If you've ever read through a mutual fund scheme document, you've undoubtedly seen the smiling face of a fund manager, along with a concise summary of his education and experience.
Have you ever wondered why you would find this information helpful? In other words, as long as the scheme document includes crucial information about the mutual fund, such as past returns, fund objectives, stock selection criteria, etc., it should be sufficient. Unfortunately, that is almost not true.
Knowing the fundamentals of a scheme is crucial for a mutual fund investor, but so is being aware of the fund manager—the person in charge of directing the fund strategy.
Read on to learn more about the fund managers we've listed in this blog who have met all the relevant requirements for a successful fund manager.
Top 10 Best Mutual Fund Managers in India
Here is a list of the best fund managers in India in 2024-
Fund Manager Names | Fund Name | AUM | Schemes | Experience |
Shreyash Devalkar | Axis Mutual Fund | ₹58,601 Cr | 12 | 14 Years |
Aniruddha Naha | PGIM India Mutual Fund | ₹12,503 Cr | 12 | 18+ Years |
R. Srinivasan | SBI Mutual Fund | ₹1,14,343 Cr | 14 | 26 Years |
Sankaran Naren | ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund | ₹1,23,053 Cr | 33 | 26 Years |
Jinesh Gopani | Equities -Axis Mutual Fund | ₹54,466 Cr | 24 | 17 Years |
Sohini Andani | SBI Mutual Fund | ₹36,724 Cr | 4 | 23 Years |
Manish Gunawan | Nippon India Mutual Fund | ₹22,395 Cr | 12 | 20+ Years |
Harsha Upadhyaya | Kotak Mahindra Mutual Fund | ₹50,059 Cr | 14 | 23 Years |
Chandraprakash Padiyar | Tata Mutual Fund | ₹7,906 Cr | 10 | 19 Years |
Ankit Agarwal | UTI Mutual Fund | ₹8,167 Cr | 5 | 15+ Years |
Note that the above-mentioned are approx AUM.
Factors to Remember While Choosing a Fund Manager
Optimal Fund Managers Alter Their Approach
Existing managers are diversifying into new asset classes, industry sectors, and strategies as more capital flows into leveraged buyouts and private markets are established.
Buyout investors may also look to make investments in growth equity, and managers primarily concerned with consumer segments may now expand their focus to include healthcare organizations.
To improve their investment strategy from an organizational perspective, executives may restructure their operational and investment teams.
Examine Past Performance, But Do So With Caution
Examine past performance, but do so with caution. Although past performance does not guarantee future results, it provides insight into the manager's approach. If their returns are constantly very similar to the index, they are likely operating a tracker undercover.
Try To Comprehend The Manager's Purchasing Practices And Motivations
You want a fund manager who will place your funds with a level of risk compared to the risk you would consider taking if you were performing the task yourself. Therefore, if you're a cautious investor, you're probably looking for indications that the manager makes investments in reputable companies.
If he avoids investing in certain well-known companies or entire industries because he believes there to be serious governance concerns or other issues, that could be a positive sign. Obviously, you might be more open to accepting riskier investments if you're less conservative.
Most Famous Names Should Be Disregarded
Large fund houses are typically among the worst when it comes to the mindset of asset gathering, and their funds generally are decidedly average.
Additionally, successful fund managers might have gotten there by luck and media savvy alone. The firms that manage a small number of funds or the experts who specialize in a single field are more highly likely to have the proper investing mindset.
This does not imply that they are all excellent; most still aren't. However, a small company has a higher chance of having a good manager than a big one.
About The Top Fund Manager In India
Here is a brief overview of the top 10 fund managers in India-
1) Shreyash Devalkar
Axis AMC's Senior Fund Manager is Shreyash Devalkar. After joining the AMC in 2016, he assumed control of managing significant funds like the Bluechip Fund, Midcap Fund, and Multicap Fund in 2017. He spent more than 5 years working as a fund manager for BNP Paribas AMC prior to this.
Additionally, from July 2008 to January 2011, he worked as a research analyst for IDFC Asset Management Company and IDFC Securities (Sept 2005 to July 2008).
2) Aniruddha Naha
Mr Naha is a Master of Finance and Control graduate. Aniruddha Naha works as a senior equity fund manager for PGIM India Asset Management Pvt. Ltd. He oversees the PGIM India Midcap Opportunities Fund and PGIM India Diversified Equity Fund.
Aniruddha has more than 18 years of work experience in the markets for equity and debt and holds a master's degree in finance and control.
3) R. Srinivasan
R Srinivasan joined SBI Funds Management as a Senior Fund Manager in May 2009 and is currently the Head of Equity.
He has more than 25 years of experience in the equity market, having worked with companies like Future Capital Holding, Principal PNB, Oppenheimer & Co (later Blackstone), Indosuez WI Carr, and Motilal Oswal, among others.
4) Sankaran Naren
Naren is in charge of the investment functions for both the international advisory business and mutual funds. He has played a vital role in the company's development and implementation of its overall investment strategy.
He has won numerous fund management awards and is a prominent proponent of the Indian capital markets. His opinions on macroeconomics and markets are frequently featured in local and international media.
5) Jinesh Gopani
The Head of Equity at Axis AMC is Jinesh Gopani. He began working for Axis AMC in 2009 as an equity fund manager and, in 2016 was promoted to head of equity.
He operates and manages the flagship Axis Long Term Equity Fund, among other funds. Jinesh previously worked as a portfolio manager for Birla Sunlife AMC, where he was in charge of alternative assets for the growth, value, and dividend baskets.
6) Sohini Andani
Sohini joined SBIFM in 2007 as Head of Research before being elevated to Portfolio Manager in 2010. She worked as a senior research associate at ING Investment Management before joining SBIFM.
She has over 11 years of sell-side research experience.
7) Manish Gunawan
Mr Gunwani holds a PGDM and a B.Tech. Before joining Nippon India Mutual Fund, he held positions with ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund at Vicisoft Technologies, Lehman Brothers, Brics Securities, Lucky Securities, SSKI Securities, and Prime Securities as a fund manager and analyst.
8) Harsha Upadhyaya
Mr Harsha Upadhyaya has 23 years of experience in equity research and fund management that can be verified. He has worked for organizations like DSP BlackRock Investment Managers and Prabhudas Lilladher Pvt. Ltd, SG Asia Securities, Reliance Group, and UTI Asset Management Co. Ltd in the past.
He graduated from the National Institute of Technology, Suratkal, with a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical, from the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, with a Post Graduate Management degree in Finance, and the CFA Institute with a Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
9) Chandraprakash Padiyar
In September 2018, Chandraprakash Padiyar began working as a senior fund manager (equities) for Tata Asset Management. He has managed funds and conducted research for more than 19 years.
He has completed all three levels of The CFA Institute's CFA Program and holds an M.B.A. in Finance from the Symbiosis Institute of Business Management.
10) Ankit Agarwal
Mr Agarwal has degrees in economics management, computer science and engineering, and finance (PGDM).
He worked for Centrum Capital Ltd as Senior Vice President - Fund Manager, Wealth and Investment Management at Barclays as Asst Vice President, Lehman Brothers, London as Senior analyst, BNP Paribas, and D. E. Shaw & Co. before joining UTI Mutual Fund.
Conclusion
The importance of fund managers cannot be disputed. They do not, however, determine the success or failure of a fund. Instead, this is decided by the investment philosophy or fund's stock selection.
Investors can relax if the fund follows a reliable, tried-and-true investment strategy. This helps the fund maintain its independence from the well-known fund manager. Fund managers do, after all, frequently switch between various funds.
Disclaimer: This blog is solely for educational purposes. The securities/investments quoted here are not recommendatory.
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Research Analyst - Himanshu Sinha
