Subba Rao is a business leader turned academic and author with over two decades of experience across telecom, FMCG, and startups. He began his career at Procter & Gamble as a Management Trainee.
An alumnus of IIT Bombay and IMI, and a Design Thinking certificate holder from Stanford Graduate School of Business, he has held leadership roles including CEO, COO, VP- Sales and marketing, GM-Marketing (Corporate), Entrepreneur in Residence, Startup founder, and Board roles — and earned multiple patents developed during his tenure at Procter & Gamble, Japan, in products research and new product development — focused on consumer-technology interfaces and brand innovation.
Over the years, he has led large P&Ls, multi-unit and multi-location operations, and cross-cultural teams across Indian and global markets, driving business growth, market expansion, and organizational transformation. He held leadership roles across new product development, brand marketing, category management, sales and marketing, and business operations at organizations including Procter & Gamble, ConAgra Foods, Bharti Airtel, Tata Docomo, and Tanla Platforms, shaping strategy, brands, operations, P&L performance, and people development.
His doctoral research (FPM) on social media behavior and networked identity — supported by several peer-reviewed publications — informs his work in Social Cybernetics, digital engagement, and emergent social systems. He applies this interdisciplinary lens across research, writing, and teaching. Earlier, as Adjunct Faculty at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), he pioneered the course Social Cybernetics in Fashion, examining how platforms, algorithms, culture, and identity shape modern consumer behavior and creative industries.
A lead trustee of the NGP Rao Foundation, a family foundation committed to advancing agricultural sciences and human development, Subba Rao actively nurtures research and teaching in Social Cybernetics, social media, and entrepreneurship, while mentoring startups and engaging with angel networks as entrepreneur in residence, board member and advisor.