Harsha Rao

Harsha Rao is an experienced professional with a diverse background in the trading and resource industries. Harsha started their career in 1991 at Essar World Trade Ltd., where they worked in the steel trading department, handling exports of Hot Briquetted Iron (HBI) and merchant steel trade. Harsha then joined Olam International Singapore, where they managed a stock and sale arrangement for import commodities like rice, sugar, and cotton, significantly growing the import division's revenues in a short span of two years. At Mittal Steel, Harsha served as a Manager in the EXIM department before joining Essar as an Export Manager and New Product Development Head. In this role, they were responsible for the export of steel products and the development of new customers and applications for these products. Harsha later joined Visa Comtrade Ltd as the Vice President of Trading, where they sourced Indonesian products and marketed them to customers in India and Pakistan. Harsha also established the Representative Office of Visa Comtrade in Jakarta. In 2006, Harsha founded Ferromin Resources, a consulting firm specializing in coal mining investment opportunities in Indonesia and long-term coal supply arrangements for leading corporates in India and overseas. Harsha provided specialized consulting services and due diligence for investments in coal mining in Indonesia. After a brief stint at the Adani Group as the Head of Business Development, Harsha joined Aditya Birla Global Trading (formerly known as Swiss Singapore) as the Senior Vice President in 2013. Overall, Harsha has demonstrated a strong ability to lead and deliver results in various roles and industries throughout their career.

Harsha Rao completed a brief course in Leading Global Business at Harvard Business School in 2019. Prior to that, from 1989 to 1991, Harsha earned a Masters in Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing from Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies. Before pursuing an MBA, from 1985 to 1989, Harsha completed a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering from Maharashtra Institute of Technology. Earlier, from 1983 to 1985, Harsha completed their HSC (Higher Secondary Certificate) in science from St. Vincent's High School. Additionally, Harsha received a certification in Leading Global Business from Harvard Business School, although the specific dates of when this certification was obtained are not provided.