Board of Directors

'Sahajanand' was founded by Mr. Dhirajlal Kotadia in the year 1993, with a primary aim to cater to the diamond industry with laser technology-based solutions, with a successful establishment as a pioneer in providing automated capital equipment for the diamond industry in India.

Sahajanand developed an entire range of industrial solutions for textile, medical equipment and other industrial applications with the use of laser technology. Over a period of time, under its flagship company Sahajanand Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (STPL), it diversified its activities with the formation of Sahajanand Medical Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (SMT).

SMT grabbed the opportunity to become India’s only and largest manufacturer of cardiovascular medical stents of international quality at a reasonable rate and facilitated their easy availability as compared to the imported devices. Sahajanand Group’s third arm – Sahajanand Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. is engaged in the field of biotechnology research and manufacturing of herbal medicinal formulations.

Mr. Bhargav Kotadia is the Managing Director, Sahajanand Group of Companies. His association with Sahajanand began in 2011 when he joined Sahajanand Life Sciences, a Sahajanand Group company as the Director with the responsibility of business development operations in North America and South East Asia and marketing operations globally.

In his career span, he has experienced a range of senior management positions managing projects and corporate development in the mid-size companies in the healthcare as well as high tech capital machinery industries. Mr. Bhargav pursued a Bachelor of Science (Economics) from Purdue University, US prior to joining the Sahajanand Group.

Mr. Ganesh P Sabat is the Chief Executive Officer of Sahajanand Medical Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (SMT) and has served in that position since April 01, 2013. Prior to this appointment, he held other positions within SMT since joining the group in February 2010, including Chief Financial Officer with responsibility for finance and accounts department.

Mr. Ganesh has more than 15 years of experience in corporate strategy and finance. He has cross-cultural as well as global exposure in medical devices, life sciences, chemical, and financial services industry.

Mr. Ganesh has earned his MBA from Washington University in Saint Louis, USA. He is also a Company Secretary from Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI).

Mr. Dhirajkumar Vasoya, a veteran business developer and entrepreneur, has been with Sahajanand Medical Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (SMT) as the Director since its inception. He brings with him years of management know-how as well as leadership and vision that has helped the company to grow and achieve targeted goals.

Mr. Dhirajkumar has a rich extensive experience in business development and the executive level management with a background that includes industrial solutions along with a broad-based understanding of intellectual, cultural and spiritual value systems. He is a highly active member of the board. During his tenure, the company experienced incredible global growth. He is a leading businessman and represents the board of several companies with wide exposure in the development of various businesses.

Mr. Harivadan J. Pandya is a member of Board of Directors at Sahajanand Group. He is associated with Sahajanand Group since 2002 and had provided his services to the group in the Financial Controller and CFO positions with various Sahajanand Group of Companies. Mr. Harivadan brings 18 years of senior leadership experience in finance, accounting, management accounting and corporate strategy. He also has a background in management consulting and auditing. He has international exposure in medical devices, information technology and electronic discovery industries ranging from start-ups to well-established companies.

Mr. Harivadan is a Fellow Chartered Accountant of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of India (ICAI), Associate Cost and Management Accountant of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICAI) and a non-practicing member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Mr. Harivadan has a Bachelor’s degree in Advanced Accounting and Auditing from Gujarat University.

Mr. Abhishek is a Managing Director with Samara Capital and has an investment and portfolio management experience across Consumer, Healthcare, Banking and Logistics sector. He currently also serves on the board of Nature’s Essence, SpotOn Logistics, Medicover India and Lotus Surgicals. He was previously associated with Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, RBL Bank, Global Coal and Sharekhan.

Prior to Samara, Mr. Abhishek was in the Equity Investments team of Reliance Asset Management (now Nippon Life Asset Management) which had an AUM of over USD 20bn in 2008.

Mr. Abhishek is an MBA from SPJIMR, Mumbai and a Master of Commerce from Mumbai University. He is also a Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

Mr. Gautam Gode has more than 13 years of experience in different leadership roles in this business in different geographies looking after client relationships, origination and investing. His experience spans origination and working on deals spanning M&A, private equity, equity capital markets, distressed debt, structured fundraising, and derivatives. The deals covered a gamut of industries – technology, pharmaceuticals, cement, industrials, manufacturing, textiles, infrastructure, oil & gas, telecom, and power. He is associated with Samara Capital as well.

Mr. Gautam is a Cum Laude graduate from Princeton University followed by an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad.

Mr. Girish Bhat joined Samara Capital in 2017 and is an operating partner of the firm. As an operating partner, he works closely with the leadership of portfolio companies to transform, accelerate value creation, drive compliance, enhance the risk management process and strengthen Governance process for effectively operating portfolio companies like a listed business.

Previously, Mr. Girish worked with Cadbury Schweppes plc UK (FMCG Business) for over 28 years in various positions as CFO and Commercial Director for Cadbury India, Finance Director for Cadbury Beverages Europe, Finance Director Cadbury SEA (Bangkok), Director Assurance Cadbury Plc in the UK.  He worked as Group CFO for Gammon India (Infrastructure business) for 4 years and PE Advisory for international business for two years.

Mr. Girish has worked as Executive Director on Boards for over 20 years and has accomplishments covering raising funds, strategic planning and business development, mergers & acquisitions, capital structuring, business integration, sourcing, IT & systems, corporate governance and best in class management accounting and finance practices.

In 2010 and 2011 he is recognized as 'Top 100 CFO' in India and in 2015 as 'CFO lead of Excellence' by CFO Magazine.

Mr. Girish is a Chartered Accountant (FCA) from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), Chartered Management Accountant (FCMA - from CIMA UK), Cost Accountant from Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ACMA) and a commerce graduate from Mumbai University. He has Independent Director certification from Evaluation Board UK / Hunt Partners India.

Mr. Arjun Saigal is a co-head of Morgan Stanley's Private Equity operations in India. He joined Morgan Stanley in 2012 and focuses on investments across multiple sectors. He serves as an Alternate Director on the Board of Five Star Business Finance Limited and as a Director on the Board of Southern Health Foods Private Limited.

Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Mr. Arjun worked with Baring Private Equity Partners India. He is a graduate of the London School of Economics & Political Science and received his MBA from Columbia Business School.

Mr. Jose Calle Gordo is a global medical device executive with over 30 years of business experience. Currently, Mr. Jose is a Managing Partner at Valiance Advisors, a venture growth investment firm in London and Chairman at Highlife, a startup developing a trans-septal mitral replacement device.

Mr. Jose joined the (SMT) board in 2018 as an Independent Director as a strategic advisor. Before that, he served as CEO and Director of Biosensors International, where he led the transformation and expansion of Biosensors from a start-up to a recognized multinational in Vascular Intervention. Previously he held several leadership roles at Abbott Vascular and Guidant in the fields of coronary intervention, structural heart, peripheral vascular and cardiac rhythm management, where he led the team that developed and commercialized the Xience family of drug eluting stents. Mr. Jose started his career at Eli Lilly where he had several commercial roles with growing responsibility in the field of cardiac devices.

Mr. Jose is a Spanish national and currently lives with his family in the UK. He holds an electrical engineering degree (MSc) from the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Spain.