MOHAMED YASAR ARAFATH
Business Head
Chennai,Tamil Nadu
Summary
EdTech and higher-education leader with 10+ years building and scaling online learning businesses, university partnerships, and executive education platforms across India's leading institutions and global EdTech companies. Proven ability to design go-to-market strategy, launch new business lines from zero to scale, and lead cross-functional teams across admissions, academic operations, and partnerships. Currently Business Head & Deputy Director at the Centre for Distance & Online Education, B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science & Technology, driving digital transformation, revenue growth, and institutional partnerships across the university's online education ecosystem. Career spans senior roles at upGrad, Udemy, Coursera, and BYJU'S, with a consistent record of building scalable, revenue-generating education businesses and forming lasting academic and enterprise partnerships. Seeking a senior EdTech leadership or university leadership role driving growth, innovation, and institutional impact at scale.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Business Head & Deputy Director
CENTRE FOR DISTANCE & ONLINE EDUCATION
06.2026 - Current
- Lead the university's strategic business initiatives across Online Education, Executive Education, Industry Partnerships, and Digital Learning Transformation.
- Own business strategy, revenue planning, admissions growth, and institutional expansion for the university's Online Education ecosystem.
- Design and execute go-to-market plans for Online MBA, MCA, certification, and executive education programs.
- Build strategic partnerships with corporates, universities, and industry leaders to strengthen executive education and workforce development.
- Partner with the Pro-Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, and Deans to shape institutional growth and strategic initiatives.
- Lead digital transformation across LMS, CRM, AI-enabled learner engagement, and marketing automation.
- Lead cross-functional teams spanning admissions, business development, academic operations, and marketing; oversee UGC-DEB regulatory compliance and programme expansion.
- (NAAC A+ | NIRF RANKED)
City Head - Revenue Growth & Operations
UPGRAD STUDY ABROAD
Chennai
08.2025 - 06.2026
- Led the launch and P&L of upGrad's Study Abroad vertical in South India, driving revenue growth, university partnerships, and student acquisition across premium global institutions.
- Launched and scaled upGrad's first Study Abroad business in South India, building the operation from the ground up.
- Directed international admissions across 1,400+ global universities and 100+ UG/PG programmes.
- Managed premium academic partnerships including IIM Udaipur, IMT Ghaziabad, IIIT Bangalore, Northeastern University (USA), SRH University (Germany), PSB Paris School of Business (France), and London Metropolitan University (UK).
- Owned the full student journey - counseling, shortlisting, IELTS guidance, offer conversion, financial counseling, visa coordination, and enrollment closure.
- Built and coached high-performing counseling and inside-sales teams through KPI management and data-driven conversion strategy.
- Consistently delivered 87-92% of assigned revenue targets during the market activation and scale-up phase.
Regional Business Head - University Partnerships (South India)
UDEMY
01.2019 - 01.2025
- Led business development and strategic partnerships with universities, autonomous institutions, and academic leadership across South India.
- Partnered with Vice Chancellors, Registrars, Deans, and governing bodies to design scalable education initiatives.
- Spearheaded India's first Hybrid M.Tech in Artificial Intelligence, an industry-integrated academic program.
- Directed end-to-end partnership governance - commercial negotiation, business planning, and multi-functional team leadership.
- Integrated corporate certifications and workforce-development initiatives into university ecosystems, expanding institutional collaborations region-wide.
Senior Business Development Manager
COURSERA
01.2016 - 01.2019
- Led regional business development and admissions strategy for digital learning solutions across South and West India.
- Directed a cross-functional team responsible for customer acquisition, revenue generation, and operational excellence.
- Built sales-enablement frameworks and CRM optimization strategies; represented the organization at international education forums.
Team Lead - Business Development
BYJU'S
01.2015 - 01.2016
- Led inside-sales and direct-sales teams through one of India's fastest-growing EdTech expansion phases.
- Achieved Pan-India Top Performer recognition for outstanding revenue delivery during national sales campaigns.
Education
Master of Business Administration (MBA) - Marketing, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence
Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Tiruchirappalli
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) - undefined
Dr. C.V. Raman University
Skills
- EdTech & Online Learning Strategy
- University & Academic Leadership
- Enterprise Business Development
- Higher-Education Partnerships
- Executive & Professional Education
- Digital Transformation
- Go-To-Market (GTM) Strategy
- P&L & Revenue Leadership
- Admissions & Growth Strategy
- Corporate & Workforce Learning
- AI in Education
- Stakeholder & Board Engagement
- Cross-Functional Team Leadership
- Brand & Market Expansion
- Regulatory & Academic Compliance
Core Leadership Competencies
- EdTech & Online Learning Strategy
- University & Academic Leadership
- Enterprise Business Development
- Higher-Education Partnerships
- Executive & Professional Education
- Digital Transformation
- Go-To-Market (GTM) Strategy
- P&L & Revenue Leadership
- Admissions & Growth Strategy
- Corporate & Workforce Learning
- AI in Education
- Stakeholder & Board Engagement
- Cross-Functional Team Leadership
- Brand & Market Expansion
- Regulatory & Academic Compliance
Selected Leadership Engagements
- Higher Education Strategy & Institutional Growth
- University Digital Transformation
- Executive Education & Professional Learning
- Industry-Academia Collaboration
- AI & Digital Learning Strategy
- Business Expansion & Market Entry
Timeline
Business Head & Deputy Director
CENTRE FOR DISTANCE & ONLINE EDUCATION
06.2026 - Current
City Head - Revenue Growth & Operations
UPGRAD STUDY ABROAD
08.2025 - 06.2026
Regional Business Head - University Partnerships (South India)
UDEMY
01.2019 - 01.2025
Senior Business Development Manager
COURSERA
01.2016 - 01.2019
Team Lead - Business Development
BYJU'S
01.2015 - 01.2016
Master of Business Administration (MBA) - Marketing, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence
Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Tiruchirappalli
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) - undefined
Dr. C.V. Raman University