Mumbai: StarAgri, India’s integrated agritech company, has announced the appointment of Upma Goel as Non-Executive, Independent Director on its Board. With over three decades of experience across the BFSI sector, Goel brings extensive expertise in governance, audit and risk oversight, capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, enterprise risk management, and regulatory compliance.
A Chartered Accountant and an IICA-certified Independent Director, Goel has previously held senior leadership positions at Piramal Enterprises, Ujjivan Small Finance Bank, and L&T Finance Holdings. Her experience also includes overseeing technology-led transformation initiatives such as finance digitisation, enterprise system integration, and data-driven risk and reporting frameworks.
She joins a distinguished Board that includes Bibhuti Bhusan Pattanaik, who serves as Independent Director and Non-Executive Chairperson, and Mangala Prabhu, Non-Executive Independent Director.
In her new role, Goel will play a strategic part in overseeing StarAgri’s business governance and risk management while bringing independent judgment to the Board’s decision-making processes.
The appointment follows the completion of the tenure of Chandrashekar Guruswamy Aiyar, who served on StarAgri’s Board as Non-Executive, Independent Director for a decade. His cessation is in line with the provisions of the Companies Act, 2013, which limit an independent director’s tenure to two consecutive five-year terms.
Commenting on the appointment, Amith Agarwal, Co-founder & CEO, said, “We are pleased to welcome Ms. Goel to the Board. Her deep experience in financial governance, risk oversight, large-scale transformation; and leadership experience with some of India’s most respected brands will add strategic value as StarAgri enters its next phase of growth. Her guidance will strengthen our commitment to robust governance, transparency, and accountability, ensuring that our growth ambitions are matched by discipline and integrity.”
During her executive career, Goel has led financial strategy, capital allocation, IPO execution, and M&A transactions, while also being closely involved in post-merger integration, including technology and systems alignment.
Commenting on her new role, Upma Goel said, “As the sector plays an increasingly vital role in the nation’s development, I look forward to working with the Board and management to support the Company’s strategic objectives and contribute to strengthening governance and risk management frameworks.”
Goel currently serves as an Independent Director on the boards of Religare Finvest, Care Health Insurance, Agriwise FinServ, and FarmersFortune India, and is also associated with Star Agriwarehousing and Collateral Management.
