Giri was born in Chennai and graduated as Mechanical Engineer from IIT Chennai.
Giri then post graduated from IIM Kolkata in 1983, and has been in Business Management with corporates for 34 years.
Giri started his management career in Mumbai in Purchasing, added Exports along the way.
He then moved into sales and business development, and enjoyed the experience of selling in rural markets.
Later, he returned to Corporate Office to handle Finance, IT and
Supply Chain.
Giri enjoys ‘enabling sales’ by creating a Seamless Supply Chain for global and Indian companies.
He retired as Head of Global Supply Chain of OmniActive Health Technologies Limited in late 2017.
Giri has worked across Industry Segments: started with paints, and moved on to Consumer Products, Crop Protection, Animal Health, Pharmaceuticals, and last but not the least, in the sunrise Natural Health Supplement industry.
Post his retirement, Giri was a member of the Ayush Ministry Task force and helped develop a plan to take Indian herbal health solutions to global markets.
To facilitate this goal, he then played a major role in creating AHNMI
(Association of Herbal and Nutraceutical Manufacturers of India) and he is one of the directors of the association.
He continued to work on diverse projects of his choice: Director of AHNMI, Supporting Social Causes, Assist in Marketing Organic Products, deriving value from waste.
In July 2023, he took on a new challenge as CEO of SSN Incubation Foundation. (SSN iFound)
In his current role, he is passionate to enable young entrepreneurs and creating a vibrant startup eco system at SSN College of Engineering and SNU, Chennai.
After working with two big corporates in North India for six years,Pawan joined HCL in May 1996.
He is a finance professional and serves as the CFO of HCL Corporation (holding company of HCL). His association with the HCL group spans over 20 years and during this time he has served in several different finance profiles including Business Finance, Corporate Restructuring, Acquisition & Business Integration, Treasury (fund raising, investment & forex management), Planning & Strategy, Commercial, Business Development, Secretarial, Legal & Corporate Compliance and Investor Relationship. He has structured and negotiated some big business contracts for HCL over the past decade. Pawan has not only been instrumental in shaping different financial strategies for HCL but has also been associated with various new business initiatives and is credited with turning them into big-scale ventures.
Pawan has a thorough understanding of various industries including the IT, Healthcare, Education, Skill & Talent; Insurance, and Chemical. Besides serving the businesses / operations for HCL, he is also a member on the Board of HCL Infosystems and HCL Healthcare.
He has ample exposure in the international business environment and has travelled extensively while executing various deals and discussions. Pawan is also associated with the Shiv Nadar Foundation, one of India’s largest private philanthropic institutions. He supports/serves the Foundations in various capacities and is deeply connected with various social revolutionary projects in the field of education and rural development. He also liaisons with various government departments, institutions and industry bodies.
Pawan is a qualified Chartered Accountant & Company Secretary.
Boniface (Boni) leads the incubation programs at SSN iFound with over 15 years of experience across entrepreneurship, startup ecosystem development, and strategic program design.
At SSN iFound, Boni along with the team has played a pivotal role in building and institutionalizing structured incubation models that have generated 180+ startup leads, nurtured 35+ incubated ventures, and enabled over ₹6 crore in external funding as of March 2025. His initiatives along with the team, around mentorship design, go-to-market support, and investor readiness have made SSN iFound one of Tamil Nadu’s Top 15 incubators for two consecutive years.
An entrepreneur turned ecosystem enabler, Boni has co-founded ventures in India and the United States spanning solar energy, e-commerce, home services, and platform aggregation. Through his clean energy startup, Ulaginoli Energy Solutions, he supported organizations such as Lucas TVS, Ramco Cements, Johnson Lifts, and Stanadyne in adopting sustainable energy practices.
He is a passionate team builder and mentor, guiding young aspirants both within SSN iFound and in the larger startup ecosystem. He has contributed as a mentor to global platforms such as Founder Institute and Loyal VC, and regularly engages with academic institutions and innovation hubs.
Boni holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and an PGDM (MBA) from Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA), where he was awarded the Gold Medal for Best Project in Marketing & Operations. He also holds certifications in startup investment management, design thinking, and technology commercialization.
Outside of work, Boni reads and write blogs on entrepreneurship and leadership and enjoys spending time outdoors with his family.
Asst. Manager – Pre-incubation and Student initiatives
Roopavathi K
Asst. Manager – Pre-incubation and Student initiatives
What began as managing a family business evolved into a full-fledged journey in building India’s startup ecosystem—meet Roopa.
With a background in engineering and a postgraduate degree in business analytics, she blends academic learning with real-world insight. Since 2011, Roopa has been actively involved in her family’s business, gaining early exposure to operations, customer engagement, and stakeholder management.
Her First Assignment began at the IIT Madras Incubation Cell, where she led core incubation efforts—mentorship programs, progress tracking, strategic partnerships, that helped early-stage startups thrive.
In 2023, she joined SSN iFound, where she now leads student entrepreneurship initiatives and pre-incubation programs to empower young innovators.
Outside of work, Roopa is a pet lover, tea enthusiast, and a budding mandala and calligraphy artist—bringing creativity and warmth into every aspect of her life.
Dheepan is a seasoned strategy consultant and market analyst with over 17 years of experience aligning organizational goals with data-driven insights, market intelligence, and client engagement. His career includes impactful roles at leading firms like the Rane Group and Frost & Sullivan, where he steered strategic planning, investment management, and business development initiatives.
Currently, as Senior Manager at SSN iFound, he oversees corporate partnerships and brings a deep understanding of market dynamics to foster innovation and collaboration. Dheepan holds an MBA in Financial Services Management from Anna University, Chennai, and a Bachelor’s degree in Production Engineering from Karunya Institute of Technology, Coimbatore.
