Hrishikesh Kulkarni has been named as the new Chief Operating Officer of Cogoport, a worldwide trade platform. Cogoport, which has its worldwide headquarters in Singapore and operations in India, the Netherlands, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia, is at the forefront of technical development in international trade.

Hrishikesh will take on responsibility for expanding Cogoport’s activities in India and working with other worldwide offices to assist SMEs in expanding their operations in his new position. He will be located in the Gurgaon office. Through the strategic application of technology, he will concentrate on boosting operational effectiveness to improve client experiences and strengthen the company’s financial position.

IIT Bombay graduate Hrishikesh Kulkarni has used technology to build businesses and address consumer problems throughout his professional career. He had expertise fostering innovation in the finance, insuretech, and OTT industries as well as fostering team efficiency prior to joining Cogoport. In his former position as vice president of engineering, Hrishikesh assisted Cogoport in scaling during the COVID-19 period of uncertainty.

Commenting on Kulkarni’s appointment, Amitabh Shankar, CEO Cogoport, said, “The company has achieved remarkable growth, surpassing $170 million in revenue with positive EBITDA in less than three years. Hrishikesh’s role will be crucial in enhancing efficiency and driving profitable growth for Cogoport in India. He is an accomplished leader with engineering skills, business vision and an ability to bring people together. His strategic insights into the role of technology and product in shaping Cogoport’s future in India align perfectly with the company’s new phase of innovation and growth.”

In response to his appointment, Hrishikesh Kulkarni, COO of Cogoport, said, “I am excited to assume this role and apply my expertise to bridge the knowledge and execution gap within the trade industry. My primary goal is to create value for our customers and partners, both on the demand and supply sides. As the COO of the India business, my immediate focus will be on enhancing the customer experience by launching multiple services such as export factoring, pay later and PTL services. I will also focus my efforts on attracting top talent to our team, positioning the right individuals in key leadership roles, fostering managerial growth through training programs and eliminating inefficiencies. This journey for category creation in the trade commerce industry is not for employees who want to board the boat as a passenger just to see the adventure but rather we need colleagues who would be involved in the journey just like an Olympic boat rowing competition where every rower must put in effort and intensity to move the boat in the desired pace. These efforts will culminate in the development of an enhanced and effective playbook, facilitating network effects for our organization and driving profitable growth further.”