Poornima is a Venture Partner at Elevar and a core part of the India investment team. She brings to Elevar an established track record of investing in last mile solutions across the business and social impact domains, setting up high performance teams and anchoring multi actor collaborations across private and public spaces.
Prior to Elevar, Poornima worked with the Tata group for close to two decades, in various roles. She was a member of the prestigious TAS (Tata Administrative Services) cadre, executed marquee transactions as the head of structured investments for Tata Capital and built lasting solutions for core socio-economic challenges in the r-urban, migration, skilling and multi-thematic spaces with the Tata Trusts. In her most recent role as Director – Analytics, Insights & Impact at the Tata Trusts, she pioneered early risk capital allocations in the spheres of data driven governance and digital public goods.
An economist with a PhD from IIT Bombay, an MBA from the XLRI School of Management and a BA in economics from Lady Shri Ram College, Poornima believes that directing finance to the right sectors, institutions and geographies can be a force for massive good. This belief manifested in her recent book, “Regional Economic Diversity: Lessons from an Emergent India” – the book analyzes regional patterns of economic growth to draw frameworks for leadership, investment and policy decisions. She has served on the boards of select institutions as well as ministerial committees with the Government of India, and is recognised among the top 100 Analytics Leaders in South Asia.
Poornima turns to books, poetry and spirituality for inspiration, and is a trained musician – she is a Carnatic vocalist who loves hard rock and was the drummer of the XLRI music band called ‘Bodhi Tree’. Her daughter and family remain her happiest space.
Why Elevar?
I chose to join Elevar due to its strong alignment with my commitment to driving positive change while fostering sustainable growth, especially with its focus on investing in businesses that cater to underserved customers. I firmly believe that well structured, different types of capital and institutions have a unique role to play in improving lives and creating a better future.
Reflections on the nature of entrepreneurship.
To me, entrepreneurship is a dynamic journey driven by perseverance, flexibility, and a commitment to build. Entrepreneurship is more than just running a business – it is about being an innovator and a disruptor, and looking at the world in a different way.
The field visit that made a difference.
There are so many. But a conversation that stayed with me: sharing a cup of tea in a Panchayat Bhavan (local district headquarter) with a group of farmers who included me in their debate on value allocation and competing incentives at their producer company – with an honesty and focus on governance that many evolved board rooms can learn from.