Gram Unnati Appoints India’s Former Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora As New Chairman

India's 1st full-stack agricultural value chain services announced the appointment of Sunil Arora, former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, as its board’s new Chairman (Non-Executive).

Sunil Arora is a retired civil servant (IAS) with rich leadership experience spanning over 36 years. He has headed strategic departments while driving governance and policy reform initiatives both at the central and state government levels. He has served as Secretary to two key ministries – The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) and the then newly set up Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).

Aneesh Jain, CEO, and Founder, of Gram Unnati, said “We are delighted to have Sunil Arora joined us. It is an honor to work under his esteemed guidance and supervision. His rich experience, insights, and direction will enable Gram Unnati to further improve its market-linked solution for farmers and sustainably enhance their incomes.”

Arora has served as Additional Chief Secretary (Home) to the Government of Rajasthan and aside from being a key proponent of the Rajasthan State Industrial Policy, he has been on the board of various corporate entities, such as Barmer Mining and Lignite Company, Mahindra SEZ, and Rajasthan State Mines and Minerals Limited.

He oversaw the development of the Japanese Zone in Neemrana (Alwar), leading to the establishment of various manufacturing units in the State, for instance, Honda. He was the Principal Staff Officer of Chief Minister, Rajasthan from 2005-2009 as well as from 1993-1998. His district postings spanned from 1985-to 1993 as Collector and District Magistrate for Dholpur, Alwar, Nagaur, and Jodhpur.

Talking about Gram Unnati, Arora said, "Aneesh and the entire team at Gram Unnati have over the years built something truly remarkable...a sustainable and scalable solution to one of the greatest challenges faced by Indian farmers – access to fair markets. It gives me great pleasure and excitement to be a part of this young company’s journey towards a stronger foundation and higher milestones.”

Gram Unnati was founded by IIT Kharagpur graduate Aneesh Jain in 2013. He realized that farmers and buyers often fall prey to value traps due to the absence of a fully integrated platform.

The company has a formidable advisory pool comprising seasoned agri professionals, ex-civil servants, and industry body representatives. Gram Unnati operates through a network of 30 district-level centers spread across the nation, helping agro-processors source quality cereals, oilseeds, pulses, fruits & vegetables directly from farmers.