Rasika Prashant, Chief Executive Officer, NSRCEL
Bengaluru, June 16, 2026: NSRCEL, the startup incubator of IIM Bangalore and one of India’s leading innovation and entrepreneurship hub, today 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 further expand the organisation’s impact through founder-centric programmes, strategic collaborations, and ecosystem-led initiatives.
An entrepreneur and business leader, Rasika is best known as the Co-founder and former Chief Marketing Officer of Tata Soulfull, where she helped build one of India’s pioneering millet-based food brands from the ground up. She played a critical role in driving the company’s brand strategy, product innovation, digital growth, and direct-to-consumer business, culminating in its successful acquisition and integration into Tata Consumer Products.
In her role as CEO, Rasika will lead NSRCEL’s vision of empowering entrepreneurs through world-class incubation, mentorship, access to capital and markets, and partnerships across academia, industry, government, and the investor community.
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, she began her career in marketing and digital strategy before taking on leadership roles in retail operations and entrepreneurship. Throughout her career, she has combined consumer insight with business execution to build purpose-driven brands and scalable growth strategies. Her contributions have been recognised through honours including Marketer of the Year at MAA 2024, AdTech Marketer of the Year, and Impact Magazine’s Most Influential Women of 2025.
NSRCEL also expresses its appreciation to Anand Sri Ganesh, former CEO, for his leadership and contributions to the organisation. Under his stewardship, the incubator expanded its reach and strengthened its programmes and partnerships, laying a strong foundation for continued growth. The leadership transition reflects NSRCEL’s commitment to continuity while advancing its mission of enabling ambitious founders to build transformative ventures with lasting impact.
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