Bala Deshpande facts for kids

Bala Deshpande is a very important business leader in India. She is the Senior Managing Director at a company called New Enterprise Associates (NEA) in India. NEA is a special kind of company that invests money in new and growing businesses. Since 2008, Bala has helped NEA invest in many different companies in India. In 2016, a magazine called Fortune India said she was one of the 50 most powerful women in India!

Bala Deshpande's Early Life and Education

Bala Deshpande studied a lot to become successful. She earned a special degree in Economics from the University of Mumbai. She also has a master's degree in Management Studies. She got this degree from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies.

Bala is married to Chaitanya Deshpande. He works at a company called Marico Limited. Bala and Chaitanya live in Mumbai.

Bala Deshpande's Career Journey

Bala Deshpande has over 23 years of work experience. For 14 of those years, she has worked in private equity. This means she helps young companies grow. She also helps them when they are ready to sell or go public. Under her leadership, NEA India has grown a lot.

Before joining NEA in India, Bala worked at ICICI Ventures. She was the Director of Investments there since 2000. At ICICI Venture, she helped find good companies to invest in. She also helped these companies plan for their future. She helped start popular online businesses like Traveljini. She also helped many companies complete their sales.

Before that, Bala worked for big international companies. These included Bestfoods, Cadbury, and ICI. She worked in different areas like sales and brand management. At Bestfoods, she also helped with important company planning.

Awards and Special Recognition

Bala Deshpande has been recognized for her amazing work. Forbes magazine named her one of India's top 50 most powerful women in business. She received this honor in both 2011 and 2012. She was also chosen to attend a special Women Leadership Forum in New York.

Companies Bala Deshpande Helps

Bala Deshpande is a director on the board of several important companies. This means she helps guide these companies. She is currently on the board of:

• Air Works India Engineering Private Ltd
• Naaptol Online Shopping Pvt Ltd
• Financial Software & Systems Private Ltd.
• IndiaHomes
• inTarvo Technologies Ltd.
• VISHWA Infrastructures & Services Pvt. Ltd
• Future Retail Limited
• Nova Medical Centers Private Ltd
• Naukri Internet Services Pvt. Ltd
• Info Edge (India) Ltd