Bengaluru: NSRCEL, the startup incubator of IIM Bangalore and an innovation and entrepreneurship hubs, has announced the appointment of Rasika Prashant as its Chief Executive Officer, effective June 8, 2026.
The appointment marks a new chapter for NSRCEL as it continues to strengthen its role in enabling founders, accelerating innovation, and supporting startups that address real-world challenges across sectors. With deep roots in entrepreneurship and brand building, Rasika is expected to expand the organisation’s impact through founder-centric programmes, strategic collaborations and ecosystem-led initiatives.
An entrepreneur and business leader, Rasika is widely recognised as the Co-founder and former Chief Marketing Officer of Tata Soulfull, where she played a pivotal role in building one of India’s early millet-based food brands. During her tenure, she led brand strategy, product innovation, digital growth and direct-to-consumer initiatives, contributing to the company’s eventual acquisition and integration into Tata Consumer Products.
At NSRCEL, Rasika will lead the incubator’s vision of empowering entrepreneurs through incubation programmes, mentorship, market access, funding opportunities and strategic partnerships spanning academia, industry, government and investor networks.
Commenting on her appointment, Rasika Prashant, Chief Executive Officer, NSRCEL, said, “At NSRCEL, we believe entrepreneurship is a foundational driver of economic growth, job creation, and societal progress. As India’s innovation ecosystem enters its next phase of growth, I look forward to strengthening NSRCEL’s impact by adding depth, sophistication, and structured rigor to how we enable entrepreneurs. This means deepening founder capabilities through evidence-based learning and structuring our support systems with clear milestones and measurable outcomes.”
A Computer Science graduate with an MBA, Rasika began her professional journey in marketing and digital strategy before moving into leadership roles across retail operations and entrepreneurship. Over the years, she has built a reputation for combining consumer insight with execution excellence to create purpose-led brands and scalable growth strategies.
Her contributions have been recognised through several industry accolades, including Marketer of the Year at MAA 2024, AdTech Marketer of the Year, and Impact Magazine’s Most Influential Women of 2025.
NSRCEL also acknowledged the contributions of Anand Sri Ganesh, former CEO, for his leadership and role in strengthening the incubator’s programmes, partnerships and overall reach. Under his stewardship, NSRCEL expanded its ecosystem footprint and laid a strong foundation for sustained growth.
