Pawanexh Kohli

Pawanexh Kohli is the founding Chief Executive and Advisor of India's National Centre for Cold-chain Development (NCCD),[1] the premier think-tank in agri-logistics set up in public-private-partnership mode in 2012.

Captain and Professor

Pawanexh Kohli
Pawanexh Kohli receiving Exemplary Thought Leader Award, New Delhi, 2012
BornMay 1963
Ludhiana, (Punjab, India)
NationalityIndia
CitizenshipIndian
OccupationAgribusiness strategy, cold chain, food loss and economics
Known forFounding CEO of National Centre for Cold-chain Development (NCCD)

Early life

Born to an Indian Air Force officer, he accompanied his parents with their postings at various Indian cities. As a consequence his education was cross cultural and spread across various regions in India and the schools he studied in include Frank Anthony School in Agra, Bishops School in Pune, Jesus and Mary School in Amritsar before completing his high schooling from The Air Force School in New Delhi. He subsequently completed his professional education from LBS College of Advanced Maritime Studies and Research as a certified Master Mariner, having earlier completed his professional training at the TS Rajendra.

Career

In 1982 Kohli commenced his career as a mariner and was later master of oceangoing ships for the final 15 years. Amongst others, he was the master and captain of one of the world's largest refrigerated cross-ocean carriers (reefer ships). Besides refrigerated transportation, he also directed or operated car carriers, oil tankers, container ships, ice-class general cargocarriers, timber carriers and others.

Between 2008 and 2012 Capt. Kohli contributed through professional executive roles as the prime mover in one of the largest logistics and distribution companies in India and later for the integration of the largest logistics & supply chain infrastructure enterprises, heading the development of solutions to drive a pan-national footprint of India's first set of Free Trade Zones.

In 2012 he was selected by the Government of India to help incubate the National Centre for Cold-chain Development (NCCD) as its Chief Advisor. Shortly thereafter, the body was restructured and in 2014, he was selected as its founding Chief Executive Officer. Thereafter, he continued as the Chief Advisor to the Agriculture Ministry to guide initiatives related to post harvest management and agricultural supply chain. At NCCD, Kohli was closely involved in establishing a historic MoU of cooperation in cold chain between nodal Indian and French organisations and represented India as guest of honor at the International Conference on sustainable cold chain in Paris (April 2013).[2][3] In July 2015 he was invited as a global expert to speak on the Global Food Crisis at the House of Lords in UK.[4][5]

Kohli is a member councilor of various national committees and Advisor to industry organisations and is chairman of the national Committee on Supply chain and Logistics,[6][7] the first such committee set up with focus on supply chain by the government. He also co-chairs the committees on Human Resource Development and Research & Development for cold chain. He is a principal member of the Indian government's Committee for Doubling Farmers' Income, set up in 2016 and has authored & co-authored a number of policy documents. Role as a thought leader is also acknowledged in various other Task Forces and Committees on agricultural marketing and logistics.

In 2018, the University of Birmingham conferred Kohli the title of Honorary Professor.[8][9] After leading NCCD for eight years, on 31 January 2020 Kohli resigned from the position of CEO of NCCD and as Chief Advisor to Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare of India.[10][11]

Honors and Awards

In December 2010 he was acknowledged in his individual capacity, as the "Cold Chain Personality of the Year"[12][13] by an expert panel hosted by KPMG-Supply Chain Leadership Council. The award was in appreciation for individual contributions to the industry and for aligning focus on the socio-economic fabric in India.[14]

In 2012 he was applauded with the "Exemplary Thought Leadership Award" by the ICE Centre of Excellence in India. In 2014 he won the prestigious Agribusiness Leadership Award at the annual Agriculture Leadership Summit in New Delhi.[15] In 2016, ISHRAE lauded him as honorary lifetime member, their first ever.

In India, he is recognised as one among the few eminent persons from the private sector who shifted over to public service by taking on specialist advisory roles in government organisations.[1] He is recipient of various recognition and achievement awards from the cold chain industry in India.

References
  1. "Business Standard News Article" (PDF). Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  2. "An Indo-French agreement to reinforce cooperation in the cold chain expertise".
  3. "India is Guest of Honor at International Cold chain Conference in Paris".
  4. "Without Cooling, Most Modern Society Would Crumble".
  5. "Sustainably Meeting the Global Food Crisis".
  6. "Committees in NCCD". Archived from the original on 18 August 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
  7. "Cold Chain draws Govt attention (New Initiative)" (PDF). August 2012.
  8. "University of Birmingham appoints Indian cold chain expert to professorship". November 2018.
  9. "UK University Appoints Indian Cold Chain Expert As Honorary Professor". 13 November 2018.
  10. "CEO NCCD demits office". Business Standard newspaper.
  11. "Open Letter of Farewell by CEO". National Centre for Cold-chain Development.
  12. "KPMG Food Excellence Awards" (PDF).
  13. "Pawanexh Kohli is "Cold Chain Personality of the Year" (FNB News)". Archived from the original on 10 June 2015.
  14. "Cold chain Personality Award Criteria" (PDF).
  15. "Kohli bags Agriculture Leadership Award 2014".
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