Suresh Guduru
About Suresh Guduru
Suresh Guduru, 51, is Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Cartica Acquisition Corp (CRTAF) since May 23, 2023. He holds a B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering (1994) from Nagarjuna University and an M.Tech in Computer Science (1997) from the University of Hyderabad . Under his tenure, Cartica has pursued the business combination with Nidar Infrastructure Limited/Yotta Data Services; Cartica was delisted from Nasdaq on June 4, 2025 and now trades OTC, a governance and liquidity risk for investors . No TSR/revenue/EBITDA performance metrics have been disclosed for Guduru’s role at Cartica .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cartica Acquisition Corp (CRTAF) | Chief Executive Officer; Chairman of the Board | Since May 23, 2023 | Led the SPAC’s pursuit of the Nidar/Yotta business combination; executed extension votes and shareholder communications . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Softengg, Inc. | Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer | Since Sept 1998 | Long-tenured leadership in software and technology services . |
| Namaste World Acquisition Corporation | Chief Executive Officer and Chairman | Since Jun 2021 | Leadership in SPAC sponsor activities (external to Cartica) . |
| Royal Treasures, Inc. | Chairman and Director | Since May 2002 | Retail/wholesale food operations governance . |
| Green Foods, LLC | Managing Member and Director | Since 2008 | Import/grocery/hospitality operations governance . |
| Organic Ingredients, Inc. | Chief Executive Officer | Since Apr 2012 | Food and hospitality operations leadership . |
| Oakmead Village LLC | President | Since Dec 2012 | Real estate business leadership . |
| Gallant Services, Inc. | Chairman and Director | Since Aug 2015 | Retail/wholesale food governance . |
| Yuvika, Inc. | Chief Executive Officer and Chairman | Since Sept 2020 | Jewelry and accessories business leadership . |
| AbSoMa LLC | Managing Member | Since Jun 2021 | Investments and real estate holdings governance . |
Fixed Compensation
Cartica’s policy is that, other than reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses and sponsor-paid administration support, no compensation of any kind is paid to the Sponsor, executive directors or officers prior to completion of the initial business combination . As disclosed, CFO/COO compensation is paid by the Sponsor under an Amended Administrative Support Agreement: $200,000 annual salary and up to $150,000 bonus; no CEO compensation is disclosed by Cartica prior to the combination .
| Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary (CEO) | Not disclosed/none paid by Cartica prior to de-SPAC | Cartica states no executive compensation paid by the company until business combination . |
| Target Bonus (CEO) | Not disclosed | No CEO bonus disclosed; CFO/COO bonus paid by Sponsor (up to $150,000) . |
| Cash Retainers/Meeting Fees (Director) | Not disclosed/none paid by Cartica prior to de-SPAC | No director compensation prior to initial business combination . |
Performance Compensation
Cartica’s executive compensation plans (for the surviving company) will be determined post-combination by Nidar’s compensation committee; Nidar intends to rely on performance-based and equity-based compensation, but specific metrics, weightings, and payouts are not disclosed at Cartica level .
| Incentive Type | Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sponsor Equity at Closing | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | 340,000 Nidar Ordinary Shares to Sponsor | Fully vested at closing; reduces per-share NTBV for non-redeemers as disclosed . |
| Sponsor Earnout Shares | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Up to 4,087,500 Sponsor Earnout Shares | Vesting terms not detailed here; ownership tables assume issued/outstanding in scenarios . |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
Guduru is the managing member of Cartica Acquisition Partners, LLC (the Sponsor) and may be deemed to beneficially own shares held by the Sponsor (disclaims beneficial ownership except pecuniary interest) . Founder Shares are subject to restrictions, including waiver of redemption rights and obligation to vote in favor of a business combination; if no business combination occurs, founder shares and private placement warrants become worthless, creating strong deal consummation incentives .
| Category | Amount/Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Class A Ordinary Shares beneficially owned (via Sponsor) | 4,750,000 (77.89% of Class A) | Guduru may be deemed beneficial owner through Sponsor; disclaims except pecuniary interest . |
| Class B Ordinary Shares beneficially owned (via Sponsor) | 700,000 (70.00% of Class B) | Sponsor record holder; Guduru as managing member . |
| Ownership as % of total outstanding Ordinary Shares | 76.78% | Based on 7,098,096 total shares (6,098,096 Class A; 1,000,000 Class B) . |
| Vested vs Unvested | Not disclosed | No Cartica executive equity plan; restrictions on founder shares per charter/prospectus . |
| Options (Exercisable/Unexercisable) | None disclosed | No equity compensation plans authorized . |
| Shares pledged/hedging | Not disclosed | No pledging/hedging disclosure found . |
| Ownership guidelines/compliance | Not disclosed | Foreign private issuer post-combination; home-country practices . |
Employment Terms
| Term | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employment start date (CEO/Chairman) | May 23, 2023 | Board changes and appointments disclosed . |
| Role tenure in current position | Since May 23, 2023 | As above . |
| Contract term length/expiration | Not disclosed | No CEO employment agreement terms disclosed in filings . |
| Severance provisions | Not disclosed at Cartica level | Pre-closing restrictions on granting severance apply to Nidar Group; not CEO-specific . |
| Change-of-control economics | Not disclosed | No CEO change-of-control terms disclosed . |
| Non-compete/Non-solicit | Not disclosed | No CEO restrictive covenants disclosed . |
| Clawback provisions | Not disclosed | Not provided in Cartica filings . |
Board Governance
Guduru is both CEO and Chairman of the Board (dual role). Independent directors include John F. Levy, Rana Gujral, Kyle Ingvald Parent, and Kishore Kondragunta; committee leadership assigns independent oversight (Audit: Chair John F. Levy; Compensation/Nominating/Corporate Governance: Chair Rana Gujral). Guduru is not listed as a member of these committees, mitigating some dual-role concentration risk . Post-combination, Nidar will be a “controlled company” under Nasdaq rules, potentially exempt from certain independence requirements; while Nidar states it does not intend to rely on exemptions, reliance remains possible and would reduce minority protections .
| Governance Item | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CEO + Chairman dual role | Yes | Guduru serves as CEO and Chairman . |
| Audit Committee | Independent; Chair John F. Levy | Committee membership and chairs disclosed . |
| Compensation/Nominating/Governance Committee | Independent; Chair Rana Gujral | As above . |
| Board meeting attendance rate | Not disclosed | No attendance metrics found . |
| Independence status (Guduru) | Executive; not identified as independent | Independent directors named exclude Guduru . |
| Post-combination committees | Audit, Compensation, Nominating & Governance to be formed with independence/charters | Committee structures and responsibilities outlined . |
| Controlled company risk post-combination | Nidar expected to be controlled; potential governance exemptions | Controlled company disclosure . |
Director Compensation
Cartica discloses that, prior to completion of its initial business combination, no compensation of any kind is paid by the company to the Sponsor, executive directors or officers (independent director fees may be possible only if compliant, but none disclosed). CFO/COO pay is borne by the Sponsor under the administrative support agreement .
| Component | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cash Retainer (Director) | Not disclosed/none paid by Cartica pre-combination | Policy statement . |
| Committee Chair Fees | Not disclosed | No director pay table disclosed . |
| Equity Grants (Director) | Not disclosed | No equity plan authorization . |
| Ownership Guidelines | Not disclosed | Foreign private issuer post-combination . |
Risk Indicators & Red Flags
- Nasdaq delisting and OTC trading since January 13, 2025, with heightened liquidity and trading risks; potential penny-stock treatment and reduced coverage .
- Sponsor control: On the record date, Sponsor beneficially owned ~76.78% of votes; quorum could be achieved without public shares; extension approvals can be passed with Sponsor votes alone .
- Founder shares and private placement warrants become worthless if no business combination, aligning management to consummate a deal potentially at less favorable terms; Guduru has indirect pecuniary interests via Sponsor .
- PFIC considerations and complex tax treatment for shareholders in a blank check company; indicates structural investor risk during pre-combination period .
- Monthly Sponsor loans/contributions to Trust under fourth extension ($0.04 per non-redeemed public share per month) introduce financing dependence and dilution effects for non-redeemers .
Investment Implications
- Pay-for-performance alignment is driven primarily by Sponsor equity (founder shares, private warrants, and closing/earnout shares) rather than cash compensation, creating strong incentives to close the de-SPAC but also potential misalignment versus public holders if deal quality is marginal .
- Governance posture features a CEO/Chairman dual role with independent committee chairs; however, post-combination “controlled company” status may reduce independence requirements if exemptions are used, increasing governance risk; monitor Nidar’s stated intent and actual committee composition post-close .
- Liquidity/trading risks from Nasdaq delisting and OTC trading, combined with high Sponsor voting control and redemption dynamics, can drive volatility around key dates (extension votes, EGM), offering tactical trading setups but raising structural risk for long-only holders .
- Limited individual executive compensation disclosure (foreign private issuer) reduces transparency; absence of pledging/hedging disclosures for Guduru is notable; investors should watch Form 4s and post-close equity plan disclosures for selling pressure or vesting-driven activity .