Since the start of my career, I was very sure I wanted to move into a Venture Capital Startup ecosystem. What motivated me was the opportunity to be a part of creating value and innovation for the generations along with the excellent exposure to innovation. The fact of the community supporting entrepreneurs and learning from creative and successful individuals, and also the narrative that each founder or investor holds.

2. Describe your workday and leisure day, how does it look like.

The typical work day starts with checking some hot news of the ecosystem along with clearing out my mailbox. While sipping the green tea, I tend to write down my to-dos for the day. Founders meetings and deep diving are all day jobs. While internal discussion about a deal or any work, the team also sits together during lunch time and discusses how they are trying to make the most of their weekend.

On a Leisure day, I try to cook a delicious meal or go out to meet friends. A saturday party night never hurts anyone, along with finding out the hidden gems in Maharashtra.

3. What is your view on the future of India as a market?

Over the past decade, there has been a considerable surge in the number of young Indian businesses. With the rise of digital technologies and an increasing number of young entrepreneurs, India's startup ecosystem has grown rapidly and is now the 3rd largest in the world. As one of the fastest growing economies in the world, India’s GDP is expected to double in the next decade. Along with improvement in ease of doing business, increasing digitization and high interest penetration, we expect all this to provide a significant thrust to the startup ecosystem in the country over the next decade. Indian startups have raised record funding of $140 Bn over the last decade (January 2014 to March 2023). In this period, we also saw 108 companies achieving Unicorn status, making us the 3rd largest country behind the USA (644) and China (172). A lot of credit for this has to go to the entrepreneurs who, through their innovation, creativity and execution, have been able to build some of the world’s most successful startups. An equally important role has been played by the Indian government which has promoted entrepreneurship and innovation through initiatives. There are a growing number of angel investors, early-stage venture capital firms and family offices which are focused on providing capital and mentorship to entrepreneurs to help their ventures scale. There is a supportive culture for entrepreneurship in India, with a growing number of people seeing entrepreneurship as a viable career path. This is reflected in the growth of the startup ecosystem in India.

4. Help describe your investment thesis and ideas you would like to back.

I believe in empowering India's next generation of entrepreneurs which recognizes the immense potential of the country's youth and the power to create an ecosystem that nurtures their innovative ideas and transforms them into scalable businesses, I believe in the "YUVA Bharat" theme that emphasises youth empowerment and engagement in building a strong and progressive India. It recognises the potential of the 21st generation and tries to harness their energy, ideas, and talent that is critical for building the nation's future. It focuses on opportunities across digitization, sustainability, financial inclusion, health & safety and consumption.

5. What are your 5 key learnings from your experience as a venture investor.

While still being very early in the industry, there are few key lessons I would like to share.

1. Always be inquisitive. The more questions you ask, the more the understanding gets better.
2. You have to be a multitasker for sure.
3. Follow the gut feeling. It's always true.
4. Don’t hesitate to admit inexperience or lack of knowledge.
5. Working in a venture capital means lifelong learning at the speed of light.
6. Develop an entrepreneurial mindset. Be empathetic. VC is a product for entrepreneurs.

6. Mention top 5 consumer/industry/technology trends in India and globally.

As the world is changing so rapidly, I believe fintech, content creation / social media, , direct to consumer - internet first brands, digital healthcare and sustainability are the trending sectors/ themes attracting the attention of every investor.

7. Top 5 advice you would give to startup founder.

1. Corporate governance is important.
2. Investors are your well wishers and not your enemy.
3. Storytelling is a skill. The sooner you learn, the better.
4. Color of money is more important than just MONEY.
5. Be agile.

8. How do you support your portfolio companies?

Connecting portfolio companies with relevant stakeholders, such as new customers, partners, suppliers, mentors, advisers, or hiring, is one of the most valuable ways I support them. Another way is also of value to portfolio companies is to share ideas and feedback based on my experience and skills. Some strategic advice, market intelligence, industry trends, or best practices to portfolio companies helps them make better decisions, avoid errors, or improve their performance.

9. Which of your portfolio company you are very excited about and why:

As an Investor we work with all the Founders in our portfolio in helping them scale their business and try to address any issues that the Founder is facing in his/her venture. Some of our portfolio companies that have scaled significantly include Everest Fleet, BigHaat, NOTO, Knorish, etc.

10. When you started your career what were your ambitions

The aim was always to learn as much as I could and grow in my career. New days bring new challenges and I’m excited to gain experience in the field and work with a team of professionals who can mentor me and help me achieve my goals.

11. What inspires you in life and what keeps you awake at night

Opportunities to work with founders in the journey of building something unique and sustainable.

12. Books or Blogs you would like to recommend entrepreneurs

1. The Entrepreneurial Mind
2. Zero to one