Prior to co-founding Elevar, he founded Unitus’ India operations in 2004. He conceptualized Unitus’ India strategy, built the India team and partnered with seven microfinance institutions that cumulatively lent to over 2.5 million women across multiple states. Subsequently, he was Chief Innovation Officer at Unitus, test piloting ideas and projects on a global basis shaping Unitus’ long term strategy. Based on these experiences, Sandeep co-founded Elevar on the view that: “For me, lack of access to basic services for any individual is really an issue of discrimination and must be challenged. If a service can be provided by a business on a low cost, high volume basis to the poor, it is imperative that we leverage the power of markets to scale and provide access to life changing services to millions of individuals and communities.” It is this idea that drives Sandeep “to provide equity to entrepreneurs who challenge discrimination, help them prove their business model, establish the right governance, and raise additional capital to grow.”

Sandeep came to the microfinance world from Nishith Desai Associates (NDA), one
of India’s leading law firms where he founded the firm’s development sector practice, incubated new practice areas and led its corporate law practice (mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, and investments). He also established the firm’s offices in Palo Alto, California and Bangalore, India. Sandeep’s work after the Gujarat earthquake in 2000 on behalf of American India Foundation helped NDA win the Asian Law Firm of the Year (Pro Bono) Award by the International Financial Law Review.

Sandeep serves as a Director of Vistaar LFI, Aarusha Homes, Glocal Healthcare, Shubham and Madura Microfinance and has served as a Director of Ujjivan and Comat Technologies. In different capacities, Sandeep has represented or advised organizations such as Google, Amazon, Ashoka, Singapore Telecom and IL&FS Trust Company. Sandeep has an integrated Law & Arts Honors Degree from the National Law School of India University in Bangalore, India.