Agenda

A speech by Ashwani Bhatia

A speech by Amitabh Kant

The fixed income market is experiencing substantial transformations due to global economic shifts and change in tax regime. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the investment landscape has seen marked improvements in liquidity and a more favorable credit outlook. However, interest rate volatility remains a central concern. Amidst competition from traditional investments and a thriving equity market, a distinguished panel of fixed income experts will explore the challenges and opportunities within this sector. They will also discuss how fixed income investments can still continue to add value in an investor’s portfolio.

Over the past three years, thematic fund assets in India have surged, tripling to over $10 billion, making the country one of the fastest-growing thematic investment markets globally. These funds enable investors to tap into transformative megatrends like Artificial Intelligence, Aging Demographics, and Alternative Energy while diversifying away from the risks of single-stock exposure. However, thematic funds also present challenges, including higher costs, increased volatility, and added complexity that demand thorough due diligence.

In this session, we will introduce a clear, structured taxonomy for categorizing thematic funds, which underpins our research. We’ll delve into key global and Indian market trends and present a practical framework to help investors more effectively evaluate these often, misunderstood investments.

Join us for a compelling discussion on the pivotal forces shaping the global emerging market investment landscapes, exploring how global EM managers are recalibrating their strategies in response to the recent movements. India's ascendant role in global fixed income and EM indices stands in stark contrast to China's moderated growth trajectory —presents both challenges and opportunities. The session will unpack the nuanced valuation frameworks employed across diverse emerging markets and the macroeconomic undercurrents that influence these markets, with a particular emphasis on India’s trajectory. We are looking to decode how EM managers are tactically navigating their portfolios amidst the evolving equilibrium between India and China. This session is crucial for investors looking to confidently navigate these dynamic and evolving markets amidst global uncertainties.

Gold has a strategic role to play within investment portfolios. It offers a variety of core attributes including liquidity, diversification, and enhanced risk-adjusted returns. Its more than just a commodity and comes with a proven track record of protecting portfolios when investors need it most. Never considered gold relevant within your portfolio before? Then join this session with The World Gold Council and pick up some new nuggets of knowledge.

SEBI’s new product framework aims to bridge the gap between Mutual Funds and PMS & AIFs products. With proliferation of unregistered and unauthorized investment schemes/entities and resultant increase in derivative trading by individual investors. The new product aims to provide investors who have a higher risk taking ability with a professionally managed and well-regulated product with adequate safeguards and risk controls.  We discuss what this means for the end investor and for asset managers and wealth managers.

What people are looking for, and what they most benefit from, can be two different things, especially when hiring a financial adviser. This gap between wants and needs can be significant when it comes to financial advice. The most valuable services financial advisers offer is often overlooked by investors, creating persistent challenges in how advisers communicate their true value. This session is looking to unpack these critical topics. Ryan Murphy - Global Head of Behavioral Insights at Morningstar, will present the findings from the study 'why people hire their financial advisers,' uncovering the deeper motivations behind these key decisions. 

The session will provide concrete steps to help advisers better articulate their value proposition in a way that addresses both the salient (top of mind) and the often unspoken needs clients have when choosing to engage with an adviser.

ETF adoption continues to grow globally. We have witnessed similar trends locally in India as well, with the launch of ETF across various segments in the post-COVID era. While the pace of new ETF launches has slowed over the past few years, flows into existing ETF products continue to grow, often at the expense of traditional mutual fund vehicles. With the slower pace of new product issuance, index providers must increasingly develop more unique and innovative methodologies to appeal to ETF providers and ultimately, investors. In this session, we will discuss the factors driving ETF adoption in different regions, and evolution of passives in the Indian market as well as exploring some of the new innovative ideas that Morningstar Indexes is developing to provide solutions to this growing industry.

A veteran who built a family brokerage business and transformed it   into one of the best names in the industry. Being an involved participant in the capital market and having seen it   through many hues and phases, bringing a perspective that is packed with   insight and knowledge.

We discuss his journey, learnings, passion projects and look ahead at the emerging trends shaping the Indian investor.

In recent years, large-cap stocks have underperformed compared to their small-cap counterparts, prompting many fund investors to shift focus towards mid- and small-cap funds. Furthermore, newer listings from fast-growing industries have expanded the range of opportunities. So, why should investors continue to consider large-cap stocks, and where do the opportunities lie?

Closing remarks by Mohit Aggarwal