Arka Capital extends Lakshmi Venkatesan’s term as Chief Executive Officer

The board of Arka Capital has extended Lakshmi Venkatesan’s term as chief executive officer, effective 30 April 2026. She has led the asset manager since 2023.

Arka manages money for domestic retail investors through a distribution network concentrated in tier-two cities. Venkatesan has resisted pressure to compete for metropolitan direct-platform flows, arguing that distribution cost is the firm’s moat rather than its problem because its investors hold funds materially longer than the industry average.

She began her career in operations at a custodian bank and moved into asset management in 2008. She chairs an industry working group on investor-disclosure simplification.