Dr. HABIL KHORAKIWALA
Founder Chairman
Dr. Habil Khorakiwala is the architect of India’s most significant breakthrough in pharmaceutical innovation. As Founder Chairman of Wockhardt, he made a conviction-led decision nearly three decades ago to continue investing in antibiotic discovery when much of the global pharmaceutical industry had abandoned the field. That long-term commitment, backed by over US$800 million in research investment, transformed Wockhardt into the world’s leading antibiotics discovery company, producing six novel antibiotics to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR), one of the greatest threats to modern medicine. The journey culminated in Zaynich, the first new chemical entity to be fully discovered, developed and commercialised by an Indian company to receive US FDA approval, making Wockhardt the only company in the world with such a portfolio of novel antibiotics. Under his leadership, Indian science has demonstrated its ability to solve global healthcare challenges and redefine India’s place on the world pharmaceutical map.
An alumnus of Purdue University and Harvard Business School, Dr. Khorakiwala has built Wockhardt around a philosophy of “Vision to Execution”, creating an organisation where scientific ambition is matched by long-term perseverance. A member of the World Economic Forum, former President of FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry), and current Chairman of the FICCI Life Sciences Council, he has been instrumental in shaping India’s life sciences ecosystem. His many honours include an Honorary Doctorate from Purdue University—the first awarded to a non-American in the University’s 125-year history—the Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice, Entrepreneur of the Year, Lifetime Achievement and Global Indian of the Year awards. He also served as Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi.
In 2017, Dr. Khorakiwala authored Odyssey of Courage, chronicling the journey of building a research-driven Indian pharmaceutical company founded on the belief that science, pursued with conviction, has the power to save lives across the world.
Directorship and full-time positions
Mr. VINESH KUMAR JAIRATH
Independent Director
Mr. Vinesh Kumar Jairath has been a Director on the Board of Wockhardt since November 2016. He joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1982 and served in various important positions in the Government of Maharashtra and the Government of India till March 2008, when he took voluntary retirement. He served as the Managing Director of SICOM and subsequently as Principal Secretary of Industries in the Government of Maharashtra until 2008.
He has over 25 years of experience in public administration, rural development, poverty alleviation, infrastructure planning and development and infrastructure financing, finance, industry, urban development, and environmental management, while holding important positions in Government.
Mr. Jairath is currently a Director on the Board of Kirloskar Industries Limited, Kirloskar Oil Engines Limited and Manipal Health Enterprises Limited.
Directorship and full-time positions
Mr. AKHILESH GUPTA
Independent Director
Mr. Akhilesh Gupta has been a Director on the Board of Wockhardt since August 2020. An Advanced Leadership Senior Fellow and Impact Leader-in-Residence at Harvard University, he also holds an MBA degree from the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, and a B.Tech. in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
Mr. Gupta served as the Chairman of Blackstone India until December 2014. Prior to Blackstone, he served as CEO – Corporate Development at Reliance Industries Limited from 1992 until 2005. Mr. Gupta started his professional career as a management trainee at Hindustan Unilever.
Mr. Gupta currently serves on The Dean’s Leadership Council at Harvard Divinity School, on the Advisory Board of Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University, and on the Advisory Board of Harvard Chan Initiative on Health and Homelessness. He has served on the Advisory Council of the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University (from 2014 to 2021) and on the boards of several Blackstone portfolio companies, Larsen & Toubro, and Reliance Group companies.
Mr. Gupta has also authored two books, “Bridges Across Humanity” published in May 2023 and “To Flourish is to Love, Learn and Play” published in December 2025.
Directorship and full-time positions
MS. AMELIA FERNANDES
Independent Director
Ms. Fernandes is an independent journalist. She was Editor of India’s leading women’s magazine, Femina; Features Editor with a daily publication, including Saturday Times; Editor, Special Projects at The Times of India and Editor of the Sunday edition of the DNA newspaper. She conceptualised and brought out Jade, a successful magazine for South India. She has also taught journalism at St. Andrew’s College and at St Paul’s Institute of Communications. She is passionate about magazine journalism and has brought out as many as five publications on various subjects simultaneously.
She is currently Director of Literature Live!, Mumbai’s only literary festival and which is considered one of the best in India. Literature Live! conducts literary events and workshops all through the year.
Directorship and full-time positions
Amb. AHMAD JAVED
Independent Director
Amb. Ahmad Javed is a distinguished former IPS officer of the 1980 batch, Maharashtra Cadre, and a seasoned diplomat. With a robust educational foundation from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University, he has dedicated nearly four decades to law enforcement and public service. During his stint, Amb. Ahmad served, inter alia, as Commissioner of Police, Solapur City, as Joint Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) in Mumbai, as Commissioner of Police, Navi Mumbai, Director General of Police (HG) and as Commissioner of Police, Mumbai. His notable diplomatic tenure was while serving as the Ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia from 2016 to 2019. Amb. Ahmad’s extensive experience encompasses law and order maintenance, crisis handling and management, administration and human resources, international relations, strategy and policy formulation, and conflict resolution.
Amb. Ahmad has been honoured with the Police Medal for Meritorious Service, President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service, and the Director General’s Insignia. Currently, he contributes his expertise as an adviser and Independent Director to various organisations.
Directorship and full-time positions
MR. OM PRAKASH BHATT
Independent Director
Mr. Om Prakash Bhatt is a seasoned and thoughtful leader. He brings years of experience across a wide variety of strategic and operational roles, including five years as Chairman and CEO of State Bank of India, a Fortune 500 company and the largest bank in India.
Over the last 10 years he has been an Independent Director on Corporate Boards in a wide variety of multinationals ranging from leadership development to international banking, to automobiles, steel, IT services, consumer goods and renewable energy. Because of the diversity and length of his assignments, he brings a certain holistic outlook to his board role.
He has an interest in the areas of sustainability, new investments, values, culture. He has a relatively open mindset and enjoys the challenge of getting the best out of people. Most of his working life was spent in India, and he also has a good international exposure with stints in both the UK and the USA.
His current board engagements as an Independent Director include Coforge Limited, Greenko Energy Holdings, Foresight Global and Climate Finance India Private Limited.
He is currently a Member of the India Advisory Board of Schulich School of Business, Toronto, Canada, Adviser to Envision, India, Member of the Advisory Board of Amundi, France, and Senior Adviser to McKinsey.
In the past he was a Governor on the board of Centre for Creative Leadership, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA, and as Independent Director on the boards of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Standard Chartered PLC, London, UK, Tata Steel Limited (TSL), Tata Steel Europe (TSE), Tata Consultancy Services, Hindustan Unilever Limited, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited (erstwhile Tata Motors Ltd) and Aadhar Housing Finance Limited.
Directorship and full-time positions
Dr. HUZAIFA KHORAKIWALA
Executive Director
Dr. Huzaifa Khorakiwala holds a Master’s degree in Business Management from Yale University, School of Management, USA. He joined the Company in July 1996 and has, over the years, led various Wockhardt businesses. He has been the Executive Director of the Company since April 2009. He also serves as Trustee and CEO of Wockhardt Foundation, whose flagship programme, Mobile 1000, runs 200 Mobile Medical Units delivering free primary healthcare to rural and remote India. He is the Founder of The World Peacekeepers Movement, an online movement of over 1.5 million peacekeepers.
Dr. Huzaifa is a recipient of 15 honorary doctorates, 2 D.Litts., and many other prestigious awards and titles including a Knighthood, which was bestowed on him by the Ecumenical, Medical, Humanitarian Order of Knights of St. John of Jerusalem (Knights of Charity).
Directorship and full-time positions
Dr. MURTAZA KHORAKIWALA
Managing Director
Dr. Murtaza Khorakiwala represents a unique blend of scientific knowledge and business acumen. A graduate of Medicine from GS Medical College, Mumbai, India, and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Illinois, USA, he has been the Managing Director of Wockhardt Limited since April 2009.
Thinking outside the box, challenging assumptions, and innovation are some of the key principles that shape his strategic thought process. His young and dynamic leadership has become the ideal springboard for various corporate initiatives in creating a new Wockhardt.
In 2018, Dr. Murtaza was elected as President of the Bombay Management Association (BMA). He has also served as President of ICC India, International Chamber of Commerce, in the year 2020-21. In FY 2022-23, Dr. Murtaza served on the Management Committee of IMC.
Directorship and full-time positions
Ms. ZAHABIYA KHORAKIWALA
Non-Executive Director
Ms. Zahabiya Khorakiwala is the Managing Director of Wockhardt Hospitals and is responsible for strategic decisions, identifying new business opportunities, and creating viable and sustainable business models to drive growth in the operations of the hospital chain.
Ms. Khorakiwala was schooled at the prestigious Aiglon College in Switzerland, did her graduation from New York University, and received an MBA degree from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.
Championed by robust Research and Development, Ms. Khorakiwala has instituted a cutting-edge regenerative medicine business, the multi-disciplinary venture of the Wockhardt Group.
Directorship and full-time positions
