Vikasa Holdings

Founder Anil Kakani leads investment decisions, drawing on an advisory board that includes former Morgan Stanley principal investments executive Vikram Mehta and Corning R&D leader Jitendra Balakrishnan. The firm operates with a lean, partnership-driven model where senior team members, including India head Arvind Dheer, directly shape deal sourcing and portfolio support.

Vikasa relies on the networks of its leadership, particularly founder Anil Kakani's relationships across US and Indian government, policy, and commercial circles. The firm's operational presence in Delhi, led by Arvind Dheer, provides on-the-ground access to Indian companies and inbound US startups seeking India market entry.

Vikasa targets early-stage companies that have already solved technology risk. The firm explicitly states it looks for ventures that lack the operational experience and strategic relationships to scale in India and other emerging economies, positioning itself as an active partner that provides market-entry advisory and capital.

Vikasa is an asset manager pursuing a private equity and venture strategy, not a family office. The firm manages external advisory and investment relationships and includes a distinct operating unit, Vikasa Health, that runs a mission-focused initiative on health equity for underserved populations in the US and India.

Vikasa Health is a subsidiary unit of Vikasa Holdings, led by Managing Partner Julie Hudman. It focuses on improving health outcomes by working with technology companies, government agencies, and non-profits such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The health unit shares Vikasa's US-India corridor but operates with a distinct impact mandate.

The firm does not publish a formal exclusions list. Its stated focus is exclusively on technologies that can function as distributed infrastructure — health care, energy and cooling, secure transactions, and adjacent areas — suggesting it is unlikely to participate in traditional, capital-intensive infrastructure or sectors outside this mandate.

Vikasa's edge derives from its leadership's government and policy experience. Founder Anil Kakani established the US-India Economic and Financial Partnership, and the team includes a former state Medicaid director and a former US Treasury senior counsel. This gives the firm a playbook for navigating the regulatory and partnership barriers that often stall foreign entrants in India.