Akshaya Manaktala

Akshaya leads product development and innovation at Kumar. An engineer from Ohio State University, he interned at Rolls Royce Energy before making the natural progression to a role at Kumar. He believes his generation will grow Kumar into a technological powerhouse, renowned for its contributions to the global oilseed industry.

Akshaya is Six Sigma Green Belt certified and a natural problem solver. His technology background, detail-oriented and innovation mindset make him the perfect bridge between the operational and customer-facing sides of the business. He believes sustainable growth is possible only when pursuing a people-first agenda with an empathetic mindset and emphasises upskilling and internal mobility for his teams.

In work and in life, Akshaya lives by his principles of integrity, empathy, honesty and sustainability. The causes he supports are a reflection of his belief system. Akshaya is passionate about bio fuels and clean tech, both from a business perspective and also out of environmental concerns. He also supports organisations that work in health and education for underprivileged children and animal welfare.