Founder and CEO

Ramesh Deshpande is a former senior staff of the Reserve Bank of India (1957-80) and the World Bank, Washington DC (1980-98).  After retirement from the World Bank, from 1998 to 2014, Ramesh worked as a consultant to the World Bank, Washington DC and other international agencies including IFAD, FAO and EBRD and private sector consulting firms.  Since 2014, Ramesh has been working on a voluntary basis using the US-based forum called India Agriculture Group (IAG) International and the recently formed nonprofit called India Agriculture Advancement Group (IAAG) Intl. Inc. Ramesh is a founder member of IAAG’s board and its Resident Representative in the USA.     

Director

Dr. Ram Badan Singh is a distinguished Indian agricultural scientist and academic, currently serving as the Chancellor of Central Agricultural University and President of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences. With a Ph.D. in genetics from North Carolina State University, he has held prominent positions including Assistant Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Regional Representative for Asia-Pacific, as well as Director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI). Recognized for his significant contributions to agricultural science and policy, Dr. Singh was honored with the Padma Bhushan in 2003.

Director

Dr. Kamaljit Singh Bawa is an evolutionary ecologist and conservation biologist, serving as Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Boston and as Founder-President of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), a leading environmental think tank in India. Renowned for his pioneering work on tropical forest biodiversity and sustainability, he has received numerous accolades, including the Gunnerus Sustainability Award, the MIDORI Prize for Biodiversity, and the Linnean Medal in Botany—becoming the first Indian to be so honored. Dr. Bawa is an elected fellow of the Royal Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, reflecting his global impact on conservation science.

Director

Dr. Rameshwar S. Kanwar is the Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor of Agricultural and Water Resources Engineering at Iowa State University, where he has served since 1983. An internationally recognized expert in irrigation, drainage, water quality, and sustainable agriculture, he has led global research and development projects across more than 60 countries for organizations including the World Bank, USAID, and the FAO. Dr. Kanwar has received numerous honors, such as the John Deere Gold Medal from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, and holds honorary doctorates from institutions in Uzbekistan, Georgia, and Bulgaria.

Director

Professor Kadambot Siddique AM CitWA FTSE is the Hackett Professor of Agriculture and Director of the UWA Institute of Agriculture at The University of Western Australia, with over 35 years of experience in agricultural research, teaching, and management both in Australia and internationally. Renowned for his work in crop physiology, production agronomy, and breeding research, particularly in cereal, grain, and pasture legumes, he has significantly contributed to the development of new crop varieties and agronomic practices, enhancing food security in dryland environments. His accolades include being named the 2023 Western Australian Scientist of the Year and receiving the 2024 Crawford Fund Medal, reflecting his global impact on sustainable agriculture and commitment to mentoring the next generation of scientists.