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Avendus elevates tech veteran Karan Sharma to MD as Mizuho acquisition reshapes strategy

Japan's Mizuho Securities' majority stake acquisition of Avendus has triggered a leadership reshuffle designed to free founder Gaurav Deepak for cross-border expansion while deepening the firm's technology focus.

15 yearsTenure at Avendus

Banking1 min read

Avendus Group just announced a major internal leadership shift: Karan Sharma has been elevated to Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking.
Image: Finsamudra LinkedIn archive

Avendus Group announced that Karan Sharma has been elevated to Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking, taking over daily operations of the division from co-founder and CEO Gaurav Deepak. The move signals a deliberate shift in leadership structure following Mizuho Securities' majority stake acquisition in late 2025.

Sharma is not an external hire but a 15-year Avendus veteran who previously co-headed the firm's Digital, Technology, and Consumer practice. His appointment from within underscores the firm's strategic intent to embed technology leadership at the highest levels of its investment banking operations.

By stepping back from day-to-day banking leadership, Deepak gains bandwidth to focus on broader strategic expansion alongside Avendus' new Japanese parent company. This division of responsibilities—operational leadership under Sharma, strategic direction under Deepak—reflects how the firm is reorganizing for a post-acquisition era.

The elevation of a tech-focused MD to lead investment banking sends a clear signal about where Avendus expects the highest-value deal flow to concentrate: digital ecosystem firms, cross-border M&A, and mega-IPOs in India's maturing tech sector. As Indian startups increasingly pursue international exits, the positioning matters.

Mizuho's acquisition marks a inflection point for Avendus' growth trajectory. The Japanese financial giant's backing removes capital and bandwidth constraints that historically limited domestic advisory firms' ability to compete for mega-deals and cross-border mandates.

Why it matters

For DSAs and lending partners, Avendus' repositioning under Mizuho signals how India's credit and advisory ecosystems are consolidating. Global capital backing local franchise expertise—as evidenced here—creates formidable competitors in the deal sourcing and corporate restructuring space. DSAs working on acquisition finance, refinancing, or capital structure advisory should expect Avendus to emerge as a more aggressive referral partner and competitor.

For lenders and NBFCs offering growth or acquisition finance, this restructuring reflects a broader pattern: technology-focused advisory firms are reshaping India's M&A landscape. Firms like Avendus are increasingly likely to drive deal flow toward specific lenders or capital structures. Understanding their strategic priorities—in this case, digital ecosystem M&A—helps lenders position their products and relationship teams accordingly.

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Finsamudra DeskNewsroom · 22 Jun 2026, 6:00 pm IST
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