---
title: "Susant Patnaik - Strategic Advisor to Founders in Bengaluru | Tal"
description: "Meet Susant Patnaik, VP Strategic Partnerships | Business Development | Global University Alliances | GTM Strategy | Enterprise Sales | Revenue Growth | P&L Leadership | EdTech | Higher Education | AI Strategy based in Bengaluru. AI stack includes claude, elevenlabs, and meta."
image: "https://tal.club/meet/susant-patnaik/share-image"
---

# Susant Patnaik on Tal

## Headline

VP Strategic Partnerships \| Business Development \| Global University Alliances \| GTM Strategy \| Enterprise Sales \| Revenue Growth \| P&L Leadership \| EdTech \| Higher Education \| AI Strategy

## About

I help organizations build strategic partnerships that drive sustainable business growth\. With 20\+ years of experience across Higher Education, EdTech, Technology, Telecom, Renewable Energy, and enterprise ecosystems, I have built and scaled global partnerships, commercial ecosystems, and revenue\-generating business models across India, the USA, Europe, Australia, GCC, and South Asia\. Throughout my career, I have led Strategic Partnerships, Business Development, Enterprise Sales, Go\-to\-Market Strategy, Revenue Growth, P&L Management, and International Market Expansion\. My experience spans global university collaborations, enterprise partnerships, executive education, workforce transformation, channel ecosystem development, and stakeholder engagement, working across both entrepreneurial ventures and established organizations\. I have partnered with universities, enterprises, government\-backed initiatives, and technology organizations to expand market presence, launch new programs, strengthen partner ecosystems, and create scalable commercial growth\. My work has also contributed to initiatives supported by the World Bank and the Government of India in Renewable Energy Policy and technology\-driven education programs\. As an IICA\-certified Independent Director and a professional pursuing executive education in Technology Leadership, Governance, and AI for Business Leaders, I bring a balanced perspective that combines commercial execution, governance, innovation, and long\-term stakeholder value\. My core expertise includes Strategic Partnerships, Global Business Development, GTM Strategy, Enterprise Sales, Revenue Growth, P&L Leadership, International Alliances, Business Transformation, Channel Partnerships, AI Strategy, and Commercial Leadership\. I enjoy collaborating with organizations that are building innovative businesses, expanding globally, and creating meaningful impact through education, technology, and strategic partnerships\.

## Location

Bengaluru

## AI stack

claude

elevenlabs

meta

openai

perplexity

ChatGPT

## Work experience

Strategic Advisor to Founders at EduSpark Global, Nov 2024 \- Present · 2 yrs, Bengaluru, Advise founders on business strategy, commercial growth, strategic partnerships, and market expansion for an early\-stage EdTech venture focused on improving access to quality higher education\. Drive executive decision\-making, GTM strategy, enterprise partnerships, and business planning to support scalable growth\. Key Achievements Advise founders on strategic business decisions and long\-term growth initiatives\. Develop GTM strategies to accelerate market penetration and business expansion\. Build strategic partnerships with universities, enterprises, and ecosystem partners\. Drive international business development opportunities across key education markets\. Lead enterprise sales and commercial discussions with prospective partners\. Support channel partner development and partnership lifecycle management\. Contribute to pricing strategy, commercial negotiations, and P&L planning\. Collaborate with leadership on corporate strategy, business planning, and growth initiatives\. Identify new market opportunities to strengthen competitive positioning\. Guide organizational strategy to build a scalable and sustainable business model\. Core Competencies : Strategic Partnerships Business Development GTM Strategy Enterprise Sales International Business Development Market Expansion Commercial Strategy Corporate Strategy P&L Management Executive Advisory Channel Partner Management Strategic Planning Business Growth Stakeholder Management Leadership

Advisor/ Mentor at Early Stage Startups \(EdTech, IT, CoWorking, Robotics & IoT and AgriTech\), Sep 2017 \- Present · 9 yrs 2 mos, India, Mentor founders and leadership teams of early\-stage startups on go\-to\-market strategy, fundraising readiness, business development, strategic partnerships, and commercial growth\. Support entrepreneurs in building scalable business models and accelerating market expansion\. Key Achievements Mentor startup founders on GTM strategy and commercial execution\. Advise leadership teams on fundraising readiness and investor engagement\. Support business model refinement and growth planning\. Guide strategic partnership development to accelerate business expansion\. Help founders identify new market opportunities and revenue streams\. Provide commercial insights to strengthen product\-market fit\. Coach entrepreneurs on customer acquisition and enterprise sales strategies\. Share best practices in scaling businesses through partnerships and ecosystem development\. Contribute to strategic decision\-making across EdTech, AgriTech, and IoT ventures\. Help startups establish sustainable growth frameworks\. Core Competencies : Startup Advisory GTM Strategy Fundraising Advisory Business Strategy Strategic Partnerships Business Development Growth Strategy Leadership Coaching Commercial Strategy Market Expansion Investor Readiness Enterprise Sales Business Scaling Innovation Mentoring

Head \- Alliances & Partnerships at UNext Learning, Apr 2022 \- Nov 2024 · 2 yrs 8 mos, Bengaluru, Led the Strategic Alliances & University Partnerships vertical, owning revenue growth, partner success, category P&L, business planning, and international expansion\. Managed the end\-to\-end partnership lifecycle, collaborating cross\-functionally across admissions, marketing, operations, academics, and enterprise sales to build a scalable global education ecosystem\. Key Achievements Led strategic alliances and enterprise partnerships across India and international markets, expanding the university partnership portfolio Owned the University Partnerships vertical, driving revenue growth, partner success, business planning, and category P&L Built collaborations with leading universities across the USA, Europe, Australia, and India for virtual and blended learning programs Delivered 7% YoY revenue growth through enterprise client acquisition and strategic corporate partnerships Achieved 80% client retention through stronger partner relationships and account expansion Enabled enrollment of 5,000\+ learners across executive education and long\-duration programs Developed partnerships across IT, Manufacturing, BFSI, and GCC sectors for workforce transformation and leadership development Managed budgeting, forecasting, pricing strategy, and business metrics to improve profitability Led full partnership lifecycle: proposals, negotiations, due diligence, onboarding, governance, and stakeholder management Collaborated with international agencies and channel partners across South Asia to expand global offerings Core Competencies: Strategic Partnerships \| Global University Alliances \| Enterprise Partnerships \| Business Development \| Go\-to\-Market Strategy \| Revenue Growth \| Category P&L \| Commercial Strategy \| International Business Development \| Market Expansion \| Partner Success \| Executive Education \| Stakeholder Management \| Business Planning \| Cross\-functional Leadership

Asst\. General Manager and Head\- Executive Education at iNurture Education Solutions Pvt\. Ltd\., Sep 2018 \- Apr 2022 · 3 yrs 8 mos, Bengaluru, Led the Executive Education business unit, driving strategic partnerships, international university alliances, enterprise business development, channel expansion, and learner acquisition\. Managed end\-to\-end partnership development, collaborating with academic institutions, corporate partners, and internal leadership to scale executive education programs across domestic and international markets\. Key Achievements Led strategic partnerships and business development with leading universities across India and international markets Established university alliances across the USA, Europe, Australia, and India for blended learning, executive education, and twinning programs Partnered with academic leadership to design and launch degree, certification, and pathway programs aligned with industry demand Managed the full partnership lifecycle: prospecting, proposals, due diligence, commercial negotiations, and MoU execution Enabled enrollment of 4,000\+ learners across executive education, certification, and long\-duration programs Drove revenue growth through enterprise partnerships, digital acquisition channels, and strategic partner ecosystems Expanded market reach by onboarding 15 channel partners across India and 4 international partners across South Asia Designed and executed commercial strategies to strengthen business performance and market penetration Consistently delivered business KPIs through strategic partnerships, commercial execution, and cross\-functional collaboration Core Competencies: Strategic Partnerships \| Global University Alliances \| Executive Education \| Business Development \| Enterprise Sales \| International Business Development \| Channel Partner Management \| Revenue Growth \| Commercial Strategy \| Partnership Lifecycle Management \| Market Expansion \| Student Acquisition \| Stakeholder Management \| Business Planning \| Cross\-functional Leadership

Regional Manager at Bennett Coleman and Co\. Ltd\. \(Times Group\), Jun 2017 \- Apr 2018 · 11 mos, Bengaluru, Led regional business development and channel partnerships for executive education programs across Southern and Eastern India\. Managed learner acquisition, partner enablement, territory expansion, and commercial growth for premier executive education offerings from leading institutions\. Key Achievements Managed executive education business across Southern and Eastern India\. Led learner acquisition for executive programs from IIM Kozhikode, IIM Calcutta, XLRI, SP Jain, and CRISIL\. Onboarded 17 channel partners to strengthen regional business growth\. Enabled enrollment of 2,500\+ learners across credit and non\-credit executive education programs\. Designed partner onboarding and training frameworks to improve channel productivity\. Managed regional sales strategy and territory performance\. Strengthened partner engagement through continuous relationship management\. Delivered consistent revenue growth through channel\-led business expansion\. Collaborated with academic institutions and internal teams to improve program outreach\. Expanded market penetration through strategic regional planning\. Core Competencies : Regional Business Development Channel Partnerships Executive Education Revenue Growth Territory Management Business Development Partner Enablement Market Expansion Commercial Strategy Stakeholder Management Sales Leadership Learner Acquisition Relationship Management Cross\-functional Collaboration Business Planning

Regional Manager at ISDC GLOBAL, Sep 2016 \- Oct 2017 · 1 y 1 mo, Bengaluru

Early Career at Early Career, Aug 2004 \- Aug 2016 · 12 y, India

## Education

Executive Certificate Program, Technology Leadership and Governance, University of Maryland

Master of Business Administration \(M\.B\.A\.\), Marketing & HR, Biju Patnaik University of Technology, Odisha

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

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