With over 26 years of experience in the international agriculture sector and innovations that have turned the face of the sector, Debabrata Sarkar has emerged as a leader to watch out for. He holds a degree in agriculture from BCKVV, West Bengal, and is a proud alumnus of IIM Kolkata. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated remarkable leadership in strategic business units for renowned global companies, specializing in agro-chemicals, seeds, biotechnology, and biological industries across the Asia Pacific region.
A wide working background
Mr. Sarkar’s illustrious body of work comes from him holding pivotal positions in renowned organizations such as Monsanto, Chemtura, and Syngenta. Currently, he is serving as the CMD for MicroAlgae Solutions India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of AlgaEnergy Spain, a biotechnology company with a global presence. At AlgaEnergy, their core technologies revolve around sustainable and renewable properties found in diverse species of single-cell microalgae.
Under Debabrata’s extraordinary leadership, MicroAlgae Solutions India has made significant strides. He has been instrumental in establishing a commercial organization that led to a remarkable 100% year-over-year revenue and PAT (Profit After Tax) growth in key markets within just three years from the date of incorporation. One of his highly notable achievements is the quick and successful establishment of a Joint Venture between AlgaEnergy and KREPL Group – AgMA Energy Pvt Ltd.
This joint venture, possibly one of the quickest signed and established in the Indian agriculture industry, became cash-positive in just 23 months, a feat even more noteworthy, given the challenges posed by the global pandemic for over two years of this period. Debabrata’s consistent delivery of 2X growth year-on-year in terms of revenue and 42% year-on-year PAT growth speaks volumes of his exceptional skills.
Tactful Leadership
Debabrata Sarkar’s leadership style is perhaps best defined by his statement, “The true test of leadership is how well you function in a crisis.” The years 2020 and 2021 were indeed challenging for everyone. The sudden onset of the pandemic changed the way people lived and pressed businesses to make quick pivots and think in new ways. Under Debabrata’s leadership, AlgaEnergy adapted swiftly and made coherent decisions that aligned with the company’s core values.
Debabrata Sarkar’s efforts towards achieving sustainable agriculture have received numerous accolades. He received the Technology Leadership Award in 2019 and was named Business Leader of the Year in 2021. In 2022, under his leadership, AlgaEnergy was recognized as the BEST Company of the Year in the Biological Agriculture Space. His work was further honored with the Best Bio Ag CEO Award in 2022 and 2023. Most notably, he received the Times Leading Entrepreneurs Award in 2022 and graced the cover pages of Business World in 2023 and Outlook in August 2023 for his outstanding contributions to sustainable biological solutions for agriculture.
To build AlgaEnergy as a great place to work and to establish AlgaEnergy’s microalgae-based technology firmly in India and the Asia-Pacific region is Debabrata Sarkar’s vision for the future. With his relentless hard work and strategic moves towards sustainability and innovation, there’s no doubt that he will continue to be a driving force in the transformation of agriculture for a better and more sustainable future.
