Venture capital and innovation professional with experience across deeptech, defence-tech, Industry 4.0, government innovation and startup ecosystems. At Forge Innovation & Ventures, I evaluated 60+ defence innovation projects under the iDEX Open Challenge, supported startup grant appraisal and onboarding under NIDHI-PRAYAS and GENESIS, conducted due diligence and milestone evaluation for defence-tech startups, and worked with manufacturing companies on Industry 4.0 adoption. Previously, I worked with the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, T-Hub, Invest India and PepsiCo across innovation strategy, ecosystem development, market analytics and programme management. I am particularly interested in deeptech venture building, technology commercialisation, startup evaluation, venture capital and building stronger innovation ecosystems in Bharat. I hold an MBA from IIM Rohtak and have a strong interest in emerging technologies, particularly Industry 4.0 and quantum computing.
Experience
Program Manager
Rishihood Venture FoundationJan 2026 – Present
• Designed & implemented a 10-day Summer Entrepreneurship Bootcamp end-to-end, enabling 14+ student-led startups through structured venture building process, mentorship and investor exposure. • Orchestrated engagement with 15+ experts across venture capital, YC-backed founders, industry and startup policy, alongside VC-led mentorship and Delhi innovation ecosystem visits to FITT, IIT Delhi & Spring House. • Facilitated investor access for 7 ventures through a VC-led Demo Day, with 3–4 progressing to active investor discussions, featured Shri Ateesh Kumar Singh, Additional Secretary, DPIIT, as Chief Guest. • Operationalised an AI Studio, leading GPU workstation specification-to-setup, building an on-campus AI research and product-development capability with expert mentorship from YC-backed AI-native startup founders and research-driven student projects.
Senior Analyst
Forge Innovation & VenturesApr 2025 – Dec 2025
• Assessed 60+ defense innovation projects for induction into the iDEX Open Challenge launched by Ministry of Defense. • Facilitated 5+ grant appraisal & onboarding of 3+ startups under NIDHI-PRAYAS (DST) & GENESIS (MeitY) grant schemes. • Facilitated Open Innovation for 5+ manufacturing companies by identifying 20+ Lighthouse & Industry 4.0 challenges in Hosur and scouted 10+ technology partners for advanced manufacturing adoption. • Supported 3 iDEX startups in completing defence-tech product development milestones through rigorous due diligence & technical evaluation. • Organised 3 FORT Days (Demo Days), enabling 25+ startups to connect with 10+ industries for synergistic innovation. • Drafted 15+ Innovation Challenges for Sagarmala Startup Innovation by Ministry of Ports Shipping & Waterways.
Strategic Alliance Intern
The Office of Principal Scientific Adviser to Govt. of IndiaApr 2024 – Jun 2024
I analysed 685+ innovation projects worth ₹7,900+ crores on the Manthan open innovation platform. I designed a presentation on the impact of 50+ projects for presentation to the Prime Minister and developed standardised frameworks and KPIs for monitoring project outcomes. I also created a strategic-alliance pitch deck and curated website content aligned with the platform’s mission.
Programs Management Intern
T-HubApr 2023 – Jun 2023
I facilitated visits for 20 international delegations within two months and implemented a RACI framework to support cross-functional collaboration. I curated a knowledge asset on India’s fintech ecosystem, compiled research and databases, and prepared proceedings for a round-table discussion on open banking and financial inclusion. I also researched startup ecosystems, built CXO and incubator contact lists, and identified 100 global technology summits.
Research Intern
Govardhan EcovillageJun 2022 – Aug 2022
I designed a 15-day Ecovillage-Israel expedition camp using design thinking, with a focus on innovation, sustainability, and entrepreneurship. I analysed Ayurveda’s global potential using SWOT analysis, implemented funnel mapping to monitor patient conversion, and used multidimensional scaling to map customer perceptions of the ecovillage.
Trade Facilitation Intern
Invest IndiaJun 2022 – Aug 2022
I supported the One District One Product initiative by facilitating the onboarding of farmer producer organisations and MSMEs onto e-commerce portals. I also organised buyer-seller meets in Jammu and Kashmir to strengthen B2B sales of local textile products with leading apparel brands.
Market Analytics Intern
PepsiCoMay 2022 – Jul 2022
I analysed Vietnam market sales for the Lay’s brand using marketing mix modelling, exploratory data analysis, and linear regression. I presented the return on investment and impact of market campaigns driving Lay’s sales in Vietnam.
Volunteer
ISKCON & Govardhan Eco-villageJul 2021 – Sep 2021
I supported the International Value Education Olympiad organised under the United Nations Faith for Earth Councilor Program. I worked with the Community Outreach and Coordination team to engage more than 230,000 students across 15 countries, coordinated with schools and participants, resolved queries and grievances, and created multilingual communications.
Education
MBA, IT Analytics & Marketing Strategy
Jun 2023 – Mar 2025
Compulsory Coursework: Quantitative Methods of Decision Making (Statistics, & Probability), Data Analytics, Organisational Design & Dynamics, Micro & Macro Economics, Marketing Management, Operations Management, Legal Aspects of Business, Financial Reporting & Analysis, Management Accounting, Human Resource Management, etc. Elective Coursework: Business Analytics, IT Strategy & Consulting, Business Models using Cloud & IoT, Mergers & Acquisitions, Marketing in the world of Extended Reality, Managing Business Processes & Emerging Technologies, Business Games & Decision Analysis, Investment Banking, Market Research, International Business, Design Thinking, IT Project Management, Media & Sports Marketing, Service Operations Management & Leadership Development etc.
BBA, General Business Administration
Sep 2020 – May 2023
Coursework: Micro & Macro Economics, Accounting, Game Theory, Statistics, Calculus, Linear Algebra, IT Systems, Business Algorithm and Data Structures, Technology Trends in Business, Business History, Systems Sustainability & Social Justice, Operations Research, Marketing, Advertising, Media & Journalism, Psychology, Philosophy, Sociology, Political Science, Labor Laws, Intellectual Property Rights, Business Taxes etc.
Matriculation
2016
10 CGPA
Science and Mathematics, Science and Mathematics
2019
84%
Skills
Languages
- English
- Full professional proficiency
- Hindi
- Native or bilingual proficiency