Akash Jha
There are many successful people in the Indian investment world, but only a few number have made major contributions to the development of internationally recognized institutions that have had far-reaching effects on India’s academic landscape. Ashish Dhawan is one of a select few who manages a multibillion dollar fund while also being an entrepreneur and a benefactor.
Ashish Dhawan’s Career Path
Ashish Dhawan started out in the investing industry in 1992 as the lone Indian analyst at a small Wall Street investment firm. Between 1993 and 1995, he attended Harvard Business School to earn an MBA with a focus on leadership. Dhawan joined Goldman Sachs’s Risk Arbitrage Group after earning his MBA there in New York.
But at age 28, he decided to make the risky move back to India. Dhawan and his Harvard classmate Raj Kondur established the private equity firm ChrysCapital in 1999. The company eventually succeeded despite initial difficulties in the developing private equity industry. ChrysCapital, led by Dhawan, grew rapidly under his direction, becoming one of India’s largest funds within just five to six years.
ChrysCapital is still the best equity fund in India. Dhawan left his full-time position at ChrysCapital after twenty years in order to devote himself to charitable work.
In 2012, Ashish Dhawan launched a remarkable organization called the Central Square Foundation (CSF). This group’s primary mission is to improve schooling in India by raising funds for related initiatives. They also conduct in-depth analysis and strategic planning to enhance educational policies.
Ashish Dhawan then joined together with forty other like-minded people in 2014 to establish Ashoka University. It’s the first of its type in India, and it sets itself apart by placing a premium on the liberal arts. This means that the institution provides a well-rounded education by covering a wide variety of disciplines.
Let’s analyze Ashish Dhwan’s investment focus and his portfolio’s growth over time.
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Ashish Dhawan’s Current Portfolio:
| Company Name | Holding Value (in ₹) | Shares Held | Holding Percentage in Company |
| Religare Enterprises Ltd | ₹ 111.60 | 53,86,564 | 1.70% |
| Dish TV India Ltd | ₹ 48.40 | 2,89,57,491 | 1.60% |
| Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd | ₹ 587.50 | 72,00,000 | 2.60% |
| AGI Greenpac Ltd | ₹ 201.60 | 31,00,000 | 4.80% |
| IDFC Ltd | ₹ 668.90 | 5,60,00,000 | 3.50% |
| Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Services Ltd | ₹ 431.50 | 1,46,00,000 | 1.20% |
| Greenlam Industries Ltd | ₹ 219.30 | 48,14,210 | 3.80% |
| Palred Technologies Ltd | ₹ 11.60 | 6,78,189 | 5.50% |
| Quess Corp Ltd | ₹ 248.50 | 58,61,223 | 4.00% |
| RPSG Ventures Ltd | ₹ 66.00 | 12,34,286 | 4.20% |
| Arvind Fashions Ltd | ₹ 221.40 | 65,64,065 | 4.90% |
| Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd | ₹ 348.80 | 4,03,70,000 | 3.60% |
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Investment success over the years:
Suzlon Investment (2004):
ChrysCapital made a sizeable investment of Rs. 100 crore in Suzlon back in 2004. They kept their money there till 2007, by which time they had made a tidy profit of Rs. 1300 crore.
Portfolio in 2017:
Ashish Dhawan’s stock portfolio included roughly 15 distinct companies as of the second quarter of 2017. Two of these investments, V Mart Retail Ltd. and IDFC Limited, were particularly sizable.
Portfolio in 2018:
Ashish Dhawan diversified his holdings in 2018 to increase his chances of success. To lower his exposure to risk and enhance his returns, he diversified his stock holdings. His stock portfolio has grown by three companies: AllCargo Logistics Ltd., Dish TV India Ltd., and Karur Vysya Bank Ltd. His portfolio went from six stocks to nine after he made these purchases.
Portfolio in 2019:
In 2019, Ashish Dhawan increased his portfolio’s diversity by doubling the amount of stocks it held from nine to eleven. He invested in a wide range of businesses, but he put the bulk of his money into the banking, tech, logistics, and retail industries. This was a major change from his portfolio’s make-up the year before.
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Three key strategies drive strategies that made Ashish Dhawan Ashish Dhawan’s investment successful:
1. Diversified Investments: Diversification protected him from substantial losses in the telecom industry during the Dot Com collapse, resulting in substantial returns on his investment in SpectraMind. Significant profits were generated by ChrysCapital’s diversified investments in numerous companies, including Axis Bank and Shriram Transport Finance.
2. Market Analysis: Dhawan emphasizes the significance of conducting comprehensive market analysis in order to evaluate potential profits and hazards. Consequent to his failures at Allsec Technologies, Orient Green Power, and Mastek, he realized the criticality of taking associated risks into account.
3. Long-Term Focus: As demonstrated by his investment in Mphasis, where he persevered through price declines but ultimately recovered five times the initial returns, Dhawan’s long-term investment strategy underscores the sagacity of maintaining a position in order to attain greater returns.
Also read :- Mukul Agarwal Investment Portfolio 2023
Conclusion
Ashish’s early investment success allowed him the flexibility to pursue parallel careers in the education sector and philanthropy. He emphasizes thinking things through, investing in the long run, and doing your homework. You shouldn’t make decisions out of fear, he says.
The lessons of humility and self-control that we may take away from Dhawan’s narrative are clear. The stock market can be a test of patience, but perseverance usually pays off.
