Dr. Akhilesh Kumar Srivastava is serving as Professor and Head of the Department of Fruit Science, College of Horticulture at Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda, 210001 (U.P.), With over 30 years of experience in fruit crop breeding, germplasm conservation, citrus improvement, and arid horticulture, he has led numerous ICAR, RKVY, UPCAR, and state-funded projects, including the AICRP on Fruits. A Ph.D. from Banaras Hindu University and ASRB-NET qualified, he has developed and released improved fruit varieties, standardized disease-free planting material protocols, and advanced IPM technologies. He has authored numerous research papers, books, and technical manuals, significantly contributing to sustainable horticulture in arid and semi-arid regions.