Beauty and skincare platform Kult today announced the appointment of e-commerce veteran Rishi Patnaik as Chief Business Officer (CBO) to lead business growth, brand strategy, and market expansion.
Patnaik brings over 20 years of experience across online and offline retail, having held senior roles at Nykaa Fashion, Jabong, Noon, and Landmark (Lifestyle).
On his appointment, Rishi Patnaik said, “KULT is not merely a brand, it’s a fresh ‘Cult’ within the beauty and personal care space. It’s where innovation and technology meet and intersect with an in-depth knowledge of what consumers truly desire today. I think the Indian beauty e-commerce market is poised for change, and KULT’s AI-driven app is driving that change, making beauty discovery intelligent, personalized, and intuitive like never before. Through smart curation, recommendation based on data, and an easy-to-use interface, KULT is revolutionizing the way humans interact with beauty. This dedication, coupled with the team’s enthusiasm and accuracy, will assist KULT in forging a niche of its own. I feel very privileged to be a part of this amazing journey guided by our inspirational CEO, Karishma.”
Karishma Singh, CEO, KULT, added, “I’m thrilled to welcome Rishi to Kult. He can zoom out on vision and zoom in on the details that ship. With a record of building consumer loved businesses and the operational rigor to scale them, he will turn a great product into a category defining company.”
Career Highlights
In his last stint as Senior Vice President at Nykaa Fashion, Patnaik led e-commerce strategy, brand management, and launched Revolve in India on a B2B2C model, along with footlocker.in and Footlocker Exclusive online. He also acquired and onboarded fast-fashion brand Cider.
Earlier, at Noon and Jabong, Patnaik grew softlines and BPC & Fragrance businesses, established fashion verticals, and introduced multiple international brands to the Indian online market. He is also recognized for building partnerships with global brands such as Adidas, Mango, PVH, L’Oréal, and Puma, and for developing private-label and licensee brands. This also included strategic alliances with Flipkart, Myntra, and Trendyol to list and sell Noon’s brands and private labels.
During his time at Jabong, Patnaik was instrumental in helping the company become the market leader in the fashion category within just 18 months of operations. He negotiated and brought several international brands — including Topshop, Topman, River Island, New Era Caps, Hummel, Salomon, North Face, New Balance, Asics Tiger, Onitsuka Tiger, Dorothy Perkins, Under Armour, K Beauty, and Burton — to India’s online retail space for the first time. He also developed private and licensee brands with significant bottom-line impact and introduced the NBA (The National Basketball Association) store on Jabong, licensing merchandise produced by the platform.
