Dr. HABIL KHORAKIWALA
Founder Chairman
Dr. Habil Khorakiwala founded Wockhardt in 1967. Today, the Wockhardt Group is India’s leading research-based global healthcare enterprise with relevance in the fields of Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), and Super Speciality Hospitals. An alumnus of Purdue University and Harvard Business School, he was the first non-American to be conferred with an Honorary Doctorate in 125 years by Purdue University (Pharmacy School) in 2010.
A member of the World Economic Forum, Dr. Khorakiwala has held many senior positions as an industry representative, and has been lauded and awarded by various institutions and organisations. As a former President of FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry), he has met and shared India’s business and economic dynamics with many Presidents, Prime Ministers and Heads-of-State. He has also served as the President of IPA (Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance); as the Chairman of the Board of Governors at the Centre for Organisation Development in Hyderabad, a non-profit, scientific and industrial research organisation and a recognised doctoral research centre; and as the Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi, which has emerged as an outstanding institution of higher learning with distinct and focused academic programmes.
In 2017, Dr. Khorakiwala authored ‘Odyssey of Courage’, a book chronicling his entrepreneurial journey, and in 2018, he established the Wockhardt School of Courage, a unique mentorship programme for young and budding entrepreneurs, which is based on tenets, principles, and insights drawn from the book.
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 has 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, infrastructure financing, finance industry, urban development, and environmental management, while occupying important positions in the Government.
Mr. Jairath is at present a Director on the Board of Kirloskar Industries Limited, Kirloskar Oil Engines 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, and a B.Tech. in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
Mr. Gupta served as the Chairman of Blackstone India till December 2014. Prior to Blackstone, he served as CEO – Corporate Development for Reliance Industries Limited from 1992 to 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” to be published in 2025.
Directorship and full-time positions
MS. AMELIA FERNANDES
Independent Director
Ms. Fernandes is an independent journalist. She was the Editor of India’s leading women’s magazine, Femina; Editor, features 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 at one time.
She is currently Director of “Literature Live!” Mumbai’s only literary festival and 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 advisor and Independent Director to various organisations.
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 over 175 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 in Medicine from GS Medical College, Mumbai, and an MBA from the University of Illinois, USA, he has been Managing Director of Wockhardt Limited since April 2009.
Recognising his outstanding contributions, Dr. Murtaza has been bestowed with the “Global Impact Award” by the University of Illinois.
Thinking out of the box, challenging assumptions, and driving innovation are some of the key principles that shape his strategic approach. His young and dynamic leadership has become the ideal springboard for various corporate initiatives, creating a new Wockhardt.
He was the past Chairman of the Marketing Committee of the Bombay Management Association and was elected President of the BMA in 2018. He also served as President of ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) India, in 2020–21, and was part of the Management Committee of IMC in FY 2022–23.
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 overall operations of the hospital chain. She is also a Director on the Board of RPG Life Sciences Limited.
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 newest multi-disciplinary venture of the Wockhardt Group. Ms. Khorakiwala has also set up Wockhardt Global School, a state-of-the-art K-12 school with International Baccalaureate Continuum and CBSE programmes in Aurangabad.
Directorship and full-time positions
