Ahmedabad: Chanakya Opportunities Fund I, a SEBI Registered Category II Alternative Investment Fund, today announced the launch of a Rs 100 crore sector-agnostic SME-focused fund with a green shoe option of another Rs 100 crore.
The fund was launched by Kresha Gupta, a 24-year-old Chartered Accountant (CA) based in Ahmedabad. She is also one of the youngest woman investors in the country to launch an SME-focused fund.
The fund is a part of Chanakya Fund Trust, which got approval from markets regulator SEBI to launch a Cat 2 AIF in March this year.
On the launch, CA Kresha Gupta, Founder and Fund Manager of Chanakya Fund Trust, said, “Our goal is to create world-class investment products at competitive costs for investors in Indian markets. We will develop and launch products under this aegis. Chanakya Opportunities Fund I is our first offering. We are planning to raise Rs 100 Crores in the first year. This is a close-ended fund, and we will be accepting subscriptions for the tenure of 5 Years from the First Close with a Maximum Of Two Extensions Of 1 Year Each.”
The fund will invest in profitable SME companies with high-potential opportunities in unorganized sectors. About 51% of the corpus will be invested in unlisted SME companies, termed startups in manufacturing, consumer products, and technology.
The fund will provide exit opportunities through primary markets as it intends to invest in companies that have the potential to get listed on SME exchange with small ticket size IPO
StepTrade Share Services Private Limited (Erstwhile Ace Share Services Private Limited) is the Investment Manager and Sponsor of Chanakya Fund Trust, led by CA Kresha Gupta and Mr Ankush Kumar Jain, CFA.
Chanakya Opportunities Fund I is a closed-ended scheme that plans to invest in 25 odd companies with a ticket size ranging from Rs 2 crore to – Rs 10 crore per company.
The fund will follow a strong filtration and due diligence process to identify the best investment ideas.
Investors with a time horizon of greater than one year can look at investing in this scheme. The fund aims to raise capital from resident and non-resident Indians, high-net-worth individuals (HNIs), banks, accredited investors, corporates, and trusts.
More about Kresha Gupta
Kresha Gupta is a qualified and experienced Chartered Accountant (CA) member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). She has done her graduation with a specialization in Banking and Financial Services. She is NISM certified Research Analyst. She has a distinguished academic record and has gained significant expertise in the field through her management and consulting experience.
Kresha’s extensive experience spans corporate and consulting roles in Finance, Accounts, MIS, Tax Advisory, Investor Relations, Treasury, and other areas. Kresha started her career with Vodafone Idea Limited in their Investor Relations and Treasury team. Kresha has been tracking the equity markets for more than five years and has been consulting and advising the companies aiming to go public on SME exchange since her CA article-ship times.
With this, she has honed her skills in identifying and evaluating investment opportunities and developing strategies to mitigate risks. Her immense passion for equity markets has made her a great learner, planner, and executor. This passion helped her clear her CA at a very young age and now be a fund manager. She says, “My love for equity investments and business growth drives me to learn and adapt to market trends continuously, enabling me to make informed decisions that benefit my clients.
