Rajan Gajaria
Former Executive Vice President at Corteva
Rajan came to Indiana as an expatriate and International Center client – and left his legacy as a Corteva executive and board president of The International Center.
In 1999, Rajan Gajaria was contemplating a life-altering career change. He and his family were living in the densely populated city of Mumbai, India, when Rajan received an offer from Dow AgroSciences, one of the world’s most prominent AgTech companies. But this new role would require him and his family to move to Indianapolis—on the other side of the globe.
“We were apprehensive for sure,” Rajan recalled. “The only thing we knew about Indianapolis was the Indy 500. Would we be welcome? Would we fit in?”
After considerable thought, Rajan and his family—including their two young daughters—made the move to Central Indiana, a choice that led to great success for Rajan. At Dow, Rajan started as a marketing manager, but he quickly climbed the ladder, working in product management and business strategy before becoming the Global Supply Chain Director in 2007.
Rajan flourished as Vice President of Dow’s Asia-Pacific and Latin America division and eventually took over the Americas division, which comprised 70 percent of the company’s total business. Later, Dow AgroSciences merged with DuPont and officially became Corteva in 2019. After the change, Rajan served as Corteva’s Executive Vice President for Global Business Platforms before retiring in 2022.
During their move to Indiana, the Gajaria family participated in The International Center’s relocation assistance programs. The Center helped support his family as they adjusted to Indiana, and their Cross-Cultural Training program was where Rajan made some of his first friends in the United States.
Rajan’s experience at The International Center inspired him to get involved with the organization. In his words, “The way that The International Center helped me and my family adapt to life in Indiana was so helpful. I wanted to continue to support and give back to The Center in any way that I could.”
Rajan formally joined The International Center’s Board of Directors in 2005 and even served as Board Chair, while actively volunteering for their programs and initiatives. In addition to his work at The International Center, Rajan also served as a Board Member of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, as a Trustee of the National 4-H Council, and was recognized by Governor Eric Holcomb with the Sagamore of the Wabash award.
In the 23 years since his move to Indiana, Rajan has found his home in the Hoosier state. He’s seen Indiana grow into a diverse, globally-minded hub of international business, and Rajan’s work at Corteva helped make Indiana a global player in the agbiosciences. In fact, the Corteva campus in Indianapolis was officially named the company’s global headquarters in 2022.
Rajan’s family has also embraced their Hoosier community. His son currently attends Carmel High School, and his daughters are both alumnae of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.
“We came with an excited mindset and an open mind, and it has been great,” said Rajan. “And even though I have retired from Corteva, we still choose to be Hoosiers and continue to live here. It has just been a fantastic twenty-plus years for us here. Indiana is an exciting place to be no matter what phase of life you’re in!”
