Rakesh Gaikwad

Strategic entrepreneurial leader driving growth across Defense, Technical Textiles, Marine, offshore and Industrial segments via Govt tendering and B2B sales. Proven track record of building new business verticals, unlocking market opportunities, influencing regulatory environments and delivering value-based offerings to customers and end-users. Expert in creating value-based customer first ecosystem to deliver sustainable benefits to the entire value chain.

Adept at leading diverse and multicultural teams across 15+ countries and forging high impact partnerships that accelerate mutual growth.

Director – Business Development, South & Mainland SEA, Oceania & Indonesia – Defense & Marine - Avient Protective Materials BV (Formerly DSM Dyneema BV) - Mumbai, India

(2008-04 - 2025-06)

Working remotely in a multicultural team, set up and scaled fibre sales from India to Southeast Asia and Australia, Northern Europe and USA from scratch. This involved relation building at CxO Level, strategic partnership with the OEM, derive value proposition and field visits for conducting trials and manage smooth supply chain in the controlled market where material availability was limited.

• 2008-2012: Set up and scaled fibre sales from India to Southeast Asia and Australia, Northern Europe and USA from scratch. Conducted relation building at CxO Level, strategic partnership with the OEM, derived value proposition and conducted field visits for trials management.
• 2012-2022: Drove Indian defence market entry by collaborating with DRDO and government bodies to co-create specifications and shape tender strategies. Enabled shift in market positioning by integrating customer-specific value propositions, resulting in significant market share gains. Pioneered import data intelligence reporting to drive strategic planning at the global level. Market share for the India market grew up to 75%.
• 2022-2025: Entrusted with additional responsibility for Australia NZ, Vietnam, Thailand & Indonesia for defence. New partnerships were forged without affecting existing partners thereby acquiring additional market share. Secured 7 years military contract via the new partner in Australia. With introduction of new products, won over competition share to grow the business. Developed new partnerships in Indonesia and Thailand to tap untapped market. Achieved strategic growth target.

DGM Trading Zone and Operations - Centerac India P Ltd (Part of Centerac DMCC Dubai) - Mumbai, India

(2005-12 - 2008-04)

Centerac IPL operated 2 Online B2B portals each for textiles and diamonds. Led a diverse team of 30+ economists, content writers, marketers, and programmers to drive a Business Intelligence portal for a media company. Established strong recognition from mill owners, industry associations, and government bodies.

Advised on policymaking and launched a widely circulated print magazine. Secured multiple international media partnerships. Applied SEO and statistical analysis to boost conversion rates, driving a 200% YoY growth in business contribution.

Initiated and led a successful import data analysis group, producing reports sold to textile producers and exporters with significant impact.

Head Trading Zone Mumbai - Centerac India P Ltd - Mumbai, India

(2005-12 - 2007-01)

Spearheaded the launch of an offline textile trading business (commission model) leveraging an existing global online database. Developed and piloted a successful strategy with 5 spinning mills before full-scale rollout. Built and led a team of 4 textile engineers; conducted pan-India market surveys to scale sourcing operations for buyers in Turkey, Europe, and South America.

Enabled sourcing from China for U.S. buyers and facilitated spinning plant sales across Zimbabwe, Turkey, Korea, and India.

Branch Manager West India - Modipon Fibers Ltd - Mumbai, India

(2004-10 - 2005-12)

Led the development of an unconventional sales channel to reduce dealer dependency and enhance direct customer engagement. Initiated entry into the underpenetrated industrial segment. Transferred to HQ to address rising non-moving inventory; led a cross-functional team to analyse trends using statistical models.

Within two months, identified seasonal patterns and an 80/20 demand ratio. The resulting proposal, eliminated forecasting for 80% of production, improving productivity, consistency, and reducing waste. Inventory levels hit historic lows without impacting sales—earning formal recognition from management.

Product Manager - Garware-Wall Ropes Ltd (Garware Technical Fibers Ltd) - Mumbai & Pune, India

(1997-10 - 2004-10)

Started with Western India sales managing a team of 5 and grew to lead all-India business with full P&L responsibility. Operated in a highly competitive market with autonomy, delivering strong results. Drove business turnaround through product differentiation, strategic customer partnerships, and an extensive district-level Pan India distribution network. Improved working capital efficiency and consistently increased contribution margins, elevating overall business performance.

Customer Service & Technical Support - NRC Ltd - Mumbai, India

(1996-02 - 1997-10)

In a 100% dealer-driven market, served as the direct customer interface across India. Engaged key buyers in each cluster to identify fashion trends, recommend products and gather feedback on quality and competition. Insights were compiled into actionable monthly reports, directly informing management strategy and decision-making.

Sales Officer - Garware-Wall Ropes Ltd (Garware Technical Fibers Ltd) - Mumbai, India

(1994-09 - 1996-02)

Managed Sales & Logistics for Maharashtra State.

Program in Management - Marketing and HRM - Shailesh J Mehta School of Management – IIT-B (2010-07 - 2011-05)

Executive MBA - ISBM & A (2008-01 - 2009-12)

Diploma in Textile Manufacturing - Textile Manufacturing - Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) (1989-07 - 1994-05)