---
title: "Somnath Basu - Head of Sales & Customer Success in Greater Bengaluru Area | Tal"
description: "Meet Somnath Basu, Associate Director – GTM & Sales Leadership | Built Sales Engines 0→1 | Enterprise Sales | Scaling B2B SaaS Revenue | Led 120+ Person Teams | Team Builder | Channel Partnerships | 13 Yrs+ in SaaS, Ed-tech & E‑commerce based in Greater Bengaluru Area. AI stack includes aistudio, a..."
image: "https://tal.club/meet/somnath-4/share-image"
---

# Somnath Basu on Tal

## Headline

Associate Director – GTM & Sales Leadership \| Built Sales Engines 0→1 \| Enterprise Sales \| Scaling B2B SaaS Revenue \| Led 120\+ Person Teams \| Team Builder \| Channel Partnerships \| 13 Yrs\+ in SaaS, Ed\-tech & E‑commerce

## About

I build revenue engines\. Not just sales teams\. Over 13 years in B2B SaaS and ed‑tech, I’ve done this twice, from zero to scale\. At Commmerce, I built the entire sales, support, and customer success function from scratch\. Over 3\.5 years, we acquired 25,000\+ paying DIY SMB customers and closed 50\+ enterprise deals with brands like HDFC Bank, Tata Trust, Taneira, Health & Glow, Tata Motors, and Neptune Logitek\. I also closed the company’s largest deal: a ₹2Cr implementation plus ₹10L/month recurring AMC with Neptune Logitek\. Six months in, I dug into funnel data and unit economics \(LTV:CAC <2x in the DIY segment\) and flagged structural constraints: Indian SMBs preferred one‑time builds, had limited marketing maturity, and churned when immediate ROI wasn’t visible\. I ran pricing experiments, shifted focus from top‑of‑funnel volume to activation and retention, and influenced the roadmap with 15\+ feature enhancements\. The founder ultimately pivoted to an omnichannel platform, a long‑term bet that elongated sales cycles and required a leaner GTM\. I’m proud of the systems we built \(Zoho CRM, 15‑min SLA, 4\.9 Google rating, 50\+ partner network\) and the enterprise outcomes we delivered\. At Unacademy, I led a 120\+ person sales organization during India’s ed‑tech boom, owning ₹50Cr\+ annual revenue\. My team averaged 105%\+ quota attainment and hit 160% of target in January 2022\. More importantly, we maintained <5% attrition in an industry infamous for burnout, and I mentored 13 team members into leadership roles\. I also designed Unacademy’s first channel partner program and led the company’s first sales process outsourcing initiative with zero revenue disruption\. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽\-𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗚𝗧𝗠 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲: • 0\-to\-1 and 1\-to\-10 GTM build experience \(designed systems, hired teams, scaled revenue\) • Full revenue lifecycle ownership: new ARR, expansion, renewals, churn management • Enterprise sales execution \(closed ₹2Cr\+ contracts, built CXO relationships\) • Sales ops rigor: CRM strategy, forecasting, pipeline management, CAC/LTV optimization • Team development: built high\-performing cultures with low attrition and clear promotion paths • AI\-powered execution: Vibe code prototypes with AI to accelerate product feedback loops and GTM experimentation I’m looking for my next leadership‑level GTM role \(Director of Sales / Head of Sales\) at a Series A B2B SaaS company scaling from ₹15Cr to ₹50Cr\+ ARR, where I can own the number, build the team, and drive meaningful scale\. Connect with Somnath: ✉mailtosomnathbasu@gmail\.com

## Location

Greater Bengaluru Area

## AI stack

aistudio

antigravity

claude

gemini

lovable

openai

## Work experience

Head of Sales & Customer Success at COMMMERCE\.COM™, Dec 2022 \- Present · 3 yrs 7 mos, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, Recruited as the foundational commercial leader to build the 0\-to\-1 GTM engine for a B2B commerce\-tech startup\. Owned a dual\-track strategy: scaling a high\-volume DIY SMB acquisition funnel while architecting a high\-margin enterprise sales motion\. Directly reported to the CEO, managing the full revenue lifecycle from CXO negotiations to Revenue Operations\. Revenue & Enterprise Growth • Generated ₹10Cr\+ in Total Contract Value \(TCV\) across SaaS subscriptions and enterprise custom builds\. • Architected a high\-volume SMB funnel onboarding 25,000\+ top\-of\-funnel users, optimizing for high\-LTV retention cohorts\. • Spearheaded enterprise expansion, closing 50\+ engagements with 8 marquee accounts: HDFC Bank, Tata Trust, Health & Glow, Tata Motors, LG, Neptune Logitek etc\. • Closed the company’s largest deal: ₹2Cr implementation \+ ₹10L/month recurring AMC with Neptune Logitek\. Strategic & Commercial Leadership • Diagnosed structural PMF constraints in the V1 DIY segment \(LTV:CAC <2x\); advised the CEO to pivot R&D toward a Unified Omnichannel Commerce ecosystem \(POS, Inventory, Apps\), directly shaping the V2 product strategy\. • Led pricing strategy, proposal structuring, and enterprise negotiations directly with CXOs\. • Influenced the product roadmap with 15\+ feature enhancements driven by churn analysis\. • Maintained direct commercial reporting to the CEO \(3x weekly\), providing full revenue visibility, forecasting, and CAC/LTV analysis\. GTM Build & Revenue Operations • Built Sales, CS, and Partner functions from scratch: scaled the team to 13 during the initial land\-grab phase, and strategically right\-sized post\-pivot to optimize resources for high\-value enterprise hunting\. • Launched a partner program from 0 to 50\+ onboarded partners \(\~35 active\), complete with GTM playbooks and deal registration\. • Implemented Zoho CRM and Knowlarity to establish rigorous pipeline management, SLA tracking, and data\-driven Revenue Operations\.

Sales Manager \(promoted from Associate Sales Manager in 7 months\) at Unacademy, Jun 2019 \- Nov 2022 · 3 yrs 6 mos, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, India's largest edtech SaaS platform\. Company scaled from Series D to $3\.4B valuation during tenure\. Led large\-scale Revenue Operations across sales, forecasting, and CAC optimization during hyper\-growth phase\. Revenue & Scale • Managed ₹50Cr\+ annual revenue throughput \(₹4\.2Cr monthly peak\) across inside sales and channel operations • Led 120\-member sales organization \(8 Team Leads \+ 1 Deputy Manager \+ 100\+ SDRs/AEs\) handling 43,000\+ monthly leads • Achieved consistent 105%\+ quota attainment across 36\-month tenure, with peak of 160% in January 2022 • Promoted from Associate Sales Manager to Sales Manager in 7 months based on 137% target achievement Team Leadership & Development • Built high\-performing sales culture with <5% attrition in an industry averaging 25\-30% turnover • Promoted 13 team members into leadership roles: 8 Assistant Sales Managers, 2 Team Leaders, 1 Assistant Manager, 1 Quality Manager, 1 Trainer • Designed transparent incentive structures, coaching frameworks, and performance management systems • Conducted daily pipeline reviews and weekly strategy sessions with Director covering forecasting, CAC visibility, and escalations Operations & GTM Build • Designed Unacademy's first channel partner program, establishing outsourced SDR partnerships to expand reach • Led company's first sales process outsourcing initiative with zero revenue disruption during transition • Built sales dashboards, forecasting models, and lead attribution systems for multi\-team environment • Implemented CRM workflows \(LeadSquared, Nimbus\) for pipeline management, conversion optimization, and performance tracking • Collaborated with Marketing on campaign strategy and lead generation optimization 🥇Received 5 internal leadership awards \(2021–2022\): Phenomenal Leadership Award \(AMJ '21\), Leadership Excellence \(July & August '21\), Best Iconic Contribution \(July & August '22\) for consistent 105%\+ quota attainment and exceptional team performance

Inside Sales Specialist \(Manager Grade\- B1\) at Simplilearn, Jan 2018 \- Feb 2019 · 1 yr 2 mos, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, Drove full B2C Inside Sales cycle for high\-value professional certification courses in AI, Data Science, and Big Data at India's leading EdTech SaaS platform\. Managed 120\+ monthly leads and achieved ₹3\.6M\+ revenue\. Consultative Sales & Pipeline Management • Managed end\-to\-end Inside Sales pipeline for premium courses \(avg\. ₹30,000\) in emerging technologies: Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Big Data, Robotics Process Automation • Processed 120\+ qualified leads monthly, converting 9 enrollments/month average \(7\.5% conversion rate\), closing 120\+ enrollments total CRM & Salesforce Optimization • Leveraged Salesforce CRM to manage 1,500\+ leads, track pipeline velocity, and personalize customer engagement for superior conversion rates • Utilized data\-driven insights to refine sales pitches, optimize follow\-up strategies, and forecast performance with high accuracy • Ranked in top 10% of sales floor for Q4 2018 Mentorship & Team Development • Selected as mentor to onboard and train 5 new sales representatives on product knowledge, Inside Sales techniques, and Salesforce CRM best practices • All 5 mentees hit first\-quarter targets; contributed to faster ramp\-up times and stronger team performance Customer\-Centric Approach • Built trusted advisor relationships with professionals seeking career advancement in tech, translating complex course offerings into personalized learning solutions 🥇 Achieved 108% of monthly sales target \(average\) 🥇 Closed 120\+ enrollments with 7\.5% conversion rate 🥇 Ranked top 10% of sales floor \(Q4 2018\) 🥇 Mentored 5 new team members, all hitting first\-quarter targets

Health and well\-being at Career Break, Jun 2016 \- Dec 2017 · 1 yr 7 mos, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, Took a purposeful 19\-month career break to address and successfully manage a personal health matter\. This period of intentional focus strengthened my resilience, deepened my adaptability, and provided valuable perspective that enhances my professional approach\. ☑ Key Outcomes: • Returned to career with renewed energy, clarity, and commitment to delivering impactful results • Developed enhanced emotional intelligence and problem\-solving capabilities through navigating complex challenges • Gained fresh perspective on work\-life integration, team wellbeing, and sustainable high performance

Student Executive Counsellor at Jigsaw Academy, Aug 2015 \- May 2016 · 10 mos, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, Served as a trusted advisor at one of India’s premier analytics institutes, guiding 1,000\+ prospective students and working professionals through critical career transitions into Data Science and Analytics\. Ranked \#1 among a 35\-member team in Q1 2016, while driving corporate upskilling initiatives and consistent enrollment excellence\. Consultative Advisory & Enrollment Excellence: • Advised 1,000\+ learners over 10 months \(100\+ consultations/month\) across SAS, R, Hadoop, Google Analytics, Python, and emerging technologies • Achieved 94% average monthly enrollment target; ranked \#1 in Q1 2016 for revenue generation • Conducted online demos and in\-person consultations, translating complex curricula into clear career pathways Corporate Partnerships & B2B Influence: • Facilitated enterprise upskilling programs for Accenture \(15 enrollments\) and ANZ Bank \(20 enrollments\) • Bridged corporate L&D teams and program offerings, managing a pan\-India student base from fresh graduates to senior professionals Subject Matter Expertise & Market Intelligence: • Maintained up\-to\-date knowledge of analytics trends and emerging skills to provide future\-focused guidance • Employed consultative needs\-analysis to match students to optimal programs rather than highest\-value courses • Specialized in advising career transitioners, including professionals from non\-traditional backgrounds Full\-Cycle Sales & Student Lifecycle Management: • Managed complete B2C enrollment journey: inquiry, program selection, application, and enrollment • Built trusted advisory relationships to enhance conversion rates, satisfaction, and program completion • Leveraged CRM systems to track engagement, personalize follow\-ups, and maintain organized pipelines for 100\+ monthly leads Jigsaw Academy was acquired by UNext Learning\. 🥇 Ranked \#1 out of 35 team members for Q1 2016 revenue 🥇 Achieved 94% average monthly enrollment targets 🥇 Drove 35 corporate enrollments \(Accenture 15, ANZ 20\)

Advanced Technical Support Analyst at Dell, Jan 2011 \- Aug 2013 · 2 y 7 mo, Bangalore

## Education

Bachelor of Engineering \(B\.E\.\), Biotechnology, New Horizon College of Engineering

Class 12, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, De Nobili School

## Public links

- linkedin\.com: https://www\.linkedin\.com/somnath\-basu/

[View the original profile](https://tal.club/meet/somnath-4)

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