Silver lining For your portfolio

Silverdale bond Fund has delivered over 10 per cent a year when you can hardly get 2 per cent from a Singapore bank. How? Sanjay Guglani (cIO) and Aseem Arora (President) explain

- Nithya Subramanian

Facts first. Numbers don’t lie. When average interest rates on bank deposits in Singapore are less than a meagre 2 per cent, a return of more than 8 per cent a year in US dollars is no mean achievement. Singapore-based Silverdale Capital has consistently delivered returns of 8-10 per cent making it one of the brightest stars in the fund management business in the region. Its clients are not just high net worth individuals but also top ranking financial institutions, who see great value in investing with Silverdale.

Over the last one year, Silverdale has doubled its assets under management to almost a billion dollars and is confident of doubling the number next year.

This success story piqued our interest and prompted India Se Media to interview Silverdale Capital founder and CIO, Singapore-based fund manager Sanjay Guglani. Silverdale’s scintillating performance is matched by the top-class office premises, located on the 35th floor of Suntec Towers. Offering mesmerising 270-degree expansive views taking in a huge swathe of Singapore on one side and Indonesian islands on the other, the office is awash in natural light, a rarity in many modern office spaces. In fact, Guglani, who received us, said that the entire office is lit without turning on a single light. Openness to ideas and clarity seem to be reflected not just in the work but even in the work space.

Guglani’s success story is something that will inspire anyone. An entrepreneur since his youth, he started his first venture – a computer training institute – while still at school in India. He went on to be a chartered accountant and a management accountant and further distinguished himself as a Sloan Fellow from the prestigious London Business School, which he attended as a Chevening Scholar.