What does it take to spot India’s startup wave a decade before it arrived, back the country’s earliest unicorns, and then pivot to building a climate-tech fund for the next generation?In this episode of #DamaniTalks, in conversation with Sandeep Singhal, one of the true OGs of venture capital in India. From a small-town upbringing in Kanpur to Stanford in the 1980s, to McKinsey in New York, and finally co-founding eVentures and Nexus Venture Partners, Sandeep has lived the evolution of India’s startup ecosystem - shaping how the VC industry itself took root here.Highlights:

• Growing up in Kanpur, stumbling into Stanford by chance, and his early Silicon Valley startup years.
• Why he returned to India in the late ’90s - long before it was cool - and co-founded eVentures, backing companies like MakeMyTrip.
• The origins of Nexus Venture Partners and the philosophy that grew it into a $2.6B powerhouse with iconic investments like Postman, Delhivery, Zepto, Snapdeal, Netmagic, Unicommerce, and WhiteHat Jr.
• Why he believes the real opportunity ahead is in climate, deep tech, and sustainability through his latest chapter at Avana Capital.

This is a masterclass in long-term conviction, spotting patterns early, and building India’s entrepreneurial fabric brick by brick.