The Story Behind Alsisar Impact

Two decades ago, a young boy got off at Mumbai Central Station, after failing in 32 different exams and recovering from tuberculosis. He was broken, both mentally and physically. For the next three years, he stayed in a Mumbai slum where even the basic amenities like sanitation and clean drinking water were a dream. After 15-odd rejections he finally landed his first job.

For the next several years, he climbed the corporate ladder relentlessly, worked in 10 different countries, traveled in limousines and stayed in five star hotels. But still, there was a feeling of emptiness. The feeling that comes when you’ve achieved everything that everyone else wanted but your heart isn’t in it. But still, you continue.

And then, his father’s sudden, tragic passing in a car accident, jolted him awake.

At the peak of his career, he returned to India to start South Asia’s first Impact Investing & Social Enterprise-focused transaction advisory firm with no plan B. He almost went broke multiple times, nearly died in a car accident while going for a session and worked in minus 35 degree centigrade. But through all of this, he held onto his entrepreneurial dream for a better world. He navigated the ups and downs of start-up life along with a small team of committed professionals, participating in approximately 1/5th of the total impact investing transactions in this part of the world- a critical catalyst for the impact investing space in India.

That’s the Alsisar Impact story, and it’s still not finished :) In case you were wondering about the name, Alsisar is the name of my father's village in Rajasthan. For me, a way to honor him and a symbol of reconnection with my roots.

I'm not alone. There are millions of stories like mine, across the globe. Whenever I work with entrepreneurs, through the struggles and the victories, I see myself in them. Their resilience, hope, and stubborn determination is a source of energy and inspiration. I hope in years to come that through my work, I'll be able to shine light on more of their stories, which so often remain untold.