Dr. Ajit Kumar Podder, Ph.D. in Microbiology and B.Sc. (Hons.) in Soil Science brings over 43 years of global research and teaching expertise in microbiology, biotechnology (with a focus on biological nitrogen fixation), soil science, integrated nutrient management, organic farming, and rural development. He currently advises and leads a medicinal-plant commercial cultivation initiative in rural West Bengal that aims to provide smallholder farmers with sustainable, income-doubling opportunities through innovative agro tech practices and market linkages.”