Vikram Akula

Overview

Vikram Akula is a pioneering entrepreneur and impact investor recognized for founding SKS Microfinance, now known as Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd (BFIL), a company that has disbursed over $13 billion in micro-loans to more than 9 million women across India. He has also served as Chairperson of Vaya Finserv Private Limited, a technology-oriented financial inclusion start-up in India. Additionally, Akula is an angel investor in AgSri, a sustainable agriculture company working in India and Africa to help small sugarcane farmers reduce water use. He has authored two books: 'Micro-Meltdown: The Inside Story of the Rise, Fall, and Resurgence of the World's Most Valuable Microlender' and 'A Fistful of Rice: My Unexpected Quest to End Poverty Through Profitability'. Akula holds a B.A. from Tufts University, an M.A. from Yale University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. He was named one of TIME magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2006 for his work in financial inclusion. He has also worked with McKinsey & Company and the Worldwatch Institute. Akula is the founder and chairperson of the Bodhi School, which provides English medium education to impoverished children in rural Telangana, India. He also created and led the Bharat Financial Inclusion Ultra Poor Program, a three-pronged program aimed at meeting minimum standards of health, economic, and social stability for the ultra-poor. Through his philanthropic entities, SKS Foundation and Vaya Trust, Akula has supported various initiatives, including Tufts University Tisch Summer Fellows, Global Citizen Year, Echoing Green, the Indian Development Service, and a host of grassroots non-profits in India. He was also part of Deworm the World, a non-profit initiative of the World Economic Forum Young Global Leader network. Akula's work has been recognized with several awards, including Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. He continues to be active in promoting financial inclusion and sustainable development through his investments and philanthropic efforts.

Investment Focus

• Focus on financial inclusion
• Impact-driven initiatives
• Sustainable development projects

Portfolio Companies