Business Head

upGrad; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 3,500,000 - 5,500,000; Full time

Job summary

upGrad in Bengaluru leads a bold new initiative building Innovation and Learning Centers with multiple revenue streams—executive education, leadership programs, labs, and incubation. The Business Head will own the P&L, drive growth, and forge strategic partnerships with GCCs, enterprises, and academia.

The role requires building a scalable, profitable center from ground up, expanding to Gurugram and Pune, and delivering industry-leading programs through strong execution and governance.

Qualifications

• 10–15 years of overall experience, with 3–5 years in a business leadership, P&L ownership or business unit leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience in building and scaling a business, preferably from an early stage.
• Strong experience in B2B business development, enterprise sales and strategic partnerships.
• Experience in managing multiple revenue streams and driving business profitability.
• Exposure to executive education, corporate training, professional learning, technology services, skilling or related industries.
• Experience engaging with CXOs, business leaders, GCCs and large enterprises.
• Strong understanding of business operations, revenue management, budgeting and cost optimization.
• Ability to build teams, establish processes and drive execution in an entrepreneurial environment.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Own the overall P&L and drive revenue growth across all verticals.
• Develop and execute Bengaluru center strategy to establish profitability and scale.
• Lead sales and business development across B2B, B2C and institutional segments.
• Build partnerships with GCCs, large enterprises, tech companies, startups and industry bodies.
• Drive industry forums, leadership conclaves, conferences and networking events.
• Oversee operations, infrastructure, labs and incubation facilities for optimal utilization.
• Lead multi-city expansion planning and replicable operating model development.
• Ensure high-quality customer and learner experiences.

Skills

B2B business development

Enterprise sales

Strategic partnerships

P&L ownership

Team leadership

Stakeholder management

Executive education familiarity

Job description

Role Type: Business Leadership – Full P&L Ownership

About the Business:

We are building a network of Innovation and Learning Centers across key technology and business hubs in India, starting with Bengaluru.

The centers will bring together executive education, technology learning, applied research, corporate engagement, innovation and startup incubation under one integrated ecosystem.

The business will operate at the intersection of academia and industry, bringing together leading academic institutions, technology companies, corporates, GCCs, startups, entrepreneurs and working professionals.

The center will have multiple revenue streams, including:

• Executive Masterclasses
• Leadership Programmes
• Hands-on Lab Sessions
• Corporate Training Programmes
• Industry Forums and Events
• Founders Programme and Startup Incubation
• Hybrid Degree and Professional Programmes

We are looking for an entrepreneurial Business Head who can take complete ownership of building, operating and scaling this business.

Role Overview:

The Business Head will be responsible for the overall P&L, revenue growth, business development, operations and strategic execution of the Innovation and Learning Centers.

This individual will be expected to build the business from the ground up, develop multiple revenue streams, establish strong relationships with corporates and the technology ecosystem, and ensure optimal utilization of the center's infrastructure and resources.

The role requires a combination of entrepreneurial thinking, commercial acumen, strategic partnership management and strong execution capabilities.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Complete P&L Ownership & Business Strategy

• Own the overall P&L, including revenue, costs, profitability and cash flows.
• Develop and execute the business strategy to establish the Bengaluru center as a successful and profitable business.
• Drive revenue across all business verticals and build a diversified revenue portfolio.
• Develop annual operating plans, budgets, revenue forecasts and business targets.
• Identify new business opportunities and monetization avenues within the center ecosystem.
• Ensure optimal utilization of infrastructure, classrooms, technology labs and incubation facilities.
• Build a scalable and sustainable business model that can be replicated across multiple cities.

2. Business Development & Revenue Growth

• Lead the overall sales and business development strategy across B2B, B2C and institutional segments.
• Build relationships with GCCs, large enterprises, technology companies, startups and industry associations.
• Drive corporate partnerships for leadership development, executive education, applied technology workshops and customized corporate programmes.
• Develop a strong pipeline of corporate clients and institutional partnerships.
• Identify opportunities for long-term enterprise relationships and recurring business.
• Drive enrolments for executive education and other open programmes.
• Build partnerships with technology companies, industry bodies and ecosystem players.
• Identify market opportunities and develop commercially viable programmes in collaboration with academic and industry partners.
• Drive the launch and scale-up of executive masterclasses, leadership programmes and applied technology workshops.
• Build corporate learning solutions in emerging technology areas such as AI, GenAI, Agentic AI, VLSI, semiconductor technology and other relevant domains.
• Drive the development and commercialization of hands-on technology labs.
• Develop and commercialize hybrid degree and other long-duration professional programmes.
• Build and monetize the Founders Programme and startup incubation ecosystem.
• Ensure programmes are aligned with market demand and have strong commercial viability.

4. Industry Ecosystem & Strategic Partnerships

• Establish the Innovation Centre as a preferred destination for corporates, GCCs, technology leaders, entrepreneurs and the startup ecosystem.
• Develop strategic relationships with industry leaders, technology companies, investors, venture capital firms and startup communities.
• Build partnerships with leading technology companies and industry players.
• Drive industry forums, leadership conclaves, conferences and networking events.
• Leverage academic partnerships, faculty networks and alumni communities to create business opportunities.
• Manage relationships with institutional and strategic partners to ensure strong alignment and business outcomes.
• Take end-to-end responsibility for the operational performance of the center.
• Ensure efficient management of infrastructure, classrooms, labs, technology and other facilities.
• Drive capacity utilization through a structured programme, events and corporate engagement calendar.
• Build and manage the team across sales, business development, operations, programme management and customer experience.
• Establish operating processes, performance metrics and governance mechanisms.
• Ensure high-quality customer and learner experiences.
• Manage operating costs and ensure disciplined execution against the approved business plan.

6. Startup Incubation & Innovation Ecosystem

• Build the startup incubation vertical as an important part of the center.
• Develop relationships with founders, early-stage startups, investors and venture capital firms.
• Drive the identification and onboarding of promising startups into the incubation programme.
• Facilitate access to mentors, industry experts, investors and the academic ecosystem.
• Create opportunities for promising ventures through the wider industry and investment network.

7. Team Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Build and lead a high-performing team across business development, sales, marketing, operations and programme delivery.
• Work closely with the marketing team to establish the center's brand and drive market awareness.
• Collaborate with academic institutions, faculty and industry partners on programme development and execution.
• Drive cross-functional alignment with central business and support teams.
• Establish a strong performance-driven culture with clear accountability for revenue, profitability and execution.

8. Multi-city Expansion

• Once the Bengaluru center is established, lead the business planning and expansion into other technology hubs, starting with Gurugram and Pune.
• Develop a replicable operating model covering infrastructure, team structure, revenue streams, partnerships and business development.
• Evaluate new markets and identify opportunities for expansion.
• Ensure consistent business performance and operating standards across centers.

Desired Candidate Profile:

• 10–15 years of overall experience, with at least 3–5 years in a business leadership, P&L ownership or business unit leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience in building and scaling a business, preferably from an early stage.
• Strong experience in B2B business development, enterprise sales and strategic partnerships.
• Experience in managing multiple revenue streams and driving business profitability.
• Exposure to executive education, corporate training, professional learning, technology services, skilling or related industries.
• Experience engaging with CXOs, business leaders, GCCs and large enterprises.
• Strong understanding of business operations, revenue management, budgeting and cost optimization.
• Ability to build teams, establish processes and drive execution in an entrepreneurial environment.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

The Business Head will be measured on:

• Overall revenue achievement against the annual operating plan.
• EBITDA and overall P&L performance.
• Revenue contribution and profitability across the different business verticals.
• Corporate client acquisition and recurring enterprise revenue.
• Programme launches, enrolments and revenue realization.
• Centre utilization and infrastructure monetization.
• Strategic industry partnerships and ecosystem engagement.
• Startup incubation pipeline and programme monetization.
• Successful establishment of the Bengaluru center and readiness for multi-city expansion.

Ideal Candidate:

We are looking for an entrepreneurial business leader who has the ability to build a business, create an ecosystem and drive commercial outcomes.

The ideal candidate should be equally comfortable engaging with a corporate CEO, pitching a programme to a GCC, building a sales team, negotiating a strategic partnership and reviewing the monthly P&L.

This is not a center administration role or a conventional sales leadership role. It requires someone who can own the entire business, from strategy and revenue generation to operations and profitability.