VCCircle

Abhishek is a technology entrepreneur, who has bootstrapped his flagship venture - Indus Net Technologies, an offshore outsourcing company to a 500+ strong team of professionals spread across India, UK, USA and Singapore. He is co-founder of Seeders, a seed-fund company investing in early stage technology companies across India. Some of their investments are in  Azoi, Plivo, Shopo, iDubba, IIMJobs, CarSingh to name a few.

On education front, He did Bachelors in Commerce from St. Xaviers College, Kolkata. He did MS in Multimedia Technology from University of Bath.

An investment banker with 11 years of deal execution and corporate client coverage experience at Citi (Mumbai, Hong Kong), Kotak, Goldman Sachs (Mumbai, Hong Kong) and HSBC (Mumbai, London, Tokyo). His areas of expertise include M&A Advisory, Corporate Strategy, Equity and Debt Capital Markets fundraising for clients across industries such as Transport and Infrastructure, Metals and Mining, Automotive, (prior deal experience in FIG and Telecom as well).

Amit has originated and closed over 30 deals across M&A (buy-side and sell-side), equity capital markets offerings (IPO's, follow-ons etc.), bond offerings, private placements etc. in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Hong Kong and Korea.

Amit is an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, B.A. (Hons.) Economics from Delhi University and a CFA Charterholder.

A first generation entrepreneur, Amit set up his first Internet Technology Outsourcing company in 2001. Having experienced key technology and delivery roles in the internet space, Amit dived into telecom space and founded MaxMobility in 2004. As an early player in the Consumer and Enterprise mobility space, he’s developed a rich network in the telecom industry and leads the strategic tie ups and new initiatives from the forefront – building MaxMobility from a garage start-up to a 100+ strong company.

Senior Ashoka Fellow Mr. Chandra Shekhar Ghosh is the Chairman & Managing Director of Bandhan, the leading MFI in India. Mr. Ghosh also adorns the Governing Board of Sa-Dhan and Association of Microfinance Institutions-West Bengal (AMFI-WB). He has the distinction of being one of the Committee Members of the Core Team that Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) formed for its Partner MFIs to advice in the policy making process. Mr. Ghosh is a member of 'State Level Review & Co-ordination Committee on Credit Delivery Innovations' constituted by NABARD, 'Financial Inclusion and Microfinance' and 'Banking and Finance' committees of ASSOCHAM and Social Development & Community Affairs Sub-Committee constituted by Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). Very recently he has also joined as a member of Financial Inclusion Committee constituted by FICCI.

He holds an M.Sc. in Statistics and has attended the HBS-ACCION Program on Strategic Leadership for Microfinance at Harvard Business School.

Deep Mishra is a Managing Director in the private equity team of Everstone Capital Advisors.

Prior to joining Everstone in 2009, Deep had over 13 years of experience in private and public investments, investment banking and as an entrepreneur. Deep previously worked with Och Ziff Capital Management and Ernst & Young. He holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from IIT Kanpur and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from IIM Calcutta.

Dr. Alok Roy specialized in nuclear cardiology from All India Institute of Medical Sciences. But over the last 20 years, he has evolved into a reputed hospital management specialist with unsurpassed technical expertise and a visionary outlook, by virtue of having established numerous healthcare facilities across the country including in 4 major heart hospitals and numerous other multispeciality healthcare setups in India and abroad. He has also been one of the pioneers in the conceptualization and implementation of telemedicine in the country.

As the Vice Chairman of Asia Heart Foundation, Dr. Roy brought to all his projects his dynamic leadership, knowledge and expertise in healthcare project management, sense of business appreciation, accumulated expertise in strategic planning, best management practices, time-bound implementation, rigid cost control all crucial to the project viability and financial sustainability. As a hospital management specialist of international repute, he believes that along with clinical excellence, a hospital's success is defined by a prudent amalgam of human philosophy, technology and strategic management.

One of his endeavours has been his role as the COO, Fortis Healthcare Limited (A Ranbaxy Group Promoter Company) where he was responsible for setting up and managing several eminent hospitals like Fortis Hospital, Noida, Fortis Jessaram and Fortis Jeevanmala hospital in New Delhi. Some other ventures led by Dr.Roy are BM Birla Heart Institute, Manipal Heart Foundation, Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences, Narayana Hrudayalaya, Integrated Telemedicine and Telehealth Project (ITTP).

Dr Suryanil (Shurjo) Ghosh, is the chief mentor and the founder of Group of Companies. He is a well known figure in the IT Industry having served the industry for over 2 decades. He is also closely associated with premier Universities and Business Schools around the globe for his interest to contribute in talent building in Academia which will serve the Industry.

He has also served top notch IT and Consulting Services Companies around the globe in leadership roles in his career spanning over 2 decades. He provides the strategic leadership to the company across all corporate affairs.

Mr. Gandhi is the former CEO for the financial services business of Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited (IL & FS), a well-known Financial Institution in India focusing on infrastructure financing and financial services. Hetal has 16 years of experience in the entire spectrum of financial services business spanning private equity, investment banking and asset financing. Hetal recruited and managed the private equity team for IL&FS, and has led number of deals and exits. Prior to this, Hetal was engaged in Management Consulting for 3 years with AF Ferguson & Co.

Hetal is a certified member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

Kannan Sitaram is Operating Partner at India Equity Partners, a New York based Private Equity firm, with over $ 2 Billion of group assets under management. At IEP he leads the development of their consumer sector portfolio. For the prior four years, from 2006, he was Chief Operating Officer of the Rs. 2,500 crores Consumer Care Division of Dabur India. At Dabur, Mr. Sitaram led the transformation of one of India’s most highly rated consumer products businesses through organic growth and highly successful acquisitions.

From 2002 till 2005, Mr. Sitaram was Vice President Strategy at Unilever’s Global Headquarters in London, where he was responsible for bringing consumer, customer and industry perspectives to shape Unilever’s corporate strategy. Prior to that, Mr. Sitaram had a highly successful 9 year tenure at Hindustan Unilever (HUL), including as Head of Marketing for the Beverages division and National Head of Sales for Detergents and Personal Products. Mr. Sitaram had moved to HUL from Pond’s India Limited, part of Chesebrough Pond’s Inc where he spent the first 12 years of his career.

Mr. Sitaram holds a Bachelors degree in Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and earned his Management degree from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. In addition, Mr. Sitaram has attended an Executive Program at the Carnegie Mellon School of Business and an Advanced Executive Program at the Kellogg School of Business.

Ms. Madhurima Mukherjee, Partner, heads the capital markets and securities law practice of Luthra & Luthra Law Offices.

Featured by IFLR Asialaw – India Annual Review as a leading capital markets lawyer and by Asian Legal Business in the list of ‘Hot 100 lawyers’ for 2011, Ms. Mukherjee is among the select few lawyers in India to have been ranked by Chambers 2012 in Band I for capital markets. Ms. Mukherjee is also featured in the International WHO'S WHO of Professionals for its 2009, 2010 and 2011 editions as a leading capital markets lawyer. As per Chamber 2012, “Her knowledge of capital markets law is extensive and clients see her as a trustworthy adviser” and as per Chambers 2010, “Ms Mukherjee is one of the most sought-after Capital Markets lawyers in India”. Ms. Mukherjee has been recognized as a leading lawyer by Chambers Asia 2009 which regards her as an individual who “understands the business and legal side of deals and covers both comprehensively in her advice” and by Chambers Asia 2008 which takes note of her “deep experience and great responsiveness”. She has been voted by Asialaw Leading Lawyers survey in 2008
and 2009 as the “most highly-acclaimed legal expert in the Asia-Pacific region” for ‘Capital Markets and Corporate Finance’.

Prior to joining the Firm in 2006, Ms. Mukherjee was a partner at Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff & Co, New Delhi. Ms. Mukherjee is currently on the Advisory Board of the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru and has taken guest lectures in the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata.

Aged 60 years holds a Bachelors degree in Engineering and a Post Graduate degree in Business Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He was associated with the Planning Commission, Government. of India, as a Financial Analyst; Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited as a Management Consultant and as an Advisor in the merchant banking division of the erstwhile ANZ Grindlays Bank, Kolkata. He was the Vice President of Indian Electricals and Electronics Manufacturers Association (IEEMA), and has over 33 years of experience, including 28 years in the present activity.

P. K. More’s his obsession with perfection was evident from the time he joined the family business in 1991in Guwahati after completion of his graduation in Electrical Engineering  from Assam Engineering College, Guwahati. In the year 1997 he shifted to Kolkata and set up a Plywood factory based on imported timber in the year 1999. He presently imports timber from around 14 countries from different parts of the world .He equipped his factory by procuring the latest and most modern Machinery and adopted latest technology to manufacture his products and marketed his products by the brand name ‘MAYUR’.

Within a span of two to three years he started to market his product throughout the country and the   same began to be accepted quality wise and price wise everywhere .In the meantime he expanded his Kolkata factory manifolds.  Then, in the year 2004 he took over a sick Plywood unit at Bhavnagar, Gujrat near the Kandla Port and turned the unit into a profit making one within one year and even expanded the capacity in the second year itself. Again, in the year 2007 he took over one sicker unit at Chennai and turned it into a profitable venture in the following year itself. He was able to do all this due to his strong marketing strategies and building up a strong marketing network throughout the country and a strong back office team. He has also set up 14(fourteen) marketing offices in major State Capitals and has a strong marketing team of around 250 people and having more than 600 dealers pan India.

In a short span of time Mayur Plywood has become a leading brand of the Country. His Company employs around 2500 people in the Plywood division. He is now setting up a plywood unit at Guwahati and a one million tonne per annum capacity Cement with captive power Plant in Meghalaya.

Presently, Chairman and Managing Director of Rabo Equity Advisors Pvt Ltd., owned 51% by Rabobank (thus a subsidiary of Rabobank). The company is currently the Investment Advisor for a private equity fund of US$120million sponsored by Rabobank and with IFC, FMO, DEG and CDC, UK as the Investors. It is the first sector focused Fund for food and agribusiness in Asia and with the knowledge support of Rabobank and Rajesh's own credentials, it brings significant value add to the portfolio companies.

Joined Rabo in 1998 as a founder member and led corporate banking for food and agribusiness till 2002 when he was promoted as Regional Head, Asia for the sector based in Singapore. He gained experience of working in 10 countries in the 3 years whilst in the position. He returned to India in 2005 as the Managing Director, Corporate & Commercial Banking, Rabo India Finance and Managing Director, Rabo India Securities Ltd. As the chairman of a regional committee, he authored the holistic strategic action plan for Rabobank in Asia in 2005.

Earlier, Rajesh has worked for 12 yrs in credit/merchant banking with Bank of Baroda. In 1994 to join Lazard India where set up a unique Venture Capital Fund, targeted at the SME segments. The investors included, IFC, ADB, OECF of Japan (now JBIC) and large Indian FIs.

Rajesh is a graduate in Economics and Laws and a post graduate in Western History from Lucknow University. He is intensively trained in national and international colleges like Harvard Business School, Nyenrode University and Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Rakesh Sony joined MOPE in October 2008 and actively involved in fund deployment and portfolio monitoring. With over 12 years of experience in capital market, he has expertise in enabling closely held businesses evolve into professionally run corporate organization through pragmatic resolution of family ownership, succession planning, corporate governance and the delegation of management responsibilities. He has entrepreneurial experience as co-founder and Managing Director of Microsec Capital- the largest investment bank in Eastern India

At MOPE, Rakesh is responsible for deal sourcing ,investing, portfolio company monitoring and effectuating exit the portfolio companies. He represents the Fund on the board of Parag Milk Foods, Effort BPO, Powermech, Mrs Bector Foods and Minda Industries

Rakesh is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and is  a graduate of the prestigious St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata

Ramaswamy Gopalkrishnan (Rama) is a certified Chartered Accountant and also a Company Secretary.

Rama has over 25 years of experience in M&As as well as Investment Banking in companies like J M Financial & Investment Consultancy Ltd, Standard Chartered Bank, Aditya Birla Group and now investment experience at Brand Capital. .

Amongst his diverse and vast set of achievements, the notable are advising a leading group in South India on their hugely successful hostile take-over of a listed abrasive company and executing the listing of shares of Birla Global Finance.  He was also a pivotal member at Standard Chartered Bank of M&A and Takeovers division.

During his current stint at the Times Group he was part of the core team that put into operation the path breaking venture – Brand Capital, which now has investment of over Rs. 6000 cr.  

Ever since, he has been a key member of Senior Management team wearing several hats including being one of longest serving member of the Investment Committee. Currently he spearheads the innovative structuring and legal team while also heading the business operation for the Brand Capital - Eastern Region

Rama takes his inherent fostering qualities into his relaxation time too by nurturing the little garden that he has put out for himself, a privilege of a lucky few in a city like Mumbai.

Ramya is a corporate lawyer who specialises in mergers and acquisition, general corporate advisory, projects and banking and finance. She is also a qualified company secretary.

She graduated as a lawyer in 2002 and after a stint in litigation practice, moved on to Amarchand Mangaldas to practice corporate law. In June 2009 she quit Amarchand to co-found Argus Partners. Argus Partners has recently merged with Udwadia and Udeshi, a Mumbai based firm to constitute Udwadia Udeshi and Argus Partners. The firm has offices across the country in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai besides Kolkata. The firm specialises in transaction advisory as well as dispute resolution. Ramya is the partner in charge of the Kolkata office of UUArgus.

Sanjeev Aggarwal is a co-founder of Helion and serves on the Boards of IndiaHomes, Amba Research, Eye-Q, MakeMyTrip, Global Talent Track, Azure Power, Nine dot Nine Mediaworx and Vienova. Prior to Helion, Sanjeev was the Founder and CEO of Daksh, having been with the company from its inception in 2000 to its acquisition by IBM in 2004.  Sanjeev ran the company as its CEO till June 2006. Daksh was a pioneer in BPO sector in year 2000 and had over 20,000 employees by June, 2006.  During this period, Daksh was rated as the World's Best Managed BPO company (Black Book of Outsourcing) and was ranked as the #1 employer in Indian BPO market by IDC. Sanjeev was chosen "Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the year" in 2002.

Prior to founding Daksh, he worked for 15 years with leading technology companies serving the domestic Indian market.  Sanjeev led the Strategic Initiatives at Motorola India. He worked with Digital Equipment Corporation in delivering technology solutions and was recognized as the "Decathlon Winner", a recognition given to top 1% managers worldwide.  He also served as the CEO of 3COM India.

Sanjeev has a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and an MBA.

Sasha Mirchandani is the founder and a part of the investment team at Kae Capital. He is also the Co-founder of Mumbai Angels and previously was with Blue Run Ventures as Managing Director for the India operations. The Kae Capital investment team consists of professionals that bring a combination of experience from the venture capital, consulting and operational roles which put together gives an optimum bandwidth to analyse potential investment opportunities and help grow the investee companies.

CA Sanjay Diwakar, Vice President - Markets is a strategic resource of Ernst & Young interfacing the entrepreneurs in the Eastern part of the country. As Vice President – Markets, he is  responsible for Business development and the Customer relationship Management of the firm.

Known for his market intelligence, he plays a Key role in Relationship Management of the firm with its clients private, PSUs or Government at large.

Was sitting committee member in CII- ER Economic affairs Committee, MSME sub committee and AMCHAMs Agriculture and Agro based industries Committee, and ICAI-ERs IT committee.

Has co – authored CII-EY Reports on “Fiscal incentives and developments in Eastern States in India” and “Entrepreneurs’ Perception – A West Bengal Survey Report”, Infrastructure sector ICC Proceedings on “Confra East 2008”. Presented White paper for CII leadership on a “Study on State Finances of Eastern States.” Recently co authored Survey report on Business Climate Survey in West Bengal jointly with CII.

Presented papers to MDP sessions for ICAI members  & AISEC students, Officers of Registrar of Companies, Department of Company affairs and taken innumerable career counseling sessions in Emerging management schools. Recently presented a paper on How to create Exceptional Enterprises in CII – MSME East Annual Seminar.

His experience in coordinating the Ernst & Young  “Entrepreneurship of the Year”  Award program  since its inception in India has enriched his knowledge about their expectations and growth needs. On the contrary, in Supporting  the Transaction Advisory services in M & A and Lead advisory deals, he has the rich understanding  of the PEs expectations in various target entities.

In this panel discussions we expect  valuable insights on things to do that will help aspirants in accessing PE funds – a critical input to Grow Beyond

Shomik joined Actis in 2007 to advise on new investments strategy in the Consumer and Retail sector. He came from McKinsey & Co. in London where he advised companies on strategic and operational matters and prior to that, worked as a consultant with Accenture and with Unilever in India.

Whether it’s doing the deals no one else can or transforming a family-run regional business into a leading international player, the thrill of developing potential never dies away, nor does Shomik’s desire to use our capital to change people’s lives – the lives of the country’s emerging middle class and those of our partners, management teams and investors.

Shomik holds an MBA from London Business School.