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Off the cuff with Neeraj Khosla: Investing in India’s Growth

Neeraj Khosla shares his insights on India's economic growth prospects and where the team sees potential investment opportunities.

India is projected to become the third-largest economy by 2030, with its high GDP growth driving corporate earnings and providing a fertile ground for investment opportunities. Today, I want to share the big takeaways from my recent due diligence trip to India.

What are the key sectors shaping India's economic growth?

The Indian government's strong push towards infrastructure development has reduced travel times across the country and is set to bring productivity gains for the economy. The private sector capex is also expected to increase given strong cash flows and healthy balance sheets of companies. We are exploring investment opportunities benefiting from infrastructure development and rising private capital expenditure. The manufacturing sector is crucial for India's transition to a high-income economy.

With global companies diversifying supply chains, India's skilled labor and improved infrastructure make it an attractive destination for manufacturing investments, particularly for electronics and semiconductors.

Domestic consumption remains a cornerstone of India's economic expansion, given the country's large population, attractive demographics and rising per capita incomes. With Indian consumers becoming more tech-savvy and brand conscious, there are emerging opportunities in growth-ready consumer tech companies. Finally, increase in financial awareness and changing investment patterns towards financial assets offer attractive opportunities across India's diverse financial sector.

What investment challenges and potential opportunities does the team consider in India's growing economy?

Despite India's strong growth potential, high equity valuations pose a challenge to investing in the country. However, disciplined investing can uncover attractive opportunities. Our investment in HDFC Bank, which is India’s largest private bank with best-in-class management team, reflects our prudent approach.

In conclusion, we remain optimistic about India's growth over the next decade. We are deepening our research on companies poised to benefit from infrastructure and manufacturing investments, financialization of savings and a favorable consumption environment.

We hope these insights help you navigate the investment landscape and capitalize on the opportunities within this dynamic economy.