BANGALORE, India, Dec. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SmartOwner, India's first and largest online marketplace for real estate investors, has announced the induction of three new members to its board of directors.
Joining the board are Gautham Pai, managing director of Manipal Technologies; Mohan Lakhamraju, founder and CEO of Great Learning; and Akshay Kothari, country head of LinkedIn India.
"As the growth of SmartOwner accelerates, we welcome the addition of these outstanding new board members, each of whom has unique strengths to contribute," said CEO Vikram Chari. "All three have deep experience in technology and business but have diverse perspectives to offer, such as Gautham Pai's knowledge of large-scale operations and category leadership, Mohan Lakhamraju's background in venture capital and digital platforms, and Akshay Kothari's expertise in cutting-edge digital technologies. "
About Gautham Pai
Gautham Pai is the longtime managing director of Manipal Technologies Ltd (formerly Manipal Press), an organization he has served since 2001. Manipal Technologies is India's largest manufacturer of banking and smartcards and the country's leading provider of integrated digital and print-tech solutions. Mr. Pai's other current leadership roles include managing director of the Manipal Media Group and chairman of Primacy Industries. Prior to this, he led Manipal Informatics and Zeta Infotech.
In 2015, Mr. Pai became the youngest recipient of the Mumbai Mudrak Sangh Lifetime Achievement Award. His global affiliations include Singularity University, the Silicon Valley think tank and business accelerator.
About Mohan Lakhamraju
Mohan Lakhamraju is an established business executive with a focus on education. He is the founder and CEO of Great Learning, a digital aided-learning platform for professionals. He simultaneously serves as vice chairman and CEO of the Great Lakes Institute of Management, one of India's leading business schools. Prior to this, Mr. Lakhamraju was the country head in India for Tiger Global, one of the world's largest venture funds.
Mr. Lakhamraju holds an MBA from Stanford University, a master's in computer science from the University of California-Berkeley, and a bachelor's in computer science from IIT-Bombay.
About Akshay Kothari
Akshay Kothari is the country head of LinkedIn India, which is the professional network's second largest market worldwide. Before joining LinkedIn, Mr. Kothari was best known as the founder and CEO of Pulse News, whose award-winning personalized news application drew accolades from Steve Jobs and other thought leaders and was acquired by LinkedIn for $90 million.
Mr. Kothari's educational background includes Stanford University, from which he earned his master's in electrical engineering, and Purdue University, where he earned a bachelor's in electrical engineering and currently serves as a member of the advisory board.
About SmartOwner
Founded by Silicon Valley veterans, SmartOwner aims to make Indian property ownership a safe and profitable experience. SmartOwner offers carefully curated properties from the fastest-growing cities of India, in the best locations within those cities and from the top developers. Each project comes with a title opinion from a top law firm and is offered only after passing rigorous due diligence. For added security and transparency, all transactions take place through an escrow account at a leading bank.
After a holding period, the client may opt to resell the property through SmartOwner's marketing subsidiary. The company's innovative approach has made it possible for clients to earn reliable profits in a hassle-free manner. In the nine projects that SmartOwner has launched and exited, clients have earned an average annual return of 25.65%.
In addition to Mr. Pai, Mr. Lakhamraju and Mr. Kothari, SmartOwner's board of directors consists of Vikram Chari, who founded SmartOwner and serves as its CEO; Bala Parthasarathy, who is presently chairman and CEO of MoneyTap, India's first app-based credit line; and Shripati Acharya, who founded and serves as managing partner of Prime Venture Partners, one of India's premier early stage funds.
More details on SmartOwner and its board are found at smartowner.com.
Media Contact:
SmartOwner
Elizabeth Bowden-David
Director of Communications
+91 80 4667 9623
138997@email4pr.com
To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/three-new-directors-join-the-board-of-smartowner-300383020.html
SOURCE SmartOwner
![](https://rt.newswire.ca/rt.gif?NewsItemId=PH76256&Transmission_Id=201612230830PR_NEWS_USPR_____PH76256&DateId=20161223)