Kult taps Rishi Patnaik as Chief Business Officer for India expansion

INDIA – Kult, an Indian premium beauty and skincare platform, has appointed Rishi Patnaik as its Chief Business Officer (CBO) to accelerate growth and sharpen market strategy in India’s rapidly expanding beauty and personal care sector. 

At Kult, Patnaik’s mandate encompasses leading business growth, developing brand strategy, and driving market expansion, all while leveraging AI-driven technology to revolutionise beauty discovery in India. 

He views Kult not just as a brand but as a “fresh cult” in beauty, blending innovation, technology, and deep consumer insights to make beauty discovery personalized, intelligent, and intuitive. 

Kult’s CEO, Karishma Singh, praised Patnaik’s ability to balance strategic vision with operational execution, stating, “We are pleased to welcome Rishi to Kult.”

“With his experience in building consumer-focused businesses and scaling operations, he will play a key role in taking Kult to the next level.”

Under his leadership, Kult aims to deepen its AI personalization capabilities, broaden product categories, and strengthen its connection with Indian consumers, positioning itself as a pioneering force in the digital beauty commerce space.

Patnaik, with over 20 years of experience across online and offline retail, brings a wealth of expertise from top companies, including Nykaa Fashion, Jabong, Noon, and Reliance Brands. 

Notably, his leadership in e-commerce strategy and brand building has included pioneering launches such as Revolve’s B2B2C model in India and expanding Footlocker’s and Cider’s presence on major platforms.

Kult curates high-end skincare, makeup, and wellness brands for digitally savvy Indian consumers. 

Through immersive mobile commerce, Kult blends editorial storytelling with personalized shopping experiences, offering a seamless interface that appeals to millennials and Gen Z. 

By focusing on clean beauty, personalization, and tech-enabled retail, Kult positions itself as a pioneer in India’s evolving luxury self-care landscape.

Recently Kult raised USD 20 million  ₹170 crore (USD 20 million)in a Series A funding round led by Dr. Payal Kanodia and Aishwarya Bansal from the M3M Family Office, with additional investment from Venture Catalysts. 

Founded by Karishma Singh and Ruchika Pallavi, Kult is an AI-powered beauty discovery platform that offers personalized skincare recommendations tailored to diverse Indian skin tones, leveraging insights from more than 300 global beauty experts.

The fresh capital will be deployed to expand Kult’s product offerings, with plans to onboard over 700 premium beauty products and target processing more than 10,000 daily orders by the end of 2025. 

To support this growth, the company aims to significantly increase its workforce, planning to hire over 200 professionals across sourcing, engineering, product development, and user experience.

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