Agenda

A Bloomberg analysis found that women fill only 8% of senior investment roles globally at the 10 largest firms. Only a handful are at the helm of running affairs. Exceptions exist, and limited partner social responsibility pressures have also pushed funds to look at gender diverse teams. But, are they going a step further to increase diversity in their portfolio companies? The panel has women who have made the industry stand up and notice and they discuss how they have led the paradigm shift and would like to share their experience with the audience in reference to taking diversity across their portfolio companies.

Experienced private equity fund managers share their experience across multiple fund deployments on Investing strategies. Their learnings from how the strategies have evolved from when they invested through their first fund to what it is now. How macro and micro-economic factors have changed the way they choose investee companies. What are the factors that play a vital role when a fund manager decides a particular strategy for Investments? A look into the reasons for the recent growth of the PE market in India, improvement in economic indicators, the formalized economy and the government handling NPA issues are plausibly the biggest of many or the experience of past learning’s of the Fund Managers in managing funds well and curating investment with a keen eye.

This year’s PE/VC Agenda – India Trend Book provides a detailed overview of the phenomenal PE/VC investment and exit activity seen in 2021 and the key trends underlying therein.

PwC every year conducts surveys of Top CEOs around the world, this year we interviewed more than 4000 CEOs across 85 countries and around 75 of them were from India. We present findings of the survey on how Indian’s Ceo’s are thinking vis a vis global CEOs on 4 key parameters of Growth, Risk, Decarbonisation and Strategy.

An insight into the PE/VC and Alternative Investment Funds policy initiatives to making this industry grow manifold. The panel delves into why it is an inflection point for PE/VC/AIFs, and how regulatory and government support can propel the industry into newer heights by onshoring the fund management Industry in India. With steps such as the announcement to form an expert committee to create a custom framework for the asset class, to formation of more thematic funds anchored by the Government and manager by Private Fund Managers, the panel shares views on the ease that it would bring to manage funds in India and other steps that could be taken to onshore.

Experienced Venture Capital Fund Managers share insights on how Venture Capital Industry has transformed, to what it is now. With a record year for fund raising by startups. Their perspective on the deal frenzy in the venture capital investing space. Is it the India excess dry powder in the private equity and venture capital markets, or increased allocations due to buoyant capital markets, or there is actual value that underscores a disconnect between valuations? Is this going to continue or with the rise in interest rates globally and thereby reductions in private capital liquidity affect the future fund-raising activity. The panel discusses it all!

The initiative Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is aimed at controlling digital monopolies and make the industry more inclusive. The retail revolution of India has undoubtedly been led by the thriving e-commerce industry of the country. With 560 million internet users, second-largest globally, increasing smartphone infiltration, the introduction of 4G networks and growing consumer wealth, the Indian e-commerce market is anticipated to grow to $ 200 billion by 2026. The panel shares perspectives on how ONDC can be a game changer in creating value for stakeholders of the platform.

Investing in emerging markets can produce substantial returns to one’s portfolio. The challenge for investors is to find ways to cash in on an emerging market’s growth while avoiding exposure to its volatility and other drawbacks. Experienced Private Equity fund managers are looking at Spin-Offs and Divestitures as a strategy. But, for it to be successful, many factors are at play. From Leadership Involvement and Operational Excellence, to Talent Management and Culture. The panel shares their perspectives on navigating through effective execution of this strategy and how to maximize value and thereby returns.

Perspectives on the allocation of capital to alternatives by Family Offices in India. How and why the paradigm of investing in Alternatives has changed. Is it a thought after process to diversify into riskier pastures? Or, is it the fear of missing out from the buzz created by buoyant capital markets and the listing of various new age businesses? What is the perspective of family offices towards investing in new age businesses and their candid outlook on what lies ahead?

The year 2021 was dominated by trade tension, sharp dovish shift in monetary policies leading to focus on precious metals, an ongoing transition in China and rebalancing Europe. In 2022, we have already seen volatile markets, anticipation of when and how much interest rates will increase to the waves created by Russia-Ukraine War and its economic impact. It is anticipated that headwinds from trade shall dissipate while monetary policy will play a balancing act. As a result, we expect economic momentum to improve, with growth returning to trend by the end of 2022. What does these macro trends imply on capital allocations to emerging markets, and especially India, as it shifts focus from managing fiscal position to 35% increase in Capex spending and plans full throttle into an economic super-cycle? The panel discusses five key aspects emerging from the macro story for India focussed allocations.

Over the last years, the rise of sustainability and responsibility has drawn considerable attention by the entire society including businesses. Companies have integrated corporate social responsibility into their business model as a kind of self-regulation, and the way businesses invest has led to socially responsible investing, but it is nowadays accepted that environmental, social, and governance matters cover all the sustainability and responsibility topics and what exactly shall be focused on. The panel discusses alternative funds perspectives on their role in value creation.

As per Securities Exchange Board of India data relating to activities of AIFs till 31 December 2021, total assets of AIFs have gone up to ₹6.09 trillion in Q3 FY22 from ₹5.35 trillion in Q2 FY22. From the year-on-year perspective, it’s a 38% growth from total AIF assets in Q3 FY21, which stood at ₹4.41 trillion. In the last 10 years of AIF regulations in India, while the growth of Category II Funds comprising of Private Equity, Real Estate, Stressed Assets and other private market strategies is unprecedented, Category III Funds i.e. Hedge Funds started well, but have recently slowed down and many diverse product strategies are yet to grow in the market. The panel shares perspectives on one hand of their experience of the last decade, biggest hurdles till date, need for simplifying regulatory overhang, and on the other, growing interest of HNIs and Family Offices in diversifying portfolios into different hedging strategies that offer a better alpha.