Niva Cherukuri
Strategy professional with experience across growth strategy, market analysis and innovation ecosystems
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About
Strategy professional with experience across growth strategy, market analysis and innovation ecosystems. Worked on strategic problem solving and execution support across startup ecosystems, industrial sectors and investment-enablement initiatives.
Experience includes commercial research, ecosystem assessments and developing structured recommendations for senior stakeholders.
Experience
Senior Associate – Advisory (Startups & Innovation, Electronics & Semiconductors) at PwC India (2023-09 – Present)
- Conducted market assessments, competitive analyses and ecosystem studies to support growth strategy and sector development initiatives across innovation-led sectors.
- Supported evaluation of industrial investment proposals exceeding INR 70,000 crore, contributing analytical inputs for investment assessment, prioritisation and decision support.
- Worked extensively with private sector stakeholders — including startups, manufacturers, industry associations and investors — to assess business constraints, growth opportunities and ecosystem gaps.
- Supported strategic assessments related to competitiveness, operating models and sector positioning, including benchmarking and commercial analyses.
- Supported market entry and growth strategy engagements in the electronics sector, including: Market assessment for the camera module market in India for a proposed JV between an Indian company and a Taiwanese manufacturer, including demand analysis, competitive landscape and supply chain considerations. Market entry assessment for a Japanese leadframe manufacturer exploring entry into India via a JV with a domestic fabrication player, including ecosystem evaluation, partner landscape and strategic positioning.
- Developed structured analyses, recommendations and executive materials for senior stakeholders.
Senior Associate – Advisory (Sector Strategy and Investment Ecosystems) at PwC India (2023-09 – Present)
Selected Relevant Experience - Sector Strategy and Investment Ecosystems (Electronics & Semiconductors)
- Contributed to strategic work at the intersection of sector growth, investment promotion and ecosystem development.
- Engaged with private sector players to inform recommendations related to supply chain gaps, infrastructure needs and growth bottlenecks.
- Contributed to feasibility assessments and concept development for ecosystem-building initiatives in advanced manufacturing and innovation support.
Senior Associate – Advisory (Fund Structuring and Startup Capital Access) at PwC India (2023-09 – Present)
Selected Relevant Experience - Fund Structuring and Startup Capital Access (Uttarakhand Venture Fund)
- Supported end-to-end design inputs for a Fund-of-Funds structure involving public and private capital participation, including benchmarking domestic and global fund models, fund architecture design inputs and operating guidelines.
- Contributed analytical inputs on comparable Category I and II AIF structures, governance considerations, deployment approaches and market positioning to support fund structuring.
- Supported analysis of startup funding gaps, investor landscape dynamics and institutional interventions aimed at improving access to growth-stage capital.
Research Associate at J-PAL South Asia (2021-06 – 2023-08)
- Led analytical work on economic and market interventions, including research design, quantitative analysis and structured insight generation.
- Managed end-to-end execution of multi-stakeholder programs, including planning, monitoring and risk management.
- Built and analysed large datasets to generate evidence-based recommendations.
- Managed and trained a 50-member field team and coordinated with senior stakeholders and research partners.
Research & M&E Associate at AP Mahila Abhivruddhi Society (APMAS) (2020-01 – 2021-12)
- Strengthened monitoring and evaluation frameworks across development programmes.
- Built project-level data systems and supported proposal development, including contributions to a UNICEF-approved urban WASH project.
Research Intern at ICRISAT (2019-01 – 2019-12)
Education
MSc. in Economics (Agribusiness) – Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics
Diploma in Quantitative Economics – Symbiosis School of Economics
BA in Economics – St. Francis College, Osmania University
