---
title: "Akshay Chalikwar - Building KuKu in Mumbai Metropolitan Region | Tal"
description: "Meet Akshay Chalikwar, Strategy & Innovation | Operating Model | Venture Capital | HBS | IIT Kharagpur based in Mumbai Metropolitan Region. AI stack includes claude, elevenlabs, and openai."
image: "https://tal.club/meet/akshay-c/share-image"
---

# Akshay Chalikwar on Tal

## Headline

Strategy & Innovation \| Operating Model \| Venture Capital \| HBS \| IIT Kharagpur

## About

Over the past decade, I have worked at the intersection of Investments, Strategy, and Operations, helping build and scale ventures across sectors\. My experience spans the full spectrum of investing and operating\. I was part of deploying \~US$70M into marquee unicorns/ soonicors companies such as Eruditus, Lendingkart, and Shiprocket at Bertelsmann India Investments \(today a portfolio valued at \~US$4B\), and was involved in the exit sale of Indiaproperty\.com\. Earlier, I was an early team member at an affordable housing–focused investment platform, working on capital deployment, land acquisitions, and the turnaround of large\-scale townships and housing projects\. More recently, I have headed strategy for ventures such as TVF and BuildNext, shaping short\- and long\-term strategic roadmaps, building cross\-functional capabilities, driving technology transformation, and designing operating models that connect strategy to execution\. I was also nominated for “Intrapreneur of the Year 2023” by Entrepreneur Magazine for my operating and turnaround work\. To know more, here is a glimpse into my story: https://entrepreneurstoday\.in/akshay\-navigating\-the\-intersection\-of\-investments\-entrepreneurship\-and\-creative\-innovation/

## Location

Mumbai Metropolitan Region

## AI stack

claude

elevenlabs

openai

## Work experience

Building KuKu at Kuku, May 2026 \- Present · 5 mos

Strategic Partner at Food Seed Tech VC, Mar 2025 \- May 2026 · 1 yr 3 mos, Supporting in building this much\-needed seed to pre\-Series A fund for the Food, Agriculture, and Technology sectors in India\. Focused on strengthening the bedrock of India’s economy, serving a billion people\.

Strategy & Operations at Matchbox Shots, Jan 2025 \- Mar 2026 · 1 yr 3 mos, One of the leading instution in our country, behind defining films like Andhadhun, Monica\-O\-My\-Darling and shows like IC 814, Scoop etc\. Catalysing it to unlock and mobilise the much needed powerhouse of India's film industry\.

Senior Executives Leadership Program at Harvard Business School, Jan 2025 \- Sep 2025 · 9 mos, An advanced residential leadership program for high\-potential leaders, focused on organizational build\-&\-transformation, global macroeconomics, purpose\-driven leadership, and complex financial architectures across M&A, equity, and debt\.

Advisor at The Viral Fever, Aug 2024 \- Sep 2024 · 2 mos

Vice President, Strategy & New Initiatives at The Viral Fever, Aug 2022 \- Aug 2024 · 2 yrs 1 mo, Building the new, Soaring new\. Stories are enlightened product that which has lost its gravitas in the ages of social history\. A society which is rich in its stories and inspiring characters, is a society which will thrive and live through the wisdom of life\. On this canvas of life, we paint stories and envision to reinstate the flame of stories that move life\. While truly building an institution which will play its social responsibility in bringing stories that have shaped the culture and society\!

## Education

Senior Executives Leadership Program, Harvard Business School

Bachelor of Architecture, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur

[View the original profile](https://tal.club/meet/akshay-c)

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