Kunal Kerkar — Co-Founder

Accomplished Business Leader bringing a progressive career spanning 12+ years across operations, sales and marketing, business management, and distribution in international markets. Excellent business acumen and strategic planning skills to drive profitability and margins year over year. Known for strong leadership and communication skills with the ability to build and maintain profitable relationships while exceeding sales and revenue goals. Director - Client Partnerships : Responsible for leading the sales organization, developing strategic sales plans, driving revenue growth, and building strong client relationships. Director & Global Head - Ecosystems, Partnerships & Strategic Alliances Practice at Saviant Consulting Recognized by hundreds of innovative companies worldwide, as reliable experts in intelligent data engineering and intelligent systems integration, enabling industrial machines & operations to do more than ever before Responsible for developing and executing the Overall global partnership strategy along with being deeply Involved in identifying, negotiating, and managing high-impact strategic alliances to drive revenue, expand market reach, and accelerate innovation. Head - Brand at Saviant Consulting I lead the overall development, execution, and management of the brand strategy. This involves shaping how Saviant is perceived by customers, employees, and stakeholders, and ensuring consistency across all brand touchpoints. Student Mentor to premier B-Schools & Engineering Institutes including the likes of BITS & NMIMS helping bridge the Academia-Industry gap Previously: Founder, MD & CEO at Helix - an Award-Winning Technology partner helping Digitise Enterprises in the Healthcare, Pharma & Life-Sciences space. Founder at Papercrunch - an Edu-tech venture with an aim to make engineering graduates in India more employable. Merged into the Helix Group First Generation Entrepreneur with a core belief in building and scaling companies built on strong value-driven principles! Holds an MBA in Business Analytics from NMIMS Mumbai and B.E. in Computer Engineering from GEC Goa.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a SaaS and Edutech expert with strong leadership in strategic partnerships and business development.

Location: Goa, India

Experience: 14 yrs 8 mos

Skills

Strategic Sales Leadership
Business Development
Strategic Partnerships
Revenue Growth
Brand Strategy
Brand Management
Partner Development
Market Research
Entrepreneurship
Business Strategy
Sales Leadership
Brand Development
Edutech

Career Highlights

Spearheaded expansion into 3 new international markets.
Established alliances practice, scaling partners from 1 to 50+.
Recognized as a leading IoT practitioner in the global tech community.

Work Experience

Saviant Consulting

Director - Client Partnerships (10 mos)

Head of Brand (3 yrs 3 mos)

Helix Tech Info Systems Pvt. Ltd.

Advisory Board Member (4 yrs)

MD & CEO (8 yrs 1 mo)

Founder (12 yrs 8 mos)

Saviant Consulting

Director & Global Head - Partnerships & Strategic Alliances (4 yrs)

Indepdent Director - Industry Relations (Consultant) (6 mos)

upGrad

Evangelist (5 yrs 4 mos)

PaperCrunch

Founder & Chief Learning Officer (10 yrs 9 mos)

Education

Executive MBA at NMIMS CDOE

BE COMPUTER at Goa Engineering College - Government of Goa

HSSC at Dempo Charities Trust Dhempe College of Arts & Science Miramar

SSC at People's High School

Kunal Kerkar

Co-Founder

Goa, India14 yrs 8 mos experience

Most Likely To SwitchHighly Stable

Key Highlights

Spearheaded expansion into 3 new international markets.
Established alliances practice, scaling partners from 1 to 50+.
Recognized as a leading IoT practitioner in the global tech community.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a SaaS and Edutech expert with strong leadership in strategic partnerships and business development.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

Strategic Sales LeadershipBusiness DevelopmentStrategic PartnershipsRevenue GrowthBrand StrategyBrand ManagementPartner DevelopmentMarket ResearchEntrepreneurshipBusiness StrategySales LeadershipBrand DevelopmentEdutech

Other Skills

Sales Forecasting & Pipeline ManagementGo-to-Market Strategy & ExecutionBusiness Development & Market ExpansionMarket ExpansionClient Relationship ManagementChannel & Ecosystem StrategyStrategic ThinkingRevenue ManagementMarket IntelligencePartnership StrategyDemand GenerationPartner Ecosystem DevelopmentStrategic AlliancesCreative DirectionCommunication & Storytelling

About

Experience

14 yrs 8 mos

Total Experience

10 yrs 9 mos

Average Tenure

12 yrs 8 mos

Current Experience

Saviant consulting

2 roles

Director - Client Partnerships

Jun 2025 – Present · 10 mos · Pune, Maharashtra, India

Responsible for leading the sales organization, developing strategic sales plans, driving revenue growth, and building strong client relationships.
Deeply involved in strategic growth initiatives, driving revenue performance, market expansion, and client success.
Oversee end-to-end sales operations, mentor high-performing teams, and collaborate cross-functionally to deliver consistent business impact.
Key Functions Include: Strategic Leadership,Business Development,Client Relationship Management,Revenue Forecasting & Planning,Go-to-Market Execution , Contract Negotiations & Performance Analytics.
Accomplishments & Impact:
Expanded market footprint : Spearheaded expansion into 3 new international markets, increasing overall pipeline within 2 quarters
Strategic partnerships : Secured and nurtured strategic alliances with a Billlion $ conglomerate , resulting increase in enterprise revenue.
Consultative selling : Drove complex B2B negotiations resulting in multi-year contracts
Awarded Go-to-Market Champion - 2025 :
For driving market execution, building strong partner channels, and contributing to new customer acquisitions.

Strategic Sales LeadershipSales Forecasting & Pipeline ManagementGo-to-Market Strategy & ExecutionBusiness Development & Market ExpansionRevenue GrowthBusiness Development

Head of Brand

Jan 2023 – Present · 3 yrs 3 mos · Pune, Maharashtra, India

As Head of Brand, I lead the development and execution of Saviant’s brand strategy, ensuring a cohesive and compelling brand presence across all touchpoints. My role is centered on shaping how the brand is perceived by customers, employees, and stakeholders—driving alignment, consistency, and resonance in every interaction.
Key Functions Include: Brand Strategy & Positioning,Identity & Expression,
Marketing & Campaigns,Management & Governance & Insights & Measurement
Key Achivements & Industry Recognitions
Top 3 Global IoT Solutions in Energy & Utilities
Recognized alongside Saudi Aramco at IoT Solutions World Congress, Barcelona 2023.
National Award for Innovation in Services (MSME)
Honored by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in 2024, alongside industry leaders like Reliance and Bosch.
Featured on “Industrial Talk” with Scott MacKenzie
Spoke on “Decision Science for Manufacturers of Test, Measurement Instruments, and Smart Devices.”
Co-Hosted with Industry 4.0 Club
Led a session on “Connecting Customer Machines with IoT.”
Featured on the IoT Show by Olivier Bloch (Ex-Microsoft)
Recognized as a leading IoT practitioner in the global tech community.
Selected by AWS for the India Launch of Industrial Data Fabric (IDF)
One of only three companies from India chosen for this prestigious initiative.
Invited to Join the Manufacturing Leadership Council (MLC)
Part of NAM (National Association of Manufacturers) — the largest manufacturing association in the U.S., advising Congress on key industrial policies.

Creative DirectionCommunication & StorytellingBrand StrategyBrand Development & ManagementStrategic ThinkingBrand Management

Helix tech info systems pvt. ltd.

3 roles

Advisory Board Member

Apr 2022 – Present · 4 yrs

Coaching MindsetStrategic ConnectionsFundraising SupportTeam Building & Culture InsightCrisis Navigation

MD & CEO

Feb 2014 – Mar 2022 · 8 yrs 1 mo

Award-Winning Technology partner helping Enterprises in the Healthcare & Life-Sciences space with Next-Generation Digital Initiatives.
Successfully crossed the startup phase and transitioned the organization from a partnership firm into a growing private enterprise.
Negotiated terms of business acquisitions to increase business base, solidify market presence, and diversify offerings.
Established, optimized, and enforced business policies to maintain consistency and high-quality standards across company operations.
Developed key operational initiatives to drive and maintain substantial business growth.
Aligned organizational objectives with company mission, increasing revenue, profit, and business growth by collaboratively developing integrated strategies.
Drove implementation of new market expansion to propel business forward and adapt to market changes.
Introduced a new matrix organizational plan with clear roles and responsibilities to enhance processes while ensuring quality and regulatory compliance.
Key functions include handling the Business domain along with overall Delivery management.
Overall Corporate strategy along with Refining Product & Service Strategy.
Key Talent Acquisition along with mentoring the sales & marketing teams.
Raising Capital, Attracting new investment & building new Partnerships.

Vision SettingTalent Acquisition & Team BuildingInvestor RelationsSales LeadershipStorytelling & BrandingBusiness Strategy

Founder

Aug 2013 – Present · 12 yrs 8 mos

Vision SettingTalent MagnetismCulture BuildingFundraisingGo-to-Market StrategyEntrepreneurship+1

Saviant consulting

2 roles

Director & Global Head - Partnerships & Strategic Alliances

Promoted

Apr 2022 – Present · 4 yrs · Pune, Maharashtra, India

As Head of Alliances, I spearhead the development and execution of our global partnership strategy. I am deeply involved in identifying, negotiating, and managing high-impact strategic alliances that drive revenue growth, expand market presence, and accelerate innovation. I work cross-functionally to ensure partnerships are aligned with overall business objectives and deliver measurable, impactful outcomes.
Key Functions Include:
Strategic Leadership, Partner Identification & Acquisition,Relationship Management,Cross-Functional Collaboration,Performance Monitoring & Optimisation, Global Oversight & Innovation & Market Intelligence
Accomplishments & Impact:
Led the development and execution of a global partnership strategy, resulting in a 80% increase in demand generation.
Identified and managed key strategic alliances with partners like McKinsey & Co, AWS, Siemens Advanta, and more.
Established the alliances practice within the sales BU, scaling the partner ecosystem from 1 to 50+ partners in 3 years.
Awarded Top Performer of the year - 2023

Sales LeadershipChannel & Ecosystem StrategyStrategic ThinkingRevenue ManagementMarket IntelligenceStrategic Partnerships+1

Indepdent Director - Industry Relations (Consultant)

Sep 2021 – Mar 2022 · 6 mos · Pune, Maharashtra, India

Working with some of the Leading Management Consultancy firms, Smart OEMs & Industrial SAAS companies to solve similar problems around digital transformation across Manufacturing, Energy, Renewables & Utilities leveraging Digital Twins, Edge, IIoT & Data/AI Solutions.
Key Functions include Partner Identification, Strategic Handshake, Partner Onboarding along with B2B Partner Ecosystem Network Development Focused Across North America, Europe & UK.
Accomplishments & Impact:
Conducted a comprehensive audit of the firm’s existing partner ecosystem
Identified strategic partners across key geographies and target customer segments
Developed a blueprint to scale the partner network and drive deeper engagement with new partners.

Market ResearchPartner Relationship ManagementChannel SalesNew Business DevelopmentInfluencing & PersuasionPartner Development

Upgrad

Evangelist

Jan 2020 – May 2025 · 5 yrs 4 mos

Technology and Program Evangelist for the various Management Programs offered by the e-Learning platform UpGrad.
Voted as the best startup - 2020 by Linkedin

Brand Ambassador ProgramsStudent CounselingPlatform EvangelismBusiness-to-Business (B2B)EdutechBrand Development

Papercrunch

Founder & Chief Learning Officer

Aug 2011 – May 2022 · 10 yrs 9 mos · Panaji Area, India

Initially Conceived and Conceptualised as a college project to enable access to examination-related content across engineering colleges.
Successfully spun off as an Edu-tech venture with offline to online training initiatives across technology, business, and creative disciplines.
With exclusive corporate tie-ups having trained more than 500+ students with over 80% being absorbed by the industry
Responsible for the core vision, Strategy & overall execution. Building and growing corporate partnerships, Talent Acquisition along with mentoring the sales & marketing teams.
Eventually Merged as the training & upskilling arm into the Helix Group

Strategic ThinkingEdutechE-LearningTalent Acquisition & Team BuildingMergers & Acquisitions (M&A)Business Development