Nitin Deshmukh
Advisor – Private Equity
Nitin is a career Venture Capital / Private Equity professional with over 33 years of investment experience who has seen the growth of the VC and PE space from being a mere nomenclature to being one of the most preferred financing vehicles in the country. Nitin’s uncanny ability to identify trends and leaders in their infancy and helping them realize their potential, has been the hallmark of his career. He has lead and managed investments in over 70 companies, a number of which have grown at a scorching pace attaining leadership position in pharmaceuticals, consumer and retails sectors. Of these, the largest number have been in Life Sciences (Pharmaceuticals, Biotech & Health Care), many of them today's global players and include Sun Pharmaceuticals, Biocon, Intas Pharmaceuticals, Ajanta Pharma, Syngene, Manipal Healthcare, Natco Pharmaceuticals, Advanced Enzymes, Neuland Laboratories, Gland Pharma, Bharat Serums & Vaccines, Intas Biopharmaceuticals, Metahelix Life Sciences (since acquired), Rubicon, Fem Care, Medicorp (since acquired), Bangalore Genei (since acquired) etc. He was a member of the Board of Directors of most of these companies.
Since early 2019, Nitin has been spearheading Kotak’s investments in early stage investment program to support new age businesses and differentiated innovations especially in the life sciences sector in the country. The strategy here is to invest in transformational healthcare companies developing and commercializing novel therapeutics, medical devices and services that address unmet medical needs through innovation. The team has since built a sizeable early stage portfolio of companies in this space leveraging on extensive relationships with pharmaceutical companies and medical institutions to advance delivery of affordable patient care with determination to positively impact society.
Nitin has a strong association with the India's Biotech and Pharmaceutical Industry, having served as the first honorary Director General of Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE), the apex industry association of biotech companies in India and serving as it’s Director actively participating in various policy committees related to Biotech Policy and Funding constituted by Government of India’s - Department of Biotechnology ( DBT) & Department of Science & Technology ( DST).
Nitin is actively associated with DBT and DST’s start-up funding initiatives in Biotechnology / Life Sciences as a member of their Investment and Advisory Committees as well as their mentoring activities. He serves as a member of the Board of Governors of Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) (formerly UDCT) and is also an independent Board member of Veeda Clinical Research , AGD Biomedicals, Gencrest, Advy Chemical and Samta . Nitin also serves as a member of the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) National Committee on Biotechnology.
Nitin holds an MBA degree from University of Bombay and a Masters Degree in Pharmaceutical Technology from ICT (earlier UDCT), Mumbai where his research work led to a patent filing on machine design for the manufacture of Novel Drug Delivery Systems. He also completed the Post-Graduation Programme in Pharmaceutical Technology at the University of Ghent, Belgium. Nitin is a recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award 2012 from the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai earlier known as UDCT.