Ajay Kohli is interim Director General of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
Dr. Kohli brings 33 years of extensive experience and expertise in research and leadership in various capacities within IRRI, as well as in academia at universities and research institutes in India, the UK, USA, and Germany.
In his previous role as IRRI Deputy Director General for Research, Dr. Kohli led the development and operationalization of IRRI’s four product-focused flagship programs (Direct Dry-Seeded Rice, Nutritious Products and Diet, Climate Resilient Farming, and Accelerated Impact) that address key challenges and provide significant opportunities for game-changing research leading to impactful product innovations. Prior to Ajay’s Directorships, he led IRRI’s Strategic Innovation Platform where he supervised a team of 15 international scientists and almost 100 staff members primarily in the application of fundamental sciences such as genomics, genetics, and bioinformatics instruments.