Kaustubh Purohit is a tech-sales veteran with 20+ years of experience across IoT, AI, Industry 4.0, data and digital transformation — with leadership stints at Oracle, Siemens, ABB, GE and other global firms. Currently a Customer Technology Advisor at KENTAL India, Kaustubh blends deep engineering credentials with consultative commercial instincts. He’s a mentor to sales teams, a systems thinker who reads whitepapers and manuals with equal appetite, and a practitioner who believes technology succeeds only when paired with human insight and long-term relationships.
Kaustubh began in project execution (site work, instrumentation) where he learned to translate tech into customer outcomes. Early exposure to end-to-end delivery taught him the full lifecycle — engineering, solutioning, costing, closing and collections — which later became his unfair advantage in sales roles. He moved through startups and scale-ups where one person did the whole cycle, and later to large global firms where specialization exists but strategic thinking matters more than ever. Mentorship (family and industry) shaped his consultative style: start conversations without agenda, build trust, educate, and let value lead the sale. Over decades Kaustubh has positioned first-of-its-kind solutions for major clients (oil & gas, utilities, power) and navigated complex techno-commercial deals — always keeping humans at the centre of tech adoption.
Key highlights of the Koffee Conversation with Kaustubh Purohit
- From execution to advisory: His on-the-ground engineering background gives him credibility in technical sales — customers listen when you speak their language.
- Consultative selling ethos: Sales is an art that needs patience. Build trust before pitching; share knowledge, not just offers.
- Human + AI co-existence: AI and automation are powerful aids — but business development and deal closure still need human skills: negotiation, coordination, legal terms, and relationship management.
- Industry 4.0 & IoT POV: He tracks trends via whitepapers, hands-on trials and peer networks — then pilots ideas with customers to see real-world fit.
- Tough projects & wins: Led rare, first-of-kind automation and safety projects (terminal automation, safety systems for refineries, load management systems) often for flagship customers — success was team-driven and required deep technical positioning.
- Leadership takeaways from global firms: Modern orgs are flatter; longevity requires either tech depth or business leadership. Adapt fast and lead via expertise, not hierarchy.
- Advice to young tech sellers: Embrace techno-commercial thinking — know the product, the market, the customer need, and where the tech will actually be used. Sales is not separate from engineering — it completes it.
- Personal touch: A disciplined office-goer (prefers in-office focus), passionate about learning, a fan of beaches (Aonda/Goa), and co-writer of a movie script — yes, he’s creative too.
You are on the end, so you are definitely interested in this conversation with Kaustubh purohit. Go and watch the full Koffee Conversation episode here:
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