Ajay Kulkarni has been named Business Head of Barcode Entertainment, a global technology-driven influencer marketing company. Ajay has over 17 years of cross-functional and diverse experience in Revenue, Brand Management and Communications, Marketing, and Content Partnerships across the Media, Telecom, and Consumer Tech sectors.
As the Business Head, Ajay intends to use his exceptional team-working and marketing skills to bring seamless processes to Barcode Entertainment and exponentially grow the business. And, with his resourcefulness and innovative viewpoint as assets, he seeks to help the company become one of the most prominent players in social commerce, influencer marketing, and the content landscape.
Ajay has previously worked for a number of well-known corporations. His most recent position saw him overseeing content and strategic partnerships for South Asia at TikTok (ByteDance) (Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka). He has also held the position of Assistant Vice President - International Business at Time Network, where he was responsible for increasing the network's visibility and revenue in international markets. Ajay has also worked with other notable organisations in the areas of brand, marketing, and revenue, including Star India Pvt Ltd, Tata Teleservices, and Times Group (Bennet & Coleman).
Talking about joining Barcode Entertainment, Ajay Kulkarni said, “I am delighted to be part of the immensely specialised and talented team at Barcode Entertainment. The rapid rise of influencers and the creator economy at large is a force to reckon with in today’s digital landscape. And with more and more people turning to content creation as a source of income alongside content consumption, Barcode is very well-positioned - at the intersection of influencer marketing, content and live commerce - to be the leading company supercharging the space. This, with unparalleled phygital experiences, and by making it easier for brands to grow their business through collaborations with the creator economy. And I am looking forward to working with the team on this exciting journey.”
Rahul Khanna, Co-founder of Barcode Entertainment, added, “We are immensely happy to have Ajay on board as the Business Head at Barcode. Having experienced growth at a lightning-fast pace, we are setting our sights on leveraging this growth momentum and scaling new heights to be the next big thing in the influencer, content and live commerce space. And Ajay’s expertise aligns perfectly with this vision. His journey, which is more than a decade long - will surely ignite a spark and help us as we continue to strengthen our team and grow our business.”
Since its inception in 2019, Barcode Entertainment has established itself as trailblazer in India's digital sphere, harnessing the power of both the physical and digital worlds. The company assists brands in connecting and collaborating with over 20,000 macro and micro-influencers across the country and beyond, as well as connecting them with 200+ potential customers through these collaborations/influencers. In addition, Barcode successfully combines data-driven performance, genuine human relationships, expert creative strategy, authentic and engaging content, and razor-sharp paid media targeting. And Ajay Kulkarni's extensive experience will enable him to contribute and drive meaningful value to its business.
Ajay has also recently written and published a book on Globalization and International Advertising with Sheth Publications.