Biraja Prasad Mohapatra
Hyderabad
Summary
Global-minded B2B commercial leader with 11+ years across agribusiness and agtech-adjacent solutions, building revenue engines through structured sales strategy, enterprise deal leadership, pricing & contracting governance, and partner ecosystems across Asia. Experienced scaling multi-country GTM execution, professionalizing sales cadences (CRM, KPIs, reporting), and translating complex technical value into business outcomes for non-technical stakeholders. Strong India + SEA exposure; comfortable operating in scale-up environments with hands-on ownership of growth.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Commercial Head - ASIA
Centor Group - Australia
HYDERABAD
08.2023 - Current
- Lead regional commercial strategy and execution for Centor’s seed enhancement and film-coating portfolio across 9 Asian countries, with accountability for revenue growth, margin and cash.
- Designed and executed market-entry strategies for Bangladesh, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia & Korea, establishing sustainable beachheads via distributors and key accounts, resulting in 25% incremental sales over 2 years.
- Built and managed a network of 10+ distributors and key partners, segmenting them into strategic vs transactional accounts and implementing joint business plans with clear volume, margin and activity KPIs.
- Drove multi-crop product development and commercialization (maize, rice, vegetables, forage) by aligning with QA, QC , R&D teams of seed companies to integrate Centor technologies into their product pipelines.
- Translated lab and pilot trials into commercial opportunities by designing on-farm demos, collecting performance data and building User/distributor confidence, achieving trial-to-sales conversion rates of 66% in priority crops.
- Worked closely with Supply Chain and Finance to improve forecast accuracy, OTIF and working capital, ensuring timely availability of products while minimizing aged inventory in new markets.
- Led price and commercial policy discussions with distributors/Promoters & decision makers, balancing competitiveness with profitability through structured discount grids, corridor pricing and performance-linked incentives.
- Represented Centor at major industry forums and associations (e.g., APSA, national seed associations), strengthening brand visibility and nurturing relationships with regional influencers and decision-makers.
- Managed cross-functional project teams (technical, QA, marketing, operations) to deliver customer-specific solutions, including new colours, polymers and treatment protocols tailored to local crop and regulatory requirements.
Sales Manager - Exports & E-Commerce - ASIA
HM Clause
Hyderabad, India
07.2022 - 07.2023
- Managed commercial development across 7 Asian countries for HM Clause’s vegetable seeds portfolio, working within Limagrain’s Roadmap 2025 and matrix structure.
- Supported market segmentation and prioritization for key crops, aligning local portfolios with global breeding programs and group-level strategy.
- Built and maintained relationships with distributors, large growers and key accounts, ensuring farmer proximity through demos, field days and technical support.
- Provided competitor and market intelligence (pricing, product positioning, market share trends) to regional and global teams, influencing portfolio and investment decisions.Collaborated with R&D, Product Development and Supply Chain to synchronize trialing, registration and supply for new varieties entering high-potential markets.
- Contributed to annual budgeting and demand planning, ensuring alignment between commercial ambitions and operational capabilities.
- Experienced Limagrain’s values and culture first-hand, reinforcing a strong fit with the group’s farmer-centric and long-term development approach.
- Received the award and recognition for 'Social Media Innovative Awareness Campaign Winner' for the campaign 'Stop Seed Piracy' from APSA at ASC 2022, at Bangkok.
Area Sales Manager
HM Clause
Bhubaneswar, India
03.2019 - 06.2022
- Scaled revenue from ₹1.8 Cr to ₹6.42 Cr in 3 years (~260%) despite COVID complexities.
- · Added 12 distributors; 6 product launches with 21% revenue from NPIs.
- · Profiled, targeted and prospected territories beyond the base to unlock new growth.
- Built a team of new members, winning the award for Best Yet Innovative Activity Execution during 2019-20, Best Product Promotion Team in 2020-21, and Best ASM for Promotion of New Products in 2021-22.
Territory Sales Manager
Corteva Agriscience
Raipur, India
09.2014 - 03.2019
- Excelled in the Induction Programme ANUJ (9-month practical modules of learning), with an award of the 'BEST TRAINEE' tag across PAN India.
- Achieved 100% sales plan in PR Corn in Katihar, Bihar, in 2015, in my first ever commercial assignment.
- Highest Growth Contributor Award in hybrid rice selling in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, with over 37% GOLY for the 2017 and 2018 business, and Best Team Award for Promotional Activity Execution in 2016, 2017, and 2018 in Chhattisgarh.
Education
Certificate of Higher Education - Leadership Excellence and Developement - LEAD
XLRI
Jamshedpur, JH2025
Executive Excellence Program - Leadership & Change Management
XLRI
Jamshedpur2021
Master of Business Administration - Agri-Business Management
Centre For Agri-Management, Utkal University
Bhubaneswar2014
Bachelor of Science - Life Science
CBSH , OUAT
Bhubaneswar2012
Skills
- B2B & B2C sales expertise
- Market entry & growth strategy – APAC
- Distributor identification, onboarding & performance management
- Multi-crop portfolio development (field crops & vegetables)
- Trial design, product positioning & registrations
- P&L management, budgeting & demand planning
- Cross-functional leadership (Sales, Marketing, Supply, Finance, Legal)
- Government / association / stakeholder engagement
- Contract negotiation & customer relationship management
- Farmer proximity, demonstrations & demand creation
- Leading in matrix & multicultural environments
- Public Speaking & Content Writing
- Team building & coaching
Core Strengths
• Global B2B sales strategy, annual revenue plan and execution ownership
• Enterprise deal leadership: long cycles, multi-stakeholder buying committees
• Value-based selling: pricing frameworks, packaging, and contracting structures
• Sales operating system: CRM hygiene, KPIs, reporting, governance cadence
• Team build & leadership: hiring, coaching, performance management, culture
• Market entry & expansion across India/SEA; partner/distributor ecosystems
• Cross-functional leadership with Product, Marketing, BD, Ops, Finance
• Customer storytelling: translating technical solutions into business value
• Pipeline generation and qualification discipline; forecast accuracy
• Executive presence: leadership updates, industry events representation
Additional Information
- I run “Thoughtful Thursdays with Biraja,” a weekly micro‑column blending leadership and commercial lessons for agri teams.
- "Best Rifle Shooter" in National Shooting Championship in 2011.
- APSA recognition for sector‑impact campaigns; visibility awards at ASC 2024 Sanya and ISC 2025 Delhi.
- Frequent guest speaker/mentor at agribusiness schools; I enjoy storytelling and capability‑building.
- Strong adherence to Code of Conduct and license‑to‑operate requirements; active with seed associations.
- Upcoming Author of the Book "Dont Die with a Dream".
Languages
Hindi
First Language
English
Proficient
C2
Timeline
Commercial Head - ASIA
Centor Group - Australia
08.2023 - Current
Sales Manager - Exports & E-Commerce - ASIA
HM Clause
07.2022 - 07.2023
Area Sales Manager
HM Clause
03.2019 - 06.2022
Territory Sales Manager
Corteva Agriscience
09.2014 - 03.2019
Executive Excellence Program - Leadership & Change Management
XLRI
Master of Business Administration - Agri-Business Management
Centre For Agri-Management, Utkal University
Bachelor of Science - Life Science
CBSH , OUAT
Certificate of Higher Education - Leadership Excellence and Developement - LEAD
XLRI