Veteran banker Naina Lal Kidwai has taken on a new role as a venture advisor at tech investment major Lightspeed, the firm announced on Friday.
In this capacity, she will guide the venture capital firm’s portfolio companies in areas such as growth operations, strategy, regulatory frameworks, and market expansion.
“Lightspeed has long been committed to helping founders build transformative businesses, and I look forward to working with the team to support the next generation of entrepreneurs,” Kidwai said.
With a career spanning over four decades in the financial sector, she previously served as the group general manager and country head of India at HSBC, as well as the chairperson of HSBC India, before retiring in 2015. She was also a director on the HSBC Asia Pacific board and held leadership roles at PwC, ANZ Grindlays, and Morgan Stanley.
Recognizing her expertise, Bejul Somaia, partner at Lightspeed, remarked that “Kidwai’s unparalleled experience in banking and finance coupled with a visionary approach will be invaluable as we continue to back category-defining companies in India and beyond.”
She has also led FICCI as its president and was a board member of the Prime Minister’s Trade and Industry Council. She currently serves as the chairperson at Rothschild India and is a senior advisor at Advent Private Equity and TPG Rise Climate.
With USD 25 billion in assets under management, Lightspeed has backed leading Indian startups such as OYO, Physics Wallah, and Zepto. Kidwai’s extensive financial expertise is expected to further strengthen the firm’s strategic initiatives.
