Investor Board
Rajeev is the co-founder of Apar and is the Chairman and Managing Partner of Basil Technology Fund, a Private Equity firm with investments in niche IT ventures. Rajeev has over 30 years of global operating and investing experience in the US, Asia and Europe. Before co-founding Apar, Rajeev worked with iGate, TCS and Ness Technologies Inc in leadership positions. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and an MBA from Mumbai University.
Outside his busy life as an investor, Rajeev is passionate about charitable causes and runs several initiatives in children’s nutrition and healthcare.
Kushal is a co-founder of Apar and is the Chairman and Joint Managing Director of Apar Industries, an industrial conglomerate. Before co-founding Apar, Kushal has worked in senior leadership positions in GE. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and a Business degree from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Kushal Desai is on the Board of Governors of both Dharmsinh Desai University and DDMM Heart Hospital, Nadiad (Gujarat), which are charitable institutions in the field of Education and Healthcare. He is on the Board of Trustees of The Lady Northcote Orphanage and is an Advisor to Midday Meal Program “Annamrita” which caters daily Lunch to over 1.6 million underprivileged school children in India.
Investor Board
Rajeev is the co-founder of Apar and is the Chairman and Managing Partner of Basil Technology Fund, a Private Equity firm with investments in niche IT ventures. Rajeev has over 30 years of global operating and investing experience in the US, Asia and Europe. Before co-founding Apar, Rajeev worked with iGate, TCS and Ness Technologies Inc in leadership positions. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and an MBA from Mumbai University.
Outside his busy life as an investor, Rajeev is passionate about charitable causes and runs several initiatives in children’s nutrition and healthcare.
Kushal is a co-founder of Apar and is the Chairman and Joint Managing Director of Apar Industries, an industrial conglomerate. Before co-founding Apar, Kushal has worked in senior leadership positions in GE. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and a Business degree from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Kushal Desai is on the Board of Governors of both Dharmsinh Desai University and DDMM Heart Hospital, Nadiad (Gujarat), which are charitable institutions in the field of Education and Healthcare. He is on the Board of Trustees of The Lady Northcote Orphanage and is an Advisor to Midday Meal Program “Annamrita” which caters daily Lunch to over 1.6 million underprivileged school children in India.
Advisory Board
Puneet Pushkarna is a highly accomplished business leader and investor, currently serving as the General Partner of Solmark, a private equity fund that has launched and built several companies. With a distinguished career spanning over three decades, Puneet has held several key leadership roles and has been instrumental in the growth and success of several leading companies.
Prior to joining Solmark, Puneet served as the President of Headstrong, where he played a critical role in driving the company's global expansion and establishing it as a major player in the industry. His expertise in technology and innovation have been instrumental in shaping several successful ventures. He was a co-founder of TechSpan and was also a part of the initial team that helped grow HCL America into what is now HCL Technologies.
Puneet serves on the advisory boards of several prominent organizations. He is member of the Advisory Board of SMART (Singapore MIT Alliance for Research & Technology), the Board of Governors of IIM Nagpur, and the in Industry Advisory Board of SP Jain School of Management. He is also the Chairman of the Central Core Funding Initiative Review Panel, which oversees the Central Core Funding scheme run by the NRF (National Research Foundation) under the PMO in Singapore. Puneet is also a recognized leader in the entrepreneurial community, serving as the Chairman Emeritus of TiE Singapore (The Indus Entrepreneurs), one of the largest entrepreneur networks in the world. He was an ex-Chairman and current Board member of Servion Global Solutions Ltd, an end-to-end proactive Customer Experience Management firm. He has served as a judge for Innovators Under 35, a competition run by MIT Technology's EmTech Asia to identify 20 of the most promising innovators in Asia.
Puneet has a degree in Engineering from India and an MBA from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Michael Warren is a seasoned leader and the Founder and CEO of Consulting Board Asia, a prominent M&A inbound investment company. With a remarkable career spanning over 30 years in Malaysia and the Asia Pacific region, Michael has held senior positions at several multinational corporations including Fujitsu, LogicaCMG, Sampoerna (IBSA), DataOne among others. Michael has also served in management positions in various Government organizations like MDeC and InvestKL and he is currently a Technology and Security Council Member of Bursa Malaysia.
In addition to his corporate leadership roles, Michael has actively participated in the academic sector. He served as a board member of a prestigious European university, bringing his valuable insights and guidance to its strategic initiatives. Furthermore, he served as an adjunct professor at a renowned university in South East Asia, sharing his wealth of knowledge and experience with the next generation of business professionals.
Michael holds key positions in several regional and global technology and industry councils.
Prof. Alex Siow is a highly experienced leader, currently serving as a Professor (Practice) in the department of Information Systems and Analytics at the School of Computing, National University of Singapore.
Throughout his illustrious career, Prof. Alex has held distinguished positions in both the public and private sectors with a track record of remarkable achievements. Beginning his career as a Structural Engineer at the Housing & Development Board in 1981 he rapidly rose through the ranks to the role of Chief Information Officer. In 2003, he transitioned to the private sector, joining StarHub Ltd as the Senior Vice-President successfully managing various portfolios, including Head of Business Market, CIO, and Head of Enterprise Risk Management.
Prof. Alex has made significant contributions to the IT community in Singapore. He has served as the President of the IT Management Association from 1995 to 1999 as well as the President of the Singapore Computer Society from 1997 to 2001. He also played a pivotal role as the founding President of the Singapore Chapter of the Project Management Institute from 2001 to 2012. Currently, he is the Chairman of the Cloud Security Alliance Singapore Chapter and the Chairperson of the National High Performance Computing Roadmap Drafting Committee.
Prof Alex serves on the boards of several private sector companies in various capacities. Additionally, he is a Director of Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities and the Ang Mo Kio-Thye Hua Kwan Hospital, contributing to community welfare. He is also the Managing Director of Alex Siow & Associates, a management consultancy.
In February 2021, Prof Alex shared his insights and experiences in his book "Leading with IT: Lessons from Singapore's first CIO," offering valuable lessons for effective leadership in the realm of technology.
Advisory Board
Puneet Pushkarna is a highly accomplished business leader and investor, currently serving as the General Partner of Solmark, a private equity fund that has launched and built several companies. With a distinguished career spanning over three decades, Puneet has held several key leadership roles and has been instrumental in the growth and success of several leading companies.
Prior to joining Solmark, Puneet served as the President of Headstrong, where he played a critical role in driving the company's global expansion and establishing it as a major player in the industry. His expertise in technology and innovation have been instrumental in shaping several successful ventures. He was a co-founder of TechSpan and was also a part of the initial team that helped grow HCL America into what is now HCL Technologies.
Puneet serves on the advisory boards of several prominent organizations. He is member of the Advisory Board of SMART (Singapore MIT Alliance for Research & Technology), the Board of Governors of IIM Nagpur, and the in Industry Advisory Board of SP Jain School of Management. He is also the Chairman of the Central Core Funding Initiative Review Panel, which oversees the Central Core Funding scheme run by the NRF (National Research Foundation) under the PMO in Singapore. Puneet is also a recognized leader in the entrepreneurial community, serving as the Chairman Emeritus of TiE Singapore (The Indus Entrepreneurs), one of the largest entrepreneur networks in the world. He was an ex-Chairman and current Board member of Servion Global Solutions Ltd, an end-to-end proactive Customer Experience Management firm. He has served as a judge for Innovators Under 35, a competition run by MIT Technology's EmTech Asia to identify 20 of the most promising innovators in Asia.
Puneet has a degree in Engineering from India and an MBA from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Michael Warren is a seasoned leader and the Founder and CEO of Consulting Board Asia, a prominent M&A inbound investment company. With a remarkable career spanning over 30 years in Malaysia and the Asia Pacific region, Michael has held senior positions at several multinational corporations including Fujitsu, LogicaCMG, Sampoerna (IBSA), DataOne among others. Michael has also served in management positions in various Government organizations like MDeC and InvestKL and he is currently a Technology and Security Council Member of Bursa Malaysia.
In addition to his corporate leadership roles, Michael has actively participated in the academic sector. He served as a board member of a prestigious European university, bringing his valuable insights and guidance to its strategic initiatives. Furthermore, he served as an adjunct professor at a renowned university in South East Asia, sharing his wealth of knowledge and experience with the next generation of business professionals.
Michael holds key positions in several regional and global technology and industry councils.
Prof. Alex Siow is a highly experienced leader, currently serving as a Professor (Practice) in the department of Information Systems and Analytics at the School of Computing, National University of Singapore.
Throughout his illustrious career, Prof. Alex has held distinguished positions in both the public and private sectors with a track record of remarkable achievements. Beginning his career as a Structural Engineer at the Housing & Development Board in 1981 he rapidly rose through the ranks to the role of Chief Information Officer. In 2003, he transitioned to the private sector, joining StarHub Ltd as the Senior Vice-President successfully managing various portfolios, including Head of Business Market, CIO, and Head of Enterprise Risk Management.
Prof. Alex has made significant contributions to the IT community in Singapore. He has served as the President of the IT Management Association from 1995 to 1999 as well as the President of the Singapore Computer Society from 1997 to 2001. He also played a pivotal role as the founding President of the Singapore Chapter of the Project Management Institute from 2001 to 2012. Currently, he is the Chairman of the Cloud Security Alliance Singapore Chapter and the Chairperson of the National High Performance Computing Roadmap Drafting Committee.
Prof Alex serves on the boards of several private sector companies in various capacities. Additionally, he is a Director of Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities and the Ang Mo Kio-Thye Hua Kwan Hospital, contributing to community welfare. He is also the Managing Director of Alex Siow & Associates, a management consultancy.
In February 2021, Prof Alex shared his insights and experiences in his book "Leading with IT: Lessons from Singapore's first CIO," offering valuable lessons for effective leadership in the realm of technology.
Executive Leadership
With over 30 years of experience in the Technology Services industry, Rohit brings on board a deep knowledge of the Asia Pacific and Middle East markets and a solid business network to Apar.
Prior to joining Apar, Rohit was in senior leadership positions with IT majors like HCL Technologies, Ness Technologies, Tech Mahindra and most recently with Accenture where he was a Managing Director and his experience spanned across a few regional roles in Technology Services, based out of Singapore.
Rohit is an Electronics Engineer and has attended several Management Development Programs in institutes like Harvard Business School, MIT & INSEAD. He has extensive experience in setting up and growing technology services companies by building teams that deliver great results.
Sai has more than 30 years of technology industry experience and has spent over 20 years setting up and managing IT services business in the Asia Pacific region. Prior to co-founding Apar, Sai worked in senior management roles with Ness Technologies, ITW Signode and CMC.
Sai is passionate about wildlife conservation and is also an avid cricket enthusiast. He also works with a non-profit that helps educate blind children pursue their education.
Bijjala is the founder & CEO of Total eBiz Solutions (TeBS) an Apar company. Bijjala is passionate about helping customers achieve more using technology. A technologist at heart; he lives and breathes innovation that can make a difference to the way enterprises do business, with customers and other enterprises. With over 25 years of delivering trust, Bijjala enjoys creating and nurturing teams for peak performance.
Prior to founding TeBS, Bijjala was in senior technology delivery roles in HP, Keppel, Infor and Cognizant in the Asia Pacific region.
Bijjala holds a Masters in Computer Applications degree from National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, India.
Venkata Narayanan is the Founder and CEO of BigTapp Analytics, an Apar Group company. Renowned for his expertise in analytics and data-driven decision-making, Venkat firmly believes in leveraging data insights to deliver positive outcomes for clients aligned with business goals. His belief and unwavering vision have propelled BigTapp to the forefront of the analytics industry, delivering immense value to its clients.
With over 30 years of professional experience, Venkat's journey in business management and consulting has been characterized by remarkable achievements and contributions. In 1997, he founded Knowledge Dynamics, a specialized Business Intelligence (BI) firm. Recognizing the company's exceptional capabilities, Satyam (later acquired by Tech-Mahindra) acquired Knowledge Dynamics in 2005. Venkat played instrumental roles within the organization, assuming various management positions before ultimately serving as the Head of Strategic Initiatives at Tech Mahindra.
Prior to this, he worked with Wipro in India and a regional airline company in the Middle East. With a wealth of international exposure, Venkat has successfully undertaken consulting assignments across a diverse range of locations, including the USA, Middle East, South Africa, and the Asia Pacific region.
Venkat possesses a deep-seated passion for mentoring startups and imparting knowledge in both Institutes of Higher Learning and the corporate sector.
Leading the Operation with more than twenty-five years of Infrastructure and Technology with proven experience and have played key roles in projects like Global Data Centre design, consolidation and migration for clients like American eagle tankers, Merck, Global Logistics Properties, YTL and leading German bank IT implementation projects. Performed tasks like data center analysis, private cloud design, Infrastructure and Applications High Availability and also DR and BCP.
Senthil is a senior executive with over 25 years of experience in leading businesses with Go-to-market strategy, new product launches, marketing, and sales enablement creating, developing, and executing innovative business plans and strategies for accelerated growth. Prior to founding Apar Innosys LLP, Senthil was at Xchanging as a Sales Director. Senthil specializes in bringing to international customers the power of IoT on a backdrop of Big Data and AI and in providing deep insights into their business.
Senthil has cofounded a charitable platform DigiSanta along with his 11th grader son with the mission to implement a new way to build a sustainable ecosystem with responsible consumption, reusing resources, and reducing waste. Senthil possesses a Bachelor's Degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from CEG, Anna University.
A passionate HR Tech proponent, Chris is the Co-Founder and CEO of Apar PeopleWorld and Otomeyt. Chris leads a business that extensively uses AI & ML to create World-class products in Tech Assessments and helping customers fulfill their technology resource needs. Prior to founding Apar PeopleWorld, Chris was the Co-Founder and CEO of Grassroots BPO. Chris also held senior positions in Infosys, HP, and ICI Paints.
Chris is a business management degree holder from the University of Mysore.
Belonging to the generation of First Generation Entrepreneurs, Sumit Shukla, in his more than 20 years of experience in the Education and Financial Industry, has had the opportunity to work on almost all the functional areas that a growing organization must deal with. He is a seasoned professional in the field of CRM & ERP Implementations and Practice Adoption for the large enterprises while driving business for the organization at the Global level.
Rajesh has a successful track record of leading multiple functions like Sales & Business Development, Business Operations & Human Resource Management over the last 26 years with leading IT Services organizations like TCS, Mastek and Bluestar across ASEAN, Europe and the US Markets. He is a keen strategist with a flair for designing and implementing innovative business strategies, employee development & retention programs.
Rajesh has been with Apar since the inception, initially helping the company establish and grow in South East Asia market and then taking up the role of managing the North American business for Apar.
Srinidhi’s responsibilities include Financial Planning, Budgeting & Reporting, Accounting & Audit, Compliance and Treasury.
Srinidhi is a Chartered Accountant with over 15+ years of experience in the field of Financial Planning and Analysis, Corporate Strategy, IPO, Investor Relations, Audit and Mergers & Acquisitions. He has been associated with organizations such as Sonata Software, Quest Global and IBM prior to joining Apar.
In his last assignment with Happiest Minds as Director Finance & Head of Investor relations, he spearheaded the one of the most successful IPOs of the decade which was oversubscribed 150 times, 100% digitally and remotely executed.
Srinidhi is an avid car enthusiast and loves travelling, playing cricket and teaching underprivileged children.
Sanyukta Vohra is the VP of HR and Operations for the Apar Group responsible for all people matters and business operations support across geographies. A senior professional with over 15 years of HR management experience, Sanyukta was handling end to end HR operations in her previous assignment with Innodata KPO and was instrumental in setting up the IT and LPO (Legal process outsourcing) division, prior to joining Apar.
She is a graduate of the University of Delhi and an alumnus of XLRI Jamshedpur.
Executive Leadership
With over 30 years of experience in the Technology Services industry, Rohit brings on board a deep knowledge of the Asia Pacific and Middle East markets and a solid business network to Apar.
Prior to joining Apar, Rohit was in senior leadership positions with IT majors like HCL Technologies, Ness Technologies, Tech Mahindra and most recently with Accenture where he was a Managing Director and his experience spanned across a few regional roles in Technology Services, based out of Singapore.
Rohit is an Electronics Engineer and has attended several Management Development Programs in institutes like Harvard Business School, MIT & INSEAD. He has extensive experience in setting up and growing technology services companies by building teams that deliver great results.
Sai has more than 30 years of technology industry experience and has spent over 20 years setting up and managing IT services business in the Asia Pacific region. Prior to co-founding Apar, Sai worked in senior management roles with Ness Technologies, ITW Signode and CMC.
Sai is passionate about wildlife conservation and is also an avid cricket enthusiast. He also works with a non-profit that helps educate blind children pursue their education.
Bijjala is the founder & CEO of Total eBiz Solutions (TeBS) an Apar company. Bijjala is passionate about helping customers achieve more using technology. A technologist at heart; he lives and breathes innovation that can make a difference to the way enterprises do business, with customers and other enterprises. With over 25 years of delivering trust, Bijjala enjoys creating and nurturing teams for peak performance.
Prior to founding TeBS, Bijjala was in senior technology delivery roles in HP, Keppel, Infor and Cognizant in the Asia Pacific region.
Bijjala holds a Masters in Computer Applications degree from National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, India.
Venkata Narayanan is the Founder and CEO of BigTapp Analytics, an Apar Group company. Renowned for his expertise in analytics and data-driven decision-making, Venkat firmly believes in leveraging data insights to deliver positive outcomes for clients aligned with business goals. His belief and unwavering vision have propelled BigTapp to the forefront of the analytics industry, delivering immense value to its clients.
With over 30 years of professional experience, Venkat's journey in business management and consulting has been characterized by remarkable achievements and contributions. In 1997, he founded Knowledge Dynamics, a specialized Business Intelligence (BI) firm. Recognizing the company's exceptional capabilities, Satyam (later acquired by Tech-Mahindra) acquired Knowledge Dynamics in 2005. Venkat played instrumental roles within the organization, assuming various management positions before ultimately serving as the Head of Strategic Initiatives at Tech Mahindra.
Prior to this, he worked with Wipro in India and a regional airline company in the Middle East. With a wealth of international exposure, Venkat has successfully undertaken consulting assignments across a diverse range of locations, including the USA, Middle East, South Africa, and the Asia Pacific region.
Venkat possesses a deep-seated passion for mentoring startups and imparting knowledge in both Institutes of Higher Learning and the corporate sector.
Leading the Operation with more than twenty-five years of Infrastructure and Technology with proven experience and have played key roles in projects like Global Data Centre design, consolidation and migration for clients like American eagle tankers, Merck, Global Logistics Properties, YTL and leading German bank IT implementation projects. Performed tasks like data center analysis, private cloud design, Infrastructure and Applications High Availability and also DR and BCP.
Senthil is a senior executive with over 25 years of experience in leading businesses with Go-to-market strategy, new product launches, marketing, and sales enablement creating, developing, and executing innovative business plans and strategies for accelerated growth. Prior to founding Apar Innosys LLP, Senthil was at Xchanging as a Sales Director. Senthil specializes in bringing to international customers the power of IoT on a backdrop of Big Data and AI and in providing deep insights into their business.
Senthil has cofounded a charitable platform DigiSanta along with his 11th grader son with the mission to implement a new way to build a sustainable ecosystem with responsible consumption, reusing resources, and reducing waste. Senthil possesses a Bachelor's Degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from CEG, Anna University.
A passionate HR Tech proponent, Chris is the Co-Founder and CEO of Apar PeopleWorld and Otomeyt. Chris leads a business that extensively uses AI & ML to create World-class products in Tech Assessments and helping customers fulfill their technology resource needs. Prior to founding Apar PeopleWorld, Chris was the Co-Founder and CEO of Grassroots BPO. Chris also held senior positions in Infosys, HP, and ICI Paints.
Chris is a business management degree holder from the University of Mysore.
Belonging to the generation of First Generation Entrepreneurs, Sumit Shukla, in his more than 20 years of experience in the Education and Financial Industry, has had the opportunity to work on almost all the functional areas that a growing organization must deal with. He is a seasoned professional in the field of CRM & ERP Implementations and Practice Adoption for the large enterprises while driving business for the organization at the Global level.
Rajesh has a successful track record of leading multiple functions like Sales & Business Development, Business Operations & Human Resource Management over the last 26 years with leading IT Services organizations like TCS, Mastek and Bluestar across ASEAN, Europe and the US Markets. He is a keen strategist with a flair for designing and implementing innovative business strategies, employee development & retention programs.
Rajesh has been with Apar since the inception, initially helping the company establish and grow in South East Asia market and then taking up the role of managing the North American business for Apar.
Srinidhi’s responsibilities include Financial Planning, Budgeting & Reporting, Accounting & Audit, Compliance and Treasury.
Srinidhi is a Chartered Accountant with over 15+ years of experience in the field of Financial Planning and Analysis, Corporate Strategy, IPO, Investor Relations, Audit and Mergers & Acquisitions. He has been associated with organizations such as Sonata Software, Quest Global and IBM prior to joining Apar.
In his last assignment with Happiest Minds as Director Finance & Head of Investor relations, he spearheaded the one of the most successful IPOs of the decade which was oversubscribed 150 times, 100% digitally and remotely executed.
Srinidhi is an avid car enthusiast and loves travelling, playing cricket and teaching underprivileged children.
Sanyukta Vohra is the VP of HR and Operations for the Apar Group responsible for all people matters and business operations support across geographies. A senior professional with over 15 years of HR management experience, Sanyukta was handling end to end HR operations in her previous assignment with Innodata KPO and was instrumental in setting up the IT and LPO (Legal process outsourcing) division, prior to joining Apar.
She is a graduate of the University of Delhi and an alumnus of XLRI Jamshedpur.
