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OUR CORE TEAM
Chirag Tekchandaney
Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer
Cogent. Prudent. Analytical.
Chirag could wear the financial hat just as well as the fun & frolic one, Chirag exudes the qualities of a natural leader on both ends of the spectrum. A rare combination of intelligence and sensitivity – he strikes the perfect balance of a CEO who leads by example. Chirag has presided over a team of 300+ people in his past endeavors and is now striving to bring to life his vision for Bombay Hemp Company – to be India’s foremost unicorn in the Cannabis space. Chirag spearhead B Label, a hemp fashion brand by BOHECO, aspiring to make sustainable apparel a part of every Indian wardrobe. He draws from his experience at a leading online ad-tech company, investing his expertise into finance, investments, fund-raising, making him a complete package, and the backbone of the administration of BOHECO.
Yash P. Kotak
Co-founder & Chief Marketing Officer
Inventive. Sharp. Perceptive.
Yash has always directed his efforts toward socially relevant causes. From being an active participant in social setups to heading multiple campaigns on behalf of BOHECO, Yash has been instrumental in setting up BOHECO’s direct-to consumer Health & Wellness narrative. Today, Yash works intently on creating a brand that is value driven that gives back to the society, from farmers to patients. Yash started his career as a media & advertising professional at leading global agencies and now, as CMO of BOHECO, Yash opens the wings of business development and places the company’s central communication strategy, marketing initiatives, sales, and conventional media planning in the center of his workday. Yash proactively also carves BOHECO’s office culture to ensures it’s a great place to work at. Driven by a holistic perspective, he strategizes BOHECO’s positioning in the hemp industry with an incisive business sense tocreate impact at the grassroots.
Sumit Shah
Co-founder & Chief Operating Officer
Ingenious. Experimental. Perfectionist.
An ardent believer in using progressive measures and technologies to largely impact the global societal community in a ‘greener’ manner, Sumit’s keen interest lies in agriculture & environmental-related business ventures. His work for the brand revolves around the plant sciences team, ensuring they have the best crop grown, and making sure that the plant is turned into the best possible product and put on the shelf for consumers’ use. As COO, Sumit ensures seamless operations for our raw material and products, from farm to urban markets. Meticulous as he is, Sumit works hours on end to perfect the progressive technology and measures that keep BOHECO at the top of its game. His love for nature and vision to create BOHECO as a platform that stands for change and rides this through his work of molding the supply chain to increase accessibility of BOHECO products.
Delzaad Deolaliwala
Co-founder & Chief Legal Officer
Benevolent. Resourceful. Empathetic.
Delzaad's passion for agro-based activities drove him to understand the specific mandates and regulations on how hemp & cannabis policies are enforced and implemented in India. His on-ground experience accompanied with his love for our motherland has significantly advanced his understanding of the intricacies of India’s legal framework, policy development and proceedings within this sector. Delzaad spends time in both the field and the office and has a knack for foreseeing and avoiding legal snafus. His responsibilities as the company’s CLO include dealing with third parties and copyright statutes as well as trademark protection. With his core competencies lying in supply-chain analysis, crop cultivation & harvesting and agricultural processes; he leads our farmer engagement initiatives via Athulya Krishi Foundation (A.K.F.), our not-for-profit subsidiary. Delzaad, amidst bolstering BOHECO’s business network is also responsible to drive forward an embryonic hemp textile ecosystem which promises to deliver in a flourishing global market. Lastly, Delzaad was recently nominated to be the Chairman of PIMCHA (Pan India Medical Cannabis & Hemp Association) – a democratic association established to promote the growth of a responsible, sustainable, and inclusive medical cannabis and hemp industry.
Jahan Peston Jamas
Co-founder & Chief Strategy Officer
Visionary. Steadfast. Compassionate.
The enterprising original whose idea it was to explore the abundantly available yet underutilized hemp crop, Jahan undertakes the company’s strategic engagements with domestic and international stakeholders. Being an avid reader, researcher, and listener, Jahan’s instinct to grasp a rather broad array of subjects proves to be his strongest suit. Owing to that, he has always cherished the notion of being able to engage in a debate that requires lateral thinking or even organising quizzes to gain and access more knowledge. As CSO, he engages with academicians, scientific experts, and medical practitioners from around the world to build and strengthen our network. Jahan focuses on product and research-based initiatives, central policy, regulatory strategies, and building scientifically validated intel to make BOHECO India's leading pioneer in Cannabis Health & Wellness sector. With his love for the city of Mumbai, his aim is to build a legacy business in our own backyard.
Avnish Pandya
Co-founder & Chief Research Officer
Agile. Resilient. Imaginative.
Avnish is a self-taught science analyst who explores the universe of Hemp, a plant buried under the overwhelming majority of traditional crops. Hailing from an analytical background, he combines insights from business & policy with those from scientific domains in his revelations about Hemp. Avnish was instrumental in initiating India's first Cannabis Breeding project in partnership with CSIR-NBRI. His analytical and scientific acumen combined helps us gain an edge in the domain of plant sciences and product development. As CRO, Avnish’s knowledge of risk analysis helps BOHECO understand, analyze and study aspects, possibilities and allows the brand to explore new opportunities.
Dr. Brij Kishore Mishra
Principal Scientist & Chief Plant Breeder
M.S. (Botany), PhD (Plant Genetics)
Dr.Mishra, a PhD in plant breeding and a geneticist with more than 15 years of work experience in Research & Development of medicinal and aromatic plants.He has obtained expertise in mutation & polyploid breeding techniques, biochemical techniques and handling controlled climatic chambers. Dr. Brij was responsible for the development of 2 varieties of opium poppy with around 2 dozen of research publications in national and international journals. He is now pioneering and leading a one-of-its-kind Cannabis seed breeding and genetic development program at BOHECO.
Dr. Neeraj K. Patel
Head, Research & Development
M.S. (Pharm.), PhD (Natural Products), MBA (Operations Management)
Dr.Neeraj Patel who is now leading the formulation and product development at BOHECO, holds over 4 years of experience of post-doctoral research experience. He has been working as a Research Scientist at Phytochemistry, R&D Center, and The Himalayan Drug Company. Dr. Patel is a life member of Indian Pharmaceutical Association & Indian Pharmacological Society and has 17 international and national publications from his research with h-index of 11. He has also presented his research work at 20 international conferences and symposia at India & abroad. Today, Dr. Patel is leading all of the product development efforts at BOHECO.
Anay Shukla
Legal Counsel and Founding Partner, Arogya Legal
Anay specializes in Indian health laws and advises BOHECO and major pharmaceutical companies on a range of legal & regulatory subjects. He has represented his clients before various judicial and regulatory fora, such as the State Food and Drug Administration, the Central Drugs Standards Control Organization, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, Department of AYUSH and at all levels of Indian courts (including consumer fora). Having worked exclusively for businesses operating in the domain of health and wellness, he has become an expert on legal and regulatory issues and has amassed an in-depth understanding of the working of the industry through his many years of experience as a specialist service provider. Anay has rich experience of leading a Band- 1 healthcare, pharmaceutical and life-sciences practice at Tier-1 international law firm in his previous role. Anay has written on a range of legal and regulatory issues of relevance to health-focused businesses in national and international publications. He has also co-authored book chapters on India’s legal framework in international publications.
Alisha Sachdev
Chief Builder, B Label
Alisha’s interest in fashion has been innate, growing up under the influence of a thriving family business in textiles. Her interest in sustainable textiles piqued after graduating from Franklin and Marshall College in the United States with a major in Environmental Studies. After returning to India, Alisha found her niche in sustainable fashion by coupling both her passion for the planet and textiles. Alisha joined the Bombay Hemp Company in 2017 with the aim of creating a dent in the fashion industry. Over four years, her creative inclination, marketing skills and keen eye for fashion led Alisha to play a pivotal role in building B Label and its artisanal driven handloom division to where it stands today. Alisha currently spearheads B Label with a vision to be India’s first and finest hemp-based fashion and living brand. The powerhouse behind B Label, her role is diversified and focuses on business development, brand positioning and building an All Natural Culture.
BOHECO FOUNDING TEAM
Standing (Left to Right) - Sanvar Oberoi, Chirag Tekchandaney, Sumit Shah, Delzaad Deolaliwala
Sitting (Left to Right) - Jahan Peston Jamas, Avnish Pandya, Yash Kotak
BOARD OF ADVISORS
Romesh Bhattacharji
Former Narcotics Commissioner, Government of India
Bhattacharji was the Narcotics Commissioner of India. He played an active role in the formulation and implementation of the national narcotic policy, supervision of legal poppy cultivation in India and detection/destruction of illicit opium poppy cultivation. A freelance writer, he has authored numerous articles on narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, security, insurgency, narcotics, and tourism. He has also authored a book on the insurgency-affected north-eastern region of India. He has worked in Afghanistan as a consultant for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on Afghanistan’s opium crisis and has conducted extensive field research in the farming communities of Afghanistan.Bhattacharji was the Narcotics Commissioner of India. He played an active role in the formulation and implementation of the national narcotic policy, supervision of legal poppy cultivation in India and detection/destruction of illicit opium poppy cultivation. A freelance writer, he has authored numerous articles on narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, security, insurgency, narcotics, and tourism. He has also authored a book on the insurgency-affected north-eastern region of India. He has worked in Afghanistan as a consultant for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on Afghanistan’s opium crisis and has conducted extensive field research in the farming communities of Afghanistan.
Jason Kothari
Former CEO of Housing.com, Snapdeal & Freecharge – Passionate Entrepreneur
While still in college, he acquired bankrupt US-based Valiant Entertainment and led its transformation as the CEO to the third largest superhero entertainment company after Marvel and DC and a sale for $100 million, a record industry return. Subsequently, Jason was the CEO of Housing.com, where he led the transformation of the distressed company and a merger with News Corp.’s PropTiger to create the $350 million industry leader.Following this, he was the Chief Strategy & Investment Officer of Snapdeal, where he played a lead role in transforming the distressed company from an over $20 million monthly loss to a profit, the first for an Indian e-commerce company. Jason was also the CEO of FreeCharge, where he led the sale of the company to Axis Bank for $60 million. In addition, he has been a senior advisor to Softbank; Noon.com, a $1 billion Middle East e-commerce company; and is on the board of Emaar India, which has over $2 billion in real estate assets. He is also an Executive Producer of Bloodshot (Sony Pictures) starring Vin Diesel and the author of the critically acclaimed memoir Irrationally Passionate (HarperCollins). Jason holds a B.S. from the Wharton School and lives in Mumbai.
Dr. Suman Sahai
Founder & Chairperson - Gene Campaign
Dr. Sahai, with a distinguished scientific career in the field of genetics, is a recipient of the Padma Shri, the Borlaug Award, Outstanding Woman Achiever awards, the Birbal Sahni Gold Medal and the Order of the Golden Ark.
Dr. Sahai is founder Chairperson of the Gene Campaign which is a leading research and advocacy organization working on issues relating to food, nutrition and livelihoods. Dr. Sahai chaired India’s Planning Commission Task Force on ‘Agrobiodiversity and Genetically Engineered Organisms’, for the XIth Plan. She was a member of the Steering Committee of the National Biodiversity Board, the Expert Committee on Biotechnology Policy and the Bioethics Committee of the Indian Council of Medical Research.
Poonam Kaul
Ex Director Marketing, Apple India & Ex Vice President, PepsiCo India
Poonam is a passionate brand specialist with over two decades of leadership experience of driving integrated communications to help build brands, influence policy, shape perceptions. In her last role as the Director Marketing at Apple India, she was responsible for building the Apple brand in India which included Product Marketing, Marketing and Channel communication, Public relations for all business lines iPhone, Mac, iPad and Watch. In addition, she helped build the Apple presence across developer, music and content ecosystem.Previously, as Vice President Communications and CSR, Poonam was responsible for the image and reputation of all PepsiCo entities in India, across 22 brands spanning from Pepsi, Mt Dew, Lays, Kurkure and Doritos at one end and strong nutrition brands like Quaker, Tropicana at another end. She lead 360 degree consumer and youth connect and engagement across brands through digital, influencer relations and ORM.She was also with Microsoft India for six and half years where she was heading advertising and public relations for all business units of Microsoft in India.
Dr. Shreekumar Menon
Head, Centre for Narcotics & Psychotropic Substances (CNPS), Manipal; Academy of Higher Education, Former Director General at the National Academy of Customs, Excise & Narcotics (NACEN)
Dr. G. Shreekumar Menon has served 37 years as a distinguished officer of the Indian Revenue Service (IRS), which is an elite administrative cadre of the federal government of India. In the course of his career spanning nearly four decades, he steadily rose through the ranks and retired as Director General at the National Academy of Customs, Excise & Narcotics (NACEN), Faridabad and Director General, Multi-Disciplinary School of Economic Intelligence, Mumbai. He has also served in different capacities like Assistant Commissioner/ Deputy Commissioner / Joint Commissioner / Additional Commissioner / Commissioner at various cities of India, like Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Mangalore, Patna, Guwahati, Shillong and Goa.
Dr. Menon’s academic track record includes M. A. and culminated with a Ph. D. degree in Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances from Mangalore University.Post retirement from public service, he has served as the Registrar of Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), a leading private university based at Mangalore, India, which runs medical college, a dental college, an engineering institute and several institutions in other professional streams. Presently, He is the Head of the Centre for Narcotics & Psychotropic Substances, at Manipal Academy of Higher Education.
Dr. Harshad Jain
B.A.M.S., M.D. (Ayu.) (RS&BK)
Dr. Harshad Jain has over 7 years of clinical practice experience and 4 years of research experience. He also currently owns a clinic in Mumbai's Bhayander area. Because of his thorough knowledge of the Ayurvedic treatment protocol and principles, he offers a complete perspective on effectively managing chronic and lifestyle-related illnesses.
He specializes in treating serious medical illnesses like arthritis, varicose veins, skin conditions, Parkinson's disease, and diabetes. He has training in medical cannabis regimens, which can significantly improve patients' quality of life as they undergo traditional medication for serious chronic disorders.
At D.Y. Patil University in Mumbai, he completed his Bachelor of Ayurveda Medicine and Surgery (B.A.M.S.). He also completed post-graduate studies (M.D.) at Smt. K. G. Mittal Ayurveda College in Rasa shastra and Bhaisajya Kalpana.
He is passionate about promoting health and feels that improving people's health is the ultimate source of happiness. Enhancing patients' quality of life and nurturing a prosperous lifestyle is the main goal of his treatment.
