What does it take to go from selling carpets in Jaipur to becoming the first Asian Chair of TiE Global and now raising a $20M venture fund? In Episode 74 of #DamaniTalks, we are in conversation with Mahavir Pratap Sharma - an ecosystem builder, serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and now GP at Swishin Ventures. From his mother’s pioneering carpet business in the 1970s, to six years in America building a wholesale rugs and gems trade, to co-founding RAIN (Rajasthan Angel Innovators Network), Mahavir’s journey is one of constant reinvention. Along the way, he has backed 40+ startups, chaired TiE Global, and helped shape Rajasthan into a vibrant node in India’s startup map. Today, with Swishin Ventures, he’s institutionalizing that journey - launching a SEBI-licensed $20M fund to back seed-to-Series A startups solving for Tier-II and Tier-III India. His thesis: 51% of India’s startups are based in these cities, but they get less than 4% of VC capital. That imbalance is the opportunity. Highlights: Growing up in Jaipur’s carpet business, learning negotiation from his mother, and his take on ambition vs. conservatismSix years in the US: summer camps, basketball coaching, cold calls to carpet and jewelry buyers, and building his own import-wholesale ventureReturning to India and expanding into carpets, jewelry, events, and communicationsTiE Rajasthan: from reluctant member to global chair - and how a Jaipur retreat made him a household name in the ecosystemCo-founding RAIN in 2012 to plug Rajasthan’s funding gapFirst exits: Capacita Connect (3.5x), Hotify (4.5x) - and the confidence to go full-time into startupsThe Swishin Ventures playbook: seed-to-Series A, $200K–500K first cheques, consumer tech, BFSI, healthcare, and deep techWhy Tier-II/III founders are his bet for India’s next decade of unicorns Whether you’re a founder seeking your first cheque, an angel navigating misses and exits, or an operator wondering how ecosystems get built, this episode is packed with candid lessons on risk, resilience, and reinvention.
