IIM Bangalore's NSRCEL Appoints Rasika Prashant as CEO

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Wednesday, 17 June 2026

IIM Bangalore's startup incubator NSRCEL has made its first announcement regarding the selection of its Chief Executive Officer, Rasika Prashant, who will take over from the current CEO Prof. Sangeeta Aravinda on June 8, 2026.

This new appointment is a fresh start for NSRCEL as it continues to build its capacity to enable founders, facilitate innovation and help startups solve real world problems in various sectors. Having a strong entrepreneurial foundation and a strong expertise in brand building, Rasika is poised to further expand its influence through founder-centric programs, strategic collaborations and ecosystem-led programs.

Besides being an entrepreneur and business leader, Rasika is widely recognized as the Co-founder and former Chief Marketing Officer of Tata Soulfull, which was one of the earliest Food brands in India based on millets. In her role, she spearheaded the company's brand strategy, product innovation, digital growth and direct-to-consumer business leading up to its eventual acquisition/integration into Tata Consumer Products.

Rasika will spearhead the incubation programs, mentorship, market access, funding opportunities and strategic partnerships (academic, industrial, government and investor networks) at NSRCEL to empower entrepreneurs.

Commenting on her appointment, Rasika Prashant, Chief Executive Officer, NSRCEL, said, “At NSRCEL, we believe entrepreneurship is a foundational driver of economic growth, job creation, and societal progress. As India’s innovation ecosystem enters its next phase of growth, I look forward to strengthening NSRCEL’s impact by adding depth, sophistication, and structured rigor to how we enable entrepreneurs. This means deepening founder capabilities through evidence-based learning and structuring our support systems with clear milestones and measurable outcomes.”

With a Computer Science degree coupled with an MBA, Rasika's career started in marketing and digital strategy before progressing to leadership and business development within retail and entrepreneurial ventures. She has established herself as a proven leader over the years, bringing a consumer-centric perspective and execution excellence to develop meaningful brands and scalable growth strategies.

She has received numerous awards for her work, such as being named Marketer of the Year at MAA 2024, AdTech Marketer of the Year and was featured in the list of Most Influential Women of 2025 by Impact Magazine.

Key Highlights:

• NSRCEL appoints Tata Soulfull co-founder Rasika Prashant as CEO from June 8, 2026
• Rasika will lead founder support, incubation, mentorship, and startup growth initiatives
• NSRCEL has supported 3,100+ ventures and impacted over 7,400 startups across India

NSRCEL also recognized the work done by Anand Sri Ganesh, former CEO for his leadership and support in developing the programs, relationships and broader impact of the incubator. During his tenure, NSRCEL grew its footprint in the ecosystem and has established a solid base for its future growth.

Established in 1999, the NSRCEL, the NS Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning at IIM Bangalore, has become one of the top incubators for startups in India in the last 20 years. The incubator has helped to create thousands of jobs and innovation-led entrepreneurship across the country by supporting over 3,100 businesses and impacting over 7,400 start-ups in over 30 industries.

It offers programs related to fintech, climate technology, healthcare, social enterprises, women entrepreneurs, and student entrepreneurship. The organization collaborates with government, corporate, investors and academic institutions to enable founders to access mentorship, funding, market linkages, and business development support.