Next Bharat Ventures Launches Second Impact Fund With ₹2,000 Cr

Next Bharat Ventures, wholly owned by Japan's Suzuki Motor, has launched its second impact investment fund with a corpus of ₹2,000 crore. The fund aims to support early and growth-stage startups in India, with investments expected to begin next month.

The new fund will focus on making average ticket-sized investments ranging from $500,000 to $1 million, a significant increase from its first fund. The firm plans to execute 10-12 deals annually over the next four years.

Notably, half of the fund's corpus will be deployed through a fund-of-funds strategy, investing as a limited partner in other venture capital firms. This approach is intended to hedge risks associated with impact investments. The first fund, launched in 2024, had a corpus of ₹340 crore and has so far made 20 investments.

The second fund will back ventures in sectors including rural healthcare, rural mobility, financial services, productivity, agritech, cleantech, and retail tech. It will also support micro-entrepreneurs and AI startups focused on impact. "The idea is to find entrepreneurs who are truly passionate about creating quality of life in India's rural informal economy," said CEO Vipul Jindal Nath.