VCCircle is back with its immensely successful and well-received investment conference property, the 3rd edition of VCCircle ICICI Bank Agri & Food Investment Summit 2011. The initiative, which in the last 2 years created an umbrella conference on investment opportunities, this year again will address the ecosystem of Food, Agri and its support industries in addition to leading Funding agencies, policy makers and economists.
The reasons for its success are not far to seek. First, accounting for nearly one-fifth of India’s GDP and over 50% of its workforce, this sector enjoys a vast and growing demand in both domestic and overseas markets. Second, demand for farm and food products is ever-increasing as there is less and less land under cultivation globally. Third, there are many fundable and viable niches within the ecosystem of agriculture. Fourth, the loop of agribusiness and food business that starts from agri inputs such as seeds and fertilizers to the meal on your plate (farm-to-fork) offers a value chain that promises opportunities along the way such as logistics, cold storage, packaging, commodity markets and last-mile retail. Fifth, it is recession-proof to a great extent. And sixth, the deal activity, consolidation and restructuring potential that are putting this sector high on the investment attractiveness index.
In terms of deal activity, during the last three years, food and agri-related businesses have accounted for 125 M&A transactions valued at $1.4b and 60 private equity deals valued at $650m.
While inflation is a huge concern, the market potential in agri and food industry is pegged at $280 billion in the next 10 years, which translates into $50 billion investments every year. So, where is this investment going to be absorbed? Which parts of the farm-to-fork journey will be tomorrow’s winning categories? What are the new emerging themes gaining popularity and interest? What are the new trends in M&A and consolidation in the sector? How to manage valuation expectations in this space? All these questions and much more will find answers at the forum.
8:30am - 9:30am
Tea & Registration
9:30am - 9:40am
Introduction Note
Sahad P.V. - Founder & Editor, VCCircle
9:40am - 10:00am
Keynote Address
N. Vaghul - Former Chairman, ICICI Bank Ltd.
10:00am - 11:00am
Panel I - Growing Inorganically: Merger & Acquisitions And Joint Ventures In Agri & Food Sector
Indian agri firms are increasingly scouting for emerging opportunities and seeking domestic and cross-border M&As as mediums to scale up.
- When should a company chose to go for M&A?
- What are the emerging opportunities available? Which are the markets to explore?
- What synergies should a company look for in such acquisitions? What are the popular deal structures?
- What are the consolidation trends in the sector?
Hemant Vora - General Manager, ICICI Bank Ltd. (Moderator)
Dinesh Shahra - MD, Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd.
Bimal Ramesh Thakkar - MD, ADF Foods Ltd.
Ramakrishna Karuturi - MD, Karuturi Global Ltd.
Vijay Kumar Arora - Chairman, LT Foods Ltd.
Sanjeev Mantri - Senior General Manager, ICICI Bank Ltd.
11:00am - 11:20am
Tea & Networking
11:20am - 12:20pm
Panel II - Emerging Trends & Innovations In Indian Agri & Food Sector
Segments: Food Branding, Role Of MNCs, Organic Products, Gourmet Food, Contract Farming etc.
Rajesh Srivastava - MD, Rabo Private Equity (Moderator)
G.S. Bhalla - MD & CEO, Cocoberry
Sameer Mehra - Founder & CEO, Suminter India Organics
Akshay Bector - MD, Mrs Bector Foods
Dev Lall - CEO, Bakers Circle
12:20pm - 12:45pm
Presentation: The Burgeoning Food Inflation & Food Security
How serious is the concern? What is the cure? What role can the industry play? What are the possible regulatory stances on the issue?
Dr G. Mythili - Professor, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research
12:45pm - 2:00pm
Lunch & Networking
2:00pm - 3:00pm
Panel II: Role Of Private Equity In Fuelling Growth In Agri & Food Sector
- What do investors look for in this sector? What kind of entrepreneurs and businesses they bet on?
- What role can private equity play in growing a firm? What are the value additions by investors in a company?
- What are the requirements to be met while raising private equity capital? Reporting requirements, rights demanded, compromises to be made.
- Evaluating Private Equity versus Listing? What are the advantages associated with each option?
Gopal Srinivasan - MD, TVS Capital Funds (Moderator)
Deepak Shahdadpuri - MD, BCP Advisors
Nikhil Khattau - MD, MF Advisors
Gaurav Mathur - MD, India Equity Partners
Ajaay Gupta - MD, Capital Foods
Redhot Sector Sessions: Here, we will focus on two micro sessions of 45 minutes each and highlight the significant intersections in the farm-to-food journey.
3:00pm - 3:45pm
Redhot Sector I: The Farm Level
Agri inputs: Seeds, Fertilizers & Agro-Chemicals
Sanjeev Asthana - MD, I-Farm Venture Advisors (Moderator)
Rahul Raisurana - MD, Standard Chartered Private Equity
Ankur Aggarwal - MD, Crystal Phosphates
M.K. Dhanuka - MD, Dhanuka Group
Shyam Vembar - VP, Agri Business, Mahindra & Mahindra
3:45pm - 4:00pm
Tea & Networking
4:00pm - 4:45pm
Redhot Sector II: Farmgate To Market
Supply Chain: Processing, Quality Testing, Warehousing & Supply Chain Managment
Sandeep Singhal - MD, Nexus Venture Partners (Moderator)
Vinod Kumar Chaturvedi - MD, Usher Agro
Balbir Singh Uppal - CMD, Lakshmi Energy & Foods Ltd
Sandeep Sabharwal - CEO, Sohan Lal Commodity Management
4:45pm - 4:55pm
Concluding Remarks
5:00pm - 6:00pm
VCCircle Lounge
A special initiative where companies and investors can meet and network in a structured manner in a separate enclosure. Here, 10 select companies can make a 5-minute elevator pitch to 10 select private equity investors and venture capitalists.
6:00pm Onwards
VCCircle Unwind
A zone for informal networking and establishing contacts with entrepreneurs and investors over cocktails.
Mr Akshay Bector is the Chairman & Managing Director of Cremica Food Industries Limited. Under the “Cremica” brand the company has become #1 in Mayonnaise and #3 in Tomato Ketchup in India. The company leads the industry with Focus on Quality and Innovation. Under Mr. Akshay Bector’s leadership the company has been able to maintain one of the highest growth rates in the industry.
After completing B.E. in Industrial & Production Engineering, Mr Akshay Bector started his carrier in 1987. Establishment of a modern Bread plant followed by a world class Biscuit plant was his initial endeavors. He kept on expanding the business and soon joined hands with Mc Donald’s to become one of their biggest suppliers in India. He was also instrumental with key initiatives with Mc Donald’s and the Mc Donald’s Bun Business to the company was set up under his leadership. His focus on Quality and Innovation were the key factors for Exponential Business growth. His efforts led to the JV with two companies. One with Quaker Oats Company (USA) for manufacturing of Ketchup, Mayonnaise and other Liquid Condiments and the other with EBI Foods (UK) for manufacturing of Battering and Breading pre-mixtures. This brought in new Competences within the Group and Strengthened the Brand.
His Leadership qualities and Business acumen are well recognized in the Industry. He has served as the Chairman of CII Punjab. He is the founder of YPO Punjab Chapter. Currently he is Chairman of CII NR Agriculture Council and Member of various Punjab Government Committees.
In the “3rd National Convention on Entrepreneurship 2013”, he was awarded “Entrepreneur of the Year” and in “Mc Donald’s APMEA 2013 Supplier Business Forum” the Company got “ Mc Donald’s Asia Pacific Award for Innovation”.
Ajaay Gupta is a professional entrepreneur in the packaged food industry. A marketing professional by background, he has been instrumental in the architecture and launch of some highly successful food brands like Ching’s Secret and Smith & Jones. Ching's Secret is the #1 Chinese ingredients brands with products across sauces, soups, Hakka Noodles, Sauce mixes and instant noodles.
Smith and Jones is the leading Masala Noodles, ketchup and cooking pastes brand in india.
Ajaay Gupta brings with him experience in the field of manufacturing and marketing of processed foods since 1996. Capital Foods also retails in some of the biggest retailers of the world, like Tesco, Dunnes, Target and Loblaws. Previously he was the CMD of Forefront Advertising and Mkting and was well regarded as one of the brightest advertising talents in the 90s having won multiple AD Club and CAG Awards.
Mr Gupta has been the marketing brain behind various brands for clients like Mother’s Recipe, Sheetal, Kala Niketan, Baccarose. He also currently serves of the board of directors at Fashion Retailer Kimaya.
Deepak I. Shahdadpuri is the Founder and Managing Director of DSG Consumer Partner and Beacon India Private Equity Fund. Deepak has over 15 years of private equity and venture capital experience and is an active angel investor focusing on consumer businesses with a strong emphasis on food and beverage value chain. Before this, Deepak held senior roles at Gem India, Reuters VC, Bain & Company and Ernst & Young. Deepak is on the board of Baker's Circle, Impresario, Eazy Diner, Exito Gourmet, India Lends, Indostar Capital, Indian Home Gourmet, Mswipe, Saffronart, Saraf Foods, Sula Wines and Veeba Food. Deepak’s investment experience also includes RBL Bank, OYO Rooms, Cleartrip, Redmart, F&B Asia and Furtado’s School of Music.
Deepak serves on the board of Magic Bus, a non-profit organization helping develop underprivileged children through sports, and on the advisory board of Dawn Capital, a UK focused Venture Capital Fund. He has an MBA (Distinction) from INSEAD where he graduated on the Dean’s list, a LLB (Hons) from King's College London and a FCA from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales.
@dishahdadpuri
Dev Lall is Managing Director & CEO of Bakers Circle (India) Pvt Ltd. The company specializes in reverse manufacturing and R&D that enables clients to reduce costs using the frozen route.
It currently serves 1200 outlets across the country with expansion plans in the Middle East and North Africa. Prior to founding Bakers Circle, Dev was with Hyatt International, New Delhi where he was in charge of pre-opening operations of Hyatt properties and was also overseeing operations of 8 points of sales at their different properties, service procedures, training and development of man power.Dev completed his Bsc. Institutional management & MBA in International Business from Johnson & Wales University, USA
Dinesh Shahra, a Chemical Engineer by profession and the Managing Director of Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd., has dared to dream Big, he staked the future of his Business on a Competitive, free market economic order and he has spearheaded the Soya Revolution to the recent position of India?s foremost Food Processing Company, one of the top 5 FMCG Businesses in the Country.
His innovative and analytical approach marks the emergence of market diversifications and developing brands through its varied food products. His ability to gauge the future trends and consumer requirements led to launching of variety of innovative Value added Soya products like Soya Flour, Soya chunks, Granules to cater to different strata of the society.
Under Mr. Shahra's Leadership, the company has consolidated its business under RSIL to have a distinct advantage in realizing his dreams and scaling newer heights.
He has been honoured with Globoil Man of the Decade Award, and has also bagged the prestigious, The American Express Corporate Award 2006 as the No- 1 Food Processing Company in India along with the Dun & Bradstreet Rolta Corporate Awards 2008 in the Food & Agro Processing sector.
Current position: Professor, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai; Also Joint managing Editor, Journal of Quantitative Economics, Indian Econometrics Society Publication.
Educational Qualification: Ph.D. in Econometrics, University of Madras, 1989; Ph.D. Thesis on “Production Risk in Indian Agriculture”.
After completing Ph.D, visited University of California at Berkeley for one year as a ‘Ford Foundation Post Doctoral fellow’ at the Department of Agricultural and Resource economics.
Visited Washington, US Department of Agriculture, Economic Research service in June 2007 for one month as part of collaborative project on “Supply Analysis of Indian Agriculture between pre and post reform period” Associated with many research projects in agriculture including Farm Management Study; Farm production risk; Accelerating Growth through globalizing agriculture; Supply response in agriculture; and agricultural policies and structural changes in India’s agri food system. Projects funded by organization such as UNDP, World Bank, European Commission and Australian Centre for International Agricultural research.
Participated and presented papers in many national and international conferences; Authored many research papers in national and international journals and coauthored 4 books.
Current research projects include:
1) Agriculture- nutrition linkages and
2) Analysing impact of agricultural policies using Intersectoral linkages.
A born entrepreneur, upon graduation from Delhi University, Mr. Bhalla opted to forego studies at a business school and set up his own business venture in 1994—a corporate gifting company. He has always been a pioneer in every business he has started. In 2000 he started one of India’s first KPO company focusing on the healthcare vertical for the US, which has now grown to over a 1000 employees globally.
In 2007 he completed the “Owners Management Program” and “Launching New Ventures” management programs from Harvard Business School.
When he thought of entering into the fast growing food-and-beverage industry, he thought of introducing something for the young, health conscious urban Indians and create a brand that is not only associated with health and wellness, but is also a socially and environmentally responsible brand.
Keeping the extreme hot weather in mind, he thought of this cold treat as a viable business option that offered guilt-free indulgence and launched Cocoberry, India’s first frozen yogurt chain. The first store was opened at the posh South Delhi locality of Defense Colony in 2009. There also were a lot of innovations and transformations along the way. Today with its outlets across the NCR, Mumbai, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Pune, Ahmedabad & Goa, Cocoberry is a national brand in less than a span of 2 years with over 30 outlets. Cocoberry will also be opening in international markets very soon.
Cocoberry has received several awards and recognitions in the two short years since it started including “ Top 100 Brands That Rocked India in 2010”(4P magazine), “Top 100 Retailers 2011”(Retailer magazine), “ Most Innovative Concept”(HT City), “ Best Frozen Dessert” (HT City), “Top Rated Frozen Yogurt” (Burrp) to name just a handful.
Mr. Bhalla has also received a number of awards and recognitions such as “Top Young Turk 2010” by CNBC India and has been profiled and featured numerous times in print and TV such as “CNBC”, “India Today”, “WSJ Mint”, “Outlook Business”, “Economic Times”, “Zee Business”, “ Inc.”, “ET Now” and many more.
He is also an avid golfer, shooter and enjoys outdoor sports and travelling.
Gaurav Mathur is the founder of InVent Capital, a private equity fund focused on control investments in the Indian consumer sector. Previously, he was a co-founder and managing director at India Equity Partners, where he led investments in financial services, consumer goods and the HR services sector.
Prior to that, he worked with JPMorgan’s private equity division and Deutsche Bank’s high yield capital markets group. He has served on the board of several Indian mid-market companies including well known consumer names such as Domino’s Pizza (Jubilant Foodworks), MTR Foods, Sumeru (Innovative Foods), Sagar Ratna Restaurants, Manappuram Finance and Sintex Industries. He holds an M.B.A. from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and a Bachelor in Economics (Honours) from Delhi University.
Gopal is the Founder Chairman & MD of TVS Capital Funds Limited, with the vision of supporting and nurturing India’s mid-cap businesses into world-class companies. It manages assets of over Rs 1,100 Cr, and which makes it amongst the largest domestically raised funds in India. He has been a strong advocate of participation of domestic capital pools in private equity and venture capital funds, and actively supports initiatives for that cause as a Vice Chairman of IVCA (Indian Private Equity & Venture Capital Association).
Gopal was the Chairman of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) National Committee for Private Equity & Venture Capital for the fiscal year 2010-2011. He is also the Director in TVS & Sons Ltd, the holding company, and a member of the Board of several Group Companies.An entrepreneur at heart, Gopal is also actively involved in the promotion of entrepreneurship as an angel investor. He is a founding member of The Chennai Angels, and is closely associated TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) where he provides guidance to the budding entrepreneurs on incubating businesses. Gopal earned a B.Com from Loyola College, Chennai and an MBA from University of Michigan, US.
@GopalSri
Hemant heads M&A Advisory practice at ICICI Bank.Hemant has over fifteen years of experience in the Investment Banking field with KPMG Corporate Finance and Lazard.
He has advised domestic and multi-national corporations on a variety of domestic and crossborder transactions and has also been involved in divestments, acquisitions, mergers, debt syndications and corporate and debt restructurings.
During his tenure, ICICI Bank catapulted to one of the leading players in the M&A advisory practice, with leadership position in mid-market space.
Hemant has an MMS degree from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai and is an engineering graduate from one of Mumbai's leading engineering colleges.
Mr M K Dhanuka is MD of Dhanuka Agritech Ltd holds Bachelors Degree in Commerce (Hons) from SRCC, Delhi University. He has been associated with the Group since its inception in 1980. He has been Incharge of various Departments such as Purchase, Finance and Accounts over these years and has contributed substantially in enhancing the profitability of the organization through meticulous negotiations with the suppliers.
At different points, he has been critical in maintaining relationship with different banks and organizing finance for smooth operations of the organization. He is a member of the Shareholders Grievances and Share Transfer Committee and brings with him expertise in these areas for proper functioning of the Board. He is a President of Haryana Pesticides Manufacturers Association since 2006. He is also Director on the Board of Golden Overseas Ltd., Dhanuka Laboratories Ltd., Dhanuka Infotech Pvt Ltd., Madhuri Designs ‘n’ Exports Pvt Ltd.
A personality with philanthropic mind and highly active in social activities through membership of Lions Club, Alaknanda, New Delhi.He is also a Trustee of Dhanuka Ashram, a Charitable Guest house for devotees visiting the Hindu pilgrim town of Vrindavan.He is a Trustee of Aadarsh Vidya Mandir, Ratan Garh, a school being run in the home town of forefathers of Dhanuka family.
Mr. Vaghul has 49 years of experience in the financial sector and has been the Chairman of Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India Limited for 16 years, and of ICICI Bank for the last three years. Prior to this, he was Chairman of the Bank of India and Executive Director of the Central Bank of India. He was chosen as the Businessman of the Year in 1992 by Business India, a leading Indian publication, and has served as a consultant to the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation and the Asian Development Bank. Mr. Vaghul was also a visiting Professor at the Stern Business School at New York University.
Mr. Vaghul is Chairman of the Indian Institute of Finance Management & Research and is also a board member of various other companies, including Wipro Limited, Mahindra & Mahindra Limited, Nicholas Piramal India Limited, Apollo Hospitals Limited and Himatsingka Seide Limited.
Nikhil Khattau is an experienced banker, entrepreneur and venture investor who has built and invested in companies in India since 1995. Nikhil also has an additional 10 years of international work experience. Nikhil focuses on the agriculture, financial services, retail, consumer services and media sectors in India.
He sits on the boards of Securens Systems (monitoring and surveillance), Matrimony.com (world’s largest marriage portal), Joguru, Inc. (trip planning platform named “Triphobo”), Marico Ltd. (packaged consumer goods, listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange) and Kaya Enterprises (listed, specialty skin care).
Nikhil was the founding CEO of SUN F&C Asset Management, one of the first private sector mutual fund companies in India. Under his leadership, the firm successfully acquired two other mutual funds, and built one of the top-ranked India funds. Nikhil successfully sold the business to the Principal Financial Group, USA in 2004.
Nikhil’s prior experience includes working for Ernst & Young’s Audit and Corporate Finance practices in New York and London from 1986-1995, where he successfully advised a number of mid-market companies on their acquisition and divestment strategies. He also helped set up the firm’s investment banking advisory operations in Russia.
Nikhil received his Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from University of Mumbai and is an associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
Mr. Rahul Raisurana is Managing Director, Standard Chartered Private Equity Advisory (India) Limited wherein he founded and currently heads Standard Chartered’s Midcap focused private equity business in India. His over 20 years of professional experiences includes senior managerial and leadership roles in private equity, corporate and investment banking, corporate finance and risk management with leading global financial institutions in India and USA.
Prior to joining Standard Chartered, he was Managing Director, Investments at IDFC Project Equity Company Limited and co-founded India’s first project-level infrastructure investment fund jointly sponsored by Citigroup and IDFC. Previously he was also a senior member of Deutsche Bank India’s Executive and Management Committee in his capacity as Head of Institutional and Corporate Credits, India. His other professional assignments included roles with Moody’s Investors Services in New York and with Citigroup’s Corporate & Investment Banking group in India.
Mr. Raisurana currently serves as a Director on the Boards of PI Industries Limited, Man Infraconstruction Limited, Bush Foods Overseas Pvt Ltd, Innovative Industries Ltd and Privi Organics Limited. He holds a Masters degree in International Management from Thunderbird, USA, Masters degree in Business Administration from Clark University, USA and a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from the University of Calcutta, India.
Rajesh Srivastava is the Chairman & Managing Director of Rabo Equity Advisors, managing 2 Rabobank sponsored private equity funds of US$120mln and US$150mln, both focused on food and agribusiness. The new Fund has Rabobank, CDC Group, UK; Asian Development Bank; Generali Insurance, Italy; FMO, The Netherlands; Proparco, France; IFU, Denmark as its investors. He has so far closed 12 investments, all in different sub-sectors.
Before setting up the private equity business, he was Managing Director (Corporate & Commercial Banking) of Rabobank India. Concurrently, he was Regional Head, Asia for food and agribusiness for over 5 years based in Singapore. In Rabobank, he is credited with setting up several new products such as Strategic Advisory, Renewable Energy, Carbon Credits and Micro Finance. Before Rabobank, he was with Lazard Brothers’ Venture Capital arm where he set up the largest VC Fund of the time for SMEs. Starting his career with Bank of Baroda, he has over 36 years of experience in corporate and investment banking.
Rajesh is regarded as a pioneer in establishing a private equity market for food and agribusiness sector and for advocacy on policies on agriculture/food processing. Amongst others, he sits on the CII National Committees on Agriculture, Food Processing and Innovation, Chairs CII Northern Regional Committee on Agriculture and Food Processing, and the Board of Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation.
He is an Economics and Law graduate and a post graduate in Western History.
Sai Ramakrishna Karuturi is the Founder and Managing Director of Karuturi Global Ltd. Under his dynamic leadership, Karuturi Global has become the world's largest producer of cut-roses by identifying Kenya & Ethiopia as a hub for cultivation and export of roses.
Mr. Ram Karuturi is widely regarded as the pioneer of cut flower revolution in the World. Mr. Ram Karuturi was instrumental in acquiring 3,11,000 Ha of land in Ethiopia for strategic foray into Agriculture production.
Mr. Ram Karuturi has been nominated as the Top 20 CEOs from Africa by the Initiative for Global Development (IGD) for commitment towards poverty reduction in Africa.
Sai Ramakrishna Karuturi holds a Bachelor's degree (Rank Holder) in Mechanical Engineering from Bangalore University and an MBA (Dean's Honor) from Case Western Reserve University, Ohio.
Sameer Mehra, Founder and CEO, grew up in Mumbai and spent his teenage years working in the family business, Enercon, a leader in the wind energy sector in India. After graduating from Narsee Monjee College in Mumbai with a degree in Commerce, Sameer worked at Enercon and gained experience in clean technology. Sameer received his MBA from Emory University in Atlanta in 1998, and worked for a hedge fund in New York thereafter.
Sameer returned to India and in 2003 started Suminter India Organics. He has grown the company significantly, working directly with over 7,500 farmers in 5 states in India, and establishing a strong customer base in Europe and the United States.
Sameer is responsible for overseeing all operations of the company, including pursuing new business opportunities, expanding Suminter's farm projects, developing new products, and coordinating funding for Suminter's operations.
Mr. Sandeep, an MBA from Delhi is a managing partner with Sohan Lal since 1996 and has played a key role in shaping the affairs of the company.
His knowledge about commodities is widely recognised. He was a member of the executive committee on Warehouse Development and Regulation Act (WDRA). He is also member of the FICCI committee which was appointed by Government of India to study the United States of America’s warehousing model.
Sandeep has been conferred with Certification on US Warehouse Receipt System from the Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture and the Texas a & M University
His views on agricultural commodities are frequently referred to in The Economic Times, CNBC Awaz, Business Standard and other leading news channels.
Sandeep is co-founder of Nexus Venture Partners.
Sandeep has been an entrepreneur and a pioneer of Venture Capital in India. He was co-founder & CEO of Medusind Solutions, one of the leading healthcare outsourcing companies in India. He also was the co-founder of eVentures India, a leading venture firm focused on early stage ventures in India. Several of his earlier investments have had successful exits, including CustomerAsset (acquired by Firstsource), Mentorix Solutions (acquired by Lionbridge), Intigma (acquired by Emptoris), and MakeMyTrip (sale to SAIF Partners). Sandeep has also held senior roles at McKinsey & Company, Digital Equipment and EDA Systems.
Sandeep has an MBA (with Distinction) from The Wharton School with a dual Major in Finance and Marketing, and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. He is on the Board of TiE Mumbai, and is actively involved with the Entrepreneurs Organization and the Wharton and Stanford India Alumni Associations.
Sanjeev Mantri is Sr General Manager, with ICICI Bank Ltd., the largest private bank in India and a leader in SME banking services. Sanjeev drives SME & Agri Corporate lending portfolio across the country, in addition to SME Private Equity and M& A advisory services for the Bank. Under his leadership, SME & Agri business of the bank has shown significant growth.
He joined ICICI Bank Ltd in 2003 to take charge of the Corporate Linked SME lending portfolio and has been responsible for introducing various innovative products to service the needs of this segment.
Prior to joining ICICI he has spent over 7 years with BNP Paribas, Mumbai handling diverse responsibilities in Corporate Banking space.
Sanjeev is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Cost Accountant. Often quoted in the Indian media, he is a regular speaker in many national and international forums for SME Banking.
Vijay Kumar Arora is the Chairman and Managing Director of LT Foods Ltd (formerly known as LT Overseas Ltd). He joined LT Overseas in 1978 after completing his Graduation. He has also attended the management development program conducted by the Administrative Staff College, Hyderabad. He has been the promoter director of the company since its inception. His key responsibilities include international marketing, strategic planning, finance and business development.
Mr. V.K Arora is the Vice President of the All India Rice Exporters Association. He was also the co-chairman of Agro Processing Committee constituted by Punjab Haryana Delhi Chambers of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI). He is also a member of the "Task Force on Food Grain Sector" constituted by the Ministry of Food Processing.
A commerce graduate and a fellow member of Institute of C.A. (FCA), having more than 25 years post qualification experience in various fields. Finance, project management and Business administration. Mr. Chaturvedi was also awarded doctorate degree by governor of Uttar Pradesh, his H.E. Shri B.L. Joshi for his thesis titled as “Rationale & Prospect for second green revolution”.
A recognized Agri leader known for crafting the requisite strategic vision to achieve business goals, offers a unique blend of successful deliverer of growth, innovative financial and marketing skills.
As a director Mr. Vinod Kumar Chaturvedi has built a responsive organization that consistently delivers results by aligning business goals, improvement in the quality, standardization and performance. With a reputation for judicious use of resources, Mr. Chaturvedi’ work has been commendable in agriculture sector.
ICICI Bank is the second largest commercial bank in India and the largest in the private sector, with presence in 19 countries (including India). The bank achieved this position in a short time, by understanding customers' needs and exceeding their expectations by providing a truly world class service.
ICICI Bank's principal businesses include Retail Banking, Wholesale Banking, International Banking and Government Banking. The Bank offers a wide spectrum of domestic and international banking services to facilitate trade, investment banking, insurance, venture capital, asset management, cross border business and treasury and foreign exchange services. The bank also provides a full range of deposit and ancillary services for both individuals and corporates through a variety of delivery channels and specialised subsidiaries.
Small & Medium Enterprises and Corporate Agri Group
Small & Medium Enterprises and Corporate Agri Group (SMEAG) works relentlessly for the development of banking solutions that help SMEs to build their business. The offerings to the customers are customised to the needs of the specific industry clusters. ICICI Bank follows 360 degree credit approach to appraise the funding requirements. We have taken our initiatives beyond the realm of being just a banking service provider to being a true partner in growth by helping develop the ecosystem through various initiatives in the knowledge, business networking, recognition spaces such as Emerging India Awards, SME CEOs Knowledge Series, SME Expo, SME Toolkit, etc.
ICICI Bank covers the entire agricultural value chain consisting of major agro corporates, agri small and medium enterprises, rural and agri small businesses and microfinance. We aim to create interfaces between mainstream financial service providers/ markets and organizations, maximize outreach, leverage technology to reduce the cost of finance delivery, devise customised solutions and offer complete supply-chain solutions for corporate partners. We have structured financial solutions for agri major corporates and agri SMEs.The offerings to the customers are in form of Working Capital, Term loans, Trade products like Letter of Credit / Bank Gaurantee and special structured products designed to suit the requirements of industry clusters. For SMEs that have vendor / dealer relationship with large corporates, Bank offers working capital solutions under special programs. Bank has so far serviced the needs of clusters like Food & Agri, Infrastructure, Pharmaceutical and Lifescience, IT and ITES, Engineering, Apparel, Chemicals, Automobile ancillaries, Education and Energy.
ICICI Bank Investment Banking Group
ICICI Bank Investment Banking Group caters to diverse advisory requirements of customers in varied sectors and is equipped to take care of advisory assignments in Mergers and Acquisitions, Sell downs, Divestments, Spin offs etc. Strong relationships with Private Equity investors and extensive networking strength with investment banks across the globe, coupled with deep understanding of Indian corporate domain, enables us to provide investment banking solutions tailor-made for a company's growth needs.
A dedicated team of advisors, with rich experience in the specific industries, provides end-to-end solutions ranging from Origination, Structuring and Syndication. The services in origination include identification of potential targets or joint venture partners, evaluation of targets to ensure strategic fit with clients, developing an in-depth understanding of deal dynamics, quantification of potential synergy & valuation, executing the due diligence process & closure of M&A documentation. In structuring deals, we help client to assess credit of target and acquirer, develop and customise innovative structures to maximise tax efficiency to meet client needs, coordinate with ICICI Bank's in-house and external legal and regulatory experts to ensure compliance with all regulations. Jointly with group's capital market arm, ICICI Securities Ltd, we also help our client raise equity capital from public and private equity funds.
TVS Capital Funds Limited was founded in September 2007, by Gopal Srinivasan of TVS Group, who brings over twenty five years of entrepreneurial and operational experience. TCF limited works closely with enterpreneurs with management capability and capital during the investment horizon.
TVS Capital Funds Ltd manages the TVS Shriram Growth Fund which has more than INR 1,100 Cr AUM domestic rupee fund across two Schemes - 1A and 1B. The Fund is established with a vision to develop and nurture India's mid-cap businesses into world class companies. The fund is targeting investments across consumer driven opportunities such as food & agro, retail, healthcare, education, FMCG, media & entertainment, facilities management and so on. The fund has completely deployed Fund 1A and investment in Fund 1B is going on in full swing. TVS Shriram Growth Fund is registered with SEBI under the Venture Capital Funds regulations.
The sponsors of the fund are the TVS Group and Shriram Group. TVS and Shriram Groups bring a proven business culture, infrastructure, and a wide network of relationships across several sectors and geographical regions to the nextgen entrepreneurs of India. TVS Group and Shriram Group bring a vast ecosystem of relationships and strong connections with the SME community, which are leveraged to identify attractive investment opportunities. In addition, the senior partners in their individual capacities bring many relationships in industry, the banking eco-system, and with industry, functional and domain experts amongst others. This network not only enables us to source proprietary deals, it also enables us to add value to portfolio companies.
TVS Capital Funds Limited was founded in September 2007, by Gopal Srinivasan of TVS Group, who brings over twenty five years of entrepreneurial and operational experience. TCF limited works closely with enterpreneurs with management capability and capital during the investment horizon.
TVS Capital Funds Ltd manages the TVS Shriram Growth Fund which has more than INR 1,100 Cr AUM domestic rupee fund across two Schemes - 1A and 1B. The Fund is established with a vision to develop and nurture India's mid-cap businesses into world class companies. The fund is targeting investments across consumer driven opportunities such as food & agro, retail, healthcare, education, FMCG, media & entertainment, facilities management and so on. The fund has completely deployed Fund 1A and investment in Fund 1B is going on in full swing. TVS Shriram Growth Fund is registered with SEBI under the Venture Capital Funds regulations.
The sponsors of the fund are the TVS Group and Shriram Group. TVS and Shriram Groups bring a proven business culture, infrastructure, and a wide network of relationships across several sectors and geographical regions to the nextgen entrepreneurs of India. TVS Group and Shriram Group bring a vast ecosystem of relationships and strong connections with the SME community, which are leveraged to identify attractive investment opportunities. In addition, the senior partners in their individual capacities bring many relationships in industry, the banking eco-system, and with industry, functional and domain experts amongst others. This network not only enables us to source proprietary deals, it also enables us to add value to portfolio companies.
AnandRathi is a pre-eminent investment bank with exclusive focus on fast growing small and medium businesses. Founded in 1994, the firm has a strong capital markets franchise that complements its advisory business with capital raising, M&A and equity trading capabilities.
About AnandRathi Financial Services:
Established in 1994, AnandRathi is one of India’s leading financial services firm offering Wealth Management, Investment Banking, Corporate Finance & Advisory, Brokerage & Distribution in the areas of Equities, Commodities, Mutual Funds and Insurance to institutions, corporations, high-net worth individuals and families.
The firm has a vast footprint across India and also select international locations like Bangkok Dubai & Hong Kong, with presence across 1200 locations through its own branches, sub- brokers and remises and representative offices / associate companies. The group today employs over 2,500 professionals.
Citigroup Venture Capital International, the well known global private equity and Venture Capital Company holds a sizeable stake in the firm. All our offerings are supported by powerful research teams and each unit is clearly positioned to cater to the most diverse financial needs of our clients and is not limited to functional expertise.
Anand Rathi Private Wealth Management has been adjudged as the “Best Overall Private Bank in India – 2012” and “The Best Domestic Private Bank (India)” in the Asiamoney Private Banking Polls* for 4 consecutive years i.e. 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. The firm emerged as a winner across all key segments in Asiamoney’s largest survey of high net worth individuals.
*Asia Money Private Banking Poll: In their 8th year, Asiamoney Polls is a unique survey run by Asia’s regional financial publication that surveys the end-user i.e. the High Net worth Individual. It is the leading and definitive industry survey in the region. This honor would not have come our way without the goodwill, support and patronage of clients.
AnandRathi is a pre-eminent investment bank with exclusive focus on fast growing small and medium businesses. Founded in 1994, the firm has a strong capital markets franchise that complements its advisory business with capital raising, M&A and equity trading capabilities.
About AnandRathi Financial Services:
Established in 1994, AnandRathi is one of India’s leading financial services firm offering Wealth Management, Investment Banking, Corporate Finance & Advisory, Brokerage & Distribution in the areas of Equities, Commodities, Mutual Funds and Insurance to institutions, corporations, high-net worth individuals and families.
The firm has a vast footprint across India and also select international locations like Bangkok Dubai & Hong Kong, with presence across 1200 locations through its own branches, sub- brokers and remises and representative offices / associate companies. The group today employs over 2,500 professionals.
Citigroup Venture Capital International, the well known global private equity and Venture Capital Company holds a sizeable stake in the firm. All our offerings are supported by powerful research teams and each unit is clearly positioned to cater to the most diverse financial needs of our clients and is not limited to functional expertise.
Anand Rathi Private Wealth Management has been adjudged as the “Best Overall Private Bank in India – 2012” and “The Best Domestic Private Bank (India)” in the Asiamoney Private Banking Polls* for 4 consecutive years i.e. 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. The firm emerged as a winner across all key segments in Asiamoney’s largest survey of high net worth individuals.
*Asia Money Private Banking Poll: In their 8th year, Asiamoney Polls is a unique survey run by Asia’s regional financial publication that surveys the end-user i.e. the High Net worth Individual. It is the leading and definitive industry survey in the region. This honor would not have come our way without the goodwill, support and patronage of clients.
Brand Capital is a part of Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. (BCCL). We work with young businesses in creating iconic brands for our clients by putting the unmatched might of our media offerings along with our brand building expertise. At the core we engage with growth- oriented Indian entrepreneurs; established as well as new-gen; to provide funding for long- term advertisement solutions. To augment the core offering of Brand Capital as above, we have 3 more solutions offered - Brand Estate, SpringBoard & BrandScope.
Brand Estate helps to propel real-estate brands to top-of-mind by providing innovative brand-building solutions. Spring Board helps to propel Asset-light concepts into Super Brands through the infusion of high-decibel advertising. At BrandScope we create brands, positioned at different consumer segments with the ability to straddle multiple content, experience and product categories. Our aim is to help businesses targeting similar consumer segments to ride on the equity of our power brands.
We also work closely with the investor and mentor eco-system through our initiatives like ScaleUp and Propel, which bring budding young businesses in deep contact with investors and experts to help develop strategic direction and access to capital.
Most trusted brands in India and globally have an underlying common thread - a sustained Brand Building effort. At Brand Capital our mission is to ideate, articulate and establish our client’s business growth potential through the Branding prism. Through our unique and pioneering models, Brand Capital is poised to provide critical leverage for brand-led growth and value creation.
Brand Capital is a part of Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. (BCCL). We work with young businesses in creating iconic brands for our clients by putting the unmatched might of our media offerings along with our brand building expertise. At the core we engage with growth- oriented Indian entrepreneurs; established as well as new-gen; to provide funding for long- term advertisement solutions. To augment the core offering of Brand Capital as above, we have 3 more solutions offered - Brand Estate, SpringBoard & BrandScope.
Brand Estate helps to propel real-estate brands to top-of-mind by providing innovative brand-building solutions. Spring Board helps to propel Asset-light concepts into Super Brands through the infusion of high-decibel advertising. At BrandScope we create brands, positioned at different consumer segments with the ability to straddle multiple content, experience and product categories. Our aim is to help businesses targeting similar consumer segments to ride on the equity of our power brands.
We also work closely with the investor and mentor eco-system through our initiatives like ScaleUp and Propel, which bring budding young businesses in deep contact with investors and experts to help develop strategic direction and access to capital.
Most trusted brands in India and globally have an underlying common thread - a sustained Brand Building effort. At Brand Capital our mission is to ideate, articulate and establish our client’s business growth potential through the Branding prism. Through our unique and pioneering models, Brand Capital is poised to provide critical leverage for brand-led growth and value creation.
Mayfield has a history of selecting and building leading companies since 1969 and has maintained long-standing relationships with academic centers of excellence including Stanford University, University of California at Berkeley, and MIT. We have invested in more than 500 companies, executed 100+ IPOs and nearly 100 M&A transactions. Mayfield now manages over $2.8 billion of global capital.
Our people are passionate, global and connected. With over 70 collective years of venture capital expertise, we bring in operating as well as deep domain technology experience. Our investment team comprises Navin Chaddhaand Robin Vasan, MDs of Mayfield Fund based in the US with Nikhil Khattau and Vikram Godse,MDs of MF Advisors, based in India.
Mayfield in India has an investment focus on agriculture, infrastructure ancillary and logistics, consumer, and IT/ ITES. We primarily look for venture-growth opportunities in small and medium cap companies. Mayfield India has a competitive advantage as we are a top-tier venture capital firm with a reputed heritage of over four decades, a global team that spans the U.S., China and India with a unique network of contacts in industry andacademia and strong India-related expertise. Our portfolio in India consists of companies such as Centum Learning, Consim Info, Fourcee Infrastructure, Genesis Colors, Geodesic Techniques, Paymate, SeedFund, Sohanlal Commodities and Tejas Networks
For more information, visit us www.mayfield.com
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ITC Grand Central, Mumbai
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