Akari Arai
Founding member of Suzuki backed Social Impact Fund
Bengaluru
Summary
Driven by a passion for sustainably solving social problems, I am currently applying my expertise in project leadership, strategic planning, and relationship-building to empower Impact Entrepreneurs in India.
Overview
2025
2025
years of professional experience
3
3
Languages
Work History
Founding Member
Next Bharat Ventures
Bangalore
04.2024 - Current
- Founding member of Next Bharat Ventures, a 40 million USD Social Impact Fund backed by Suzuki Motor Corporation (Suzuki), aimed at supporting Impact Entrepreneurs in India, who are particularly working for the rural and informal economies of India.
- Played a key role in building the framework for the fund, addressing the gap in the Indian VC ecosystem by providing patient capital for social impact entrepreneurs.
- Connected with stakeholders across India, Japan, and globally to develop and launch the fund, which officially started in April.
- Currently responsible for Community and Programs, with a focus on building a strong community of like-minded impact entrepreneurs—an initiative that has been largely absent in India.
- Designed and launched India’s first Residency Program for Impact Entrepreneurs, which identifies and supports top impact entrepreneurs in India for lifetime community membership and investment opportunities.
- Gained training in residency programs from a leading VC famous for its' Residency Program and India’s oldest social impact fund, using this knowledge to structure and implement the program from scratch.
- Successfully sourced and selected the inaugural cohort of 15 entrepreneurs from over 1500 applicants, providing them with tailored sessions and ongoing support throughout the Residency Program.
Start up Member
Suzuki Innovation Center
Hyderabad
1 2022 - 03.2024
- Contributed as a core member of the initial startup team to establish the framework and launch operations for Suzuki Innovation Centre (SIC).
- Planned and successfully executed SIC's first student-led event, driving engagement and collaboration.
- Added strategic value by initiating partnerships with two leading business schools in India which are IIM Ahmedabad (IIMA) and IIM Kozhikode (IIMK).
- Led two high-impact projects with IIMA and IIMK: Business Diversification Strategy for Suzuki (IIMA).
Analyzing Suzuki’s Strengths Based on Past Successes in India (IIMK).
Collaborated closely with professors and student interns, managing the projects end-to-end. - Worked with Suzuki’s HR team and the placement offices of IIMA and IIMK to establish Suzuki's first-ever Summer Internship Program for Indian MBA students to work in Suzuki Headquarters in Japan, launched in 2023.
- Initiated a project on Carbon Neutrality at SIC, focusing on carbon credits for paddy fields. Despite deciding not to proceed after in-depth exploration, gained valuable insights into sustainability strategies, project planning, and the ecosystem of social entrepreneurs in India.
- Organized and facilitated the Seed Innovation Bootcamp, a hybrid program for aspiring entrepreneurs, bringing together students from various universities across South India to nurture entrepreneurial skills and foster innovation
Marine Marketing Department
Suzuki Motor Corporation
Hamamatsu
10.2020 - 12.2021
- Managed budget control, market analysis, and both short- and mid-term business planning for subsidiaries across 8 European countries (Belgium, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland), while providing monthly reports.
- Set targets with distributors and successfully achieved sales and margin goals through effective stock management and strategic dealer development.
- Developed a stock flow chart for all responsible distributors to track stock movement, offering guidance on optimal order quantities.
- Collaborated with the IT team to enhance the order-taking system, resulting in a savings of 237 hours/year in manual work time.
Global Marketing Associate
Suzuki Motor Corporation
Hamamatsu
04.2018 - 09.2020
- Conducted global market research to enhance marketing strategies.
- Led the Suzuki Clean Water Project from planning to execution.
- Streamlined shipping operations with a standardized manual.
Education
B.A - West Asia/North Africa Area Studies, Minor in Turkish Modern History
Tokyo University of Foreign Languages
Tokyo, Japan 04.2013 - 3 2018
Turkish Language And Culture -
Dilmer Turkish Language Program
Istanbul, Turkey 03.2016 - 9 2016
Skills
Zero-to-One Project Management & Execution
Strategic Planning
Collaboration and Relationships building
Timeline
Founding Member
Next Bharat Ventures
04.2024 - Current
Marine Marketing Department
Suzuki Motor Corporation
10.2020 - 12.2021
Global Marketing Associate
Suzuki Motor Corporation
04.2018 - 09.2020
Turkish Language And Culture -
Dilmer Turkish Language Program
03.2016 - 9 2016
B.A - West Asia/North Africa Area Studies, Minor in Turkish Modern History
Tokyo University of Foreign Languages
04.2013 - 3 2018
Start up Member
Suzuki Innovation Center
1 2022 - 03.2024
Similar Profiles
Hemal ShahHemal Shah
Project Manager at Pratham Ventures in collaboration with Syncoro VenturesProject Manager at Pratham Ventures in collaboration with Syncoro Ventures
Ege AğcaEge Ağca
Venture Capital Associate at twozero Ventures - Techone VC - Logo VenturesVenture Capital Associate at twozero Ventures - Techone VC - Logo Ventures
Sampriti DasSampriti Das
Intern at Bharat Electronics LimitedIntern at Bharat Electronics Limited
Akansh DubeyAkansh Dubey
Manager - Strategy & Operations at Inmobi Technologies Services Pvt LtdManager - Strategy & Operations at Inmobi Technologies Services Pvt Ltd
Amrutha SAmrutha S
Assistant Professor at AVAH Arts and Science CollegeAssistant Professor at AVAH Arts and Science College