Dr. Sunil Tamgale is an Internationally Recognized Black Pepper Scientist from the private sector in India, with over two decades of experience across the pepper plantation regions of the Western Ghats of India. He is a Ph.D. holder in Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad (2002), and has been deeply engaged in black pepper research and farmer outreach ever since.

Dr. Tamgale has dedicated his career to empowering black pepper farmers across India and Cambodia. Honored as the Best Black Pepper Technical Scientist by the Asian Productivity Organization, Government of India, New Delhi, he has also received multiple awards and medals recognizing his outstanding scientific and extension contributions.

With over 12,00,000 km of on-field experience, he has personally trained more than 10,000 farmers, significantly improving the livelihoods of lakhs of black pepper growers. As the Founder of the Black Gold League, Dr. Tamgale has been instrumental in promoting Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to uplift the socio-economic conditions of pepper farmers.

Currently serving as the Scientific Advisor to the Indian Pepper League, Sringeri-Koppa, Chikmagaluru District, Karnataka, He continues to guide growers on improving soil health, enhancing sustainability, and adopting organic and herbal-based cultivation practices for residue-free black pepper production.

At the 53rd Annual Meeting of the International Pepper Community (IPC), Kochi, Kerala, Dr. Tamgale will present practical technologies and field-tested strategies covering the entire crop cycle - from nursery management to harvest - with a focus on sustainable pathways to producing residue-free black pepper