Numerous investors have been interested in India's booming startup scene, particularly angel investors, who are essential in assisting early-stage businesses. Wealthy people who support potential firms with funding, coaching, and strategic advice in return for stock ownership are known as angel investors. Angel investment activity has recently increased in India, drawing local and foreign investors.In this post, we will focus on five angel investors actively investing in India and influencing the ecosystem of startups there.
‍

1. Lalit Keshre
   ‍

“Financial services are a basic need like roti, kapda, makaan,” are the words of Lalit Keshre, co-founder of Groww, a unicorn pillared around financial inclusion. In addition to assisting Groww in its success, Keshre has made a name for himself as a renowned angel investor by providing vital support and funding to other early-stage businesses in India. Groww’s founder Lalit Keshre made investments in seven startups in2022, including Flash, Neend, and Shoppr. TV Over the years, he has built up a diverse portfolio of startups, making significant investments in B2B fintech startup Upswing, fitness platform Ultra human, and fintech startup Decentral.
‍

Keshre founded Eduflix and worked in the product and engineering teams at Flipkart and Ittiam Systems prior to founding Groww. An alumnus of the Indian Institute ofTechnology (IIT) Delhi, co-founded Groww in 2016. Keshre became an angel investor because he was enthusiastic about encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation and wanted to utilise his expertise, resources, and connections to assist early-stage enterprises in growing.

One distinguishing aspect of Keshre's investments is how much attention he places on companies that cater to the needs of the Indian middle class. Keshre promotes companies that address this demographic's specific problems, which aids in advancing financial inclusion and socio economic development for them.

The businesses he invests in have benefitted immensely from Keshre's coaching, network, and financial support.  Lalit Keshre, who continues to support early-stage entrepreneurs, is a shining example of the critical role that angel investors play in nurturing and supporting the next generation of Indian businesses. Whether it is personal hygiene with Plum,Healthcare with Ultra human or Trinkerr to continue the goal of financial inclusion, Lalit Keshre’s portfolio encompasses all the market has to offer.

2. Kunal Bahl
   ‍

Snapdeal might seem like the distant third in the Indian e-commerce race, which has been overtaken by multinational giants Amazon and Flipkart (et al. Walmart). But the original brass of founders who started with Snapdeal are far from over in the startup space. One such cofounder is Kunal Bahl, who has had a huge influence with his e-commerce platform and developed into a prominent angel investor in India.

Alumni of theUniversity of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, he co-founded Snapdeal in 2010 to build an online marketplace that would link customers and sellers acrossIndia.  As Snapdeal prospered and attracted substantial investments, Kunal Bahl saw an opportunity to support the startup scene. He entered the field of angel investment to help and promote early-stage entrepreneurs in India. The foundation of Kunal Bahl's investing strategy is the encouragement of ground-breaking concepts and disruptive company models. In his own words, Kunal Bahl looks for the following qualities in the startups he invests in:

●     Quality of team: The founders should show they've done or built something in college or school or taken some initiative.

●     Futuristic: The market the startup is solving for should have a lot of friction, and founders should be able to get investors to crystal-gaze.

●     Unit economics: The company should be able to generate solid unit economics and have a decision on whether it is a 10% margin business or 50%.

Kunal Bahl is a prime example of the critical role that angel investors play in fostering and enabling the next generation of Indian companies as he continues to advocate for early-stage business owners. Some of his major investments includeBlueLearn, Powerplay, Tyreplex etc.

3. Nandan Nilekani
   ‍

Next on our list is an individual you might know about, but the product he helped build will surelybe etched in your memory and the card in your wallet. Infosys co-founder and visionary technocrat Nandan Nilekani has permanently shaped India's IT scene asa well-known businessman, author, and former Chairman of the UniqueIdentification Authority of India (UIDAI).

‍

Following his stint as the chairman at UIDAI, Nandan Nilekani has become a prominent angel investor in India, in addition to his work with Infosys and government projects.
‍

Nandan Nilekani started off in the Indian corporate world by co-founding Infosys in 1981, growing it from a modest start-up to a major player in IT services. Infosys helped shape India's IT sector under Nilekani's CEO and Co-Chairman leadership.The company rose to prominence on the international stage as a signal of innovation and brilliance. When Nandan Nilekani was chosen to lead the UIDAI, responsible for carrying out the expansive Aadhaar project, he embraced a new challenge. Under his leadership, Aadhaar, India's biometric identity programme, which has grown to be the biggest digital identifying system in the world, was successfully implemented.
‍

An example ofNandan Nilekani's dedication to fostering innovation and bringing about a good change in India's startup ecosystem is his path from co-founding Infosys to be coming a prominent angel investor. His strategic investments, mentoring, and enthusiasm for technology-driven solutions have significantly contributed to several early-stage organisations. Infosys co-chairman Nandan Nilekani co-founded Fundamentum Partnership which has raised USD 227 million (about₹1,793 crores) for its second fund and is planning to invest in four to five early growth-stage Indian startups. Some of his popular investments includeDrishti Eyecare, PharmEasy and RailYatri.

4. Sanjeev Bikhchandani:
   ‍

Called byEntrepreneur Magazine ‘The Man with theMidas Touch’, Sanjeev Bikhchandani is definitely a hegemon in the startup space of India. He’s a co-founder of Info Edge (India) Limited, which runsNaukri.com, one of India's top job websites, and is one of these well-known investors in the Indian Startup Space. Bikhchandani, a successful businessman in his own right, contributed significantly to the transformation of the labour market and has also become a prominent angel investor in India. In this post, we'll examine Sanjeev Bikhchandani's career as an angel investor, his approach to investing, and his enormous influence on the startup scene in India.

When Sanjeev Bikhchandani and other partners co-founded Naukri.com in 1997, India's internet was still in its infancy. Bikhchandani saw the potential of the internet and saw a chance to transform the way that businesses and job seekers interacted.Under his direction, Naukri.com expanded to become one of India's most prosperous online recruiting platforms, revolutionising the employment hunt for millions of people and companies. Sanjeev Bikhchandani's business path gave him invaluable insights and tools as Naukri.com's success grew. He made the decision to invest in early-stage firms and help aspiring business owners since he had expertise and understanding of the sector. Sanjeev Bikhchandani bases his investing strategy on supporting start-ups with significant growth potential and a clear goal to fill market gaps. Prominent investment areas are Manufacturing, Agritech andFarming, Transportation and Logistics and have invested in startups like Shipsy, Proklean Technologies, Slurrp Farm & 1 others.

Bikhchandani's conviction in offering help beyond financial backing is one of the main tenets of his investing strategy. He draws on his experiences as an entrepreneur to provide the entrepreneurs he invests in with invaluable advice and direction.This strategy not only makes sure that entrepreneurs have access to resources but also aids them in overcoming the difficulties of growing their companies.The expansion of India's startup ecosystem has been considerably aided bySanjeev Bikhchandani's smart investments. He has supported a number of potential entrepreneurs, giving them the funding and guidance they needed to succeed in their respective fields. 2022 wash the magnum opus of Sanjeev Bikhchandani’s investment career till. With the Zomato IPO in July, Bikhchandani received confirmation and visible evidence that funding businesses via Info Edge is a real operation, whether from its financial sheet or through Info Edge Ventures. Interestingly, Bikhchandani andInfo Edge didn't just hit it big once; in November, another investee business, Policybazaar, went public. Market capitalisations for the two digital businesses indicate that Info Edge is worth more than Rs 18,000 crore for its15.23% share in food delivery company Zomato and more than Rs 7,000 crore for its13.33% interest in Policybazaar's parent company PB fintech. In addition to being an early investor, Bikhchandani played a crucial role in assisting the min reaching size and maturity.

5. Vijay Shekhar Sharma:

Vijay ShekharSharma is a prime example of the stereotype- small town boy making it big; the founder of Paytm, one of India's top digital payment services, is among those who have had a big influence. Along with becoming a successful businessman,Vijay Shekhar Sharma has become a prominent angel investor and helped finance and assist several early-stage firms nationwide.

In 2010, VijayShekhar Sharma launched Paytm with the goal of revolutionising how people trade and send money in India. This was the start of his business adventure. Sharma, who saw the promise of mobile technology, developed a ground-breaking platform that enabled users to conduct digital transactions, paving the way for the revolution in digital payments in India. Paytm has evolved into more than simply a well-liked payment app by adding e-commerce, banking, and financial goods to its list of offerings. Vijay Shekhar Sharma's business endeavours gave him invaluable insights, resources, and financial strength as Paytm's growth skyrocketed. Sharma made the decision to become an angel investor because of his enthusiasm for promoting entrepreneurship and innovation. He will help and mentor early-stage firms on their path to success. His decision to get into angel investment was motivated by his conviction that young, brilliant business people had the ability to alter the Indian economic environment drastically.

‍

Vijay ShekharSharma bases his investing strategy on supporting start-ups that exhibit innovative thinking, disruptive business strategies, and a clear future vision. He aggressively looks for businesses that operate in a range of industries, such as technology, finance, e-commerce, and healthcare, among others.

The emphasis Sharma places on assisting businesses that serve the interests of the general public is one of the distinguishing features of his investing strategy. He actively supports India's sociological and economic growth by investing in businesses that solve the issues that the country's citizens confront. His investments often reflect his dedication to promoting financial inclusion and enhancing the lives of millions of Indian citizens. The strategic investments made by VijayShekhar Sharma were essential in forming the startup ecosystem in India. Man yearly-stage firms have grown and succeeded thanks to his financial backing and mentoring. His investments in startups provide them access to resources, including funding, expert knowledge of their field, and networking possibilities. Sharma's ardour for assisting tech-driven firms using digital technology to provide novel solutions is a noteworthy feature of his investments. He has invested in businesses that use blockchain, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to disrupt industries and improve society.

Vijay ShekharSharma is a prime example small-town guy who made it big in the corporate space. He continues to promote the cause of entrepreneurship and assist the expansion of innovative firms. A small-town guy who made it big in the corporate space. One of his major investments in news, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, invested in digital trucking company Raaho, whose valuation quadrupled in 1year in 2023.