About Dr. Neelima Garg

Dr. Neelima Garg is a distinguished microbiologist, food technologist, author, trainer, and consultant with over three decades of experience in post-harvest management, food processing, microbial biotechnology, and sustainable agriculture.

She has served as Acting Director of the ICAR-Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (ICAR-CISH), Lucknow, and headed the Division of Post-Harvest Management, where she led research and technology development in horticultural processing, value addition, microbial innovations, and agricultural waste utilization.

Dr. Garg earned her Ph.D. in Microbiology from Haryana Agricultural University in 1987. Her pioneering research on bioethanol production and phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms laid the foundation for a distinguished scientific career focused on sustainable agricultural and food-processing solutions.

Throughout her career, she has developed and promoted several innovative technologies, including fruit-based wines, functional beverages, microbial fertilizers, probiotic animal feed from horticultural waste, and eco-friendly value-added products. Her work has contributed significantly to waste valorization, entrepreneurship development, and technology commercialization.

An accomplished author and researcher, Dr. Garg has published numerous scientific papers, book chapters, technical publications, and books covering food microbiology, microbial biotechnology, post-harvest technology, horticultural processing, probiotics, intellectual property rights, and sustainable agriculture.

Her contributions have been recognized through several prestigious honors, including the Dr. J. S. Pruthi Award, Kejriwal Award, ICN International Award in Agriculture (2020), LMA Outstanding Women Achiever Award (2021), and the Lifetime Achievement Award in Horticulture Research and Development (2022).

Currently, Dr. Garg provides consultancy, training, and technical guidance in:

• Post-Harvest Management of Fruits and Vegetables
• Food Processing and Value Addition
• Microbial Biotechnology and Fermentation
• Soil Health and Sustainable Agriculture
• Agri-Entrepreneurship Development
• Technology Commercialization and Transfer
• Research, Training and Capacity Building
• Intellectual Property Rights in Agriculture

Through her work, Dr. Garg continues to bridge scientific innovation with practical applications, promoting sustainable agriculture, value addition, entrepreneurship, and rural development.