Arun Kar: From Davos To Oxford — Deploying Innovation At Scale With Purpose

The Odisha-origin, former Army officer and UK-based British entrepreneur reflecting on responsible innovation, independent enterprise, sustainability and the evolving global dialogue across business and policy.

London/Davos/Oxford – 08 Feb 2026: Entrepreneurial journeys are often shaped long before the first business decision is made—sometimes in places far removed from boardrooms. For Odisha-origin entrepreneur and former Army officer Arun Kar, those early lessons were forged in uniform, grounded in discipline, tested by adversity and strengthened by resilience.

His path to global enterprise unfolded through unexpected turns rather than a predefined route. A service-related injury that resulted in a 20% lifelong disability brought his military career to an early close, compelling him to rebuild and redefine his future. What followed was not simply a shift in direction, but a determined reinvention.

Today, Kar is part of a generation of globally connected founders operating across technology, sustainability and infrastructure, continuing to shape his journey with purpose, resilience and long-term vision.

Responsible Innovation at the World Economic Forum

During the World Economic Forum, Davos 2026, Kar spoke in a CNBC-led session, focusing on “How can we deploy innovation at scale and responsibly?” Speaking alongside policymakers, investors and business leaders, he delivered a simple but grounded message: technology must solve real problems before it creates valuation.

He called for what he describes as “problem-first, trust-first innovation,” emphasising that in a world shaped by artificial intelligence and digital transformation, credibility and societal relevance will matter more than speed alone. His remarks resonated amid global debates around ethical AI, digital trust and inclusive growth—issues that increasingly define the next era of entrepreneurship.

Oxford Recognition and Global Dialogue

In December 2025, Kar was honoured at the University of Oxford with the UN Global Excellence Award 2025, conferred by the United Nations Global Peace Council, recognising his cross-sector leadership and global impact.

During his visit, Kar was also an esteemed guest speaker at the University of Oxford, where he addressed a diverse audience of academicians, doctors, scientists, policymakers and business leaders, reflecting on his journey from military service to global enterprise. His message centred not on success, but on responsibility—how scale, capital and influence must ultimately serve society.

Enterprise Development and Independent Growth

Kar’s entrepreneurial journey formally began in 2016 with the founding of Xpertnest, a technology venture built without external equity funding. Starting from modest beginnings, the company steadily expanded across digital infrastructure, enterprise technology and data-driven solutions.

By July 2025, Xpertnest had been ranked among the UK’s 500 fastest-growing companies, recording a 220% growth rate in a listing curated by analysts led by Robert Watts, known for their work on the Sunday Times Rich List.

Earlier, in April 2025, the company crossed an independent valuation exceeding USD 100 million, assessed by a SEBI-registered Category-I Merchant Banker and corroborated by UK-based valuation firm Plimsoll, using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) method under Indian Valuation Standards. The valuation was subsequently published across financial platforms, including the London Stock Exchange (RNS), Reuters, and Financial Express.

In November 2025, Xpertnest was further recognised among the UK’s 200 fastest-growing companies by the UK Fast Growth Index, founded by Professor Dylan Jones-Evans.

Sustainability and Circular Innovation

Alongside technology, Kar built Earthnest, a sustainability initiative focused on biodegradable materials and circular-economy solutions to address plastic pollution. Designed around scalable environmental innovation, the venture aligns with global ESG priorities and the UN Sustainable Development Goals—reflecting his belief that business and sustainability must move together, not separately.

Entrepreneurship with Social Purpose

Despite the demands of global business, Kar has remained closely connected to grassroots initiatives. Working with members of the UK Odia diaspora, he helped support the construction of a sanitation facility for 46 tribal girls at a government-run ashram in Nabarangpur, Odisha, addressing long-standing challenges related to health, safety and dignity. Aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals 3, 5 and 6, the effort reflects his continued engagement with social impact beyond enterprise.

He is also a Guinness World Record holder, having participated in the Vitality Marathon in 2021 in support of UNICEF’s polio vaccination efforts, reflecting a continued commitment to child health and global public-good causes.

A Global Outlook

Industry assessments place Kar’s net worth at approximately USD 145 million, built through a diversified portfolio spanning technology enterprises, sustainability initiatives and revenue-generating real-estate assets across the UK, Europe and India—developed over nearly a decade without reliance on external equity funding.

Yet, for Kar, numbers appear secondary to trajectory. From a disrupted military career to building globally recognised ventures, his journey mirrors a broader evolution in modern entrepreneurship—where resilience, responsibility and long-term purpose increasingly define success.