PGCP in Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Raghupathi Cavale is the founding Director of MILES – (Manipal Centre for Innovation Leadership and Entrepreneurship), a school established at MAHE-Bengaluru to focus on creating a culture of innovation and helping start-ups in their journey through a formal system. He is the India Mentor for FalconX, a US-based incubator aiding startups in their cross-border journey, and advises the Global Environment Fund, South Asia on digital investments. Raghu also advises a major telecom company on their cloud business and serves on the advisory boards of several startups in geospatial technology and software performance management. Raghu is on the Board of GITA-Global Innovation and Technology Alliance, a CII-Government of India company, and INCLEN (International Clinical Epidemiological Network). Previously, he was the Senior Advisor at Infosys Ltd until September 2022, having retired as the Senior VP and Head of India Business in September 2021. At Infosys, he led major digital transformation projects like Income-Tax, GST, MCA21, and APDRP, and managed business in the USA for over 20 years. An active participant in public policy debates and formulation, he has served on major committees in the Power and Transport sectors. Prior to his 25-year career in the digital world, Raghu spent 13 years designing and building power and chemical plants.

CEO of Manipal Foundation and Sr. VP of MEMG International India Ltd, Harinarayan Sharma has over 38 years of experience in Investment Management, Corporate Strategy, Mergers and Acquisitions, Investment Banking, and Corporate Finance. As CEO of the Foundation, the CSR arm of the Manipal group, he spearheads initiatives in rural education, healthcare, women empowerment, and skilling. In the Manipal Group Chairman’s office, he drives special initiatives, mentors early-stage investments, and is a board member of investee companies in Diagnostics and Elder Care. He played a key role in establishing the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MILES) at MAHE and has over a decade of experience in healthcare M&A and growth. His expertise in health and education enables him to curate impactful initiatives for the group's CSR wing.

A seasoned CXO coach and purpose-driven innovation & strategy leader, Dr. Arvind Chinchure has 30 years of experience in R&D, business growth, entrepreneurship, start-up investments, M&A, intellectual property, business consulting, and education. He holds a proven track record in developing and executing programs to unlock billion-dollar growth opportunities through innovation, investments, and strategic partnerships. He has successfully led initiatives to penetrate new and emerging markets. Dr Arvind Chinchure is an expert in building new practices to tackle business challenges, enhance market share, and drive revenue growth. He is also well-known for coaching and developing top-performing teams with a clear vision and a servant-leadership approach.

Vinay is a Partner at Singhvi Dev & Unni LLP (SDU), where he leads the Business Advisory and Transaction Support Practice. He holds a degree in Commerce and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). With over two decades of professional experience, Vinay began his career in Internal and Statutory Audit, specializing in the real estate sector. He excels in business valuation, transaction advisory, funding, strategic consulting, due diligence, and risk management, with a particular focus on the real estate industry and early-stage enterprises. Vinay collaborates closely with venture capital firms, private equity funds, and family offices, managing their advisory functions and diligence initiatives. Prior to this, he was co-Chair of the Infrastructure Industries Committee of the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

Ali Akber is a Senior Manager in the Statutory Audit Practice at Singhvi Dev & Unni LLP. He is a distinguished member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and a Certified Management Accountant from the Institute of Management Accountants, USA. Ali has extensive experience in conducting statutory audits and financial reviews under Ind AS and Indian GAAP. He has worked on various assurance and compliance engagements across diverse industry segments. His specialization includes auditing companies with cost-plus business models, IT/ITES firms, investment funds, and investment managers regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India and the International Financial Services Centre, involving stakeholders from across the globe. With nearly a decade of experience at SDU, Ali has honed his expertise in performing audits and identifying financial risks within company structures. His professional journey began at Infosys Limited, where he served as a Consultant, laying a solid foundation for his career. Additionally, Ali is an occasional speaker at sessions for startup founders, budding entrepreneurs, and finance professionals, where he shares insights on the latest accounting standards and compliance regulations.

Nirupama is a serial entrepreneur and the visionary behind Ad Astra, co-founding the company in 2007. Today, Ad Astra is India's largest women-owned full-suite recruitment solutions firm. With over 25 years of experience, she has pioneered the creation and scaling of HR and recruitment firms, co-founding three of India’s largest, later acquired by Randstad, Aon Hewitt, and ADP. As a thought leader in recruitment, Ad Astra has placed candidates in 43 countries. She has served on the executive council of the Executive Recruiters Association and mentored Monster, the world’s largest job portal. Recognized by Silicon India as one of the top 25 women entrepreneurs, her firm has been a case study by Oxford Economics and featured in Forbes Marquee India for its global impact. A certified leadership development and conflict resolution coach, Nirupama mentors family businesses, particularly women entrepreneurs, and consults with large organizations on leadership coaching. She has served on the board of a USD 1 billion Canadian firm and is currently a board member of an AI-based tech firm.

Geetha Krishnan holds a master's degree from the IIM Bangalore and a doctorate in Strategy and Entrepreneurship from the IIM Indore. With over 30 years of experience in advertising, online learning, and management education, he has held senior leadership roles, including at Tata Interactive Systems (2000-2009) and the Indian School of Business (2009-2016). At ISB, he managed the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women entrepreneurship program, benefiting nearly 1,500 women. Since 2016, he has been an independent consultant, working with institutions like Babson College, Leeds University, the National Stock Exchange, and the United Nations Environment Programme. Currently, he leads the Digital Blended Learning Programme and Admissions and Placement outreach at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) in Bengaluru. Under his leadership, IIHS has launched six online courses on Coursera and edX, reaching over 65,000 learners globally, and developed the Urban Practitioners' Programme, impacting over 15,000 learners. Geetha is an advisory board member of NuSocia, mentors entrepreneurs, and frequently speaks on continuous learning, entrepreneurial growth, leadership, and strategy development. His TEDx talk, "The Technology Affected Learner," highlights his insights into the evolving landscape of education.

Gopal Devanahalli is an experienced CEO and Independent Board Member with a proven track record in digital transformation across healthcare and education sectors. He has extensive experience in the technology industry, covering a range of areas from product development to global sourcing. Gopal excels in client management, offshore outsourcing, business and IT consulting, and strategic planning. With several years of experience in both B2C and B2B sales, Gopal has worked with leading firms such as Kotak Bank and Infosys. He currently leads strategy for Manipal Education & Medical Group. Gopal holds a degree in Computer Science from BITS Pilani and a PGDM from IIM Calcutta.

Siddhartha Mehra is a seasoned finance professional with over 20 years of experience in financial management, business strategy, and tax planning. He currently serves as CFO and CHRO at Zolostays, where he leads an 80+ member team across finance, pricing, legal, compliance, HR, and supply chain management. Under his leadership, Zolostays has raised $64MM in equity and $15MM in venture debt, achieved EBITDA positivity, and diversified into new revenue streams. Previously, Siddhartha was CFO at Jupiter Capital Private Limited, overseeing a portfolio with revenue exceeding INR 1500Cr and assets over INR 2500Cr. He led capital allocation, tax planning, IND AS adoption, and investment strategies, including the acquisition of listed NBFC TRC Financial Services. Siddhartha has held significant roles at GE Capital India, Barclays Bank PLC, and GE Capital Solutions in London, managing large-scale financial operations, M&A activities, and business transformations. He is a Fellow Chartered Accountant and an Associate Company Secretary, recognized as CFO of the Year 2024 and one of the Top 30 HR Leaders 2024.

Rachit Jain is a seasoned business professional with nearly two decades of experience in leveraging digital advertising and marketing solutions to drive measurable business outcomes. He excels in leading consultative sales teams, steering digital transformations, and influencing board-level agendas. Most recently, Rachit led the Mid-Market and Growth business segment for Meta (formerly Facebook) in India, where he collaborated with some of the fastest-growing startups to help them scale.Before joining Meta, Rachit amassed over 10 years of experience at Google, followed by roles at IBM (1.5 years), SAP (3 years), and IMA India. He holds an Engineering degree and a PGDBM from MDI Gurgaon.

Nilambu Syam is a skilled finance professional with three decades of rich experience in asset management, investment banking, fund raising, and equity research. He holds an MBA in Finance and Marketing from XLRI - Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, and a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from G B Pant Institute of Technology, Delhi. As a Managing Partner at Tyche Advisors LLP since 2013, he co-founded the investment management and advisory firm, delivering an impressive 58.7% CAGR over ten years, significantly outperforming benchmarks. Previously, as Managing Director at IDFC Investment Banking (2003-2012), he led transaction teams across stages of equity fund raising and raised over USD 10Bn in equity, mezzanine, and debt financing. His tenure at Kotak Institutional Equities (1999-2003) saw him heading Technology & Auto Sector Coverage and initiating coverage on leading technology companies. Nilambu began his career in equity research at Prime Securities & Prime Broking (1995-1999) and gained early industry experience as an engineer at Denso India (1989-1993). His interests include quizzing, history, volunteering, and health & nutrition.

Karthik Vidyasagar, born in Vijayawada and raised in Hyderabad, completed his education at the Hyderabad Public School in 1993 and graduated in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Madras in 1997. In the United States, he worked with a Berkshire Hathaway portfolio company, a career that spanned a decade, during which he played key roles in major acquisitions including NetJets, Mid-American Energy, Fruit of the Loom, and The Pampered Chef. In 2009, he became Head of Mergers and Acquisitions at Cheung Kong Hutchison Holdings in Hong Kong, overseeing operations in Mainland China and Southeast Asia until 2018. He then joined the Ramoji Group as Group COO and CFO, managing a diverse portfolio and establishing the Family Constitution and Family Office for the founder. Currently based in Hyderabad, Karthik enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, traveling, and learning new languages. He has been an advisor to a multi-family office since 2022 and is now the Principal of the Oceansgled Future Fund.

Sanjeev Yamsani leads investments at VenturEast, focusing on deeptech (climate, industry, mobility, energy, agri), product software (enterprise, SaaS, dev tools, data, AI, GenAI applications), B2B (supply chain digitization, e-commerce enablers), and Middle India (fintech, consumer tech, health). At VenturEast, he has led or co-led investments in companies like Infinite Uptime, Richcore (exited to Laurus Labs), Revalyu (partially exited) in deeptech; Kissht/Ring, IncNut (Vedix & SkinKraft), Portea, CPO US (exited, financial secondary), Ben Franklin in Middle India/consumer sectors; Zaggle (listed on NSE & BSE; exited) in product software; and Eyegear in B2B. Before VenturEast, Sanjeev worked with DE Shaw in the Private Equity and Leveraged Buyout strategy. He brings investment experience across early-stage, venture growth, private equity, and leveraged buyout transactions (LBO). Sanjeev holds an MBA from the Indian School of Business and a B.Com (Hons) from Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning.