Dipak Bhagwan Patil
Palghar
Summary
Director-level executive and Food Technologist with extensive experience in managing accreditation-compliant organic certification systems. Competent in implementing and maintaining certification processes in accordance with NPOP, NOP, EU, JAS, Bio Suisse, Demeter, Naturland, KRAV, Rainforest Alliance, Fair for Life/Fairtrade, Soil Association, and Regenerative Organic Certification standards. Demonstrated expertise in governance, impartiality management, auditor competence, regulatory liaison with APEDA/NABCB and other accreditation bodies, and strategic business development across national and international markets.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Managing Director
National Organic Certification Agency
12.2024 - Current
- Provide overall leadership and strategic direction for NOCA operations in India, including management of NPOP certification activities in full compliance with NPOP, EU (Category A), and applicable equivalency requirements.
- Act as Top Management Representative and primary liaison with accreditation bodies, regulators, and stakeholders, including APEDA, NABCB, and international authorities.
- Ensure continuous compliance with applicable accreditation standards, regulatory requirements, and scheme rules.
- Exercise direct oversight of certification operations, including the auditor, Certifiers and all managers’ management, risk assessment, integrity controls, and compliance monitoring systems.
- Oversee audit planning, certification decision processes, surveillance activities, and system performance.
- Lead the handling of complaints, nonconformities, suspensions, appeals, and corrective action processes to strengthen system credibility and confidence.
- Manage budgeting, resource planning, and operational performance in alignment with accreditation and impartiality requirements.
- Hold overall responsibility for financial performance and budgetary control without compromising independence and impartiality.
- Represent NOCA in national and international organic forums, regulatory audits, stakeholder consultations, and industry events.
- Secure certification business contracts and establish strategic tie-ups with other certification bodies for international standards, testing laboratories, and relevant stakeholders.
- Ensure impartiality, independence, confidentiality, and integrity of all certification activities.
- Ensure competence management, qualification, evaluation, and performance monitoring of auditors and technical personnel.
- Lead, develop, and retain a competent, ethical, and performance-driven workforce.
Senior Programme Manager, Impact & Integrity & Grower Engagement
THE SOURCERY
06.2022 - 12.2024
- Projects development and deployment of organic, sustainable and regenerative programs and reporting.
- Outline, conduct and/or steer quantitative and qualitative research, analysis and reporting.
- Facilitating project stakeholders (online and in-person) of Sourcery and its clients and third-party experts and service providers to further develop and shape the project and its deliverables.
- Oversee, populate and manage team tasks within project management software to ensure all stakeholders are actively engaged and fulfilling collective and individual roles and responsibilities.
- Serve as an ambassador of to Sourcery mission.
- Checking farm-level standards and social compliance, technical document writing and development, and data collection.
- Supply chain mapping and liaison between farm groups, gins and our client and relevant third-party product and service providers including seed suppliers, implementing partners, testing laboratories and third-party software service providers.
- Responsible for handling a team of freelance impact assessors planning, training, evaluation and reporting.
Sr Auditor & Certification officer
ECOCERT P V T L T D
04.2017 - 05.2022
- Execution of audits for NPOP / USDA-NOP / EOS/ JAS / BIOSUISSEE / DEMETER / NATURALND/ KRAV Standards and to provide a report with findings as to the conformity with all the requirements of standards.
- Conduct audits for social accountability or sustainable standards like FAIR FOR LIFE, FOR LIFE, RAIN FOREST ALLIANCE, REGENERATIVE ORGANIC CERTIFICATION, NATURLAND FAIR. HAND IN HAND.
- Conducting audit for Soil association.
- Maintaining a good relationship with the client and providing a Scope certificate.
- Training, Monitoring, and assessing the qualification of auditors on auditing capability.
- Additional marketing of Certification service for organic standards offered by Ecocert.
- Completed a total of 450+ Audits (out of that 350+ Processing units & trading audits (450+ man-days) of Rice, Tea, Coffee, Sugar, Cashew, Cotton, Soyabean, Juices, Jams, pickle, Ketchup, Fruit and vegetable, Psyllium, powder processing, extraction unit of CO2, Ethanol, water, Mint processing, Glucose, Biscuits, medicinal and ayurvedic preparations, Capsule and tablet preparation, Spray drying units, Dehydration units, oil extraction, Spices, cereal and pulses processing, sandal, Onion, Garlic processing, dates, Soyabean, cold drink, coconut products processing, Guar processing, dry fruits processing etc. for different scheme and standards Organic, social & sustainable.
- 100+ farming unit audits of Individual farming units and farmer groups for all organic agricultural crops.
- Promoted as Certification Officer on dated 08/01/2020 to MAY 2022.
Internal Auditor & Quality Executive
LT FOODS PVT LTD
10.2016 - 04.2017
- Planning and preparation of organic audits of all farming, processing and trading units for NPOP, NOP, EU, EOS, BIO SUISSE, NATURLAND, JAS, DEMETER, GLOBAL GAP, RA, FT.
- Maintaining and improving the quality of products at the farming and processing level.
- Maintaining good relations with that CB and subcontracted clients.
- Informing the management of chances and threats in all farming, processing and trading.
- Assistance with the handling of claims and appeals of CB, Farmer training and staff training.
- Executing internal inspection according to all standards and requirements.
- Monitoring of Tracenet for Farm-level data entry, harvest detail, lot creation, Domestic TC application, lot creation at processing, internal transfer, PTC application, export TC application and follow-up for TC.
- Observe the milling process, examine rice, and issue instructions for the adjustment of machinery to maintain the quality and quantity of organic products.
- Conducted site audits of food preparation, sanitation and HACCP standards & worked with USDA and FDA state inspectors & developed and implemented food safety training.
- Identified problem areas and designed solutions.
- Management of the company's own farm located at Sonipat for trials of different crops for quality check and different inputs used allowed under Organic, Manure, Fertilizers, pest and disease control agent, weeding methods, different cropping patterns, crop rotation system, irrigation & fertigation system by using a different variety of crops.
- Guiding & training registered farmers about organic practices and providing technical knowledge for good and quality yield according to organic and sustainable standards.
- Checking all new farmer activity & data before the agreement with the Company under the ICS.
Sr. Auditor
CONTROL UNION CERTIFICATIONS
01.2014 - 10.2016
- Execution of audits for organic standards NPOP/USDA-NOP/EU/JAS/BIOSUISSEE/ DEMETER/NATURLAND. And to provide a report with findings as to the conformity with all the requirements & also conduct an audit for social accountability or sustainable standards like BONSUCRO, DEMETER, NATURLAND/BIO SUISSE.
- Maintaining good relations with the client and providing a Scope certificate.
- Training, Monitoring, and assessing the qualification of auditors on auditing capability.
- Planning the monthly Organic Audits and taking follow-up for the Execution of planned audits.
- Qualifications and training for new joining auditors are evaluated.
- Providing training to existing and new clients for all organic standards.
Education
M.Sc. (Post-Harvest Management) - Food Processing
Dr. B. S. Kokan Krishi Vidyapeeth
Dapoli01.2013
B.Sc. - Horticulture
Dr. B. S. Kokan Krishi Vidyapeeth
Dapoli01.2011
H.S.C. -
Mumbai Board
01.2007
S.S.C. -
JAWAHAR NOAVODAYY VIDYALAYA
Thane01.2005
Skills
- Organic certification systems
- Social certification systems
- Planning and conducting audits
- Risk-based audit techniques
- GAP analysis
- Impartiality and competence of auditors
- Certification operations
- TRACENET management
- Internal auditing
- Nonconformity handling
- Corrective actions
- Regulatory liaison
- Post-harvest management
- Food safety
- Quality control
- Processing technologies
- Aseptic mango processing
- Basmati rice processing
- Training and capacity building
- Representing organizations at events
Accomplishments
Gold Medalist, Best Poster Presentation on value addition, food processing, and novel food products at Varanasi, under the guidance of Dr. P.P. Relekar (HOD), Dr. K. H. Pujari (Dean), and Dr. K.E. Lawande (Vice Chancellor).
Extracurricular Activities
Participated in Athletics, 100 M, 4 X 100M, 400 M, State level (Ashvamedha) Completed RHWE (Rural Horticultural Work Experience) program, 6 months (2010-2011), College of Agriculture, Dapoli Volunteer in NSS Camp, Talsure, Tal. Dapoli, Dist. Ratnagiri, 240 hours, 2009-2010 Maharashtra State Certificate in Information Technology (MS-CIT), 62%
Training
- NABCB Assessors ISO/IEC 17065, 01/29/26 to 01/31/26, New Delhi
- Biodynamic Advisory Training Program, Completed 170 hours of commitment over 7 months.
- Agricultural Drones, Completed 21-Day Course on Agricultural Drones handling.
- LEAD AUDITOR TRAINING SESSION ON FOOD SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AS PER ISO 22000:2018
- Awareness Programme for GLOBAL GAP, Completed as per Version 5.2
- Bio-dynamic course, 13 days, Kodaikanal
- Training for FAIR FOR LIFE & FOR LIFE (FAIRTRADE) standards, Qualified auditor.
- Training for RAINFOREST ALLIANCE (RFA) & REGENERATIVE ORGANIC CERTIFICATION / NATURLAND FAIR, Qualified auditor.
- Training for SOIL ASSOCIATION (US CB) Organic inspections, Approved auditor for multiple standards.
- Internship at EXOTIC FRUITS PVT. LTD., Ratnagiri (M.S.), 1 month (04/2013)
- Green House Management, 6 months (2010-2011), College of Agriculture, Dapoli
- Visited more than 400+ Organic food processing units and 500+ grower groups
Disclaimer
I hereby declare that all the information given here is true & valid to the best of my knowledge.
Personal Information
- Date of Birth: 07/23/89
- Gender: Male
- Marital Status: Married
Languages
- Hindi
- Marathi
- English
- Hindi
- Marathi
Languages
English
Proficient (C2)
C2
Marathi
Advanced (C1)
C1
Hindi
Proficient (C2)
C2
Timeline
Managing Director
National Organic Certification Agency
12.2024 - Current
Senior Programme Manager, Impact & Integrity & Grower Engagement
THE SOURCERY
06.2022 - 12.2024
Sr Auditor & Certification officer
ECOCERT P V T L T D
04.2017 - 05.2022
Internal Auditor & Quality Executive
LT FOODS PVT LTD
10.2016 - 04.2017
Sr. Auditor
CONTROL UNION CERTIFICATIONS
01.2014 - 10.2016
M.Sc. (Post-Harvest Management) - Food Processing
Dr. B. S. Kokan Krishi Vidyapeeth
B.Sc. - Horticulture
Dr. B. S. Kokan Krishi Vidyapeeth
H.S.C. -
Mumbai Board
S.S.C. -
JAWAHAR NOAVODAYY VIDYALAYA