Suzuki is a Japan-based automobile company that launched an India-focused Rs 340 crore fund called  Next Bharat Ventures for startups. This fund will focus on backing early-stage Indian startups. Entrackr  reported the vehicle will be established as an arm of Suzuki that will act as the sole Limited Partner for  the first fund and LPs are sponsors. Next Bharat Ventures is aiming for 20 investments a year for the  next three to four years.  

The investment will be made through a residency program and its first cohort will start in October 2024. The applications are open from Thursday and can be filled by the startups meeting the criteria  of this scheme. This program will be similar to the programs by Antler and Y Combinator. However, the  firm will focus on those startups that can make a social impact through their businesses. The CEO of  Next Bharat, Vipul Nath Jindal told PTI that they will invest in growth-stage and early-stage social  impact startups through this residency programme. This investment will also enable Next Bharat to  establish strong strategic synergy for the next Bharat fund.  

This scheme will mainly focus on startups in the sectors including rural mobility, agri tech, fintech, and supply chain management, among others. This investment will have a duration of 15 years focusing on  startup that benefits the workers in the informal economy such as waste management workers,  farmers, and artisans. This programme will select social impact entrepreneurs during the 4-month and  offer them mentorship, and networking opportunities from industry experts to help them scale.  

Suzuki selected around startups last year including Route2Jute, Hopun Innovations, DriverShaab,  OiHelp, Salutem Ridegar, and Backyard Creation through its nurture program which was conducted in collaboration with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park. Suzuki announced equity investment from Rs 1 crore  to Rs 5 crore per deal in Indian startups. The company is eyeing investments in the Indian market to  forge a transformative path for the next Bharat. The scheme strongly supports businesses from Tier 2 and 3 cities.  

Conclusion: 

Japanese automobile manufacturing company Suzuki aims to back Indian startups in the agriculture,  fintech, rural mobility, and supply chain sectors. Next Bharat Ventures aims for 20 investments a year  for the next three to four years. Next Bharat Ventures invests in growth-stage and early-stage social  impact startups through this residency programme. This investment will also enable Next Bharat to  establish strong strategic synergy for the next Bharat fund. The investment will be made through a  residency program and its first cohort will start in October 2024. This investment will have a duration  of 15 years focusing on startup that benefits the workers in the informal economy such as waste  management workers, farmers, and artisans. During this 4-month residency programme, the firm will  select social impact startups and offer them mentorship, and resources to scale up organically. This  firm will invest for 15 years and focus on startup that benefits the workers in the informal economy such as farmers, and waste management workers.