Baba Kalyani, Chairman
Baba Kalyani is the Chairman of Hikal Ltd. and Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Forge Ltd. Mr. Kalyani is an M.E. from Birla Institute of Technology & Sciences, Pilani and an M.S. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. He has represented the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and is currently a member of the National Council. Mr. Kalyani is a member of the World Economic Forum Switzerland.

Jai Hiremath, Vice Chairman and Managing Director
Jai Hiremath is the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Hikal Ltd. A Chartered Accountant from England and Wales, Mr. Hiremath has more than 30 years of experience in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. He has completed an advanced management program from Harvard University USA. Under his leadership, the company has been honored with awards and certifications for its management, quality, environment and safety control measures. He was awarded the Chemtech Business Leader of the Year award (Chemicals) in 2005. He was nominated as a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2000.
Mr. Hiremath is the President of the Indian Chemical Council (ICC) and the Chairman of the Chemical Committee of the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). He is a member of the Western Regional Council as well as the National Committee on Drugs&Pharmaceuticals and Chemicals & Petrochemicals of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). Mr. Hiremath is a board member of National Safety Council (NSC) of India. He is also a board member of Novartis (India) Ltd.

Sameer Hiremath, President and Joint Managing Director
Sameer Hiremath is the President and Joint Managing Director and Board Member of Hikal Ltd. His responsibilities include overseeing the day to day operations and strategic direction of the company. Mr. Hiremath did his Chemical Engineering from MIT (Maharashtra Institute of Technology), Pune and an MBA cum M.S. degree in Information Technology from Boston University, USA. In addition to Hikal, he also serves as a board member of Acoris Research Ltd., a state-of-the-art contract research facility and100% subsidiary of Hikal Ltd.
Mr Hiremath started his career at Hikal in 1996 as "Executive - Planning and Coordination". He went to train in "manufacturing operations" at Merck & Co., NJ. His experience with Merck helped him to understand the quality and safety culture which is expected by multinational companies around the world. These standards are now an integral part of the Hikal's culture and diligently followed at every site. Over the years, he has held various positions at Hikal including that of Executive Director, in 2003. He has over 15 years of experience in operations, manufacturing and management.
Under his leadership, Hikal established the pharmaceutical division in 2001 which has become the leading driver for growth in terms of revenue and profitability. Along with his father, Jai Hiremath, they have built Hikal into a world class leading research, contract and custom manufacturer of Pharmaceutical and Agrochemical Ingredients.
Mr Hiremath likes to travel and play tennis in his spare time. He is passionate about wine and western classical music. He resides in South Mumbai with his wife and two children.

Kannan Unni, Board Member
Kannan Unni brings a wealth of experience in crop protection and marketing to Hikal. Mr. Unni is a pioneer in crop protection and increasing the farm yield in India. Mr. Unni is the Chairman of Bilag Industries Pvt. Ltd., A 100% subsidiary of Bayer CropScience. Formerly, Mr. Unni was the MD of Aventis CropScience.


Dr. Peter Pollak, Board Member
Dr. Peter Pollak is a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich. He is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the development of the modern fine chemicals industry. He has more than 30 years of experience in fine chemicals, notably at Lonza in Switzerland and U.S.A. He has several publications to his credit including various articles in prestigious chemical magazines.


Prakash Mehta, Board Member
Prakash Mehta is an advocate and a solicitor advising Hikal on all legal issues. He has more than 30 years of experience in business, industry and legal matters. Mr. Mehta is a partner in Malvi Ranchoddas & Co., a reputable law firm based in Mumbai, India.



Shivkumar Kheny, Board Member
Shivkumar Kheny has extensive industry experience, specifically in steel and infrastructure development. Mr. Kheny is a Director on the Board of several reputable companies and a member of the Governing Councils of prestigious educational institutions.



Sugandha Hiremath, Board Member
Sugandha Hiremath has more than 20 years of experience in business and finance. She is a Director on the Board of several companies.

Dr. Wolfgang Welter, Board Member
Dr. Wolfgang Welter studied chemistry in Germany. He started his career in 1977 at Hoechst AG where he held a number of senior positions in Crop Protection and Fine Chemicals divisions. He served as the Head of Production at AgrEvo after which took on the role overseeing manufacturing operations at Aventis CropScience in France. Prior to his retirement in 2010, Dr. Welter was the Head of Industrial Operations at Bayer CropScience in Germany and served on the Board of Management of Bayer CropScience AG. He has served in the industry for more than 30 years and brings along a wealth of experience.