Bio
Nitin is the founding member of the structured Private Equity practice at Kotak Group and has played the pivotal role in building this business. With over 24 years of experience in Venture Capital (VC) & Private Equity (PE) investing, Nitin has seen the growth of the VC and PE space from being a mere nomenclature to being one of the most preferred financing vehicles in the country today. Nitin's uncanny ability to identify trends and leaders in their infancy and helping them realize their potential has been the hallmark of his career. He has lead and managed investments in over 60 companies, a significant number of which have grown at a scorching pace attaining leadership position in their respective sectors. Prior to taking up the current assignment at Kotak in June 2004, Nitin was Director with SEAF, a US headquartered Venture Capital fund before it joined hands with Kotak and the founding member of the India Team of Dresdner Kleinwort Capital when it started operations in India in June 2001. Prior to joining Dresdner, Nitin had a long stint of over 12 years with ICICI Venture, the PE and VC arm of the ICICI Group from its inception in 1989 to being its Chief of Private Equity Investments heading its funding and investment management activities of various Funds, till the early part of this decade. During his association with ICICI Venture he led its investment strategy in Life Sciences (Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology), Media/Entertainment and Retailing Industries achieving high returns for its investors by investing in these sectors much ahead of competition. Nitin started his career with a 3.5 year stint at CIPLA, India's second largest pharmaceutical company in various technical and management positions. Nitin also has a strong association with Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industry in the country, having served as The Director General of Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE), the leading industry association of biotech companies in India and having worked with CIPLA. He continues to be an active member of the Executive Council of ABLE besides being a member of several Committees set up by the Central /State Governments and other apex industry associations at various points of time in the field of Biotechnology. Nitin actively served as a member of Investment Committees of various Funds at ICICI Venture and also on the boards of several ICICI Venture investee companies. Nitin holds an MBA degree from University of Bombay. Earlier he earned his Masters Degree in Pharmaceutical Technology from UDCT, Bombay where his research work led to a patent filing on machine design for manufacture of Novel Drug Delivery Systems. He also completed the Post Graduation Programme in Pharmaceutical Technology at the University of Ghent, Belgium.
