Co-founder & CFO, Sigma Group of companies
President, VC Capital Management
Founding Director, Canadian Fallen Soldiers Foundation

Vasu Chanchlani is a serial entrepreneur and a visionary philanthropist supporting projects having transformational impact. His professional career began with Tata Consultancy Services followed by senior roles at the Nortel Networks before starting his high-tech entrepreneurial journey that resulted in successful exits from six technology ventures. His technology ventures attracted world class strategic investor’s likes of Cisco Systems and venture capitalists likes of Kleiner Perkins.
Vasu completed his M. Tech. from IIT Kanpur as well as M.B.A. from Rotman Business School, University of Toronto.

Vasu is actively engaged with his philanthropic projects and besides committing his millions of dollars; he ensures that his support is planned, sustainable and impactful.  He co-founded Canada India Foundation (CIF) for deepening engagement between Canada and India using public policy advocacy platform by engaging highly successful group of Indo-Canadians and friends of Canada India corridor. To support his goal in giving India and Indians a global recognition for their achievements, Vasu created endowment of one million dollar to set-up fund for the “CIF Chanchlani Global Indian Award” that gives $50,000 every year to the award recipient. The award recognizes global leadership, professional excellence and exemplary achievements of leaders who have done the Indian Diaspora proud. The past recipients of this award have been Ratan Tata, Tulsi Tanti, and Sam Pitroda.

Vasu also donated another million dollar towards $10 Million endowment for starting a “Chanchlani India Public Policy Center” at the University of Waterloo, exclusively focused on the Canada-India corridor and its contemporary politics, society and economics. 

He has donated $1 Million towards $10 Millionfund for Chanchlani Research Centre, McMaster University to support in understanding role of genetic and environmental causes of common chronic disease of heart and diabetes among South Asians; develop new strategies for their diagnosis, treatment and prevention; provide a productive and innovative training environment. He has further donated to McMaster University additional $250,000 for a $25,000 annual Chanchlani Global Health Research Award.

Vasu’s visionary philanthropy was again at its best on October 2, 2010 at the unveiling of Monument for the Fallen Soldiers of Canada This mainstream Canadian project is getting major boost with formation of the Canadian Fallen Soldier Foundation with initial contribution of $1 million under leadership of Vasu Chanchlani. The mandate of this foundation is unique as it will provide financial and mentoring support for higher education of the families of the Fallen Soldiers as well venture capital for their entrepreneurial ventures. 

Vasu, through philanthropic entrepreneurialism, is quietly leading others to take mainstream social causes or he is finding opportunities to actively engage and financially support the root issues of the philanthropic projects such as his recent endowment to institute CNIB Chanchlani Global Vision Research Award with the Canadian National Institute for Blind. 

Vasu has also funded two projects in India: a Student Home for the children of landless labourers and destitute in Madhya Pradesh and a Lecture Series at IIT Kanpur on Leadership and Governance. Apart from above said initiatives, there are several other projects that Vasu has supported such as Hospitals, UNICEF, Community organizations, temples and many more. 

Through his philanthropic vision, Vasu has inspired a wide array of professionals and entrepreneurs of the Indian Diaspora to take up issues and causes that would mutually benefit India and Canada. In doing so, he is creating an ecosystem that nurtures and promotes philanthropy for trans-national initiatives. 

Presently, Vasu is actively invested and involved in about twenty businesses including two ventures in India. Awards and accolades for Vasu have followed celebrating his professional, entrepreneurial and philanthropic successes. Vasu was awarded the “Technology Achievement Award” by the Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce for his significant contribution to the field of technology in Canada, South Asian Person of the Year Award 2010, the “Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year” Finalist Award, Top 25 Canadian Immigrant award 2010, Top 30 Power List of Indo-Canadians 2009 and Grant’s Community Achievement award and many more.

All this would not have been possible without the unwavering support of his family members- his wife and two daughters are medical doctors and his son is a final year medical student.

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