Ram Kaundinya was the managing director and CEO of Advanta Ltd from 2006 to 2013. Prior to this, he was managing director of Emergent Genetics India, managing director of Cyanamid Agro, director of the Agricultural Products Division of Cyanamid India and senior member of the Management Team of the agrochemicals division of Hoechst India. He was chairman of Crop Life India (from 1998-2000) and director of the Association of Seed Industry (ASI) from 2002 to 2006. Ram holds a PGDM with specialization in agriculture from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and graduated from the Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University.