In a world where customer expectations evolve faster than technology itself, leaders who understand both people and data stand out. One such leader is Tanuj Saluja. His career reflects an unusual blend of intuition, relationship building, and analytical thinking. What started as a simple shift from corporate sales in the education sector has gradually transformed into an influential role in India’s travel and e-commerce ecosystem.
A Journey From Classrooms to Corporates
Tanuj’s story begins at ICFAI Business School, where he developed a strong academic foundation and discovered his interest in communication and management. After a brief role in corporate sales in the education sector where he organized events, handled relationships, and built skills that would become the backbone of his future roles.
Building Lenskart’s Partnership Engine
When Tanuj joined Lenskart in 2015, he brought a fresh perspective to customer engagement and brand outreach. Instead of following conventional marketing playbooks, Tanuj focused on connecting with customers where they were. He built Lenskart’s entire corporate outreach program from the ground up. Eye checkup camps, strategic alliances, and brand partnerships became core strategies for customer acquisition. His work also contributed to the launch of the popular Lenskart Gold membership program and became one of the most successful loyalty programs in Indian e-commerce. Even during the pandemic, when retail operations were disrupted, Tanuj adapted quickly and helped Lenskart shift its focus toward more scalable, data-supported strategies.
Driving Growth and Alliances at Yatra
Today, Tanuj leads alliances, partnerships, performance marketing, and CRM at Yatra.com. His day often involves working with banks, brands, internal teams, and vendors. According to him, travel is a low-margin industry, which makes customer loyalty extremely crucial. Every offer, partnership, and communication must be thoughtfully executed. In under three years, he expanded the bank alliances portfolio to 5 Times and also took charge of performance marketing, CRM, gift vouchers, ancillary revenue and the launch of Yatra’s first travel subscription service – Yatra Prime in 2023. One of Tanuj’s recent campaigns at Yatra involved a high-impact brand collaboration with Nestlé Maggi, where Yatra featured on nearly 240 million Maggi packs nationwide. Given Maggi’s presence across households in Tier 1 to Tier 4 cities, the partnership delivered massive brand visibility and strengthened Yatra’s reach among diverse consumer segments.
A key part of his strategy is timing. “Right communication at the right time.” For example, an email or app alert sent during a customer’s booking window can dramatically improve retention. Understanding when users browse, when they travel, and what influences their decision is central to Yatra’s CRM philosophy. Tanuj explains that this customer-first approach depends heavily on KYC-based insights. Only when the brand understands who the customer is and what they want can communication truly become meaningful.
Choosing the Right Partnerships
Tanuj believes the success of any partnership lies in synergy. He evaluates collaborations based on two questions: Do the customer bases overlap, and will both brands benefit? He illustrates this with simple logic. A travel company partnering with a travel accessories or smart wearables brand makes sense. A travel company partnering with a healthcare service may not. At Yatra, data often acts as the foundation for these decisions. This data helps identify which customers are likely to book travel and which offers can motivate them.
Data, Tools, and the Human Touch
While AI and analytics tools like Google Analytics, Tableau, Clevertap and Power BI play a major role in strategic planning, Tanuj remains realistic about their limitations. He notes that AI accuracy often maxes at around 70 per cent, which means teams cannot depend on it blindly. Instead, AI should support decision-making, not replace it. Human intuition, manual proof-checking, and domain experience still matter.
Campaigns, Challenges, and Lessons from the Pandemic
Tanuj recalls many impactful campaigns from his time at Lenskart and Yatra. However, he also remembers the early pandemic period as one of the toughest phases for the travel industry. Margins were squeezed, people were afraid to travel, and partnerships became difficult to negotiate. Yet through strong relationships and careful communication, he helped Yatra expand its portfolio significantly. The experience deepened his belief that adaptability matters more than aggressive expansion.
A Foundation Rooted in Education
Interestingly, Tanuj’s early aspiration was to remain in the education sector. He even cleared the UGC NET exam in his first attempt. But his exposure to marketing and partnerships opened new possibilities. Eventually, he chose industry work over academia, although his inclination toward learning continues to shape his leadership style.
The Future of Travel Tech: AI + Customer Understanding
Tanuj believes the travel industry is undergoing a transformation driven by AI-powered chatbots, predictive recommendations, and hyper-personalized communication. But at the centre of it all remains one thing: The customer.
“Instead of copying competitors, understand your consumer first,” he advises young professionals.
Conclusion
Tanuj Saluja’s journey is not just a career trajectory. It is an example of how diverse experiences can come together to build a strong, adaptable leader. From managing student relationships in the education sector to leading some of the most strategic partnerships at Lenskart and Yatra, his story reflects resilience, customer-centric thinking, and a deep understanding of the human side of business. As the travel tech landscape evolves, professionals like Tanuj are shaping how customers explore the world and how brands stay relevant in an increasingly competitive market. His story underscores a timeless truth:
“No matter how advanced technology becomes, businesses thrive when they understand and serve their customers better.”
-Interview conducted by Shivani Solanki
