Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, August 2026 — Britannia Industries Limited has appointed Rahul Seshadri as Head – Functional Foods (R&D). In his new role, he will lead the development of Britannia’s functional foods portfolio, combining scientific research, product innovation, nutrition, and consumer insight to support the company’s ambition of becoming a broader total foods business.
Rahul brings more than 25 years of experience across food science, research & development, innovation, nutrition, project management, and portfolio development. Most recently, he served as Head of Innovation (R&D) at Orkla India, where he led product development, packaging, and culinary innovation for the MTR business. During his tenure, he delivered a pipeline of 17 products across spice mixes, breakfast mixes, and ready-to-eat sweets, while also helping establish a structured innovation stage-gate framework, annual operating plans, and talent development processes for the R&D function.
Prior to Orkla India, Rahul spent more than 10 years at Danone, where he held leadership roles including Senior Project Manager, Innovation Realisation Office and Senior Manager, Early Life Nutrition – R&D. He led cross-functional innovation projects, portfolio renovation, nutrition compliance, product development, and launch governance across infant nutrition and health-focused food categories, contributing to the introduction of several products in India and international markets.
Earlier, Rahul spent over four years with Mondelēz International, where he served as Category Manager – Chocolate Category and Manager – R&D, Gum & Candy Category, leading renovation, innovation, cost optimization, technology absorption, and seasonal portfolio planning initiatives. Before that, he worked with GSK Consumer Healthcare India as Deputy Manager – NPD, R&D, where he developed nutritional products including beverages and biscuits and managed formulation development, stability studies, ingredient assessment, and technology transfer.
Rahul began his research career as a Research Associate at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, working on food biopolymers and model food systems. He holds an M.S. in Food Technology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he received a Graduate Research Scholarship and was inducted into Gamma Sigma Delta, and a B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from the University of Madras.
About Britannia Industries Limited
Britannia Industries Limited is one of India’s most iconic food companies, with a legacy spanning more than a century across biscuits, breads, cakes, rusk, dairy, and snacking. Over the years, the company has built leadership in the biscuit category while steadily expanding into new food segments as part of its vision to become a Global Total Foods Company.
Britannia’s culture is built around innovation, ownership, inclusion, and learning, with a strong focus on consumer relevance and operational excellence. The company also continues to invest in sustainability and social impact initiatives, including programs aimed at addressing malnutrition and strengthening community wellbeing.
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