Terviva, Inc., an agricultural innovation company focused on cultivating pongamia in partnership with farmers, has announced key appointments to its executive leadership team: Simmarpal Singh as Chief Operating Officer and Manju Kohli as Senior Vice President of People Operations. Singh and Kohli will play vital roles in advancing Terviva’s global pongamia production and processing technologies for food, feed, and fuel applications.
Naveen Sikka, founder and CEO of Terviva, expressed optimism about the company’s growth in 2024, stating, “Our partnerships across various industries position us for a significant year. Simmarpal and Manju bring extensive, globally-focused experience that will support our growth and enhance our position for 2025 and beyond. They share our commitment to creating positive impacts without compromising people or the planet, making them excellent additions to our team.”
Singh joins Terviva with over 20 years of experience, having previously served as CEO-India for COFCO International, China’s largest food processor and trader, and in leadership roles at Louis Dreyfus India. His expertise includes revitalizing COFCO’s refinery-based oils business in India and developing a vertically integrated peanuts and dry beans operation for Olam International in Argentina. At Terviva, Singh will focus on enhancing upstream and midstream operations to expand the company’s presence in India, the U.S., Australia, and beyond.
“I have always sought to challenge myself and pursue new business opportunities, and joining Terviva to work with the innovative pongamia commodity is a natural progression,” said Singh. “I look forward to applying my extensive background in farming, manufacturing, and stakeholder management to contribute to a new value chain that enhances our global climate.”
Kohli brings two decades of global human resources experience across diverse sectors, including education, consumer goods, and digital media. Having worked with teams in India, the U.K., the U.S., and Singapore, she has held leadership roles at Carlsberg and Pearson Education. At Terviva, Kohli aims to strengthen the company’s culture as it scales operations worldwide.
“I am passionate about supporting the development of young children and women in marginalized communities. Terviva’s commitment to empowering women in India resonates with my values,” said Kohli. “These shared values are essential to fostering a strong company culture, and I am eager to build on this foundation as Terviva grows.”
The pongamia tree is uniquely resilient to climate change, enhancing soil quality, sequestering carbon, and minimizing water use. Terviva produces valuable oil and protein products, such as Ponova® oil, through a transparent and equitable supply chain, benefiting local communities and farmers.
Terviva’s versatility in producing food, feed, and fuel has led to strategic partnerships to scale its operations. Notably, Terviva has collaborated with ALOHA, which uses Ponova® oil in its plant-based protein bars. Following the success of their initial partnership for the special-edition Kona bar, they expanded their collaboration in 2024 to introduce another special-edition bar, Pa’akai. Additionally, Terviva is working with Mitsubishi Corporation to bring crude pongamia oil, a low carbon-intensity biofuel feedstock, to the liquid fuels market—an industry first.
