The business and industrial landscape of India is undergoing a massive transformation, powered by the passion and energy of technology entrepreneurs. Traditional inefficient industries are also being swept by digital and technology disruptions. Driven by the power of the internet and smartphone base in urban and rural areas and combined with a surge in the technology talent pool in the country, industries in India are leapfrogging generations to create significant value over the next decade and beyond.
Avendus Capital's Digital & Technology practice focuses on businesses that leverage technology to facilitate increased engagement of consumers and enterprises within their ecosystems.
The firm has extensive experience working with market leaders across the digital and technology landscapes. Avendus has partnered with entrepreneurs through their growth curves and contributed in creating large economic outcomes. Our deep domain knowledge coupled with the largest and most engaged global network of investors, corporates and institutions allows us to deliver innovative solutions and stellar outcomes for our clients across our core service offerings – private equity (PE) & Venture Capital (VC) syndication and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) advisory. The firm has successfully closed over 75 transactions worth USD 4 billion in the past few years.
Sub-Sectors in Focus
Our mergers and acquisitions (M&A) advisory and private equity (PE) syndication services are recognized as amongst the best in these chosen sub-sectors.
- Consumer internet and mobile businesses: e-commerce, online services, e-commerce enablers
- Payments and financial technology businesses
- Digital content & entertainment and digital advertising technology
- Enterprise software, SaaS and technology platforms
- Communication and networking technology
Led By
Karan Sharma
Executive Director and Co-head, Digital & Technology, Avendus Capital
Karan Sharma co-heads the Digital and Technology vertical for Avendus Group’s investment banking business and is based in Mumbai. A pioneer in advising tech start-ups, Karan has over 15 years of experience working with some of India’s leading digital and technology companies, successfully closing over 60 private equity transactions and mergers & acquisitions. His areas of focus include consumer internet, payments, finance and enterprise technology.
Prior to joining Avendus, Karan worked with Cipher Capital, a boutique investment bank. During his four-year stint with the firm, he was responsible for building the firm’s internet and technology practice. Before Cipher, he worked with JP Morgan Chase.
Karan holds an MBA degree from Mumbai University and has done his Bachelor of Commerce from Delhi University. He has authored/co-authored various industry pioneering reports and whitepapers on the Indian technology ecosystem and regularly speaks at leading industry forums.
Pankaj Naik
Executive Director and Co-head, Digital & Technology, Avendus Capital
Pankaj Naik co-heads the Digital and Technology vertical for Avendus Group’s investment banking business and is based in Mumbai. He is a seasoned investment banker with 21 years of experience in M&A advisory, private placements, leveraged finance and capital markets. While he has a deep understanding of the technology, consumer internet and media sectors, he is also well-versed with IT services, infrastructure, and other diversified industries.
Prior to joining Avendus, Pankaj worked with JP Morgan’s investment banking team for over 11 years, where he led several marquee transactions amounting to over USD 10 billion across various industries. Before JP Morgan, he worked with DSP Merrill Lynch’s investment banking team for 4 years.
Pankaj holds an MBA degree from IIM, Calcutta and a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Government College of Engineering, Pune. He is a regular speaker at leading industry events focused on internet technology.
Transactions
Reports
Retail lending in a post covid world – winners and laggards
Banks, NBFCs, FinTech lenders - Two years of the pandemic transformed the competitive landscape in Retail Lending. In our latest report, keeping this fluid environment in mind, we simplify the intricacies and predict the winning models based on three key components - origination, underwriting and collections.
India Unjunking | A USD 30 billion appetite for health food
India is the fastest growing health food market, expanding at 20% CAGR, which is 3x the global average. It is set to become a USD 30 billion market opportunity by 2026. Uncover what is driving valuation in the sector.
Hot and Spicy | INR 50,000 Cr Branded Spices Market
Branded Spices is the most attractive segment within the food space, due to its large market size, high growth and robust material margins. Take a deep dive into the category, see what drives valuation in this sector and uncover emerging trends that are driving growth.
Future Leaders in Used Commercial Vehicle Finance
An emerging breed of asset financiers focused on used vehicles have gained traction in the last 5–10 years. Our thought paper sheds light on these regional NBFCs that have captured investor interest.
Low Code Software and Services Providers Landscape
Low code software platforms are empowering professionals with little to no coding expertise to develop applications. Gartner predicts that 75% of large enterprises will be using at least 4 low code tools by 2024. Our thought paper delves into this industry which is set to grow at a 28% CAGR in 5 years.
Digital & Technology | 2021: The Breakout Year
2020 has been the year of structural shift for the digital economy, primarily due to COVID. While the real economy suffered, digital enabled economy got a booster shot. Our annual thought paper sets our predictions for 2021 to be the break-out year for the Indian Digital and Tech ecosystem, with the momentum in the funding environment likely to accelerate – We expect US$20bn+ funding in the private markets.