by Anirudh A Damani
I look for exciting people doing unique things, often being entrepreneurs and people with startup experience. Instead of just talking about 'what' they do, I want to bring out the 'why' behind what it is they do. Live every week on LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @showmedamani.
Language
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Publishing Since
6/4/2020
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November 7, 2025
<p>Some conversations teach you.Some transform you. My talk with Nand Kishore Chaudhary (NKC-ji) wasn’t about business - it was about consciousness.He reminded me that leadership isn’t about control, but about connection. Since that day, I’ve rethought everything - from creation to consciousness to what success really means.Watch this episode of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/damanitalks" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#DamaniTalks</a> - it’s one of those that stays with you long after the credits roll.Highlights:</p><ul><li>Grew up in Churu, Rajasthan, and turned down a secure government job to follow his passion for people and nature through business.</li><li>Defined business as “next to love” - a force to create and preserve civilization - and built Jaipur Rugs on this soulful philosophy.</li><li>Empowered over 40,000 artisans, 85% of them women, by building trust in tribal communities and transforming them into extended families.</li><li>Launched the award-winning Manchaha Project, enabling rural artisans to express their creativity and win global design recognition.</li><li>Scaled Jaipur Rugs to a ₹1,000 crore brand across 90+ countries while preparing for an IPO rooted in purpose, not just profit.</li></ul>
October 6, 2025
<p>What does it take to spot India’s startup wave a decade before it arrived, back the country’s earliest unicorns, and then pivot to building a climate-tech fund for the next generation?In this episode of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/damanitalks">#DamaniTalks</a>, in conversation with Sandeep Singhal, one of the true OGs of venture capital in India. From a small-town upbringing in Kanpur to Stanford in the 1980s, to McKinsey in New York, and finally co-founding eVentures and Nexus Venture Partners, Sandeep has lived the evolution of India’s startup ecosystem - shaping how the VC industry itself took root here.Highlights:</p><ul><li>Growing up in Kanpur, stumbling into Stanford by chance, and his early Silicon Valley startup years.</li><li>Why he returned to India in the late ’90s - long before it was cool - and co-founded eVentures, backing companies like MakeMyTrip.</li><li>The origins of Nexus Venture Partners and the philosophy that grew it into a $2.6B powerhouse with iconic investments like Postman, Delhivery, Zepto, Snapdeal, Netmagic, Unicommerce, and WhiteHat Jr.</li><li>Why he believes the real opportunity ahead is in climate, deep tech, and sustainability through his latest chapter at Avana Capital.</li></ul><p>This is a masterclass in long-term conviction, spotting patterns early, and building India’s entrepreneurial fabric brick by brick.</p>
September 22, 2025
<p>What does it take to go from selling carpets in Jaipur to becoming the first Asian Chair of TiE Global and now raising a $20M venture fund? In Episode 74 of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/damanitalks" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">#DamaniTalks</a>, we are in conversation with Mahavir Pratap Sharma - an ecosystem builder, serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and now GP at Swishin Ventures. From his mother’s pioneering carpet business in the 1970s, to six years in America building a wholesale rugs and gems trade, to co-founding RAIN (Rajasthan Angel Innovators Network), Mahavir’s journey is one of constant reinvention. </p><p>Along the way, he has backed 40+ startups, chaired TiE Global, and helped shape Rajasthan into a vibrant node in India’s startup map. Today, with Swishin Ventures, he’s institutionalizing that journey - launching a SEBI-licensed $20M fund to back seed-to-Series A startups solving for Tier-II and Tier-III India. </p><p>His thesis: 51% of India’s startups are based in these cities, but they get less than 4% of VC capital. That imbalance is the opportunity. </p><p>Highlights:</p><ul><li>Growing up in Jaipur’s carpet business, learning negotiation from his mother, and his take on ambition vs. conservatism</li><li>Six years in the US: summer camps, basketball coaching, cold calls to carpet and jewelry buyers, and building his own import-wholesale venture</li><li>Returning to India and expanding into carpets, jewelry, events, and communications</li><li>TiE Rajasthan: from reluctant member to global chair - and how a Jaipur retreat made him a household name in the ecosystem</li><li>Co-founding RAIN in 2012 to plug Rajasthan’s funding gap</li><li>First exits: Capacita Connect (3.5x), Hotify (4.5x) - and the confidence to go full-time into startups</li><li>The Swishin Ventures playbook: seed-to-Series A, $200K–500K first cheques, consumer tech, BFSI, healthcare, and deep tech</li><li>Why Tier-II/III founders are his bet for India’s next decade of unicorns</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Whether you’re a founder seeking your first cheque, an angel navigating misses and exits, or an operator wondering how ecosystems get built, this episode is packed with candid lessons on risk, resilience, and reinvention.</p>
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Sandeep Murthy
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Manish Chhabra
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I look for exciting people doing unique things, often being entrepreneurs and people with startup experience. Instead of just talking about 'what' they do, I want to bring out the 'why' behind what it is they do.
Live every week on LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @showmedamani.
This podcast updates weekly.
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