IAAIF Organises '40 Under 40' Alternative Investment Professionals Campaign

The Association of International Wealth Management of India (AIWMI) along with Indian Association of Alternative Investment Funds (IAAIF) recently organised a campaign "40 Under 40 - Alternative Investment Professionals in India" . This was a first-of-its-kind initiative meant to identify some of the standout talent in the Indian Alternative Investments sector and document their success secrets for others to follow.

40 Under 40 - Alternative Investments Professionals in campaign was presented by Edelweiss Prime Brokerage Services and the report was unveiled on 24th January 2018 during the 5th annual Alternative Investment Summit India 2018 in Mumbai.

The Indian Alternative Investments (AI) industry has grown exponentially in the last few years. There are now 370 plus Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) registered with SEBI. The recent surge in alternative investments is only the beginning of a new wave of growth. Alternatives are fast moving in to the mainstream investment markets. In the context of increasing alternative allocations, the industry is looking forward to have a qualified talent pool and high-impact teams.

The "40 under 40" list highlights individuals from firms, big and small, who have made a difference to their organizations and the industry at large. These successful professionals have youth, intellect and grit in common.

Aditya Gadge, CEO - AIWMI & Principal Advisor - IAAIF, said, "We received 175+ nominations and  picking these top 40 professionals was not easy. There was a very thin line of separation between the accomplishments of most of the candidates. While this must have surely created a selection dilemma for the Jury, we are sure they were more than happy to see the burgeoning all-round talent which is boosting the development of this sector."

According to him, the entire screening process was an enriching process for everyone associated with this campaign. The Jurors acknowledged that it was not an easy task to select the final 40 at the same time were excited to see the young talent emerging across the Alternative Investment ecosystem. The eminent Jury was headed by  Zia Mody, Founder & Managing Partner, AZB & Associates. The other members of the Jury were Amit Shah, CEO, IIFL Asset Management Business, Andrew Holland, CEO-Avendus Capital Alternate Strategies, Anuradha Rao,  MD & CEO, SBI Mutual Fund and Vikas Khemani, President & CEO Edelweiss Securities Ltd.

Zia Mody, Chair of the Jury for this prestigious campaign added- "It was indeed a pleasure to share the Jury which selected the "40 under 40" young professionals in this very quickly growing space. What we jurors could see  was the very exciting young talent that is emerging across the entire alternative investments sector".

"The alternative investments space is its infancy and has been expanding rapidly in the recent years. I am glad AIWMI is taking these initiatives to build an ecosystem around this space and more importantly is recognizing the people credited with furthering this space" said Vikas Khemani.

According to the 40 Under 40 report the average age of professionals on this years' list is 35 and 3 of them are aged 30 or younger. This year, 20% of the selected candidates are women, which is expected to grow in the coming years.

Unlike other sectors, Alternative Investment industry faces complex talent management challenges and availability of such diverse pool of talent is the testimony to the inherent strengths of this sector. " The importance of alternative investments is gaining attention not just for diversification of portfolios but rather for tapping newer avenues of investments. In this context it is very encouraging to see such an overwhelming response to AIWMI and IAAIF's "40 Under 40" campaign", added Amit Shah.