Surya is deeply convinced of India’s economic potential and of the role startups will play in realizing it. He guides all of Capria’s thinking on India, its primary market, drawing on a career that spans running some of the country’s best-known media businesses and backing early-stage founders, including a couple of early bets that went on to become unicorns.
Surya is Managing Partner at Capria Ventures, and oversees all India operations. He guides startups and investment firms with finesse, bringing an operator’s judgment to every decision. He leads Capria India’s Future of Work thesis and focuses on early-stage investments in Enterprise AI, new-age manufacturing, and healthtech. He joined Capria’s predecessor, Unitus Ventures, in 2019.
Surya’s career spans investing and operating. A founding member of Omidyar Network India Advisors, he led investments in e-commerce, digital media, education, and government transparency. He also held leadership roles at Peepul Capital, Sify, and RealNetworks. As CEO of Web18, he led moneycontrol.com’s multi-fold growth and saw ibnlive.com emerge as one of Asia’s largest news portals. He was also CEO and MD of Saregama, India’s oldest and largest music label.
Outside work, Surya is a music lover and a devoted Calvin and Hobbes reader.
