Listen to this article
The 14th edition of Mutual Fund Round Table (MFRT) inspired over 600 MFDs to set and achieve new goals.
Talking about the impressive turnout at the conference, Sanjeev Mundhra, President, Ask Circle, said, “My deep gratitude to all the dignitaries from AMCs, our sponsors, co-sponsors and fellow MFDs. Each one of them played an important role in making this event a mega success. This event was possible because of the untiring and inspirational work by our committee members who left no stones unturned to make this a memorable event.”
Abhinav Agarwal, Secretary, Ask Circle added, “I was excited to meet MFDs after a gap of 2 years. The resilience of MFDs and the empathy shown towards clients, their team and fellow MFDs is simply stupendous.”
The three-day event kick-started on Friday, Aug 5, 2022 and created a holistic learning experience by interweaving knowledge, spiritualism, awards and recognition, networking and entertainment. It hosted over 25 experts from within and outside of the MF industry.
The award ceremony felicitated 10 MFDs with MFRT Samman Awards for their distinguished performance. Also, 18 MFDs received AMC legacy awards and 20 MFDs won MFRT Taj Qualifiers awards. Additionally, 63 MFDs won MFRT Imperial Qualifiers awards.
Themed ‘Freedom’, the conference celebrated Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to mark the 75th Independence Day. Taking a long term view, Anil Singhvi, Managing Editor, Zee Business, through a panel discussion, gave a peep into how India will be at 100. The expert panellist largely believed that the next 25 years will be glorious and India is most likely to be the fastest growing major economy in the world.
Further, DP Singh, Deputy Managing Director and Chief Business Officer, SBI MF encouraged MFDs to use storytelling to acquire new investors and increase wallet share from existing clients.
Messages from top CEOS
Citing fixed deposit assets of Rs. 180 lakh crore, Nimesh Shah, ICICI Prudential MF said that MFDs should focus on making fixed depositors as mutual fund investors. The ability to generate attractive returns gives mutual funds an edge and professional acumen gives MFDs an advantage over digital platforms.
Aashish Somaiyaa, White Oak MF added that tech-led channels will only end up widening reach and access thereby introducing millions of new investors. Here is when products, advice, service and access will be sustainable differentiators.
Chandresh Nigam, Axis MF advised identifying good companies and understanding their business rather than evaluating them for their price. Opting for companies that look cheap due to low P/E could lead to a value trap.
Further, Nilesh Shah, Kotak MF took MFDs through the ongoing transition from high inflation to moderate inflation, high fiscal deficit to moderate deficit and from the physical world to a digital+physical ecosystem.
And, Navneet Munot, HDFC MF shared the 3 T’s for success i.e. Thinking long term, building client Trust and leveraging Technology.
Key inspiring lessons learnt
Shailesh Lodha of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah fame said unpleasant life events make us stronger and push us to do better and achieve desired goals.
Similarly, Bhavesh Bhatia, a visually disabled entrepreneur and founder of Sunrise Candles emphasized focusing on solutions rather than problems and advised MFDs to have a clear vision. Life without vision is like a car without fuel.
Adding to this, life coach, Deepak, the inspiration spoke about having a positive outlook and avoiding conflicting thought processes. Likewise, spiritual leader Gyanvatsal Swami and renowned bowler Javagal Srinath spoke about focusing on performance without getting distracted.
MFRT 15th edition announced
Sanjeev announced that the next edition of MFRT will be held in Kolkata. He said, “Looking forward to the next edition of MFRT at the city of joy next year. Everybody’s prayers and best wishes will make the 15th edition of MFRT a grand success too.”
