Suzuki Subsidiary Next Bharat Ventures Launches INR 2000 Cr Fund 

Next Bharat Ventures IFSC Private Limited (NBV) on Monday announced the launch of its second fund with a corpus of INR 2,000 crore. Suzuki Motor Corp Japan will be the anchor LP for the fund. 

Founded in 2024, NBV is Suzuki’s wholly owned subsidiary in India. 

The new fund is aimed at “impact entrepreneurs who are building quality of life and sustainable livelihoods across rural India and migrated and urban marginalised communities.” This includes entrepreneurs across sectors including agriculture, financial inclusion, healthcare, AI for social good and more.

The launch builds on the success of Next Bharat’s first INR 340 crore fund, which focused on rural entrepreneurs solving real problems for billions of Indians in rural and informal economies. 

To date, Next Bharat has supported more than 50 impact startups, investing in over 20 of them through capital, mentorship, and ecosystem support. Several of these startups have also begun business pilots with companies in Japan.

Some of the startups the VC has backed are MeMeraki, E-Bik, SGB Agro, and Atypical Advantage, among others. 

Toshihiro Suzuki, Representative Director & President of Suzuki Motor Corporation said, “Japan’s investment in India has always been rooted in a shared belief in India’s potential, and nowhere is that more evident than in our four-decade partnership. The most important legacy is not the cars themselves, but the enterprises born from it – ordinary shops that became major dealerships, repair workshops that became auto-parts suppliers, and a single supplier that gave rise to entire SME ecosystems. In this way, we created an estimated 3,000-plus entrepreneurs across India, each a homegrown engine of local jobs and income. With Fund II, we are deepening this commitment, and we are honoured to walk this path with the Government of India toward a truly Atmanirbhar Bharat.”

Vipul Jindal Nath, Founder and CEO, Next Bharat Ventures, an IIT Hyderabad Alum, adds, “Our first fund is proof that impact and business can co-exist, and that strong businesses can be built and scaled around livelihoods and improved quality of life. Our impact founders are innovators working on grassroot level transformation while ensuring business output, with over 90% of our portfolio companies already heading towards profitability in their early years.

I encourage all the aspiring founders to build their next startup which not only creates commercial value but also deeply solves a social problem of our rural and informal communities, because that’s the heart of India. If you are able to create a big enough impact, I guarantee the commercial returns will follow.”