Work Is My Hobby, Followed By Golf & Polo: Sanjeev Sinha

In June 2011, Sanjeev Sinha left a well-paying job with ICBC AXA in Shanghai to return to India and turn entrepreneur. Today he has an array of investments in different companies. Calissa Ventures, an advisor of an upcoming hospitality REIT being launched in India, design firm Bela Fasonado, investment banking firm, Zeus Venture Partners, are some of the firms Sinha manages under his consortium. Over a candid chat with Brij Pahwa, he speaks of wanting to create thought leadership and provide expert insights into the Indian investment environment. Excerpts:

What does your investment portfolio look like?

I have invested in a tech company which is a full-service mobility partner, offering mobile-based solutions to enterprises, helping them become a more efficient unit. In another one of my recent investments, I have invested in a company called The Quorum, which is India’s first members-only club, inspired by the global renaissance in the private club space. When I look at investments, I look at them via a two-fold vision - scale and profitability.

How would you rate the current investment environment in India?

The current investment environment has gone through a learning phase. While it started off  from a place where an investor only looked at valuation, today, they look at a company’s revenue line and scalability. Overall, the investment environment has become a lot better.

Have government policies affected the investment environment here?

Demonetisation and GST are good for the long term. They had slowed down investments, although they have not restricted them. In 2018, we will see more investments coming in.

What would you advice young entrepreneurs who seek investments?

A working business model is very  important. Not only the idea, but the ability and the capability to pursue and implement the idea is very important. Having an idea but no positive cash flow, you do not have the ability to run the business. Then getting investments is rather difficult. Apart from running the firm, they also need to manage their finances really well. You have to treat investment money as your own money. The moment you think that money is a freebie and not your own, things start to go wrong for you.

Which sectors are good for investments today?

I feel healthcare is a good sector to invest in. The Indian healthcare sector is expected to increase from $160 billion in 2016 to $372 billion in 2022. Warehousing is another interesting segment to invest in.