Apr 2017 – Present · 8 yrs 11 mos · Delhi, India

• With the IAN Fund, have now set the foundations for the single largest seed and early stage investing platform in India, attracting high quality entrepreneurs and investors. I have focused on building an investor centric platform which has given cash returns to investors year on year, for the last 12 years in at least 3 companies each year. With a portfolio of now close to 200 entrepreneurs, including 2 unicorns and several soonicorns, IAN's early investment has held breed companies which now total a market value of over US$4bn.
• We are sector agnostic and has invested in 20 sectors, and in companies across 7 countries. Apart from SAAS, D2C, sustainability focused, tech enablement in healthcare, finance, agri, investments have been made in space sector, manufacturing tech, while drones, biotech, pharma, med devices, etc.
• As Co Chair of Global Business Angel Network, Co Chair of FICCI's Startup Committee and Member of CII's Startup Committee have been engaged in building the Indian Startup ecosystem. I am a member of the National Expert Advisory Committee on Innovation, Incubation and Technology Entrepreneurship, a member of several committees of BIRAC (Dept. of Biotech, Govt. of India), various Govt committees including SEBI
• I have been recognised by Fortune India as a "Most Powerful Woman" for 4 years, Forbes India’s W- Power Trailblazers and “30 Most Powerful Women in India” by Business Today for 3 years running. The Women Economic Forum recognized me with its “Women of the Decade in Investment Banking” award.

Apr 2006 – Present · 19 yrs 11 mos · New Delhi Area, India

• Padmaja is nationally recognized as a key player in the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem and has helped co found many of the relevant institutions, besides being an active Angel investor herself. Her operating experience spans large corporates, M&A, and startups/early stage companies. She has been awarded as one of the 'Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Business' by Fortune India, listed in Forbes India’s W- Power Trailblazers and “30 Most Powerful Women in India” by Business Today
• Co Founder & President of Indian Angel Network (IAN), India's first & now possibly one of the world’s largest group of business angels, comprising the who's who of successful entrepreneurs and dynamic CEOs from India and overseas. She built IAN from inception, making it within a decade, a unique institution globally, with close to 500 investors from 12 countries and a portfolio of 135+ companies in 7 countries, spanning 17 sectors, with operations across 6 cities & London. IAN model is a full service model for investors - from pipeline of investment opportunities to divestment. She is the Founding Partner of the IAN Fund, a uniquely differentiated Rs. 450 crores (~$70mn) Fund which along with IAN, is set to create the largest horizontal platform in India for investing in seed and early stage ventures.
• Padmaja is a Co Chair of Global Business Angel Network (GBAN). She also operationalised TiE Delhi has been ranked as the Number One chapter globally for the last 4 consecutive years. She played a key role as Executive Director in building the Indian Venture Capital Association, India's oldest and largest association of VC and PE firms. In addition she helped the creation of Lankan Angel Network in Sri Lanka. She is actively engaged with the Indian Govt.

Feb 2005 – Mar 2006 · 1 yr 1 mo · New Delhi

• In her corporate avatar at Xansa India, (Xansa was a US$800mn company listed on LSE before being acquired by Steria), she led several functions over a 16 year period : handled recruitment operations, built and successfully executed an innovative brand and communication strategy and led the corporate social responsibility initiative which engaged employees, clients as also the government. She was a key
• member of the corporate strategy and M&A team as the Company went public, forged joint ventures and the final acquisition of the Indian company. She was an awardee of the Global Board.
• Built the CSR strategy from scratch and in 2 years operationalised it across 3 centers, with over 3500 disadvantaged benefiting, over 350 employees engaged actively, all overseas offices contributing and a 'MUST' agenda item for client visits. The CSR initiative helped in customer retention for the company.
• Helped operationalise NASSCOM Foundation, Indian software industry's community arm - leveraging IT for the masses. Set up the Trust, was one of the first Trustees and ensured Xansa was the first donor to the Foundation.

Jan 1991 – Jan 2006 · 15 yrs · New Delhi