Our Leadership team
R. Ravindran, CEO
Senior business development leader with more than 40 years of experience across international markets, distributor development, institutional engagement and cross-border commercial growth.
Core Expertise:
International BD | Distributor and channel development | Strategic partnerships | Public and private sector engagements | Market expansion and commercial strategy
Bio:
R. Ravindran brings more than four decades of experience in business development, market expansion and strategic relationship building across national and international markets.
Over the course of his career, he has worked with private companies, institutional stakeholders and public-sector organizations, supporting business growth, distributor development, market access and cross-border commercial engagement.
His experience spans client development, partner identification, channel strategy, stakeholder management and commercial execution across multiple sectors and regions.
As CEO of Global Trade Council, Ravindran brings senior leadership, market judgement and practical business acumen to the firm’s growth strategy. He plays a key role in guiding GTC’s client relationships, international partnerships and execution-led approach to trade, investment and market expansion.
Ashish Pawar, CFO
Finance and international business leader with experience across banking, treasury, corporate operations and cross-border business development.
Core Expertise:
Finance | International markets | Business strategy | Operations
Bio:
Ashish Pawar brings more than 16 years of experience across finance, banking and international business operations. With an MA in Economics, he began his career as a Statistical Investigator under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation before moving into nationalised banking.
He later worked across treasury, international banking, corporate banking operations, credit restructuring and financial analysis, developing strong expertise in fund management, risk assessment and profit-and-loss strategy.
At GTC, Ashish leads financial strategy, commercial governance and operational discipline. He brings commercial clarity, risk awareness and execution rigor to the firm’s growth and client mandates.
Krishna Bhatia- Director, Strategy & Partnerships
International business development and market-entry specialist with experience across strategy consulting, startup support and cross-border commercial growth.
Core Expertise:
Market-entry strategy | International BD | Startup and SME growth | Strategy Consulting
Bio:
Krishna Bhatia brings diversified international experience across new business development, startup advisory and strategy consulting, with a strong focus on cross-border market expansion.
She specializes in developing practical market-entry strategies for companies exploring opportunities between Asia, Europe and other international markets. Her work includes supporting international organizations seeking access to Asia, as well as advising Asian companies looking at strategic investment and expansion opportunities overseas.
At GTC, she supports clients with market strategy, stakeholder engagement, partnership development and international growth execution.
Afdal Baig- Director, MENA region
Strategic business connector with more than 22 years of experience across the GCC, specializing in investment facilitation, senior stakeholder engagement and complex cross-border transactions.
Core Expertise:
GCC & MENA market engagement | Investment facilitation | Stakeholder management | Cross-border growth
Bio:
Afdal Baig brings more than 22 years of experience in business development, strategic investments and high-level relationship management across the GCC and wider MENA region. He has advised government entities, multinational corporations and private investors on major commercial and investment initiatives, with experience supporting transactions and opportunities exceeding USD 2 billion.
Known for his ability to engage senior decision-makers and navigate complex regional business environments, Afdal brings strong market access, relationship-building and execution capability to Global Trade Council’s MENA-focused mandates.
At GTC, he supports clients with strategic partnerships, investment facilitation, stakeholder engagement and sustainable growth opportunities across the region.
Dr. Akshay Kumar Ahuja- Advisor, Europe
Healthcare, life sciences and biotechnology specialist with more than 15 years of experience across global commercial leadership, revenue growth and strategic business development.
Core Expertise:
European market engagement | Healthcare & LS | Global commercial strategy | Revenue growth
Bio:
Dr. Akshay Kumar Ahuja brings more than 15 years of professional experience across healthcare, life sciences and biotechnology, with deep expertise in commercial leadership, strategic business development and international growth.
Trained in biotechnology and shaped by his career across Switzerland and the UK, Akshay combines Indian roots with strong European market experience, giving him a valuable cross-cultural perspective on international business and sector partnerships.
As an Advisor at GTC, he supports European clients with international trade opportunities, market expansion strategy and cross-border collaboration.