Dr. Ranjan Pai's Claypond Capital hires Sekhar Garisa as its managing director

Claypond Capital, the family investment office of Manipal Group Chairman Dr Ranjan Pai, has named Sekhar Garisa as its managing director. The move gives the two‑year‑old Bengaluru firm its first MD as it steps up investments in young Indian companies. 

Sekhar Garisa's experience

Garisa, an alumnus of NIT Warangal and IIM Lucknow, has close to 20 years of leadership experience. Most recently he served as president of product businesses at Quess Corp, where he oversaw the makeover of job portal Foundit into a full‑fledged talent‑management platform.

Prior to this, Garisa held leadership positions at Microsoft, McKinsey, and P&G.

Leadership comments

"There has never been a better time for Indian startups as we see the coming together of quality founders, bold ideas and tech-led innovation. We are building Claypond Capital to be the partner of choice of India's entrepreneurs through a strong 'Entrepreneur First approach' – Confidence capital coupled with long term commitment to the vision of the founders. I am very excited to work closely with founders as they build transformative businesses".

Dr Ranjan Pai said, "I am happy that Sekhar is coming on board and with his experience and skill sets, he will add tremendous value to our portfolio companies and founders.”

Claypond Capital's portfolio

Founded in 2023 and led by veteran investment banker Shyam Powar, Claypond Capital manages the Pai family's wealth alongside the Manipal Education and Medical Group. The office has already backed quick‑commerce player Zepto, health‑tech app HealthifyMe and online pharmacy PharmEasy, among others.

In January it hired former Wipro‑GE Healthcare head Shravan Subramanyam to steer its medical‑technology platform, signalling a broader push into healthcare and deep‑tech investments.