Arjun Krishan Kalsy is a technology and business strategist known for his work in the blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and ecosystem development sectors. His career has included roles in engineering, product management, and growth leadership at various technology companies and startups. ^[1]

Education

Kalsy pursued his undergraduate studies at the Manipal Institute of Technology, where he earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Information Technology, graduating in 2009. He later attended the Indian School of Business (ISB), completing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program in 2016.

Career

Kalsy's career began with internships, including a summer position at VSNL (now Tata Communications) in 2007, where he worked on a display system for the company's network operations center. In 2009, he interned at Infosys, focusing on UNIX shell development. He subsequently joined Infosys as a systems engineer, where his responsibilities included managing IT infrastructure and automating applications. Between 2010 and 2015, Kalsy founded and operated Rajdhani Aquatech, a water purification business in Delhi. During this period, from 2011 to 2012, he also served as a business development consultant at Oracle, where he worked on expanding enterprise solutions within the North American market.

Following his MBA, Kalsy joined Tech Mahindra in 2016, holding various product and program management positions until 2019. His work there involved restructuring the ERP and analytics business unit, leading the development of blockchain-based solutions, and contributing to corporate strategy and merger and acquisition planning. In 2019, he moved to Playment, an AI training data platform, as an engagement manager. In this role, he supported clients in training computer vision models, with a focus on the autonomous transportation industry.

In 2020, Kalsy transitioned into the blockchain industry, joining Polygon (then known as Matic Network) as Vice President of Growth. He was instrumental in driving ecosystem expansion, user acquisition, and strategic partnerships following the project's mainnet launch. In 2023, he took on the role of Head of Ecosystem at Mantle Network, where he led marketing, business development, and ecosystem growth during the project's rebranding and launch. Later that year, he became the Chief of Growth at Fuel Labs, a modular execution layer, leading its marketing and ecosystem strategy until early 2025. As of March 2025, Kalsy is a co-founder of a new venture in the cryptocurrency sector, which is currently in a stealth phase.

Interviews

Scaling Ethereum

In an August 2024 interview on the Beneath The Block podcast, Kalsy discussed his professional journey and perspectives on the blockchain industry, particularly focusing on Ethereum and Layer 2 scaling solutions. He recounted his first encounter with blockchain technology while researching future tech trends at Tech Mahindra, which led him to the Bitcoin white paper and the concept of decentralization. Kalsy highlighted the importance of Layer 2 solutions in addressing Ethereum's scalability challenges without compromising its core principles of security and decentralization. He expressed concern about the proliferation of similar Layer 2 projects that lack unique value propositions and called for a greater focus on innovation and thoughtful design to build a more equitable digital framework. He stressed the need to balance user experience improvements with the foundational tenets of decentralization. ^[2]

Mantle Network

During a May 2023 appearance on The Open Metaverse Podcast by Animoca Brands, Kalsy was interviewed about his role at Mantle Network. He detailed his transition from software engineering and AI into the Web3 space. He described Mantle Network as an Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solution built with a modular architecture and incubated by BitDAO, a decentralized autonomous organization. A key aspect he highlighted was the project's emphasis on community governance from its inception. Kalsy explained Mantle's ecosystem strategy, which integrates liquidity from its DAO, a connected exchange, and strategic partnerships to foster development and fund new projects. The discussion also covered the potential for scalability through innovative design, the future integration of AI with blockchain technology, token economics, and community-building strategies. ^[3]

Ecosystem Development

In a February 2022 interview with the Cryptus Channel, while serving as VP of Growth at Polygon, Kalsy elaborated on the project's mission to improve scalability within the Ethereum ecosystem. He characterized Polygon as a "scalability aggregator," designed to support a multi-chain environment where developers could choose the most suitable technology for their applications. Kalsy stated that Polygon's advantage stemmed from its use of established Ethereum technology, which provided stability and low costs for both developers and end-users. He noted that the platform had attracted a diverse range of applications, including decentralized finance (DeFi), gaming, and metaverse projects. He also emphasized Polygon's commitment to nurturing its developer community through various support initiatives, such as grants and educational resources, to stimulate innovation. ^[4]

Panels

Web3 Roundtable

Kalsy participated in a Web3 roundtable discussion at the ET Soonicorns Summit in September 2022, alongside Pandurang Nayak of Amazon Web Services (AWS). The panel focused on India's potential to become a leader in the Web3 space. Both panelists highlighted India's large and growing talent pool and increasing interest from venture capital firms as key strengths. They drew parallels between the current state of Web3 and the early days of the internet, noting the emergence of scalable startups alongside significant challenges, particularly regulatory ambiguity in India. The discussion underscored the need for a clear and supportive regulatory framework to encourage innovation and investment. The panelists concluded that while India has the potential to lead the next wave of the internet, addressing issues of regulatory clarity and continued talent development is crucial for success. ^[1]