Family offices as a concept has moved from just treasury operations as a side-activity for corporate and business houses to a more mature discipline. Although it still has a long way to go before matching up and syncing with global best practices, it has surely come up as a more nuanced source of capital for domestic businesses and asset classes.
But family offices have to strike a balance between growing the already accumulated wealth with the right mix of diversification and risk mitigation practices so that the strategy ensures preservation of the existing capital for the next generation and prevents erosion of the base.
Those managing family offices have to consider various factors as they prepare their playbook, be it diversification across asset classes, geographies, tax implications and more importantly doing all this while filtering out the short-term market noise.
Even as family offices, both structured in a single or multi-family office structure, continue to gain heft, their role and participation is still evolving. How has it changed, so far? How do family offices view their current standing in the ecosystem, and how does it help achieve their respective goals? Does an active managed portfolio or a more passive one suit a family office? Does the newly crafted Gift City have the right ingredients for allowing family offices to diversify their geographic play and invest overseas?
To discuss these and more, VCCircle is hosting the second edition of Family Office Summit on July 26, 2024, in Mumbai. This takes forward the inaugural edition in 2023 that saw a packed house with a stellar list of speakers and movers and shakers with billions of dollars to deploy across assets in the attendee list.
Shalil Gupta, Business Head, VCCircle
Anitesh Dharam, Head, VCCEdge
Public equity market has been on a tear over the last 3-4 years. The inherent shock absorbers have seen through regulatory tides and stress test in the mid and small cap pack too. This poses a strong competition for alternative investment funds who need to offer an ‘illiquidity premium’ to attract capital. But alternatives also provide diversification and access to a different set of asset class in the private market. What would it take for family offices to allocate a larger sum to the private market in the age of public market outperformance?
Speakers:
Nikhil Chandak, Managing Director & Head Investments (Family Office), JM Financial Ltd
Naveen Sharda, Investment Director, Latium Enterprises
Moderator:
Siddhant Mishra, Principal Correspondent, VCCircle
Many family offices have burnt their hands with active investment practice in the startup space while others have been frustrated with the illiquidity with third party fund managers in the alternatives space. How do family offices strike the right balance between their active and passive investment portfolio?
Speakers:
Sachin Jain, CIO / Head of Investment (Family Office), SUKVI Ventures
Jai Rupani, Head, Dinesh Hinduja Family Office
Anoop Tulsyan, Group CFO, Ashok Goel Family Office
Archana Jahagirdar, Founder and MD , Rukam Capital
Moderator:
Priyal Mahtta, Senior Correspondent, VCCircle
Debt or private credit can bring the much-needed risk mitigation for family offices that is equally concerned about preservation of capital. As a fixed return play, how can family offices maximise returns with low returns from this asset class? What has been the experience to date from the asset and has it met expectations of the family offices?
Speakers:
Deepak Padaki, President, Catamaran
Piyush Gupta, Head of Credit Markets, Investec Capital
Moderator:
Siddhant Mishra, Principal Correspondent, VCCircle
Just like managing a company or business group, promoters need to take a call on how to professionalise the management of their family office. While in some cases the next generation are equally capable of running the show, in many instances bringing an external voice helps in taking the right investment calls. When and to what extent do family offices need to bring a professional touch to the system?
By Rishabh Mariwala, Managing Partner, Sharrp Ventures | Harsh Mariwala Family Office
Moderator:
Sreeja Biswas, Correspondent, VCCircle
It is not just important to grow the money but also plan it out so that it is tax efficient at the time of monetisation. Those investing in India have moved on from a defacto Mauritius domiciled entity to make bets. As regulators have become more vigilant about round tripping and opening of new opportunities such as the Gift City, family offices now have a bigger canvas to chart out how they route their investments. What are the learnings and what do pundits advise for the future?
Speakers:
Vivek Tolat, Chief Investment Officer and Head of Family Office Investments, KCT Group Trust
Manish Khurana, Co-founder & Director, Innovations Venture studio
Anant Kharad, Vice President, TH Healthcare & Life Sciences
Kunal Palta, VP & Chief investment officer- Family Office, Hero Cycles Ltd
Moderator:
Priyal Mahtta, Senior Correspondent, VCCircle
What are the key factors in creating an effective and fitting succession plan. The best education to create the next generation of family office leaders. How to deal with change and conflict for a stable family office future.
Nitai Utkarsh, Lead FO - Investment Strategy & Chairman's Family Office, Hero FO
Aarti Gupta, CIO - Family Office, DM Gupta & Anikarth Ventures
Moderator:
Sreeja Biswas, Correspondent, VCCircle
New asset classes such as NFTs and bitcoins have seen their highs and lows. At the same time, family offices also have to juggle with the availability of other unconventional and nuanced investment classes such as art, antiques etc. How should family offices handle such assets and create the guardrails from tripping over momentum driven plays or the FOMO act?
Speakers:
Vatsal Kanakiya, CEO, 100X.VC & Partner, Mehta Ventures
Juhi Agarwal, CIO, Scan Holdings Pvt LTd.
Moderator:
Priyal Mahtta, Senior Correspondent, VCCircle
Real estate has been traditionally the first choice for anyone with extra cash. But the character of real estate investing has changed from the plain vanilla land to multiple opportunities with family offices having to choose between residential and commercial assets; one project or a bunch of income generating assets under REIT and more. What is the right mix for those looking for the touch and feel of a real estate asset?
Speakers:
Girish Singhi, Co-Chief Investment Officer, Welspun One
Adrija Agarwal, Founder, Sattva Ventures
Siddharth Kothari, Chief Investment Strategist, Om Kothari Group Family Office
Navin Dhanuka, Founder and CEO, Altern Capital
Moderator:
Siddhant Mishra, Principal Correspondent, VCCircle
Debt or private credit can bring the much-needed risk mitigation for investors, be it family offices or fund of funds, who want to have a more predictable return profile for their own LPs. What has been the experience to date from the asset and what are the compelling reasons for investors to have it in their basket? How is the credit play working for new age lenders and their intermediaries?
Yashveer Yadav, Chief Business Officer, Oister Global
Ashish Goyal, Co-founder & CFO, Fibe (formerly known as Early Salary)
Moderator:
Priyal Mahtta, Senior Correspondent, VCCircle
Real assets have long been a cornerstone of portfolio construction for both institutional investors and now increasingly family offices. As the Indian market matures, the landscape for real assets is evolving, presenting unique opportunities and challenges. As India continues to develop and modernize, real assets will remain a vital component of diversified investment portfolios. Understanding the nuances of the market, leveraging regulatory frameworks, and staying ahead of trends will be crucial for investors looking to capitalize on the potential of real assets in India.
Subahoo Chordia, President and Head - Real Assets, Edelweiss Alternatives
Moderator:
Shalil Gupta, Business Head, VCCircle
In this session, we will delve into the critical aspects of building operational resilience within family offices, equipping participants with the knowledge and strategies necessary to navigate challenges, mitigate risks, and ensure continuity in the face of adversity. As family offices become increasingly complex and interconnected, the need to establish robust operational frameworks has never been more imperative.
Speakers:
Nilang Jain, CIO, GreenGen Family Office
Vishesh Narang, Co-Founder of VNAM, Head Of Family Office at UKPI(Promoter of Berger Paints India)
Moderator:
Sreeja Biswas, Correspondent, VCCircle
Archana Jahagirdar is at the forefront of transforming the entrepreneurial and startup ecosystem in India. As the Founder and Managing Partner of Rukam Capital, an early-stage consumer-focused VC fund, she stands out as one of the few women general partners in venture capital both in India and globally. Archana’s sharp intuition and deep understanding of the Indian markets define her illustrious journey.
Achievements
Early Career and Contributions:
Before founding Rukam Capital, Archana excelled in deal sourcing, setting up accelerators, and collaborating with the Indian Angel Network. Her early-stage investing expertise is demonstrated in brands like Burger Singh. Her transactional acumen is matched by her ability to scale portfolio companies and foster relationships with tier-1 funds.
Rukam Capital: Founded in 2019, Rukam Capital has invested in 18 companies across various sectors, including Sleepy Owl, GoDesi, BECO, Pilgrim, Curefoods, and Yoho. Archana believes in the economic impact of catalyzing entrepreneurial spirit, which inspired her to launch Rukam Capital.
Rukam Sitara: A tech fund launched to capture value in India's dynamic tech landscape.
Startup Ecosystem Events: Key organizer of New Delhi Slush’d, India’s licensed avatar of Slush Helsinki, and Startup Makakumbh. Co-led the Indian startup delegation at Latitude 59, Estonia.
Bootstrap Incubation and Advisory Foundation: Founded a non-profit organization aimed at creating a community for early-stage startup founders, investors, business enthusiasts, industry experts, and other stakeholders.
Education:
Archana holds bachelor's and master’s degrees in literature from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University.
Ashish Goyal is the Co-Founder and CFO at Fibe, top consumer lending application for digital Indian in India. He oversees the overall strategic direction of the company and focuses on enhancing Fibe’s market position and growth strategy. He also focuses on building the liability side for the company.
Backed by over 22 years of experience across diverse financial services, Ashish has imparted a dynamic approach to his Fintech venture in India. Under his leadership, technology and analytics are at the forefront of consistently delivering a better customer experience while providing best-in-class risk management. He has envisaged a mission for Fibe to become the first credit choice for every digital Indian.
Previously, Ashish was associated with Bajaj Allianz Group as Chief Investment Officer — responsible for managing Assets Under Management (AUM) of $7 billion. As a veteran, he has a deep understanding of the financial markets. Ashish is a rank holder Chartered Accountant from The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. When off work, he simply read.
Manish Khurana, Deploying strategies & innovations to scale startups & SMBs | Venture Studio | Startup Funding & Growth New Delhi, Delhi, India
An Ex-Banker. I am a Co-founder & Director at Innovations Venture Studio & LMD2 Capadvisors- a group of angels.
My recent addition is "Innovations - A Venture Studio". With a motto focused on ethics, we help deserving startups flourish while we act as a support system!
With a family background in Educational ventures, I work as a trustee for our educational trusts and society, thus contributing my bit to the social welfare.
My key areas of accountabilities are Deal Origination, driving coinvestments with other VC funds, Family Offices & Angel Investors. I also overlook the Portfolio Life-cycle investments & Exits.
I hold the strong belief in designing customer centric organizations for Value Innovation that have the potential to eliminate Value - Cost trade offs.
Passion & diligence are two traits that I believe reflect me as an individual and I firmly believe that these are the keys to success in any endeavour that one sets their mind to.
I enjoy embracing the lessons learned from failure, stand up and continue to grow!
Navin has over 21 years of experience in RE investments across India. He has managed investments of more than ?15,000 cr across 100+ transactions across capital stack of debt, mezzanine and equity investments.
He was an integral part of the leadership team of Piramal Capital, where he was leading RE investments for Bangalore & Hyderabad region and Hospitality (Pan India). He also led exit strategy for Piramal on Pan India. Prior to Piramal, he was leading investments at Walton Street Capital (a US based Real Estate Private Equity Fund). He was the founding member of Real Estate, Hospitality & Construction Finance Divisions at Ernst & Young.
Navin also has an eye for equity investments as he is an angel investor in multiple startups. He has been rewarded multiple awards – CXO of the Year 2023 by Reality+ while also being the Economic Times CEO of the Year 2022.
Navin is an esteemed thought leader in the industry, often invited as a keynote speaker at industry forums, sharing insights and perspectives on the real estate sector. Navin’s strategic vision and profound industry knowledge drive the Firm’s commitment to transform the landscape of Indian real estate with trust, transparency, and higher risk adjusted returns.
Subahoo Chordia, President and Head of Real Assets at Edelweiss Alternative Asset Advisors Limited with over 23 years of diverse expertise encompassing business strategies, fund management, asset management, and more. Notably, he pioneered and founded India's first real assets yield fund, leveraging differentiated operating capabilities and technology. Currently, he spearheads Edelweiss' Real Assets Businesses, including Infrastructure Yield Plus Fund, Infrastructure Trusts (InvITs), Commercial Rental Yield Plus Fund, and Energy Transition Fund.
He has executed transactions worth ~USD 7.5 bn and has been part of various prestigious leading global industry forums/associations like UN Sustainability Council and InvIT association board.
Piyush is Head of Credit Markets, Investec Capital. Piyush has over 25 years’ experience in Indian and Asian Credit & Fixed Income markets. He was previously MD & Head of Fixed Income at JP Morgan and MD & Co-Head of Global Markets at Deutsche Bank India.
Mr. Anoop Tulsyan has a wealth of experience spanning more than 20 years in the financial services industry. He is thorough professional with a diverse background in the areas of Accounts & Finance. Prior to joining Ashok Goel Family Office as the Group Chief Financial Officer, Mr.Tulsyan has held positions at AION Capital Partners, a private equity funds managed jointly by ICICI Venture and Apollo USA, and at Motilal Oswal Financial Services Limited. He has made significant contributions to the growth of these organizations during his tenure, and has gain extensive experience in portfolio monitoring, financial advisory, equity research, financial analysis and taxation. He has also worked in the private equity fund industry for over 10 years.
Dr. Aarti Gupta is a seasoned investment strategist who has been at the helm of her family office (DM Gupta Family, Jagran Group) for the past 13 years. She is also the Chief Investment Officer at Anikarth Ventures, an angel-investing firm that invests in innovative early-stage start-ups with transformative solutions.
In her commitment to women's entrepreneurship, Dr. Gupta serves as the National Head for FICCI FLO Start-ups, focusing on women founders and investors. She is also an independent director with Jindal Stainless Steels and contributes to the boards of several family-owned businesses and start-ups, leveraging her expertise in investment strategy. Furthermore, as the founder of the Anikarth Foundation, she champions initiatives for women's financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and job readiness.
A recognized TEDx speaker, Dr. Gupta addresses financial literacy, entrepreneurship, investment strategies, and women's empowerment. She gained recognition as an investor on India's first reality start-up funding TV show, "Horses Stable", where she sought companies with innovative solutions to significant problems. Recognized for her contributions, Inc42 listed her among the 30 Top Women Torchbearers in the country, and Priwexus honored her as the ‘Woman in Family Office Thought Leader 2023’. She chairs the Start-up Committee of the Merchant Chamber of UP and serves on the board of Harvard Alumni for Global Women's Empowerment.
Dr. Gupta's academic credentials include a PhD in Economics from IIT Kanpur, a post-graduate diploma in business studies from Harvard University, and a Master's degree in Economics from Northeastern University.
Anant has an experience of over 11 years in the healthcare and life sciences industry. In his previous role, Anant was leading investments for the Times Group focusing on healthcare, consumer and D2C brands. He has also worked at the healthcare practices of many boutique investment banks advising companies in PE and M&A transactions.
Deepak Padaki President As President of Catamaran, Deepak is responsible for driving the overall performance of the firm’s portfolio by formulating and executing its investment strategy, asset allocation and risk management policies. Deepak has over 30 years of experience in the Global IT Services and Software Product industry. He was Executive Vice President, Group Head of Strategy & Chief Risk Officer at Infosys Limited (NYSE: INFY) until June 2022. He played various roles at Infosys – including Strategy, M&A, Venture Funding, Risk Management, Business Development, Software Engineering and Project Management. He was a member of the Board of Infosys’ Software subsidiaries in Israel, the Netherlands, USA, Japan, and India. He was the Vice President of the Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce, a lead member of the start-up and Knowledge Management Councils of the Confederation of Indian Industry and a member of the Strategy and Risk Officers’ Councils of the World Economic Forum. In his spare time, he is active in community theatre and serves on the managing committee of Bangalore Little Theatre. Deepak holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Science from the University of Mysore, India.
Jai is a man who wears many hats. As the Head of the Dinesh Hinduja Family Office (DHFO), he oversees investments across all asset classes for the group: real estate, equities, bonds, structured products, private equity, and venture capital. Mr. Rupani led the real estate development efforts at Gokaldas Lifestyle, a group company of DHFO, for several years before taking the helm at the family office.
Before joining the Gokaldas Group, Mr. Rupani was part of the investment team at True North (erstwhile India Value Fund), a USD 2.2 billion private equity fund in Mumbai. During his tenure at True North, Jai led the investments into Merucabs (one of India’s first taxi-aggregation companies) and ACT Broadband (a leading IPTV and broadband service provider). Prior to True North, Mr. Rupani was an investment banker with The Royal Bank of Canada Capital Markets Group in their San Francisco office for several years. At RBC Capital Markets, Jai was integral to the technology investment banking team managing IPOs, private placements, and M&A deals. He has completed his formal education at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (BBA) and the University of Texas at Austin (MBA) in the United States. In his free time, he enjoys mentoring start-ups, playing golf, and spending time with his family.
Ms. Juhi Agarwal is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of the Family Office of Scan Holdings Group. She specializes in strategic wealth management and investment planning.
With a Masters in Management from ESSEC Business School in France, Juhi has studied and worked in three of the top global economies: India, France, and the USA. Her professional journey includes significant roles with multinationals such as Pepsi in India and Nestle in France, and successfully running and exiting her own ‘online’ profitable venture at an early age of 18. She has had prominent engagements in the start-up world with Carolina Angel Networks and TAP in North Carolina, USA.
Her travel exposure in over 42 countries across the globe has given her a deep understanding of business, culture, global economies and geopolitics. Additionally, she had the privilege of learning business in her early years at home from her first-generation entrepreneur parents running an international business. This made Juhi well-versed at identifying opportunities and mitigating risks in the dynamic investments landscape. She is known for her foresight to integrate global affairs with an Indian context for more effective decision making.
At Scan, she is committed to leading her team to create specialised investment strategies and comprehensive financial planning to secure and grow wealth across generations. Juhi measures her success on two fronts – the alpha generated over the markets alongwith risk control from a monetary aspect; and the lives impacted with our social efforts from a humanitarian aspect. She strongly advocates for women's empowerment and education, directing the family office’s CSR projects to these causes in rural areas of India.
VCC Events opens up the avenues for participation. Join hands to be a part of India’s largest gathering of alternative investments leaders, industry stakeholders and Asia’s influential limited partners, general partners and marquee advisors. Your chance to actively participate and augment yourself as thought leaders.
Drop us a line and we will call you.
