Business Development Manager (BDM)

Business Development & Strategic Partnerships Manager — Hyderabad

About the Role

We are looking for a highly connected, confident and commercially driven Business Development & Strategic Partnerships Manager who understands the Hyderabad business ecosystem and can build strong relationships with business owners, founders, entrepreneurs and decision-makers.

This person will work closely with the founder and act as a key representative of the company in Hyderabad’s business and startup ecosystem.

The primary responsibility is simple:

Build relationships → create opportunities → bring decision-makers to the table → convert opportunities into clients and strategic partnerships.

Key Responsibilities

1. Hyderabad Business Networking

• Build and maintain a strong network of Hyderabad business owners, founders, CEOs and decision-makers.
• Regularly attend startup, business, networking and industry events.
• Identify high-value people and organizations within Hyderabad’s business ecosystem.
• Develop relationships with business communities, associations, founders’ groups and professional networks.
• Continuously identify new opportunities for the company.

2. Client Acquisition

• Identify businesses that can benefit from our content, digital marketing and brand-building services.
• Research companies and identify the actual decision-makers.
• Contact business owners through calls, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, email and personal introductions.
• Initiate conversations and understand their business and marketing challenges.
• Qualify prospects and schedule meetings with the founder.
• Maintain a consistent pipeline of qualified prospects.
• Follow up until the opportunity is converted or clearly closed.

3. Relationship Management

• Maintain long-term relationships with business owners and key contacts.
• Regularly follow up with prospects, partners and existing relationships.
• Become a trusted point of contact for the company’s Hyderabad network.
• Build relationships before asking for business.
• Identify opportunities for referrals, collaborations and introductions.

4. Founder & Podcast Guest Acquisition

• Identify interesting founders, entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders and other high-value individuals for our content and podcast.
• Approach potential guests professionally.
• Explain the platform and secure their participation.
• Coordinate with the founder to schedule conversations and recordings.
• Build a long-term network of potential guests and industry experts.

5. Market Intelligence

Continuously understand what is happening in Hyderabad’s business ecosystem:

• New businesses and startups
• Business expansions
• New restaurants, schools, hospitals and other local businesses
• Fundraising and investments
• Emerging founders
• Industry trends
• Major business events
• New business opportunities
• Influential business communities and individuals

Maintain an organized database of relevant companies, owners and decision-makers.

6. Represent the Founder & Company

• Attend meetings and events on behalf of the company when required.
• Represent the company’s brand professionally.
• Build relationships with senior decision-makers.
• Create opportunities for the founder to meet high-value people.
• Act as the bridge between the founder and the Hyderabad business ecosystem.

What We Are Looking For

The ideal candidate is someone who:

• Has a strong understanding of Hyderabad’s business ecosystem.
• Is naturally good at meeting and talking to people.
• Can confidently speak with business owners and senior decision-makers.
• Has an existing professional network in Hyderabad.
• Is highly proactive and does not wait for leads to be given.
• Can make cold calls without hesitation.
• Is excellent at follow-ups.
• Understands basic business and marketing concepts.
• Can identify a business problem and start a meaningful conversation.
• Has strong communication and negotiation skills.
• Is comfortable attending events and networking independently.
• Can build relationships over the long term.
• Is ambitious and wants to grow with the company.

Preferred Background

Candidates with experience in any of the following are preferred:

• Business Development
• Strategic Partnerships
• B2B Sales
• Enterprise Sales
• Founder’s Office
• Community Management
• Startup Ecosystem
• Corporate Relations
• Events & Networking
• Media Partnerships
• Digital Marketing Sales

An existing Hyderabad business network is a major advantage.

Important: This Is Not a Typical Sales Job

We are not looking for someone whose only skill is making cold calls.

We are looking for someone who can:

Find the right people → start conversations → build trust → create opportunities → bring them into the company’s network → convert relationships into business.

Someone who already knows Hyderabad’s founders, entrepreneurs, business owners and communities will have a significant advantage.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

First 30 Days

• Build a database of 200+ relevant Hyderabad businesses and decision-makers.
• Establish 50+ meaningful new business contacts.
• Attend relevant business/networking events.
• Build relationships with key Hyderabad business communities.
• Generate the first qualified meetings.

60 Days

• Maintain 300+ qualified business prospects.
• Generate 15–20 qualified meetings per month.
• Build a strong network of founders and business owners.
• Generate potential podcast guests consistently.
• Develop referral and partnership opportunities.

90 Days

• Maintain a healthy and continuously growing sales pipeline.
• Generate 20+ qualified meetings per month.
• Contribute directly to new client acquisition.
• Build a strong network of Hyderabad decision-makers.
• Establish a reliable pipeline of podcast guests and strategic contacts.

What Success Looks Like

After 90 days, we should be able to say:

“If we want to meet an interesting business owner, founder or decision-maker in Hyderabad, this person knows how to find them, reach them and get us into the room.”

Compensation

Fixed salary + performance incentives.

Compensation will depend on experience, existing network and demonstrated ability to generate business.

Candidates with a strong existing Hyderabad network and proven B2B business-development track record can command a higher package.

How We Will Evaluate You

The interview process will include a practical assignment.

You may be asked to:

Identify 20 relevant Hyderabad business owners → explain why each is valuable → identify the decision-maker → explain how you would approach them → generate actual conversations.

We value real relationships and results over impressive resumes.

To Apply

Send:

1. Resume
2. Current location
3. Years of business-development/sales experience
4. Industries and companies you have worked with
5. A brief description of your Hyderabad business network
6. Examples of major clients/partnerships you have brought in
7. Current/expected compensation
8. Why you believe you are the right person for this role