Anirudh Suri '06
Details
What is your current job?
Founding Partner and Managing Director, India Internet Group Advisors Pvt. Ltd. (Basically an early stage tech-focused venture capital fund that invests in early stage tech/internet/mobile startups.) Founder and CEO, Inter Mobile Ventures Pvt. Ltd. (Founded and incubated an early stage startup called www.findable.in that is essentially a location-based product search platform. It allows a user to search for any product and identify the closest stores that stock that product).
Why did you choose this profession?
I chose this profession largely because I found the internet and mobile sector in India to be a very exciting sector. Since the sector is in its nascent phase, there is huge opportunity for growth and innovation in this space. Plus, this opportunity really allows me to tap and hone the entrepreneurial instinct and aptitude that I have always nurtured. It feels great to be back in India after 10-11 years studying and working in the U.S. And I am loving it - because I am right in the middle of an amazing transformational time in the history of India, and am being able to do my own little bit in it.
What more do you wish to accomplish in your professional career?
I wish to grow both the fund and the startup, and expand the scope of operations to other parts of the world in the next few years. In the later stages of my career, I would really like to be involved in the public sector in India, and contribute to the equitable development of India. Tell us about a decision or change you made that turned out to be a positive career move. When I went to graduate school for an MBA/MPA, I was intent on returning to a corporate job in management consulting or private equity. However, I decided to take the plunge and start up my own ventures (an early stage fund and a tech startup). While the final outcomes of both ventures are still unknown and hard to predict, I really view it as a positive career move because it has allowed me to unleash my full potential, really take risks and also learn so much more about my own weaknesses. I like to say that running your own startup makes you like an emperor with no clothes - all your weaknesses and flaws come out very clearly. But at this stage in my career, I think that's a great thing, as I can then start plugging the gaps in my repertoire.
How has Haverford influenced your professional career?
My Haverford education continues to shape my career in myriad ways. One, I greatly value (for myself and in my peers) a broad-based education. Two, my problem solving style and techniques have greatly shaped by my study of various subjects and disciplines. A multi-disciplinary background really allows you to think about problems differently than others who have been only trained in one discipline. You start to leverage lessons from one sector and apply them to the other, etc. Three, my value system has been shaped by the Honor Code. Values such as dignity, respect and honesty ingrained in me by my time at Haverford continue to drive my actions and behaviour towards others.