List of alternative investments in India
Index • Introduction • Private equity funds • Venture capital funds • Debt funds • Real estate funds • Conclusion
Introduction In the volatile scenario markets are experiencing in the past few months, investors are
often advised to diversify their investments to spread their overall market risks. Alternative investment funds (AIF) provide you with the perfect choice for diversifying your portfolio while optimizing your returns. An asset type that is not conventional in nature such as stocks and bonds, an alternative investment offers ample opportunity to Institutional Investors and High Net Worth Individuals (HNIs) to build a strong and well-diversified portfolio. Moreover, lower correlation compared with all the standard asset classes makes alternative investments a lucrative investment strategy. Some of the most popular alternative investment options in Indian include private equity funds, venture capital funds, debt funds, and real estate funds. Let’s examine these options in more detail.
Private equity funds
ď‚— Private equity (PE) funds are formed by PE firms through a general partnership.PE funds invest
largely in private companies with high growth prospects. A PE fund’s investment criteria could be general (investing in various industries) or specific (investing in specific industries). Moreover, these funds tend to stay invested for around 12 years. A PE fund is closed once this period expires and the funds are distributed back to all the limited partners. Positive
Venture capital funds ď‚— Venture capital (VC) funds are those that manage the money of investors who are primarily
looking at taking up private equity stake in startups and/or SMEs, which possess strong growth prospects. VC funds provide budding entrepreneurs and SMEs with equity financing , giving them the ability to raise funds at crucial junctures of their business journey. VC funds are popularly characterized as ‘high-risk/high-return ’investments.
Debt funds
ď‚— A debt fund generally refers to pool of investments that include mutual funds and/or exchange-
traded funds, which have fixed income investments as their core holding. The options in which a debt fund can invest in the short term or long term include money market instruments, securitized debt instruments, bonds, and floating rate debt. Capital protection, capital preservation, and income generation are the three main objectives of investing your money in a debt fund. Absolute returns gain preference over performance benchmarks while investing in debt funds, making them a much safer investment option.
Real estate funds ď‚— Real estate funds or private equity (PE) real estate funds generally refer to an asset class that
comprises a lucrative blend of debt and equity investment in the real estate markets. Multiple investors can pool in their money in a real estate PE fund. The major pre-requisites for investing money in a PE real estate fund include long-term investment horizon, active management strategy, and strong commitment of initial capital. These aspects hold the key for both the investor as well as the fund in terms of providing vital investment opportunities in real estate. Real estate is a highly popular asset class in India that generally provides investors with high potential in terms of ROI coupled with good price appreciation of properties.
Conclusion ď‚— PE real estate funds are different from REITs majorly because they are not linked to the stock
market, which keeps them away from routine market fluctuations. This is reflected from the fact that their value does not increase or decrease owing to crests and troughs of the stock market or events that have no connection with basic real estate fundamentals. Therefore, PE real estate funds would help you largely in diversifying your over all investment portfolio while ensuring that you balance your risks more effectively. The best part about a PE real estate fund is that the fund treats each property a different business entity. Thus, underperformance of one property does not have a huge impact on the other one or the fund’s performance.
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