Nikita Rajwade

Nikita Rajwade of LNR is increasingly recognised as a rising practitioner in India’s venture capital and early-stage investments landscape. As the Founding and Managing Partner of the firm, she has developed a focused practice advising on high-velocity startup financings and early-stage deal structures. Clients highlight her commercial astuteness, depth of preparation, and ability to deliver concise, solution-oriented guidance under time-sensitive conditions.

Her practice spans a broad range of venture mandates, including pre-seed, seed, and Series A equity financings, venture debt transactions, secondary sales, and founder exit and re-organisation structures. She is known for her meticulous approach to investor/founder rights, governance frameworks, and cap-table alignment, as well as her capability to manage negotiations involving multiple stakeholder groups. Her understanding of founder–investor dynamics allows her to streamline transactions while balancing commercial objectives with regulatory requirements.

Nikita advises emerging funds and high-growth startups across sectors, with clients valuing her ability to map risks early, anticipate negotiation challenges, and craft structures that are both compliant and commercially workable.

In addition to her transactional practice, she serves as External General Counsel to Social Alpha, India’s multi-stage innovation curation and venture development platform. In this role, she leads the Investments and Governance function, where she focuses on developing internal governance systems, implementing compliance processes, and supporting a diverse pipeline of early-stage and impact-driven investments.

She has been commended for her balanced and practical approach to transactions and deal-making, and for providing advice that is both clear and grounded in the realities of early-stage growth.

Prior to founding LNR in 2022, Nikita worked with leading Indian law firms - IndusLaw, Trilegal, and Rajaram Legal (now River Law). During her time at these firms, she advised on several high-visibility and first-of-its-kind venture investments, gaining significant exposure to complex equity and debt structures, founder and investor negotiations, and the evolving regulatory landscape. Her experience coincided with a period of rapid expansion in India’s venture ecosystem, giving her the opportunity to work closely with emerging companies and funds at formative stages of their growth.

Karnataka State Bar Council

Gujarat National Law University

B.A., LL.B (Hons.)

2011 - 2016

English, Kannada, Hindi and Telugu