Rishi Agarwal is the Co-founder and CEO of TeamLease RegTech, India’s leading Regulatory Technology (RegTech) company, revolutionizing compliance management for more than 1500 enterprises nationwide. With his industrious acumen and foresight, Rishi spearheads the organization’s mission to help businesses stay compliant, reduce risks, and navigate India’s complex regulatory environment.
Vision and Philosophy
A passionate technocrat, Rishi firmly believes in the transformative power of technology to improve human lives. He envisions cashless, paperless, presence-less compliance programs for employers across India. His entrepreneurial spirit and transformative mindset led to the creation of a multi-tenant, cloud-based SaaS platform that has reduced missed compliances by over 95% for customers.
At the core of his vision is the drive to eradicate the ramifications of poor compliance on businesses, employers, and investors, thereby strengthening India’s economic ecosystem.
Professional Journey
Before founding TeamLease RegTech, Rishi was Director at The Bank of New York Mellon (BNY Mellon), where he built a captive technology center in Pune. Over five years, he collaborated with BNY Mellon’s global leadership in New York to conceptualize and execute large-scale technology transformation programs.
This experience equipped him with deep insights into compliance complexities across federal, state, and local governments, shaping his commitment to building cutting-edge compliance solutions for India.
Compliance 3.0 and Policy Engagement
Rishi has pioneered the concept of Compliance 3.0, a four-vector framework built on:
- Rationalization
- Simplification
- Digitization
- Decriminalization
He actively collaborates with corporate India, industry bodies, and think tanks to advance regulatory reforms. Rishi also works closely with ministries, DPIIT, Invest India, and the World Bank on ease-of-doing-business initiatives. He is a member of the CII Taskforce and has previously served as an advisor to the Working Group of Ministers (WGOM).
Thought Leadership
Rishi co-authored the influential report “Jailed for Doing Business”, which highlights the hostility and mistrust embedded in India’s regulatory environment. He frequently contributes to leading publications such as:
- Observer Research Foundation (ORF)
- Financial Express
- India Today
- Mint
His writings reflect his deep industry knowledge and commitment to regulatory transformation.
Education and Personal Interests
- Alumnus of IIT Varanasi.
- Holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Management from IIM Calcutta.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Rishi is:
- An avid traveler.
- A tabla player.
- An amateur photographer, having published a coffee table photo book titled “Varanasi: A Passage to Immortality”.
