Group hires Chintan Thakkar as overall CEO for IAN Group
Chintan Thakkar Appointed as CEO of IAN Group, Bolstering India's Startup Ecosystem
In a significant move, Chintan Thakkar has been appointed as the Group CEO of the Indian Angel Network (IAN) and Senior Managing Partner of the IAN Alpha Fund, effective from August 19, 2025 [1][2][3].
As the Group CEO, Thakkar will lead the overall management and strategic growth of IAN, an early-stage investment platform that has been instrumental in promoting angel investing into startups across various sectors in India for nearly two decades [1][2][3].
In his role as Senior Managing Partner of the IAN Alpha Fund, launched in 2023 with a target corpus of INR 1,000 crore, Thakkar will oversee investments aimed at backing more than 500 startups [1]. The IAN Alpha Fund works in tandem with the angel investing platform of IAN, providing substantial capital support and mentoring to startups, enabling investments from Rs 50 lakhs to Rs 50 crores on a single platform [2][3].
Thakkar brings a wealth of experience to IAN, having served as the Group CFO and director at Info Edge for over a decade. His leadership in finance, governance, and strategic growth is expected to greatly benefit IAN as it aims to invest Rs 5,000 crore, supporting 500 startups, and creating 500,000 jobs [1].
The IAN Group's management team has been strengthened with Thakkar's induction, now comprising Rajnish Kapur, Madhav Sikka, Sarika Saxena, and Chintan Thakkar [1][2]. The team believes that Thakkar's induction will provide the necessary management bandwidth to achieve their vision.
Under Thakkar's leadership, IAN continues its legacy as one of India’s most respected investment networks, known for generating high double-digit returns over its 19-year history and supporting a portfolio of about 240 companies, including unicorns and soonicorns [1][3].
With Thakkar at the helm, IAN is poised to expand its footprint in the startup ecosystem, offering mentoring, funding for scale-up, and global market access to startups in its portfolio [2][3].
Summary of Chintan Thakkar’s role and achievements at IAN Group and IAN Alpha Fund:
- Appointed Group CEO of IAN Group in August 2025, leading strategic growth and operations [1][2].
- Serves as Senior Managing Partner of IAN Alpha Fund (launched 2023), managing a INR 1,000 crore fund targeting investment in 500+ startups [1].
- Brings extensive finance and leadership experience from over 10 years as Group CFO at Info Edge [1][2].
- Strengthening IAN’s management to realize ambitious investment and job creation goals (Rs 5,000 crore, 500 startups, 500,000 jobs) [1].
- Helping expand IAN’s footprint in the startup ecosystem with mentoring, funding scale-up, and global market access [2][3].
- Supports IAN’s portfolio of around 240 companies, including multiple unicorns and soonicorns [3].
Thakkar's appointment as the Group CEO of IAN and Senior Managing Partner of the IAN Alpha Fund marks a pivotal moment in the growth of IAN as a major investor and mentor in India's startup ecosystem, spearheading significant new fund initiatives through the IAN Alpha Fund.
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