Uber appoints Arnab Kumar as director of biz development for India, SA

Kumar had previously also served as program director at government think tank NITI Aayog where he contributed to the development of emerging technology initiatives including Aarogya Setu

Ride-hailing company Uber has announced the appointment of Arnab Kumar as the director of business development for India and South Asia. Kumar, who brings over 17 years of experience across the technology and financial services sectors, has been instrumental in building the India operations for Coinbase and leading fintech investments and strategic initiatives for Prosus (formerly known as Naspers). He has previously served as a program director at the government think tank NITI Aayog, where he played a vital role in developing emerging technology initiatives, including Aarogya Setu, India's Covid contact tracing app.

Prabhjeet Singh, President of Uber India and South Asia, praised Kumar's impact at NITI Aayog, saying, “During his work at NITI Aayog, he delivered impact and change at scale. Under his leadership, our business development team will continue to be a key accelerant for our partnerships and new growth opportunities.”

In addition to his previous roles, Kumar has worked as an investment banker for Deutsche Bank in Singapore and New York. He is an alumnus of Birla Institute of Technology Mesra and the Indian School of Business Hyderabad, and holds the CFA charter.

Kumar expressed enthusiasm about the opportunities in the region, stating, “India and South Asia present tremendous growth potential, and I look forward to joining forces with the incredibly talented team at Uber and supporting the company's growth ambitions in this important region.”

His appointment coincides with Uber's completion of a decade of operations in India, with a focus on expanding sustainable mobility options. The company has been proactive in forming partnerships with different stakeholders in the value chain, such as EV (electric vehicles) fleets, financiers, EV infrastructure providers, and government bodies. Uber said it has been at the forefront of the EV transition in India. Highlighting its commitment, earlier this year, Tata Motors agreed to supply 25,000 EVs to fleets on the Uber platform in what was described as the largest EV commitment between an automaker and a ride-sharing platform in India.