Virag Kulkarni

Associate Vice President Legal @ Fibe.India (Formerly EarlySalary)

About

I am a business-first legal leader with 14+ years of experience spanning corporate law, contracts, litigation, compliance, and governance, with a proven track record of enabling growth in fintech, NBFCs, and technology-driven sectors. Over the last 7+ years, I have partnered with Boards, CXOs, and investors to shape legal strategy, build governance frameworks, and strengthen investor confidence in high-growth, regulated industries. At Fibe (formerly EarlySalary), I have led the legal function through multiple Private Equity fundraising rounds exceeding $300M, guided compliance for a systemically important NBFC under RBI’s Digital Lending Guidelines, Outsourcing Norms, and DPDPA 2023, and designed legal operations tools that reduced contract cycles by 80% while improving vendor governance across 1000+ agreements. I bring depth in regulatory strategy and risk management while ensuring business teams can execute with speed and confidence. What sets me apart is the ability to simplify legal complexity into business clarity. I take pride in building and mentoring high-performing legal teams, driving transformation where law, technology, and business intersect. My approach is rooted in solution-orientation, pragmatism, and foresight—ensuring organizations scale responsibly, stay resilient under regulatory scrutiny, and thrive on the foundation of growth with governance.

Country

India

City

Pune

Industry

Financial Services

Skill

Leadership & Team Management, Data Privacy & Protection, Litigation Management, Risk Management, Contracts Management & Negotiation, Private Equity & Fundraising, Corporate Governance, Regulatory Compliance, Corporate Law, Civil Litigation, Legal Research, Litigation, Legal Writing, Banking Law, Consumer Law, Contract Law, Legal Assistance, Competition Law, Document Review

Experience

Associate Vice President Legal

Fibe.India (Formerly EarlySalary)

2022-4 - Present · 4 yrs 6 mos

India

Lead the legal and compliance function of a systemically important NBFC in the digital lending space, reporting directly to CXOs and advising the Board. Spearheaded legal workstreams in multiple Private Equity fundraising rounds (> $300M), including investor negotiations, due diligence, and structuring. Designed enterprise-wide governance frameworks regarding RBI Digital Lending Guidelines, Outsourcing Framework, Fair Practices Code, and DPDPA 2023. Oversight of legal risk management for unsecured lending operations (₹6500 crore+ AUM), including legal strategy for collections and fraud risk mitigation. Introduced Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) platforms, cutting contract turnaround time by 80% and standardizing vendor governance. Built and mentored a 8-member high-performing legal team, embedding a culture of compliance and business partnership.

Senior Legal Manager

Fibe.India (Formerly EarlySalary)

2020-2 - 2022-4 · 2 yrs 3 mos

Pune, Maharashtra, India

Supported the company’s rapid expansion by creating scalable legal risk-mitigation processes for lending, collections, and vendor contracts. Drove regulatory registrations and licensing for NBFC/IRDAI, ensuring adherence to RBI frameworks. Partnered with senior leadership to integrate compliance checkpoints into business operations, enabling accelerated growth with reduced risk. Acted as legal liaison for auditors, regulators, and external counsel.

Assistant Manager

Zensar Technologies

2019-7 - 2020-1 · 7 mos

Pune, Maharashtra, India

Negotiated and reviewed global technology contracts (IT services, SaaS, outsourcing, procurement). Supported compliance function by building contract risk assessment frameworks. Achieved promotion to Assistant Manager within one year for consistent delivery and leadership potential.

Senior Legal Executive

Zensar Technologies

2018-4 - 2019-6 · 1 yr 3 mos

Pune, Maharashtra, India

Reviewing and Negotiating Contracts.

Lead Analyst

Wipro Limited

2017-8 - 2018-4 · 9 mos

Bengaluru Area, India

Led a team managing legal operations for a leading international investment bank. Handled contracts, compliance checks, and risk review across multiple jurisdictions.