MoneyX Dialogues Debuts In Bengaluru With 50+ Investors

SUMMARY

The first edition of MoneyX Dialogues — Venture Capital Unplugged saw a gathering of more than 50 investors discussing the changing playbooks and sector priorities

Fire-side chat with V Vaidyanathan of IDFC FIRST Bank highlighted the importance of VCs and banks to work in tandem to build a resilient financial backbone for startups

The investing community plans to redraw the rules for VCs with recast playbooks, rebuilt partnerships, and robust value creation in sight

It was a breezy evening in late August Bengaluru where, in an august gathering of a group of investors, a chortle broke out. It was loud enough to overhear.

Nothing seems more natural than artificial intelligence in business. Every pitch deck seems to begin with the AI-first approach almost by default. That was the trigger behind the laughter. But, it was about knowing the reality of the tech age and, certainly, not about a rhetoric dismissive of the technology.

Underneath the humour lay a serious truth: the way capital is being deployed in India is changing fast, and investors are recalibrating their playbooks to balance conviction with caution.

The truth reflected in a recent Inc42 investor survey, where AI emerged as the most preferred sector for both early and growth stage investments.

To decode these signals, Inc42 partnered with IDFC FIRST Bank and convened the very first edition of MoneyX Dialogues — Venture Capital Unplugged, powered by Rukam Capital, in Bengaluru on August 21.

The evening saw the convergence of more than 50 of India’s sharpest investing minds, spanning early-stage VCs, emerging and growth stage fund managers, HNIs, family offices, and angel investors.

The event featured a closed-door roundtable with early and growth stage fund managers, HNIs, and family offices, moderated by Amit Nawka, partner, deals at PwC, and a fireside chat with V Vaidyanathan, MD and CEO of IDFC FIRST Bank, moderated by Inc42 cofounder and chief executive officer Vaibhav Vardhan on how venture capital was evolving in India and the strategies that would fuel the next wave of startups.

Some of the country’s top VCs and leaders who joined the event include

Anant Vidur Puri, partner at Bessemer Venture Partners
Anoop N Menon, principal, investments at Chiratae Ventures
Ankur Dubey, principal at Capria Ventures
Bhavesh Jatania, head of startup banking at IDFC FIRST Bank
Gaurav Gulati, founder and managing partner, Aroa Venture Partners
Gaurav Ranjan, principal at Prime Venture Partners
Kushal Bhagia, founder and partner at All In Capital
Karthik Prabhakar, managing partner at PeerCapital
Navin Honagudi, managing partner, Elev8 Venture Partners
Prachi Sinha, principal at Axilor Ventures
Shanti Mohan, founder and CEO of LVX
Sheetal Bhat, head of private equity investments at Catamaran
Shiva Shanker, partner at Ankur Capital

Beyond Cheques: VCs Are Shaping Smarter Ties

The closed-door roundtable on ‘Rethinking Early-Stage VC: Inside The New Investing Playbook’ set the tone for the evening. India’s top investors unpacked the new realities of early and growth stage funding, from sharper founder filters and sector prioritisation to capital deployment trends. With AI leading as a sectoral favourite, conversations also circled around how emerging technologies can improve margins, reduce CAC, and transform operating models.

A recurring theme was the evolving LP–VC dynamics and the need for more aligned capital partnerships. Several investors underscored that in today’s market, conviction and discipline matter more than blind capital chasing scale.

The candid interaction with Vaidyanathan of IDFC FIRST Bank explored how banks and institutional finance were rethinking their roles in supporting India’s startup ecosystem.

The fire-side chat with Vaidyanathan highlighted the importance of venture capital firms and banks working in tandem to build a resilient financial backbone for startups. From structured financial products to long-term partnerships, the conversation underlined that India’s investment ecosystem will be strongest when different forms of capital work together.

While the insights set the stage, the true power of MoneyX Dialogues lay in the connections it enabled. The curated networking dinner gave investors the space to go beyond surface-level introductions and dive into deeper collaborations. From fresh perspectives on sector bets to conversations about fund strategies and co-investments, the evening seeded new possibilities for the ecosystem.

The first chapter of MoneyX Dialogues made it clear that the investing community plans to redraw the rules for venture capital with sharper playbooks, stronger partnerships, and a long-term view on value creation.