Radhika Gupta is an Indian business executive. She is MD & CEO of capital investment firm Edelweiss Group.
Wiki/Biography
Radhika Gupta was born on Wednesday, September 14, 1983, in Indian Consulate, Islamabad, Pakistan (39 years old as of 2022). Her zodiac sign is Virgo. Since Radhika Gupta’s father had a transferable job, she completed her education in different schools in different countries. She is an alumna of Delhi Public School (India), American International School of Abuja (Nigeria) and Marymount International School of Rome (Italy).
Radhika Gupta in her graduation speech at school
After completing her studies in 2001, Radhika Gupta studied at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. From 2001 to 2005, she studied there for BSE (Computer Science Engineering) and B.Sc. (Economics), part of the Jerome Fisher Management and Technology Program.
Radhika Gupta holds a graduate degree from the Wharton School
family
Parents and siblings
Her father, Yogesh Gupta, is a diplomat serving in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).
Radhika Gupta and her father Yogesh Gupta
Her mother Arti Gupta is a teacher.
Yogesh Gupta and Arti Gupta
She has a younger brother Anubhav Gupta who is an IT professional.
Radhika and her brother Anubhav Gupta
Radhika Gupta with her family
husband
Her husband, Nalin Moniz, is chief investment officer of Edelweiss Alternative Equities. The couple got married on January 15, 2008.
Radhika Gupta and her husband Nalin Moniz
Relationships/Affairs
Before marrying Nalin Moniz, Radhika Gupta was in a relationship with him.
Radhika Gupta and Nalin Moniz
Profession
Study while working
While studying at the University of Pennsylvania, Radhika Gupta decided to find a part-time job to make ends meet. Radhika said in an interview,
There was no income at that time and the cost of survival was very high. An economics book costs about $300. I studied on an educational grant from the US government, which was a relief. “
During her first year after graduation, she worked as a computer lab assistant at the university. In the second year after graduation, she was hired as a teaching assistant by the school because of her top grades. From 2004 to 2005, Radhika Gupta interned at Microsoft.
Enterprise
After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, Radhika Gupta was employed by an American firm called McKinsey & Company. From 2005 to 2006, she worked there as a business analyst, developing go-to-market strategies for the company’s clients in the technology, pharmaceutical and retail sectors. In 2006, Radhika Gupta started working as a portfolio manager at AQR Capital Management. She worked at the company until 2009. In 2009, during the global recession, Radhika Gupta, Nalin Moniz and a friend from AQR Capital Management decided to quit their jobs in the United States and move back to India to set up their financial firm, Forefront Capital Management, based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Radhika said in an interview why she left the United States and returned to India,
I love change, in fact I thrive on chaos. Becoming an entrepreneur and going it alone was the biggest transition. Starting a business not only helps you change your perspective, it also teaches you to become more resourceful. It teaches you courage. Also, to me, India is a more exciting market because you can have a big impact here. “
Cutout of an article published in a newspaper
In 2014, after four years of running Forefront Capital Management, Radhika Gupta and her partners decided to sell the company to Edelweiss Group. After the merger of the two companies, Radhika Gupta was hired by the Edelweiss Group as business director. From 2014 to 2017, she served as Business Head of Edelweiss Multi-Strategy Funds Management Pvt. In 2017, she succeeded Vikaas Sachdeva and was promoted to Managing Director and CEO of Edelweiss. After becoming CEO, Radhika Gupta claimed in an interview that she was not sure whether to apply for the position, but her husband encouraged and motivated her to apply. She said in an interview,
When the CEO position opened up, I was faced with the dilemma of whether I should apply for the position. I was very demoralized because I thought out of all the applications, there were people with more experience than me, why would they choose me? It was Nalin who asked me to apply because he believed that I was definitely the best candidate for the job. I started to move up the corporate ladder. I turned into a sari in a room full of suits, but I didn’t want to let that stop me from raising my hands for opportunity. “
In 2019, Eidelweiss was selected by the Indian government, under the leadership of Radhika Gupta, to assist the government in managing its corporate debt ETF account. The government chose Eidelweiss over larger banking players such as HDFC Asset Management and ICICI Prudential Asset Management.
Awards
- In 2022, Radhika Gupta won the Young Global Leader Award from the World Economic Forum.
- In 2021, her name appeared in India Today’s list of the most powerful women in Indian business.
- In the same year, she received the Impact Maker Award from the Government of Maharashtra.
Maharashtra Governor honors Radhika Gupta with Impact Maker Award
- In 2021, her name appeared in India Today’s list of ‘100 Indians of the Future’.
- In 2021, her name was included in the list of 40 business leaders under 40 by The Economic Times.
- In 2020, her name was mentioned in Fortune India’s list of the 50 most powerful women in business.
- In 2020, LinkedIn mentioned her name in Top Voices (Finance & Economics, Global).
- In 2019, Business Today included her name in the list of the 30 most powerful women in Indian business.
- In the same year, AIWM India mentioned her name in the list of ‘100 Women Leaders in Finance’.
- In 2005, the University of Pennsylvania awarded her the Faculty Appreciation Award for Outstanding Achievement.
- That same year, the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science awarded her the Senior Design Thesis Award – Computer Science Award.
- In 2005, the University of Pennsylvania awarded her the Alice Paul Award for her outstanding contributions as a female leader.
Favorites
Facts/Trivia
- According to Radhika Gupta, she had suicidal thoughts in 2006 after being rejected by more than seven companies. She even told her friends to commit suicide by jumping from the 19th floor of the girls’ dormitory where she used to live. .Recounting the incident, she claimed,
I was rejected by seven companies one by one. It broke my spirit. I began to have serious doubts about my abilities because I had no idea what was wrong with me. I sat in my room on the 19th floor and told my friend, enough is enough, so I jumped out of the window and committed suicide. My friend immediately reported it to the authorities and I was admitted to a psychiatric ward. When I interviewed at McKinsey, I begged them to let me go, I was released, and the firm hired me. “
- In 2019, 36-year-old Radhika Gupta became India’s youngest CEO.
- In 2021, Business Today magazine published an article about Radhika Gupta.
Article about Radhika Gupta published in Business Today
- In the same year, the Indian Navy invited Radhika Gupta to address naval officers at the Naval War College, Goa.
Radhika Gupta delivers a speech at Naval War College Goa
- In 2021, Radhika Gupta was invited to speak at the Influencer Program organized by LinkedIn.
Radhika Gupta speaks at LinkedIn Influencer Program
- State Bank of India (SBI) has invited Radhika Gupta in 2021 to conduct an educational session for SBI’s over 60,000 female employees on how to grow savings through investments.
Radhika Gupta congratulated by State Bank of India Governor
- In 2022, “India Today” published an article about Radhika Gupta.
India Today publishes article on Radhika Gupta
- Radhika Gupta is the author of Infinite: The Power to Unleash Your True Potential. The book will be published in 2022.
Pictures from the book “Limitless” by Radhika Gupta
- According to Radhika Gupta, she was often bullied by her classmates because of her disability. She also claimed she was bullied for her thick Indian accent, causing her to lose confidence. She also said that her classmates called her the “Crooked Neck Girl” and that when she was a child, she was often compared to her mother in appearance. She said in an interview,
I was born with a twisted neck, and if that wasn’t enough, I was always the new kid in town, changing countries every three years. In seventh grade, I was an awkward freshman surrounded by peers who laughed at my thick Indian accent. They call me “Apu” after the character from The Simpsons. They even called me derogatory names, like “torticollis,” or “crooked neck.” I shared my childhood insecurities about my appearance, struggles with rejection, and subsequent suicide attempts. I let go of all my baggage. My speech spread far and wide—I became known as “the girl with the broken neck.” They compared me to my mom who was a teacher at my school. She was an amazing woman and people were always telling me how ugly I looked in comparison; my confidence plummeted. “
- Radhika Gupta once said in an interview that when she was in her mother’s womb, she was very overweight; therefore, the weight of her body put tremendous pressure on her neck, causing her neck to become… Gotta bend. she says,
I’m severely overweight. When I was in my mother’s womb, the extra weight put a lot of pressure on my neck. So, I was born with a crooked neck. The tilt of my neck was almost invisible until I was a chubby little kid, but as I started losing the extra baby fat as I grew, it became more and more obvious to me and others. So, yeah, you could say I’m one of those people who actually regrets losing weight. “
Radhika Gupta as a child, her parents holding her
- Radhika Gupta is polyglot and speaks three languages. She is fluent in Hindi, English and Italian.
- Radhika Gupta has played bridge at the tournament level.
- Radhika appeared as a judge in the business reality television series Shark Tank India (Season 3) in November 2023; the show aired on Sony Entertainment Television and was streamed on SonyLIV.
Radhika Gupta (center) with other judges on the show “Shark Tank India” (Season 3) (2023)
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education