NutrifyToday Academy names Dr Balkumar Marthi as President

Marthi will steer programmes that knit together universities, researchers, and industry to fast-track new product development

NutrifyToday Academy has appointed Dr Balkumar Marthi as its new President.

A microbiologist by training (PhD, University of Delaware), Marthi brings three decades of experience spanning global R&D, industry associations, and science-based regulatory engagement. He used to work for Unilever in senior research roles, such as an Expertise Director at the company’s R&D centre in the Netherlands. He has worked on improving food safety and innovation in many areas.

Most recently, Marthi held academic leadership roles at GITAM (Deemed to be University), including Dean of Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

At NutrifyToday Academy, Marthi will steer programmes that knit together universities, researchers, and industry to fast-track new product development. The Academy has convened senior faculty and industry leaders in courses such as New Product Development & Commercialisation, where Marthi has served as Head of Department and curriculum lead.

The Academy’s Founder, Amit Srivastava, said, “Dr Marthi’s appointment is a turning point for the Academy. He is the best person to connect university labs with commercial markets because he has a unique mix of global R&D leadership, regulatory knowledge, and academic innovation. Our goal is still the same: to make the supply chain more open so that innovation doesn’t have to wait. With Dr Balkumar in charge, we are ready to speed up that mission and turn groundbreaking research into products that can really grow.”

Dr Marthi said, “The Academy is a one-of-a-kind place where researchers, industry partners, and regulatory experts can all connect. It helps innovators go from coming up with ideas to making money with both speed and scientific rigour. Our goal is to work together to get more people access to functional nutrition that tastes good, faster.”