Venture Center is happy to announce its 54th Meet the Investor series talk
The Changing Expectations of VCs from Founders - Insights from Mela Ventures
Organized by NIDHI Center of Excellence & iDEX at Venture Center iDEX, CoE on Clean Energy and Green Hydrogen @Venture Center
What do investors truly look for in founders today? Beyond resilience and vision, the bar is rising toward building businesses that can scale with purpose and withstand global pressures. This session will unpack how investor expectations are shifting, what qualities now define fundable leadership, and how founders can position themselves to inspire confidence. Expect a candid, forward-looking conversation designed to give entrepreneurs a competitive edge in navigating the evolving founder–VC relationship.
Supported by: Venture Center
When: Tuesday, 19th Aug 25 | Time 10 am - 11 am IST
Mode of Event: The event will be conducted in hybrid mode (In-person at Venture Center and online over zoom)
The talk is FREE for participants, but registration is mandatory.
About the Speakers:
Mr. Krishnakumar Natarajan
Managing Partner, Mela Ventures | Co-founder, Mindtree | Former Chairman, NASSCOM
Mr. Natarajan is a visionary leader who has shaped both companies and industries. As Co-founder of Mindtree, he scaled the company into a USD 2.5 billion market-cap technology leader, driving enterprise digital transformation, customer experience, and growth strategies. At NASSCOM, he played a pivotal role in positioning Indian IT as a global powerhouse. A passionate mentor and investor, he has guided numerous startup CEOs on strategy, technology, fundraising, and leadership, with his portfolio companies attracting top global investors and delivering multiple successful exits. He holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from the College of Engineering, Chennai, and an MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur.
Mr. Parthasarathy NS
Managing Partner, Mela Ventures | Co-founder & Former Executive Vice-Chairperson, Mindtree
Mr. Parthasarathy is a veteran entrepreneur and technology leader with over four decades in the global IT industry. He was instrumental in scaling Mindtree from a startup to a billion-dollar enterprise, shaping its growth, M&A strategies, and people-first culture. An active angel investor and mentor, he has stakes in Inventus and TVS Capital. A BITS Pilani Distinguished Alumnus, he holds an M.Tech from IIT Kharagpur. Beyond business, he is a passionate marathoner and actively engaged in social causes.
About Mela Ventures: Mela Ventures is a Bengaluru-based, SEBI-approved early-stage VC firm investing in B2B startups across deeptech, climate-tech, and SaaS. It focuses on creating global enterprise impact while actively mentoring founders. More about Mela Ventures: https://
For queries :
Contact - Soma Chattopadhyay | 9172232211 | managerincubator@
Selected startups will get a chance to interact one on one with the investor after the talk