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Hykr bets on builders as venture studio flips the startup playbook
MUMBAI: If ideas are cheap, execution is the real currency and Hykr wants skin in that game. Hykr has announced the launch of its venture studio, set to go live in March 2026, with an ambition to rethink how early-stage startups are built in India. Steering away from the familiar roles of investor or accelerator, the firm is positioning itself as an institutional co-founder, embedding deeply with founders from day one and pairing capital with hands-on execution.
Backed by an initial commitment of Rs 100 crore, the studio plans to co-build up to 20 high-growth ventures across two cohorts by FY27. Its focus areas Deep Tech, Health and Bio, and Construction and PropTech reflect sectors where India’s talent base is strong but execution gaps often stall scale.
The timing is deliberate. While India’s startup ecosystem has grown rapidly in funding and founder participation, many young companies continue to falter after the idea stage. Capital and advice are abundant; operational depth is not. Hykr is attempting to plug that gap by acting as a long-term operating partner, helping founders move faster and build with greater discipline in the early, fragile stages.
At the heart of the model is co-creation. Rather than writing a cheque and stepping back, HyKr embeds itself in the build process, working closely with pre-seed and seed-stage teams. Founders gain access to shared capabilities across product, engineering, operations, finance and go-to-market. Capital deployment typically ranges between Rs 2 crore and Rs 4 crore per company, allowing entrepreneurs to stay focused on customers and problem-solving while the studio supports the fundamentals of company-building.
The first six months are designed to be intense. Within that window, founders are expected to move from a promising idea to an investor-ready business complete with a working product, early user validation, core legal and financial systems, and an initial operating team.
HyKr is led by Krishna Dunthoori, founder and CEO of Apty, and is backed by a leadership and advisory network of seasoned operators. Strategic partnerships with global technology platforms including AWS, Google Cloud and Nvidia are intended to strengthen support for technically complex ventures from inception.
Explaining the rationale, Krishna Dunthoori said India is entering a phase where ambition is widespread, but consistent execution separates enduring companies from short-lived ones. He noted that many founders are forced to tackle product, organisation and scale simultaneously, often without the operating depth required at that stage. HyKr, he said, is built to bring structure and shared accountability into the early journey, helping convert strong ideas into resilient companies built to global standards.
Unlike a traditional fund, the studio follows an evergreen model and typically takes a co-founder-level equity stake. While the mandate is India-first, HyKr aims to support founders with global ambitions as their businesses mature.
Alongside the studio launch, Hykr has also announced the Hykr Build Challenge, a national initiative aimed at identifying founders with execution capability rather than presentation polish. Teams will be required to build real, working products. The first edition targets over 1,000 team registrations and offers Rs 35 lakh in total prize money, with winners eligible for direct consideration into the venture studio.
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Muthoot FinCorp names Arun Kumar COO & Harjit Singh Takkar chief distribution officer
Leadership hires to boost operations and widen pan-India reach
THIRUVANANTHPURAM: Muthoot FinCorp has strengthened its top deck with the appointment of Arun Kumar B as chief operating officer and Harjit Singh Takkar as chief distribution officer, sharpening its focus on scale, speed and service as it pushes into its next phase of growth.
The flagship financial services arm of the 138-year-old Muthoot Pappachan Group, popularly known as Muthoot Blue, is expanding both muscle and mindset. With more than 3,750 branches nationwide and its digital platform, the Muthoot FinCorp ONE app, the company is betting on tighter execution and wider reach to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive lending market.
Arun Kumar B steps in with nearly two decades of experience cutting across financial services, technology transformation and customer analytics. He previously worked with CreditAccess Grameen, where he led enterprise-wide technology and data strategy initiatives and played a pivotal role during a major merger in the microfinance space. His work spanned integrating operations and products while scaling lending and non-credit offerings such as insurance and pensions.
At Muthoot FinCorp, Arun will steer operational excellence and strategic growth initiatives, aligning teams and processes to deliver sharper efficiency across the business. A gold medallist from Anna University and a postgraduate from IIM Indore, he also holds certifications in design thinking, Blue Ocean Strategy and business analytics.
Harjit Singh Takkar takes on the newly created role of chief distribution officer, reporting directly to the chief executive officer. The position is designed to energise the company’s distribution engine and bring greater governance and agility across its branch network.
Takkar brings over 28 years of retail banking experience, having held senior leadership roles at IndusInd Bank, Bandhan Bank, Yes Bank and ICICI Bank. Known for scaling branch networks and building high-performing teams, he combines distribution expertise with governance depth as a qualified company secretary with a master’s degree in finance and control.
In his new role, Takkar will oversee branch business and distribution channels, with a clear brief to expand reach, lift productivity and reinforce the company’s pan-India presence.
Commenting on the appointments, Muthoot FinCorp Ltd. chief executive officer Shaji Varghese, said the company continues to invest in leadership as it scales. “Our purpose is to improve the financial well-being of the common man. As we grow, strengthening leadership across key functions is important to ensure consistency in execution and customer experience,” he said.
With complementary strengths in operations and distribution now in place, Muthoot FinCorp appears set to move from steady expansion to sharper acceleration, backed by people, process and technology working in concert.
