Headline

Entrepreneurial Product & Platform Leader | Ex-HERE, Nokia | Founder @ PaySay | 0→1→N Scaling | B2B SaaS | FinTech | Location Tech | VP/Head of Product | Fractional CPO | API & Platform Expert | Innovation Strategist

About

Seasoned product and platform leader with over 23 years across B2B SaaS, FinTech, and Location Tech. I’ve led 0→1→N product journeys, built and scaled engineering centers, and delivered PMF for both startups and enterprises. My work spans UPI innovation, platform modernization, and cross-functional team leadership. Now open to full-time or fractional product leadership roles where I can drive strategic growth, customer-centric innovation, and team excellence. Let’s connect if you’re scaling a mission-driven product or building your next big innovation.

Location

Bengaluru

AI stack

anthropic apis

claude

gemini

openai

Work experience

Fractional Product Professional / Startup Advisor at Self-Employed, Aug 2024 - Present · 2 yrs 2 mos, Bengaluru, Advised early-stage startups across VR, organic delivery, and financial literacy. Providing fractional product leadership and strategic guidance to emerging ventures, driving business growth through innovative product strategies and operational excellence. Achievements: * Developed GTM and product strategy using frameworks like Strategy Cascade and JTBD * Evaluated product feasibility through structured market and competitor analysis Served as Subject Matter Expert consultant on Location Services, for a big 4 consulting firm advising an OEM in the automobile industry, for new product launch project Advised early-stage startups on product strategy, GTM, and operational efficiency across fintech, agritech, and VR sectors. Delivered freelance consulting focused on business growth, tech integration, and market alignment.

Hiatus at The slow life, Aug 2023 - Jul 2024 · 1 yr, Focused on personal health and well-being during a career break, prioritizing rejuvenation and personal growth. Achievements: * Partook a 1200 km motorbike expedition across Kashmir–Ladakh–HP and completed a high-altitude trek, demonstrating resilience, adaptability, and decision-making under pressure * Led the greenfield setup and smooth transition of a BnB operation, applying end-to-end project management and ensuring sustainable business continuity

Director of Product Management at HERE Technologies, Jul 2017 - Jul 2023 · 6 yrs 1 mo, Bangalore, Led product management and engineering for key platform initiatives at HERE Technologies, focusing on location services, low-code platforms, and building high-performing engineering teams. Achievements: * Led global product strategy for LowCode Flow Editor for map making, PLM, and analytics tools, some of them in 0-1 phase and others in early revenue * Drove MVP and PMF, with key exposure for the product at AWS re:Invent 2022. * Setup and scaled greenfield R&D team in BLR to 35+ engineers across India, optimizing delivery and reducing costs * Launched HERE Location Services in China, managing end-to-end operations * Delivered core platform modules (Identity, Billing, API Gateway), enhancing system reliability * Managed cross-functional teams across multiple locations for seamless execution

Co Founder at PaySay.me, Apr 2015 - Jul 2017 · 2 yrs 4 mos, Bengaluru Area, India, Co-founded PaySay.me, a pioneering UPI-based mobile payments app, driving innovation in the fintech space and enabling seamless social and merchant payments in India. Achievements: * Launched one of India’s first UPI-based payments apps with YES Bank, enabling userbase of over 100K and merchant transactions in multiple Mn $ * Led product vision, development, and go-to-market strategy for a digital payments platform * Secured incubation and early-stage funding from Axilor Ventures to support product scaling * Built strategic fintech partnerships, expanding user adoption across merchants and consumers * Positioned the startup among top industry innovators, gaining media coverage and ecosystem recognition * In the media: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/money/startups-look-for-heads-upi/articleshow/54304509.cms

Senior Manager - Products at HERE, a Nokia business, Jan 2012 - Mar 2015 · 3 yrs 3 mos, Bangalore, Led product management and strategy for location-based services (LBS) in India within HERE, a Nokia business, focusing on the "Nearby" application across various platforms. Achievements: * Developed and executed product strategy and roadmap for location experiences, including places, offers, and events with social integration, resulting in over 4 million installations for Nokia Nearby * Managed the product lifecycle of Nokia Nearby, achieving a monthly active user base of over 300K and handling over 40K queries per day *Expanded content base to include 4 million Points of Interest (PoI), 6K Offers, and 4K Events, enhancing user engagement and platform value * Oversaw the preload of Nokia Nearby on Nokia ASHA devices for global markets and drove revenue through a location-based Ad platform, securing partnerships with marquee advertisers like Dell

Education

MBA, Strategy, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

MBA, Exchange Student, Asian Institute of Technology