Mohandas Pai On A Mission To Build ‘Ecosystem’ Of Funds

TV Mohandas Pai, ‎Chairman of Manipal Global Education Services and co-founder of Aarin Capital is now looking to build an ‘ecosystem’ of funds. The aim is to focus on private equity, real estate, late-stage capital, early-stage high returns funds and promoting women entrepreneurs.

Earlier, while he was associated with Infosys, he was more focussed towards tech startups. He was a member of the board of directors of Infosys, and Head of Administration, Education and Research, Financial, Human Resources, at Infosys Leadership Institute.

Since 2012, he has invested $325 Mn in around 145 startups including Byju’s, Zoomcar, SavvyMob, Oust Labs, Magic Crate, Wigzo, Gingercrush, AlmaConnect, among others through 10 funds. This amount is expected to double and reach $625 Mn in the next two years.

“In three-five years, we should be very large across many asset classes. We are creating an ecosystem. Each fund in this ecosystem has its own investment managers, its own advisors and investment committees,” said Pai in a press statement.

Also, in the coming month, Pai’s recent $37.6 Mn (INR 250 Cr) real estate fund called Neev Asset Advisors, will write its first cheque, the terms of which are undisclosed.

Earlier, in April 2016, TV Mohandas Pai, Patni scions Arihant Patni and Amit Patni, angel investors Naganand Doraswamy, and Prashant Desphande joined hands with Sasken Technologies CMD Rajiv Mody to float a $18.7 Mn (INR 125 Cr) fund called Ideaspring Capital. The fund will focus on identifying entrepreneurs with deep technical expertise working in early stage product innovation startups in India.