My father spent his entire career in the military, and I grew up surrounded by people who exemplified integrity, hard work, and humility. These values define me. Most of my classmates were army kids from diverse backgrounds, which shaped my outlook. I try to look at it from a wider perspective. To get comfortable in any situation, I like to understand all the nuts and bolts before forming a point of view. When I meet startups, I don’t just meet the CEO. I also speak with people at different levels of the organization. If you want to learn something, it’s often better to learn bottom-up rather than top-down.

I came close to joining the army but chose to pursue a career in finance. I started at GE, where I learned to assess business models quickly and connect operational metrics to financial outcomes. Later, I joined redBus, where we went from fundraising to exit mode in a short time; it was a baptism by fire in the startup world. When Shailendra asked me to join Peak XV Partners, I jumped at the chance to experience the startup journey from the other side.

To stay sharp, I constantly switch sports. Currently, it’s equestrian. I’m up by 5 am four days a week, often riding alongside younger athletes. Their drive is infectious and keeps me evolving. It’s important to keep learning and training. Like in sports, you can always raise the bar on yesterday’s performance.

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