Licious is India's first D2C Unicorn, headquartered in Bengaluru. The company operates on a farm-to-fork model, owning the entire back-end supply chain and cold chain. Key Result Areas:• Led scientific and systematic efforts towards development of new products and improving and reformulating existing products based on customers insights and marketing brief.• Led the preparation, review & maintenance of R&D activities and documentation like SOP, RM, PM and FG specifications as per FSMS and QSR standard. Understanding of FSSC 22000, ISO 22000, GMP, GHP, HACCP, HALAL certification• Responsible for successful technology transfer of every approved product and successful replication of lab approved product on commercial process line• Spearheaded the preparation and review of product label in accordance with FSSAI Packaging and Labeling regulations.• Directed the ideation based on market literature, screening, product development, Joint sensory evaluation, cooking validations and commercialization of fresh processed food products. It includes Meat and poultry based, Seafood based, Dough based, Dairy Based, Vegan based “Raw-Marinated”, “Form-Chill”, “Coated/Uncoated Parfried/fully cooked” & “Fully cooked” products for the market.• Developed, reviewed and supported the marketing team’s strategy and ensuring the strategic objectives are well understood and executed by the team.• Controlled the R&D needs pertaining to innovation and productivity to support delivery of innovation revenue.Highlights:• Headed the successful and timely execution of product development activities encompassing formulation development, process development, joint sensory evaluation, technology transfer, R&D documentation and successful product commercialization• Assessed shelf life of products by conducting real time or accelerated shelf life study and successfully enhanced the same as per requirements by improving formulations, ingredients, process & packaging design.

• Led and managed the ice cream product portfolio & formulations across all manufacturing plants.• Leverage consumer insights to proactively plan and develop future project pipeline with cross functional team for the category.• Headed product benchmarking & recipe development of ice cream products, drove the creation of concept samples, sensory evaluation, shelf-life study (real time and accelerated), product cost calculation and feasibility study.• Steered product development report writing, developed scale up documents, coordinated internally for sourcing of ingredients’ drove lab & pilot scale trials & headed successful commercialization• Piloted the preparation of standard documents of raw materials, packaging materials, process, finished product; circulated the same to designated plant & QA• Led several value optimising and strategic sourcing projects valued at approximately 15Cr saving per annum.• Research competitor, existing and new ingredients and trends from an application, scientific and regulatory standpoint.• Led OTIF delivery of all R&D related technical task of global/regional/local innovation project by leading across R&D work streams (formulation, processing, packaging, TM) and SC.• Product development: application of concepts, prototype formulations, consumer validation, shelf stability, technical feasibility, timely delivery of results within agreed cost brief, technology transfer and technical support to manufacturing and QC.• Led pilot plant trials and prototype/product development to support project technical evaluation. Organize and manage commercial trials in the relevant Sourcing Units/3PM. • Landed products in markets by working in partnership with GDC-RDC and by working in cross-functional teams including marketing, Supply Chain, Procurement.• Managed risk (led technical risk assessment in project team and monitored implementation of identified risk mitigation), claims and legal compliance with local and regional requirements.

• Responsible for standardization and launch of commercial manufacturing of New Products• Responsible for handling of customer complaints and feedback for improvement of product quality• Responsible for conducting vendor’s audit and their product approval• Ensured strict adherence to quality standards and identify areas of quality failures and took corrective steps to rectify the system• Responsible for supplier development activity including Identification of supplier, conduction of audit at supplier site and their product approval• Developed quality control standards as per FSSAI guidelines for raw materials, packaging material, Intermediate product and finished product. Effective implementation of process parameters as per SOP• Reviewed online quality check data and take corrective actions wherever necessary• Ensured overall food safety and quality assurance of milk, milk products, fruits & vegetable products from receiving of material to dispatch of finished goods• Prepared documents as per ISO : 22000, HACCP, GMP, FSSAI Certification for plant• Implemented & maintained HACCP, GMP, GHP, SOP & SSOP system in plant and monitored the factory, factory premises, equipment’s and personnel to meet hygiene standards• Conducted employee training for effective implementation of Food Safety Management System• Responsible for overall quality of products in terms of sensory evaluation.• Sensory evalution of finished products and release of batches based on FIFO