Esteemed Faculty

Dr. Nilesh P. Gokhale
Professor & Director In-Charge
Ph.D. (Marketing Management) MBA (Marketing) B.E. (Polymer Engineering)

• Dr. Nilesh P. Gokhale is an academic leader and institution builder with 24+ years of experience across management education, university administration, research, and consulting.
• Proven track record in academic transformation, governance systems, industry partnerships, and institutional positioning.
• Held leadership roles like Dean, Director, Head of School, and Deputy Head (University Academics) at various universities like Symbiosis, MITWPU, Sinhgad and Sri Balaji.
• 32 International Research publications including 16 SCOPUS / WoS indexed (Author of 4 books in Marketing). Published articles in Financial Express, Economic Times, Statesman, India Today and CXO Today
• Research areas: sustainability, consumer behavior
• Consulting experience-Brand positioning and Brand identity, Marketing Strategy formulation.

PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENTS

• Member - Board of Studies -RA Potdar college, IMDR, Symbiosis International, Sri Balaji University.
• Doctoral Committee Member - Symbiosis International University, Amrutha Vishwvidyapeetham
• Expert Panel member - Funded Research Project- Symbiosis International University
• Ph.D. Examiner (PDPU, Gujarat)

Dr. Manmeet S Barve
Dean - Academics
Ph.D., APDS (IIM - C), PGDM (Marketing), MMS (Marketing), B.E (IT), UGC-NET, MAHA-SET, Dip.T&D

Dr. Manmeet Barve is a distinguished academician and mentor with over 20+ years of experience in Marketing, Branding, quality management, and Cloud Computing Technology. He has taught more than 4,500+ students across 76+ MBA batches in 16 leading B-Schools, contributing over 11,500+ hours of classroom teaching in just last 10 years.

He has mentored consulting assignments with reputed organizations including the Consul General of Israel in Mumbai, CELLO, 82E, Miami AD School, and TAP Charity, USA. Spearheaded 5 national and international Innovation hackathons Including nodal centre head for SIH. Served as a resource person for AICTE-sponsored FDPs, and led multiple MDPs and Startup Accelerator Programs.

He has published 2 books, 11 research papers, and 3 case studies in National and International Journals. Startup Mentor to IIT Bombay E-Cell. He has guided more than 80+ startups across 14 countries and as a senior jury member at Global Student Practice Ventures at NEN. Beyond academics, he is deeply committed to mentoring MBA students, shaping not just their professional expertise but also their personal growth and leadership potential.

AWARDS:
A recipient of many prestigious awards:
- Winning Mentor at Smart India Hackathon 2024
- Winning Finalist Mentor at SIH 2023 & 2025
- 40 under 40 Industry Expert awards by Business Mint
- Global Education Award for Best PhD Thesis
- NEN Wadhwani Foundation Global Start-up Jury Award 2021 and 2022.
- MET Pragvant Award 2023 & 2024 (Research & Innovation)
- AIMSR Best Professor Award 2019
- Tie Mumbai, eBay & GriffinWorx, Mumbai Best Startup Mentor 2017

Dr. Sangeeta Tandon
Professor
Ph D, M.A (Indus. Eco), MA (Eco), PGD (PM & IR)

She holds a Ph.D. in Management, has two post-graduate degrees in Economics and also a B. Ed. from University of Mumbai, to her credit.

She has authored two textbooks in Economics and one in Environmental Management for post graduate students. With a flair for writing, she has presented and published several research papers in National Conferences and management research journals as well as written for many magazines. She has received the ‘Best Paper Award’ trophy at the National Conference on Managerial Excellence in the 21st Century sponsored by Pune University.

She is known in management circles for her skills at conducting workshops and imparting training to students and corporates. She has spearheaded MET’s China Study Mission for three consecutive years. She has organized several alumni meets and also one in Dubai. For over two decades, she has organized many seminars, conventions and ‘mega’ cultural events like MET Utsav and coordinated prestigious events for corporates like the All India Management Association’s National Competition for Young Managers and National Management Quiz.

At the professional front, four times she has been the recipient of the MET Pragnyavant Award for contribution to Management Research, she is the winner of MET Gaurav Award for Academic Excellence and has also been honoured with the MET Bhushan Award for her integrity and selfless service to her institution for more than 22 years.

Dr. Farida Virani
Professor
Ph.D, MHRDM, BA, Dip T & D, Dip Edu Mgt

Dr. Farida Virani, Professor, HR and Behavioral Sciences , MET Institute of Management. She has earned her Master’s in Human Resources from the Mumbai University and her Ph.D. from SVKM’s NMIMS – Deemed to be University – Mumbai. She is a Certified Mediator from Center for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) London and is an International Trainer for the International Conciliation and Arbitration Board (ICAB) under the aegis of the Aga Khan Foundation.

She is an author of numerous research papers, journal articles, book chapters, newspaper contributions and working papers. Her current research interests are in the field of Conflict Resolution through Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) from a community based perspective. A recipient of various recognitions, she was awarded the ‘Best Management Faculty’ for her outstanding contribution to Teaching and Education, by the Higher Education Forum.

Dr. Sandeep Chopde
Associate Professor
Ph. D, M.PHIL, UGC-NET, MA, PGDBA, B.SC.

Prof Sandeep Chopde is PhD, M.Phil, UGC-NET, PGDBA (Finance). His PhD thesis is on “Impact of Demographic Factors, Personality Traits and Behavioural Biases on Investment Decision Making of individuals in Mumbai.” He has 5 years of Industrial experience in valuation of assets and more than 15 years of teaching experience in various finance related subjects such as Financial Management, Corporate valuation, Cost and Management accounting with special interest in Behavioural Finance. He is currently associated with MET since last 14 years and is a Course Co-coordinator for three year Part Time Executive MBA (MMM/MFM/MHRDM/MIM) program affiliated to University of Mumbai.

He has written/presented 6 research papers till date which are published in various National and International journals. He has also co-authored text books for M.Com, BMS and BMM courses affiliated to University of Mumbai.

He has been awarded MET Gaurav award once and MET Pragnyavant award four times for his contribution in the field of education by MET Institute of Management.

Dr. Nitin Kulkarni
Associate Professor
Ph.D, MFM, P.G.D.B.A.,BE (Mech)

Dr. Nitin S. Kulkarni has completed his mechanical engineering, perused Masters of Financial Management and Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration. He has completed his Ph.D. in Business Administration. He has worked in industry for a decade before joining the field of education and research. He has published / presented twelve research papers in the field of Business Administration and Management in National and International Journals. He is a recipient of “Outstanding Paper Award” in Finance stream at Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai (JBIMS) organized International Research Conference IRC 2015 and 2016. He is also a member of reputed institutions such as, The Institution of Engineers and Indian Commerce Association. He has a special interest in the issues pertaining to Micro and Small, Medium Enterprises, International Economics & Finance, and Corporate Finance and Business Failures predictions. He is also keen in adapting and learning new teaching pedagogy and methodology.

Dr. Nirmala Joshi
Associate Professor
Ph.D, M.COM, MFM, B.COM

Dr. Nirmala Joshi - Professor for Finance has illustrious academic performance at each of the board exams that she appeared right through her school and college years have been nothing short of ‘landmark’ milestones set on the highway of academic brilliance. She has been meritorious students throughout her academic career. In 1991, as the first candidate to clear NET-JRF. In 1995, she was the youngest Ph.D. degree holder in the whole of Rajasthan.

She has successfully guided six Doctoral Research projects and more than 150 Master level research projects. She has authored two books for MMS program for University of Mumbai. She has presented and published many research papers at national and international level conferences. She has attended MDPs/FDPs in IIT-Delhi, IIT-Madras, IIM-K and IIM Bangalore for continuous improvement of quality of teaching and mentoring students.

Mr. Arun Patil
Assistant Professor
MA, LLB, BA

He has over 37 years’ experience in life insurance industry. He joined LIC as a Direct Recruit Officer and worked in various departments such as Sales, Marketing, Publicity, Housing, Branch and Division administration all across the country, including foreign deputation to Fiji Islands for five years. He also informally handled diplomatic functions there in absence of Indian High Commission. He worked as Senior Vice President in ICICI Prudential and Kotak Life Insurance companies.

Widely travelled all over the country and the world, Mr. Patil has published about 200 articles and has authored seven books.

He conducts Seminars and Work-shops on topics such as “Joy of Work”, “Emotional Intelligence”, “Marketing Strategies”, “Work-Life balance”, “Cultural Integration” etc.

Ms. Dharmishta Gala
Assistant Professor
MFM, B.Com, B.Ed.

Ms. Dharmishta Gala is an Assistant Professor MET Institute of Management, well-known for its PG Programs.

Her teaching interest includes Operation Research, Operation Management, Business Economics and Mathematics. She is also doing collaborative research, her interest areas are Culture. She also teaches the underprivileged children in Kalina, Mumbai.

She received a Bachelor's degree in Commerce and also persuaded her further studies in Bachelor's degree in Education (B. Ed) and completed her Masters in Finance from Mumbai University.

Mr. Sandesh Akre
Assistant Professor
MMS, BE, UGC NET, SET, CCNA

Prof Sandesh Akre is Assistant Professor of Operations & Systems at MET Institute of Management. He has done Masters in Management from Mumbai University and is pursuing PhD from IIHMR University. He is CISCO Certified Network Associate and trained mentor for SAP B1 module. He has published Research papers in revered national and international Journals. His research work on "secure electronic transactions" has been listed in IEEE Xplore. His key specializations are in intersection of Data Science, Supporting Programming tools (Excel, Python, R, Tableau) and its use in Policy and Social Value Creation. Presently, he is working on GIS based Resource allocation in areas like Supply Chain, Healthcare Management and Rural development.

Ms. Ria Patnaik
Assistant Professor
MMS, PGDM (Marketing), MA (Economics), UGC NET, BA (Economics)

Ms. Ria Patnaik is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at MET Institute of Management.

She has a keen interest in using her theoretical and industrial experience to contribute positively in the field of academics and research.

Prior to completion of her PGDM in Marketing, she joined a Marketing research agency (Digital research). In a span of two years that she had been there, she worked on Brand Health Studies, Category Research, Campaign / Advertising Research and Product Research.

Her interest lies in the field of Marketing Research, Branding, Managerial Economics and Consumer Behaviour. She has published multiple research papers in UGC care and Scopus publication.

She believes in the motto, ‘Wisdom is Strength’, and each day looks forward to impacting the lives of students and the field of academics!.

Dr. Sagar Gaikwad
Assistant Professor
Ph.D, MMS, M.Com., UGC NET (Commerce), UGC NET (Management), SET
Dr. Sagar Gaikwad has completed his Ph.D in the subject of Business Policy and Administration from University of Mumbai. Additionally, he has completed his M.Com in the subject of Management, MMS in the Subject of Finance, SET in the subject of Commerce, NET in the subject of Commerce and NET in the subject of Management. He is recipient of Academic Excellence Award 2021 for Young Researcher by “International Association of Research and Developed organisation and All India Council for Productive Education,Research and Training, Government of India. He has two patents to his credit. International Patent on Controlling System & Methods for IOT Boiler and national patent on Wearable device for Monitor and Control the Mental Stress During Isolation. He was invited as resource person for international webinar on topic “Workplace Culture the Great Game of Business” organised by Mirwais Neeka Institute of Higher Education Afghanistan, Ministry of Education, Afghanistan. He has chaired a session in The 2021 International Conference On Decision Aid Sciences and Application organised by Mae Fah Luang University, Thailand. He has invited as a resource person for many national and international webinars and FDP like UGC, University of Mumbai, Parul University Guajarat, Kirti College Mumbai, NES Ratnam College, etc. He has number of publications to his credit in the journals Indexed in SCOPUS,UGC Care, etc. He has presented research papers in many national and international conferences across globe. He is an expert in data analysis using SPSS, AMOS, SMART PLS, R Studio, etc.

Dr. Rohini Andhare
Assistant Professor
PhD, MBA, UGC-NET

Dr. Rohini Andhare is an accomplished academician with nine years of experience as an assistant professor of Finance. Her expertise spans across various UG (Undergraduate) and PG (Postgraduate) management Institutes, where she has contributed significantly to the field of finance. Her active involvement in research is evident through the presentation of research papers at both national and international conferences. She is a doctorate in Financial Management and qualified NET with JRF.

She has made substantial contributions to the academic community by publishing papers in various research journals. Her research interests are diverse and cover a range of topics within the field of finance. Some of her key areas of interest include Financial Accounting, Cost and Management Accounting, Financial Management, Financial Services and Markets and International Finance.

Dr. Rashmi Bhadani
Assistant Professor
Ph.D, MPM, PGDBM, UGC-NET, B.Com

Dr Rashmi Bhadani has completed her Ph.D in HR. She has also qualified UGC-NET, MPM, and PGDBM. Recently she has completed her HR Analytics certification program from IIM Kozhikode. She has more than 5 years of experience as visiting and full time faculty in various reputed Institutes and colleges located in Nashik, Indore, and Mumbai and more than 5 years of industry experience.

She has presented various papers in the international conference as well as participated in various national and international conferences. She also has published a number of papers in various international journals.

As a Certified Yoga Trainer, she has conducted various yoga workshops, specifically in the domains of Stress Management and Pranayama.

Her areas of interest include HR Analytics, Training and Development, Employee Health and Wellness, Research, and Yoga.

Ms. Gauri Sane
Assistant Professor
Ph.D. Scholar (Management), UGC-SET (Management), MMS, B.Sc. I.T, GNIIT (S.E)

Ms. Gauri Sane is an Assistant Professor with over 9 years of academic experience at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and 1 year of industry experience, spanning Marketing, Digital Marketing, and Information Technology. She has taught at several prominent Mumbai institutions including Atharva Institute of Management Studies, Atharva School of Business, Ghanshyamdas Saraf College, Narsee Monjee College, and Ramnarain Ruia College, among others. Prior to academia, she had 1 year of industry exposure at QAD India Pvt. Ltd.

She is currently a Ph.D. Scholar in Management. Committed to continuous professional growth, she is always upskilling and regularly participates in Industry Immersion Program, Workshops and Certifications to stay at the forefront of her field. Her areas of interest lie in Marketing and Digital Marketing Strategy.

Ms. Gauri has published in SCOPUS and ABDC journals on themes such as digital content marketing, consumer trust, digital payment adoption, m-commerce, cybercrime, digital transformation in insurance, and AI adoption in enterprises. She also holds a Design Patent for a Priority Matrix Based Task Managing Device.

Across her academic journey, she has contributed to institutional development through departmental coordination, institutional event organization, social media management, NAAC documentation, and ceremonial anchoring. As a dedicated mentor, she consistently goes beyond the classroom to guide and inspire students in their academic and professional journeys.

A firm believer in the motto "Empowering Minds Through Knowledge, Technology, and Purpose", Ms. Gauri brings a research-driven, industry-aligned, and student-centric approach to academics.

Mr. Sachin Joshi
Assistant Professor of Practice
B.E. (Electrical Engg.)-VJTI, MMS(Marketing)- MET IOM
PMP, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Certified Lead Auditor ISO 27001

Sachin Joshi is a highly accomplished Information Technology/Operations professional with over Two decades of rich and diverse experience spanning IT quality management, process improvement, and technology assurance across global organizations. With a proven track record of successfully implementing and managing international quality frameworks such as CMMI, ISO 9001, ISO 27001, and ISO 20000, he has consistently driven organizational excellence and operational efficiency.
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His professional journey encompasses leadership roles in IT operations, quality assurance, regulatory compliance and project management, where he has guided large teams and mentored professionals to achieve performance excellence. His experience also extends to Training and Development, coaching professionals on quality practices, project management, and process improvement methodologies. He has extended this experience to the academic world where he contributes to enhancing domain knowledge of students, industry connect and mentoring them in choosing the right specialization.

Ms. Aakanksha Sakpal
Assistant Professor
PGDM - (Marketing), M-COM (Business Management)

Results-driven Marketing professional and 4+ years of Industry experience across higher education, strategic marketing, public relations, corporate events, and Luxury Real Estate sales. A PGDM Marketing and NET & PET-qualified scholar, she combines academic excellence with practical industry expertise to deliver impactful business and learning outcomes.

Over the years, she has taught Marketing, Management, and HR subjects across leading Mumbai colleges while mentoring students for academic and career success. Alongside academia, she has managed corporate communications, media relations, client servicing, large-scale events, and premium real estate consulting, developing strong expertise in strategic communication, relationship management, sales, and business development.

Known for her ability to simplify complex concepts, build lasting client relationships, and drive measurable results, she thrives in dynamic environments where education, strategy, and business intersect. Passionate about continuous learning, leadership, and innovation, she aspires to contribute to organisations by blending analytical thinking, people-centric leadership, and strategic execution.

Mr. Harshad Savant
Assistant Professor
Operations and Supply Chain Management

Harshad is an accomplished educator and management professional with more than five years of professional experience spanning startups, IT, IT-enabled services, coaching, and academia. Currently he is pursuing Ph.D. in Strategic Management at the Indian Institute of Management, Sirmaur. His work sits at the intersection of entrepreneurship, strategic management, and innovation, bringing together academic research with managing real-world organisations. His teaching approach is grounded in the belief that management education should connect conceptual understanding with the realities of organisations and entrepreneurial environments.

Alongside teaching, Harshad is actively engaged in research on entrepreneurship policy, entrepreneurial opportunities, entrepreneurial ecosystems, and entrepreneurship. He has mentored more than hundred students, hosted an industry talk, and contributed to the establishment of the business incubator at IIM Sirmaur. Harshad’s technical toolkit includes SPSS, R, Python, Tableau, and SmartPLS. Apart from his academic pursuits, Harshad has a keen interest in cooking, travel, reading, and adventure sports.