The International Research Institute (ILRI) is pleased to introduce Alok Jha as ILRI’s new regional representative for South Asia, based in New Delhi.

Jha will be joining ILRI from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) where he is the Assistant Director General (International Relations and Education) having played a key role in developing relationships between the council and international organizations including foreign governments and bilateral and multilateral organizations.

Previously, he was professor at the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying at the Banaras Hindu University where he spearheaded the establishment of the Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences and the creation of a state-of-art Centre of Food Science and Technology.

Jha was trained in dairy technology at India’s National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) where he also served as scientist from 1993-2006. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for Outstanding Post-Graduate Agricultural Research and the Nestle Young Food Scientist Award by the Association of Food Scientists and Technologists of India–Ludhiana Chapter, for his work in developing new products and processes for improving the manufacturing and packaging of traditional dairy foods. Dr Jha has more than 23 years of experience in education and research and has published nearly 60 research papers, 21 technical articles, 5 book chapters and technical manuals and 20 proceedings from seminars.