Our Leadership Team
Mr. Nalini Kant Gupta
Founder and Managing Director
Dr. Ashawant Gupta
Executive Director
Mr. Rajni Kant
Director
Dr. Rishi Kant
Director Business Operations
Mr. Vivek Sheel Gupta
Associate Director
Mr. Jitendra Jindal
Associate Director
Ms. Santvana Kansal
Head of International Business
Mr. Rohit Singhal
Director Business Operations
Mr. Nalini Kant Gupta
Founder and Managing Director
Mr. Nalini Kant Gupta founded Advanced Microdevices Pvt. Ltd. (MDI) in 1976 and continues to fuel the intellectual engine of the company. He is credited with developing the first commercially viable microporous membranes in India, a feat that was a result of numerous experiments conducted single-handedly from 1976 to 1980. Nalini Kant spearheads research and innovation at mdi where he encourages his team to take risks and pursue bold ideas, while also emphasizing the importance of teamwork and communication. His passion for innovation, knowledge of the industry, and deep commitment to self-reliance have led mdi through numerous breakthroughs, some of which are unique in the field of biotechnology.
In 2013, Nalini Kant was granted a patent for his invention ‘Method and device for particle removal and droplet preparation for qualitative and quantitative bioanalysis’, a groundbreaking discovery.
Nalini Kant has an MS in Electrical Engineering from University of California, Berkeley, USA (https://eecs.berkeley.edu) and a Bachelors in Electronics Engineering from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh in 1970. Between 1971 and 1975, Nalini Kant worked as a Design Engineer (MOS ICs) with American Microsystem Inc (AMI), Santa Clara, USA. AMI was one of the founding companies of the Silicon Valley and Nalini Kant was part of the team that helped develop the first calculators. He also worked as a Scientist at Stanford University, California, USA
Nalini Kant is truly a visionary thought leader in the biotech industry. He believes that innovation in biotechnology has the power to transform the world and improve the lives of people. Nalini Kant has been recognized with numerous awards and honours, including the ‘Outstanding Engineer Award’ by Governor of Haryana for his pioneering work in developing membranes in India.
Nalini Kant is deeply committed to social responsibility, community building and providing opportunities to local talent. He has helped set up many institutions and programs that serve disadvantaged and underprivileged communities.
External Positions:
- Secretary, Ambala College of Engineering
- Chairman, Rotary Ambala Cancer and General Hospital
Patent:
Method and device for particle removal and droplet preparation for qualitative and quantitative bioanalysis, granted in 2013
https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/03/d5/29/f7a5b0b5d2b9d4/US20110041591A1.pdf
https://patents.google.com/patent/US20110041591
Published Papers and articles:
Dr. Ashawant Gupta
Executive Director
Dr. Ashawant Gupta joined mdi in 1997 and since then he has led the company through a period of rapid growth and success. He inspires a team of over 1000 employees to innovate and push the boundaries of what is possible with a singular vision of delivering best-in-class purification and separation solutions for the healthcare industry. Ashawant holds a PhD in Microelectronics from Santa Clara University, California, USA and has over 20 years of experience in the biotech industry spanning research and development, regulatory affairs and business leadership.
Ashawant is a highly respected thought leader with a passion for advancing innovation. He has published and presented over 20 papers in international journals and conferences. Outside of his work, Ashawant is an active social and political advocate and is deeply committed to promoting self reliance in business, healthcare equity and access, and education and upliftment of deaf and hearing impaired learners. He is a respected and influential figure in education and broader healthcare communities and serves as an advisor for several healthcare and advocacy organisations.
Ashawant has an MS in Microelectronics from Santa Clara University, California, USA and Bachelors in Engineering from MSRIT, Bangalore. His Master's thesis received the Ross Tucker Master's Memorial Award (1991) from the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers.
Prior to joining mdi, Ashawant worked as a Researcher/Engineer at Hitachi Central Research Laboratory, Kokubunji, Tokyo, Japan and Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Santa Clara, California, USA.
External Positions:
- Director, Ambala College of Engineering
- Vice Chairman, Rotary Ambala Cancer and General Hospital
Published Papers and articles:
Mr. Rajni Kant
Director
In his role as a director, Rajni Kant brings to mdi over 35 years rich experience of academic excellence, technical expertise and leadership qualities. He leads the Mechanical Engineering Department at Mdi where he directs the development of plastic injection moulding tools and production machinery. The company also benefits from his experience of leading Micro Instruments Co, an R&D based company dedicated to research, design, development, and production of high quality, long-life, fractional horsepower motors, fans, and electromechanical components.
Rajni Kant’s rich academic background provides a strong foundation for understanding complex engineering challenges and helps drive MDI's success. Rajni Kant received his B. E. (Hons.) degree in Electrical Engineering from BITs, Pilani in 1972, M. S. Electrical Engineering with focus on Semiconductor Design from University of California, Berkeley in 1973 and MBA from Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University, California in 1976.
From1974-77 he worked as Senior Design Engineer with Fairchild Camera andInstruments Corporation (In 1996, the Lockheed Martin Corporation acquired Fairchild), followed by a year with Monolithic Inc. From 1978 to 1985, he worked as OperationsManager at Raytheon Technologies. This was then followed by a stint as Vice President of International Microcircuits from 1985-87.
Rajni Kant returned to India in 1987 and founded Micro Instruments Co.
External Positions:
Member, Ambala College of Engineering and Applied Research
Published Papers and Articles:
Rajni has 4 patents to his credit in the field of Semiconductors and has published many papers in the area of Semiconductor Design. He was instrumental in developing ‘Radiation Hardened Technology for ICBM Missiles for Lockheed.
Mr. Rishi Kant
Director Business Operations
Rishi Kant joined mdi as Head, IT, IP and Strategy with a rich and diverse background in product management, entrepreneurship and research. At mdi, Rishi has helped streamline and optimise business processes to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness in the area of automation and technology solutions implementation.
Rishi holds a PhD in Engineering from Stanford University, where he focused on micro/nano-fabrication techniques and developed innovative processes and simulators. He also holds MS and BSc degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from the University of California, Berkeley.
Rishi started his professional journey at McKinsey & Company helping clients with their business strategy and operations challenges.After this, he moved into product management and applied his skills at multiple software companies specializing in big data analytics, AVML and cybersecurity
After his PhD, Rishi worked as a Research Scientist at University of California, San Francisco in Dr Shuvo Roy's lab in the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences (BTS), where he developed silicon-based nanoporous filters for use in an implantable, artificial kidney. His contributions helped increase the filter throughput by 10x (2 patents awarded), and culminated in a successful animal experiment which demonstrated viability of using the filters as an implantable hemodialyzer. He also helped launch the project for implanting donor islets encased in silicon membranes, for treatment of diabetes, which is still being carried on in the Roy lab.
Mr. Vivek Sheel Gupta
Associate Director
Vivek Sheel Gupta is an Associate Director at mdi, where he heads Marketing and Tech Support departments. Vivek joined mdi early in his career (in 1994) and has been a pivotal part in the growth and success of mdi. With a strong foundation in marketing strategies and innovative thinking he has contributed to MDI’s ever-expanding product portfolio and market footprint.
He has been a part of mdi leadership team since 2012 and has been deeply involved in improving customer outreach, driving continual product improvement as well as strengthening quality management systems.
Vivek Sheel has vast experience in the use of microporous membrane filters in Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences. Vivek Sheel is a Biology Major with a Masters in Business Administration with specialisation in Marketing.
Published Paper and article:
Preuse/PostSterilization Integrity Testing (PUPSIT): To Do or Not to Do? (co-author)
Mr. Jitendra Jindal
Associate Director
Jitendra started working with mdi in 1996 and is today an Associate Director heading the Sales function for the Indian market.
Jitendra joined mdi as a young engineer, inspired by our founder Nalinikant’s vision and he quickly aligned himself with the ethos of the company. He has a close association with the industry and deep understanding of microfiltration membranes and their application; both these skills were key in developing a large customer-centric product portfolio propelling mdi’s rapid growth.
Jitendra has handled various filter validation projects for conventional as well as complex molecules, drug delivery formulations and recombinant proteins. His insight in critical customer processes, helped in delivering unique performance solutions. His competence and integrity is acknowledged by the industry.
He is an inspiring leader and heads business development and back hand support functions. Jitendra runs several training programs to update professionals. He has been associated with Rotary Hospital, Ambala since 2013. He is also involved in other philanthropic activities of the Group.
Jitendra did his Bachelors in Electronics and communications from Pune University.
Published Paper and article
Preuse/PostSterilization Integrity Testing (PUPSIT): To Do or Not to Do? (co-author)
Ms. Santvana Kansal
Head of International Business
Santvana Kansal is the head of International Business at mdi and has been a part of the leadership team since 2014. She has a deep understanding of the international business environment, market entry strategies, and cultural dynamics in business.
Her vast experience in Business Development and the ability to navigate complex international environments have been pivotal in MDI’s rapidly expanding footprint in Europe and Asia.
Santvana is a Physics Honours graduate from Punjab University, Chandigarh, India. She also holds a Masters in Business Administration with specialisation in International Business. She has not only travelled extensively all over the world but also lived in Japan and Hong Kong, resulting in nuanced and strong relationships with customers and channel partners worldwide.
Mr. Rohit Singhal
Business Development Manager
Rohit is responsible for identifying, developing, and managing strategic business opportunities for mdi in the United States. Rohit joined mdi in 2012 as a Project Manager, he then moved on to technical support, product marketing and finally worked as a sales manager– these diverse roles and responsibilities helped him to develop a deep understanding of market dynamics for B2B sales of technology products and provided exposure to channel management as well.
In 2015, Rohit moved to the US with an aim of establishing US Sales and distribution operations for mdi. With his efforts and continued guidance from the mdi management, he established the US office and warehouse, hired a local team to support customers and established a network of Sales Representatives and distribution channels. Since then he has played a crucial role in expanding mdi's customer base, increasing revenue, and driving growth in North America.
Rohit did his Bachelors in Electronics and Instrumentation from Punjab Technical University and completed a Post Graduate certificate course in marketing management from the All India Management Association.