Indra is the Food Science Head of Department. She is also actively involved in the teaching and supervising of our students. Her research focuses on the development of smart processing strategies using conventional and advanced food technologies to create healthier food products with unique sensory characteristics. Understanding mechanisms and kinetics of enzymatic and chemical reactions during processing and shelf life is a pre-requisite to assure the quality of food products. Also understanding consumer perception and acceptance of food products and processing technologies used are essential to achieve sustainable production and marketability of food products. Indra is a Professional member of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), United States and a Fellow at the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology. She had been internationally elected as a member-at-large of the Executive Committee Board of Non-thermal Processing Division at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), United States (2012-2015). She was the Chair of Training and Development for European Project funded NovelQ project (2005-2008) and Secretary of the Otago/Southland Branch New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology (2012-2015). She is currently a Principal Investigator of the Riddet Institute CoRE.

Food enzymes Conventional and advanced thermal food processing technologies Non-thermal food processing technologies e.g. high (hydrostatic) pressure, pulsed electric field, cold plasma, pulsed light. Kinetic modeling and process impact assessment Postharvest Innovation Bioavailability and bioactivity of secondary metabolites Consumer perception Technology transfer and dissemination to industrial food applications