Speaker Profile

Kunal Bajaj has been a leader in the Telecom, Internet & Technology space for the past 25+ years. 

Kunal is currently the CEO & Co-Founder of CloudExtel, a company pioneering Network as a Service (NaaS), including passive and active network sharing for telecom carriers, internet service providers, and content hyper-scalers. The company has built one of the newest fiber optic networks across South Mumbai and other parts of India with a total of 7,000+ route kilometers, is one of the largest hosts for Small Cells Sites with presence across 450+ cities, a robust shareable FTTH offering, and a rapidly growing enterprise and data connectivity business. Based on that foundation, CloudExtel has pioneered India’s first neutral shared cloud-based access network, a Virtualized RAN solution for high network-density venues for 4G. To power the company’s continued growth, Macquarie Capital and Advencap jointly invested USD 100 mn for a majority equity stake. 

Previously, he was leading the go-to-market for the mobility team at Reliance Jio defining services and features for launch. Kunal played a key role in disrupting existing norms in the telecom industry through end-to-end customer offerings. 

He was previously Partner and Director at Analysys Mason, heading their India operations. He joined AM following the acquisition of BDA Connect India, which he founded and built over three and a half years to become one of the most trusted and well-known telecom and tech strategy consulting companies in the region. 

He started his career in New York with McKinsey & Co. where he worked on assignments covering the telecom, internet and financial services industries. He then headed the technology division of an internet marketing start-up in NY, which he helped grow through its most rapid growth phase to USD 60 mn in revenues, and a ranking of one of the top 10 internet companies in the US. 

Kunal also worked as a Consultant (Projects) for the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), where he led TRAI's effort in driving internet usage and broadband penetration. He authored India’s first comprehensive policy roadmap for driving growth in the internet and broadband space, which was released in April 2004. He also initiated a significant reduction in leased line tariffs for telecom and IT companies by 75%. 

He is also actively involved in angel investing and mentoring start-ups in various sectors. His interests cover health & wellness, tech-based logistics, contacts and identity, unified communications, and others. 

Kunal served as a Director on the Board of One97/Paytm for 5 years until 2015. He is now a Co-Chair of the Urban Naas working group by the Telecom Infra Project (TIP). 

Kunal has three degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, graduating with Magna Cum Laude Honors from the Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science Engineering, a Master’s degree in Telecommunications and Networking, and a Bachelor’s degree in Management & Finance from the Wharton School. 

On the personal front, he is a cricket fan, a foodie, and loves to travel and explore. He is also a deep believer in India’s future potential to innovate and emerge as a global leader. 

Kunal Bajaj's multifaceted career and contributions to the technology and telecom industry, as well as his active involvement in mentoring and investing in start-ups, reflect his expertise and commitment to driving innovation and growth in the sector.