Prashanth Prakash, a founding partner of a US-based venture capital firm, has been conferred with the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award. This significant recognition is a testament to his contributions to trade and industry. Prakash's investment portfolio boasts of notable names such as BlueStone, BookMyShow, CleverTap, FabHotels, and RentoMojo, reflecting his keen eye for promising ventures.
Prakash's journey to this prestigious accolade is a testament to his dedication and commitment. A graduate of Bangalore University, he furthered his education in the United States, earning a Master's degree in Computer Science from the University of Delaware. His entrepreneurial journey began in 1995 with the founding of the animation company Visual Reality. Two years later, he co-founded the IT services company NetKraft.
Prakash's journey
In 2004, Prakash ventured into the world of venture capital when he co-founded the seed-stage fund Erasmic Venture. Upon receiving the award, Prakash expressed his gratitude and acknowledged the significance of the recognition.
He said, "I am honoured to have been awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India. This award recognises the critical role that start-ups and the technology sector have played in our nation-building. With all humility, I accept this award on behalf of Accel India, my partners, colleagues, and everyone else who has worked tirelessly to nurture and strengthen India's start-up ecosystem."
Prakash was among nine distinguished individuals from Karnataka to be honoured with the Padma awards. The list of awardees included luminaries from various fields such as L. Subramanian, a renowned violinist, Anant Nag, a stalwart of Kannada cinema, Bheemavva Doddabalappa Shillekyatara, a puppetry artist, Hassan Raghu, a cinema artist, Ricky Kej, a Grammy-winning musician, Venkappa Ambaji Sugatekar, a folk artist, Vijayalakshmi Deshamane, a medical professional, and A. Surya Prakash, a journalist.
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