Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group that stands for entrepreneurship, sustainability and growth working in unison to achieve corporate goals, inspired Anirudh A Damani to create Artha Group. He chose early stage investing and renewable energy as the focus areas for the group. In renewable energy, Anirudh sees the ability for each village of India to become a centre of economic growth and in Indian entrepreneurship the thrust to light up our great country.

He overlooks all the activity of the group and is primarily responsible for maintaining and promoting the corporate culture and ethics and is the group’s spokesperson. Recently, he has taken on the responsibility of GP for the first early stage VC fund out of the Artha stable.

Mr. Ashok Kumar Damani, a third-generation entrepreneur from the Damani family, began his career in Kolkata's bullion markets in the early 1970s, later moving into capital markets as a sub-broker before becoming a member of the Bombay Stock Exchange in the early 1980s. Over four decades in stockbroking, he contributed to various industry committees, ultimately serving as a Director of the BSE. By the late 1990s, he expanded his business into real estate, developing over 20 million square feet in Gujarat and 2 million square feet in Bengal. In the 2000s, Damani diversified further into hospitality, private equity financing, arbitrage, and IPO funding.

In 2012, Mr. Damani co-founded the Artha Group with his son, Anirudh, establishing Artha India Ventures, the family's investment arm. Artha India Ventures focuses on operating assets like renewable energy and tech-enabled businesses, backing early-stage startups, including unicorns like OYO Rooms and Purplle. Beyond business, Damani is active in social causes, serving as a trustee at several organizations and running the Rukhmandevi Damani Charitable Trust.

Animesh has always been inclined towards entrepreneurship. A graduate from Babson College, Massachusetts, he began his career with an internship at Mumbai Angels which helped him gain insight into the Indian venture capital industry. With the help of his family office, AIV, he gained a first-hand perspective on the whole sector.

In 2012, Animesh’s family took over the struggling hospitality business of Platinum Hotels in Ahmedabad. He stepped up to the challenge and successfully turned around the operations, making the hotel brand profitable.

The very next year Artha decided to expand and set up Artha Energy Resources (AER), India’s first and only investment bank focused on the Indian renewable energy sector, which has advised on renewable energy transactions worth $812 million. With the help of his team, Animesh has set-up a data-driven business that maps 99% of renewable capacity and 40% of power consumers in India.

Sandesha has worked in Office Management & HR for over eight years. She has exceptional
communication and interpersonal skills. She has proven her expertise in organizing schedules and
creating optimal internal operational systems. Sandesha has worked for renowned brands like
Parthenon-EY and ITC Ltd in Management. She is a graduate from Mumbai University with a Bachelor of Commerce.

Jashank Pohani, CFA, is a financial professional with a CFA Charter and has also pursued CA from ICAI. With over 7 years of experience in Wealth Management and Management Consultancy, he has advised Family Offices in India and the Middle East on their Indian investments and helped set up a multi-family office in Dubai. Recognizing the demand for Indian VC investments from Family Offices, Jashank moved back to India to manage Investor Relations for Artha.
Jashank’s expertise lies in financial analysis, investment management, and risk assessment. He is dedicated to delivering personalized service and building strong relationships with each client. His knowledge and skills make him a trusted advisor in the financial industry.