People

Hemendra Mathur leaving SEAF India

After overseeing the raise of SEAF's first Indian agri fund and the launch of its second, Hemendra Mathur is weighing new options in the investment space.

-

Hemendra Mathur is stepping down from his position as managing director of SEAF India Investment Advisors (IIA), Agri Investor has learned.

Mathur told Agri Investor he will maintain an advisory role with the investment firm, as the management team in India transitions.

He declined to comment on what led to his choice to step down. However, he said that he remains on good terms with SEAF.

“It’s been a very good relationship with SEAF, I’ve had a great experience there,” he said.

Mathur said he is currently weighing his options, as he looks to remain active in the food and agri investment space. Citing projections that demand for food in India will grow between 7 percent and 8 percent in the coming years, Mathur said he plans to continue to focus on the region.

“I’m going to continue looking at investment in India,” he said. “I think there are enough opportunities in India. We’re seeing investment opportunities throughout the value chain.”

Mathur said he sees particularly strong potential in midstream companies that improve the supply chain, but the preponderance of smallholders at individual farm level limit scaling opportunities and serves as a barrier to farmland investment strategies in India.

Mathur joined IIA as a managing director in 2008, where he helped raise the investment group’s first India-focused agribusiness fund. Before joining IIA, Mathur served as the executive director at Yes Bank and associate director and head of strategic advisory for Rabobank in New Delhi, according to his LinkedIn profile.

SEAF (small enterprise assistance funds) is an investment firm focused on growth capital investments in emerging markets, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Asia and Latin America. The firm has invested more than $180 million in small and medium-sized enterprises via 23 separate funds since 1989, according to PEI Research and Analytics. It is currently targeting a $150 million raise for its India-focused SEAF India Agribusiness International Fund II.

Representatives from SEAF did not respond to requests for comment by press time.