STRATEGISING DEEP VALUE INVESTMENT

Pawan Bharaddia and Ssuneet Kabra, co-founders of Equitree Capital Advisors, lay great store by the Baniya style of functioning ingrained in them, attributing their success as 'deep value investors' to it

- Joseph Rozario

The Marwari community’s inclination and talent for business is known all over the world. A lesser-known story is that of the Marwari Baniya, a sub-set of the community, whose traditional knowledge of business accumulated and perfected over centuries makes its members truly exceptional in the art of running successful businesses. Meet two such members of the Baniya community, Pawan Bharaddia and Ssuneet Kabra, whose thirst for enterprise led them to give up their cushy jobs and become partners in launching Equitree Capital Advisors. The well-known Mumbai-based investment firm focusses on investing in listed micro- and small-cap emerging businesses with strong managements and bright growth prospects.

Investing the Baniya way 

Bharaddia and Kabra are chartered accountants by profession. Fate brought them together at the office of Kailash Chand Jain & Co., where they had trained for their CA Articleship. Ever since they have been friends. As true blue Baniyas, they take pride and bet on the traditional knowledge and expertise that is characteristic of the community or the Baniya buddhi as it is called. The cornerstone of their success is the ‘uncommon common sense approach’ of the Baniyas. “Between the two of us, we bring in a unique combination with Ssuneet’s ‘uncommon common sense’ approach to investing and my background as a professional investor,” says co-founder, Bharaddia. Their functions have been clearly laid out. While Bharaddia is Chief Investing Officer at Equitree, Kabra handles client management and compliances.