At Newzchain, we're constantly on the lookout for stories that not only inspire but also inform our readers. Lately, we've been on an interview spree, bringing you a series of conversations with remarkable individuals.
This week, we're shedding light on a topic that deserves more attention than ever before - women in finance. And to learn more about this crucial topic, we had the opportunity to speak with Anooshka Soham Bathwal, the CEO and Founder of Dhanvesttor.
Bathwal not only shared her journey and the motivation behind starting Dhanvesttor but also shared some invaluable insights and perspectives on the broader aspect of women in finance.
Bathwal's Journey to Founding Dhanvesttor
After completing her master's in Accounting and Finance at the London School of Economics and Political Science, she returned to India and took on the challenge of managing her father’s and father-in-law’s offices.
It didn't take long for her to notice a troubling pattern: the finance industry was predominantly male.
“Despite my strong personality and expertise, I often felt intimidated in meetings where I was the only woman among ten men,” said Bathwal.
“My business coach highlighted that this unease was rooted in gender dynamics. This realization hit home – if I, with my background and confidence, felt this way, then many other women likely did too.”
Driven by this, Bathwal decided to do something that would make a difference and founded Dhanvesttor, a boutique wealth management firm created by women, for women.
Dhanvesttor’s Women-Centric Approach
Being a women-focused financial firm, Dhanvesttor tailors its investment strategies to meet the distinct needs of women investors in today's volatile equity markets through meticulous human-centered research and extensive interviews with diverse women.
For instance, it delves into each client's specific financial aspirations, risk tolerance, and investment horizon. It then implements robust risk management techniques which include diversifying investments across sectors and market capitalizations.
For those women investors, who are inclined towards sustainable and socially responsible investments, Dhanvesttor offers portfolios that focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria, without compromising on returns.
It also conducts regular portfolio reviews and adjusts strategies accordingly.
“Our focus is on making women financially confident and providing investment opportunities that contribute to broader economic development,” Bathwal added.
Additionally, Dhanvesttor focuses on building opportunities and support systems for women in finance. Unlike traditional services, it goes beyond portfolio management.
The platform offers co-learning and community-building services where like-minded women come together to attend curated financial workshops. It also conducts workshops for personal development.
Insights on Market Trends, Movements, & Tech
The following is an excerpt from the interview that discusses various aspects of women in finance and the broader industry dynamics.
Newzchain: How do recent government developments and policy continuity impact your outlook on economic growth and sector performance in the upcoming year?
Bathwal: With the new government progressing with the same people retaining key portfolios, we anticipate that growth-oriented policies will continue into the coming year. However, given the coalition government, there may be an additional emphasis on implementing tax reforms aimed at increasing household income.
This could potentially benefit sectors driven by consumer spending such as retail and housing in the near term. While these policy shifts may not drastically alter our investment decisions, our focus will largely remain on expected earnings. The budget's continued focus on development and infrastructure is expected to sustain the performance of these sectors moving forward.
Newzchain: How do you foresee the movements in large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap markets in the future needs?
Bathwal: Recently, mid and small caps have provided very good returns compared to large caps. Consequently, the risk-reward has turned more favorable towards large caps.
However, as a bottom-up and flexi-cap PMS, we stay focused on fundamentally strong companies that fulfill the criteria of our 'FAITH' strategy. In detail, FAITH represents:
F - Fundamental Analysis and Future Prospects
A - Allocation of Capital
I - Intrinsic Value
T - Top Management and Moat
H - High Principals
All the above-mentioned parameters are vital in our evaluation process of companies.
Newzchain: What are the biggest challenges and opportunities you see in wealth management today, especially with the use of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)?
Bathwal: AI/ML systems require vast amounts of data, often including sensitive financial information, posing challenges for data protection and compliance with privacy regulations. Additionally, AI/ML algorithms can inadvertently perpetuate biases present in historical data, resulting in unfair or discriminatory financial advice and decisions.
Clients' hesitation to trust AI-driven financial advice due to a lack of understanding or fear of technology adds another layer of complexity.
Moreover, many financial institutions rely on legacy systems that may not easily integrate with these new AI/ML technologies.
However, despite the challenges, these technologies offer opportunities to enhance wealth management significantly. They enable highly personalized financial advice, predict market trends, and automate routine tasks like compliance checks.
Furthermore, AI can streamline client onboarding, analyze behavioral data for tailored strategies, detect unusual patterns and anomalies in financial transactions, identify and prevent fraud, and democratize financial advice through tools like robo-advisors.
Roadmap to Women's Wealth
When asked about Dhanvesttor's goals for the next five years, Bathwal said that the company’s prime focus is to establish itself as a unique wealth management platform tailored for women investors in India.
The vision includes achieving a targeted assets under management (AUM) of ₹100 crore through a comprehensive strategy. This strategy involves targeted client acquisition efforts aimed at professional women, entrepreneurs, and inheritors.
Additionally, she also mentioned that the company plans to create new investment products and conduct tailored workshops for women investors. The firm will also expand its sales team, streamline back-office operations, and improve client communications to enhance its market visibility.
Furthermore, Dhanvesttor aims to establish itself as a thought leader in the industry by actively participating in industry forums and conferences. This strategic engagement seeks to raise awareness about women's financial empowerment and promote expert-driven wealth management solutions.
Edited by Harshajit Sarmah
