General Manager - Strategy Partnership and Business Development

General Manager Strategy, Partnership & Business Development

Bengaluru Airport Services Limited (BASL)

Job Scop Summary:

The General Manager – Strategy, Partnerships & Business Development will be responsible for identifying, evaluating and developing strategic F&B growth opportunities for BASL, with a primary focus on brand sourcing, partnerships, franchising, business development and commercial evaluation
The role will build a strong pipeline of F&B brands and concepts, evaluate their strategic and commercial potential, develop business cases and lead partnership discussions through to commercial closure and handover for implementation.
The incumbent will work closely with the senior leadership team, Finance, Operations, Projects, Procurement, Legal, Marketing and Brand & Product Development teams to develop investment-worthy opportunities aligned with BASL's growth agenda.

Key Responsibilities:

1. F&B Strategy & Growth

• Develop and execute the F&B growth strategy in alignment with BASL’s business objectives.
• Identify emerging F&B formats, brands, consumer trends and whitespace opportunities.
• Develop strategic priorities for expansion across airports and other relevant ecosystems.
• Identify opportunities for new brands, concepts, formats and business models.
• Build a long-term pipeline of commercially viable F&B opportunities.

2. Pre-Opening & Operational Readiness

• Identify and source established, emerging and high-potential F&B brands.
• Develop and maintain a strong network across restaurant groups, caf brands, QSRs, hospitality companies, entrepreneurs and investors.
• Evaluate brand relevance, positioning, scalability and suitability for BASL’s locations.
• Initiate and lead discussions with potential brand partners.
• Support brand acquisition, franchise and licensing discussions.

3. Business Development & Partnerships

• Identify and develop strategic partnerships with F&B brands, franchise owners, investors and other ecosystem partners.
• Lead commercial discussions and partnership negotiations.
• Drive opportunities from identification through commercial closure and implementation.
• Evaluate and pursue franchise, management contract, joint venture, licensing and other potential models.
• Build long-term relationships with strategic partners.
• Lead partnership discussions and negotiations.
• Represent BASL in relevant industry forums, conferences and business discussions.
• Develop/adapt brands and concepts suited to BASL’s customer, location and airport environment.
• Identify opportunities for new or differentiated F&B concepts.

4. Business Case Development

• Develop robust business cases for new F&B concepts and partnerships.
• Build financial models covering revenue, costs, investment, margins, ROI and payback.
• Evaluate different commercial structures and scenarios.
• Prepare proposals and presentations for leadership and Board approvals.
• Clearly articulate the strategic rationale, commercial opportunity, risks and expected returns.
• Track approved business cases through implementation and post-launch performance.

5. Market Intelligence

• Monitor F&B industry trends, consumer behavior and emerging formats.
• Track competitor activity and developments across airports, malls, high streets and travel ecosystems.
• Benchmark leading F&B concepts and business models.
• Identify potential brands and concepts ahead of market trends.
• Maintain an updated database/pipeline of prospective brands and opportunities.

7. Commercial Negotiations

• Lead negotiations with potential brand and strategic partners.
• Develop commercial terms covering revenue share, minimum guarantees, fees, investments, exclusivity and other relevant parameters.
• Work with Finance and Legal to structure commercially sustainable agreements.
• Ensure negotiations protect BASL’s strategic and financial interests.
• Support contract closure and successful transition to implementation.

8. Portfolio & Performance Management

• Track performance of newly launched brands and partnerships against approved business cases.
• Evaluate revenue, profitability, customer response and other agreed commercial KPIs.
• Identify opportunities for portfolio optimization, expansion and scaling.
• Recommend continuation, expansion or modification of business models based on performance.
• Drive continuous improvement of the F&B portfolio.

9. Strategic Expansion

• Identify opportunities to expand successful F&B concepts across BASL locations and other identified markets.
• Explore opportunities beyond the existing airport ecosystem wherever commercially viable.
• Develop scalable business models that can support future growth.
• Identify opportunities for strategic alliances and portfolio expansion.

10. Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Work closely with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to execute the F&B growth agenda.
• Build and lead a high-performing business development and strategy team as the portfolio evolves.
• Establish clear objectives, KPIs and accountability.
• Partner with Finance, Operations, Procurement, Projects, HR, Marketing and Legal.
• Represent BASL in senior-level discussions with brands, investors, partners and external stakeholders.

11. Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Ensure all business development activities follow BASL's governance and approval framework.
• Ensure appropriate commercial, financial and legal due diligence.
• Identify and manage commercial and investment risks.
• Ensure appropriate documentation, approvals and contract governance.
• Maintain high standards of commercial integrity and governance.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs)

• Value of new F&B business pipeline
• Number and quality of brands/concepts identified
• Number of new partnerships/brands successfully onboarded
• New business revenue generated
• Commercial value of partnerships secured
• Business case approval and conversion rate
• ROI and payback of new initiatives
• Revenue and profitability of new concepts
• Number of strategic partnerships established
• Time taken from opportunity identification to commercial closure
• Portfolio expansion and scalability
• Brand/partner acquisition and retention

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• 20–22+ years of relevant experience in F&B strategy, business development, strategic growth, partnerships, franchising, hospitality, restaurant groups, consulting, aviation or allied sectors.
• Strong experience in identifying, evaluating and developing F&B growth opportunities.
• Proven experience working with established and emerging F&B brands.
• Strong network within the F&B, hospitality, franchising and investment ecosystem.
• Demonstrated experience in business development, strategic partnerships and commercial negotiations.
• Strong financial acumen and experience developing business cases and financial models.
• Experience in franchise, licensing, joint venture or other partnership models will be preferred.
• Experience in airport, travel retail, hospitality, malls or high-street F&B will be an advantage.
• Demonstrated ability to manage senior stakeholders and independently drive strategic initiatives.
• The ability to access and engage established and emerging brands

Education

• Graduate degree in Business Administration, Hospitality Management, Hotel Management, Economics or a relevant discipline.
• MBA/Postgraduate qualification in Strategy, Finance, Marketing or Business Development will be an advantage.