• Who We Are

Built for the Discerning. Designed for What's Next.

A firm built on the belief that truly independent advice delivered with discretion and rigour is the rarest and most valuable thing in finance.

  • Our Story

We didn’t set out to build another financial services firm. Alaya Capital came from a simple frustration: The best opportunities are rarely accessible, and when they are, they’re often buried in noise, poor structuring, or misaligned incentives.

At Alaya Capital, we focus on alternatives and investment banking, but more importantly, we focus on how we do it. We don’t chase deal flow for the sake of it. Every opportunity we look at, structure, or bring forward is something we would stand behind ourselves.

 

Our Foundations

What defines us

01

Global + Indian Markets

Curated access to private opportunities across both Indian and international markets, bridging geographies and connecting our clients to what lies beyond the conventional investment universe.

02

Asas Capital Partnership

Cross-border access and exclusive deal flow through our association with Asas Capital, enabling participation in opportunities beyond traditional networks, across MENA and global markets.

03

Boutique Selectivity at Scale

The intimacy and selectivity of a boutique, combined with structured, cross-border advisory capacity. Independent thinking at every stage, never conflicted by balance sheet interests.

  • Our Team

The People Behind Alaya

  • Himanshu Khandelwal
Co-Founder
  • Niraj Shah
Co-Founder
  • Sameer Shah
Chief Technology Officer
  • Shiana Makhija
Chief HR Officer
  • Kesvinder Singh Suri
Associate Director
  • Smriti Chaudhary
AVP – Investments
  • Dev Mehta
Senior Manager – Product
  • Udit Methi

Manager – Family Office Advisory
  • Rucha Somaiya

Senior Analyst
  • Chinmay Vasdev
Research Analyst
  • Hemlata Pancholi
Manager – Business Development
about
  • Strategic Partnership

Our Association
with Asas Capital

Through our association with Asas Capital, we offer clients meaningful cross-border reach enabling participation in exclusive opportunities beyond traditional networks.

This partnership extends our geographic and strategic footprint, giving clients access to curated global opportunities that would otherwise remain out of reach.

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  • Himanshu Khandelwal
Co-Founder
Himanshu, CEO at Asas Capital, brings over two decades of experience building investment firms, fintech platforms, and cross-border portfolios across the Gulf and beyond. At Alaya Capital, he plays a key role in shaping strategic direction, with a strong ability to identify value early and act decisively. His approach combines long-term vision with execution discipline, driving both growth and opportunity creation.
  • Niraj Shah
Co-Founder
Niraj, former Executive Editor at BloombergQuint and NDTV Profit, brings a strong editorial instinct for structure, clarity, and context to Alaya Capital. He approaches the business with a focus on thoughtful positioning and disciplined communication, ensuring that complexity is presented with precision. He often describes the firm as offering “nuanced variety” — a phrase that reflects both the breadth of its approach and his own attention to detail.
  • Sameer Shah
Chief Technology Officer
Sameer brings over 18 years of experience building and scaling B2B SaaS ventures from the ground up. As Co-Founder and CPO of Bonzai Digital, he led the development of a leading creative management platform with partnerships across Apple, Google, Twitter, and The Trade Desk. At Alaya Capital, he drives technology and product strategy, combining deep technical expertise with a clear understanding of how to build scalable, reliable systems.
  • Shiana Makhija
Chief HR Officer
Shiana brings decades of experience as an HR leader, counselor, and coach, with a strong focus on building disciplined, people-first organizations. At Alaya Capital, she oversees people and culture, ensuring that the firm grows with clarity, structure, and a strong sense of alignment. Her approach combines empathy with practicality, shaping both team dynamics and long-term organizational health.
  • Kesvinder Singh Suri
Associate Director
Kesvinder brings experience across family offices, proprietary trading, and global investment firms, with a strong focus on disciplined analysis and capital allocation. At Alaya Capital, he approaches opportunities with patience and a solutions-oriented mindset, ensuring that decisions are grounded in both detail and long-term value creation. His perspective consistently balances risk, return, and opportunity cost.
  • Smriti Chaudhary
AVP – Investments
Smriti brings a combination of financial rigour and communication clarity, with experience at NDTV Profit and a Big Four firm. At Alaya Capital, she focuses on research, analysis, and presenting investment narratives with precision, ensuring that insights are both thorough and well-articulated. Her work reflects a balance of analytical depth and clear communication.
  • Dev Mehta
Senior Manager – Product
Dev was among the early members shaping the foundation of the business, taking ownership of core systems and how they operate at scale. With a structured and detail-oriented approach, he focuses on building processes and products that are both efficient and intuitive. At Alaya Capital, he works across product and operations, ensuring that decisions are practical, well-reasoned, and built to last.
  • Udit Methi

Manager – Family Office Advisory

Udit focuses on investment analysis and execution, bringing a disciplined and detail-oriented approach to evaluating opportunities. At Alaya Capital, he works closely on deal assessment and decision-making, with a strong emphasis on capital preservation and risk awareness. His approach remains grounded in maintaining consistency and protecting downside while identifying viable opportunities.
  • Rucha Somaiya

Senior Analyst

With experience across equity research, investments and financial analysis, Rucha brings a thoughtful and analytical approach to evaluating opportunities and supporting decision-making. She combines structured thinking with clear communication, presenting insights with precision, clarity, and attention to detail.

  • Chinmay Vasdev
Research Analyst
Chinmay focuses on macroeconomic research, thematic investing, and cross-asset market analysis. At Alaya Capital, he supports investment research and strategic decision-making through fundamental analysis, quantitative insight, and a long-term perspective on global markets.
  • Hemlata Pancholi
Manager – Business Development
With over eight years of experience across finance and client-facing roles, Hemlata works closely with UHNIs and family offices, where much of her work begins with conversations and builds into long-term relationships around capital. Her experience across roles gives her a certain ease with both numbers and people. She’s measured, observant, and prefers to let things build — whether it’s a relationship, an idea, or a deal.