Opening & Welcome Address

Ajit Singh, President, HADSA and Chairman, ACG
11:10 – 11:30
The Growing Burden of Mental Stress and Sleep Issues: Why Consumers Are Turning to Supplements

Aditi Pawar, Assistant Manager, Sales & Marketing, K Patel Phyto Extractions
11:30 – 11:50
Clinical Nutrition for Non-Communicable Diseases – India Perspective

Dr. Ganesh Kadhe, Founder & Director, Zantus Lifesciences
11:50 – 12:30
Panel Discussion: Specialised Clinical Nutrition - Need of the Hour

Moderator:

Dr. Vaibhav Kulkarni, Hon. Secretary, HADSA and Founder & Director, Zantus Lifesciences

Panel Members:

Dr. Nikhil Kelkar, Hon. Treasurer, HADSA and Joint Managing Director, Hexagon Nutrition

Tiana Rodrigues Technical Expert, Vantage Nutrition, ACG Group Company

Dr. Umesh Mishra, Head: Medical & Scientific affairs, Lupin

Dr. Anuja Jawale, Associate Director, Area Safety Head – India & South Asia Cluster, Kenvue
HADSA Session Ends
12:30 – 13:00
The Science That Sells: Commercial Success of Liposomal Supplements
  • Why delivery science has become a key commercial differentiator in nutraceuticals
  • How liposomal technology bridges the gap between scientific claims and consumer outcomes
  • Turning R&D, patents, and validation into strong brand and market positioning
  • What brands often get wrong about liposomal supplements — and how to do it right?
  • Practical insights on scaling, stability, and real-world commercialization

Dr. Sreeraj Gopi, PhD, FRSC, Founder & Managing Director, Molecules Group
13:00 – 13:40
Exclusive Session
The Gut-Brain Axis and Microbiome

Moderator:

Dr. Vivek Srivastav, CEO – B2B & CRDMO, Multani Pharmaceuticals Limited

Speaker:

Luke Coutinho, Founder, Luke Coutinho Holistic Healing Systems
13:40 – 14:15
NETWORKING LUNCH
14:15 – 15:00
Panel Discussion with WIN: The Feminine Lens in Science: How Women Are Rewriting the Future of Nutraceutical Innova
  • Role of women in science - Bringing empathy, precision, and inclusivity to nutraceutical innovation.
  • Gender diversity in R&D to improve product outcomes, trust and ethical practices.

Moderator:

Dr. Jayashree Ladha, CSO and Co-founder, Rudra Bioventures, & WIN India Co-chair

Panel Members:

Dr. Ashwani Garg, Founder, Functional Medicine Clinic

Dr. Dipti Saudagar, Director, S K Biobiz FoodTech Pvt Ltd

Dr. Kriti Soni, Global Head, R&D, Dr. Vaidya’s, RPSG Group

Silvi Siddhu, Strategic Advisor – Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods & Beverages

Dr. Nitika Kohli, Director, Aimil Pharmaceuticals; Founder, Aimil Healthcare and Research Centre

Harsh Parekh, Co-Founder, PharmEasy
15:00 – 15:20
The Microbiome’s Role in the GLP-1 Story
  • GLP-1 physiology: Regulates blood sugar by stimulating insulin, suppressing glucagon, promoting satiety, and slowing gastric emptying.
  • Gut-microbiota connection: SCFAs from microbes stimulate intestinal L-cells to enhance GLP-1 secretion.
  • Microbiome-based support: Probiotics, prebiotics, and polyphenols boost natural GLP-1 and ease side effects of GLP-1 agonists.

David Foreman, President, Herbal Pharmacist, Herbal Pharmacist Media LLC
15:20 – 16:00
Panel Discussion: Personalized Nutrition & AI for Nutra
  • 2030 Outlook: India’s Edge in Global Nutraceuticals
  • Advances in genomics and microbiome research
  • AI-guided nutrition protocols and coaching models
  • Ethical considerations, evidence base, and scaling challenges

Moderator:

Dr. Anand Swaroop, Founder, Cepham Inc.

Panel Members:

Arjun Dasoondi, Head of Brand Marketing, Amway India Enterprises Private Limited

Pranav Saraf, Founder, Carbamide Forte

Ankita Marwaha, Director – R&D Life Sciences, PepsiCo India

Bill Bae, Chief Commercial Officer, Radicle Science

Anjali Ramnath, Head- Institutional Business, Preventive & Digital, PB Health
16:00 – 16:20
Japan Technology: Japanese Innovation by Morinaga Nutritional Foods Asia Pacific
  • Focus on Morinaga’s Human Residential Bifidobacteria (HRB)—proprietary probiotic strains of human origin.
  • Unique functional characteristics not found in non-HRB strains.
  • Backed by Scientific Research, studies on HRB’s potential roles in gut health and skin wellness.
  • Research on weight management and cognitive support.

Soichiro Sato, Researcher - Food Function, Research Institute of Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd
16:20 – 16:40
Japan Technology: SunActive Fe – Japanese Innovation in Iron Delivery
  • Background of Iron
  • Introduction of Taiyo's Nutrient Delivery System (NDS), SunActive
  • Introduction of SunActive Fe; No taste, High-bioavailability, Safety & no side effects
  • Clinical data introduction and WHO

Kobayashi Junya, R&D Group Leader, Nutrition Division (Ph.D.), Taiyo Kagaku Japan
16:40
End of Day 2
Time Topic
11:00 - 12:00
Exclusive Podcast

The Consumer of Tomorrow: Gen Z & Alpha Nutrition Habits

  • Consumer analysts and startups decode shifting nutrition choices of Gen Z and Gen Alpha populations in India and globally.

Guest:

Dr. Yashawant Kumar, Founder & CEO, Benefic Nutrition

Interviewer:

Sharvari Dixit, Co-Founder & Chief Strategy and Regulatory, Nutraworks Consulting; Group Director, ENAC
12:00 - 13:00
Panel Discussion: The Protein Gap: From Dal to Designer Proteins
  • Why: India still faces a “protein paradox” high awareness but low intake. Plant-based and functional proteins are now trending.
  • An exploration of how nutraceutical science and Indian tradition can converge to solve one of the country’s most underestimated nutrition gaps
  • How Nutrigenomics and Epigenetic Nutrition Can Personalize Protein Solutions for Everyday Well-being

Moderator:

Dilip Ghosh, PhD, FACN, Director, Nutriconnect, Sydney

Panel Members:

Ruby Sound, Consulting Dietitian & Performance Nutritionist; Secretary, Indian Dietetic Association, Mumbai Chapter

Naaznin Husein, Director, Medical Nutritional Therapist

Sujata Pawar, Founder, Avni Wellness

Nandini Roy Choudhury, Principal Consultant – Food and Beverage Industry, Future Market Insights
13:00 – 14:00
NETWORKING LUNCH
14:00
End of Day 3 and Conference