Shalab Gupta Bibhab of Bibhab Capital hails from a reputed business family having an established presence in real estate. With a flair for finance, he started his professional journey with a top fund house. However, being the only son, Shalab decided to join his family business and take the legacy forward.
He always held the vision of diversifying into financial advisory services. Shalab’s sister knew this and pushed him to pursue his dream. She helped him convince the family and set up the business. But introducing Bibhab Group to a new segment (mutual fund distribution) was nothing less than a roller coaster ride. Client refusals are a part and parcel of business, but what got Shalab going was his patience and timely follow-ups while giving clients the space they need.
Started in March 2019, Bibhab Capital has built an asset base of around Rs. 542 crore as on 5 Aug 2021, which is spread across 200 HNIs & corporate treasuries and 150 retail clients. As of now, around 55% of the assets is in equity-oriented schemes and the balance in debt-oriented schemes.
Things that helped to make it big
- Shalab feels that clients feel more comfortable when their MFDs/advisors are accessible to them 24*7. Also, physical meeting still holds edge over online meetings as it allows both investors and MFDs to engage with each other at a more personal level
- Shalab constantly tracks and evaluates industry happenings. He engages with his clients by decoding and sharing trends in the form of easy to understand snippets. Professionally designed crisp snippets keep his clients informed and also makes them look forward to receiving more of these
- He is always dressed in a formal suit that makes a statement of his professional intent. Also, as a practice, Shalab gifts a plant to his prospects/clients at the end of meetings. The plant stays with them and creates a recall value for Bibhab Capital
- As Shalab largely caters to institutional clients, interacting with senior management and delivering quality output also created a pathway to reach out to their team and onboard retail investors
- Co-branding with fund houses in the form of LED glow sign hoarding boards strengthened Bibhab Capital’s brand image and increased his popularity among retail investors
- While on calls, in case of client queries like portfolio value, etc. Shalab simultaneously texts his team to fetch the needed details. This exceeds clients’ expectations as they receive the required data even before the call ends
- In addition to being available 24X7 for his clients, Shalab offers mobile apps through which clients can transact as well as fetch portfolio details and gain better control over their portfolio
