We Focus on Sectors Aligned With India's Structural Growth Story—Defense, Clean Energy & Infrastructure

Primarily a pedagogical tool, this fund is passed across cohorts and immerses students in live capital management.

- RITWIK MUKHERJEE

No outside capital is solicited or managed. As a college-owned initiative, it stands alone in Indian higher education, blending rigorous learning with blockbuster returns. This hands-on format sharpens their skills in crafting investment theses and managing risk, while offering a rare bridge between academia and market realities.

Interestingly, Masters' Union is a premium tech & business school based in the corporate district of Gurugram. It was founded in 2020 with the philosophy of hands-on learning where students learn by doing. The leadership behind Masters' Union consists of graduates from Stanford, Wharton, and IITs and IIMs. Unlike traditional colleges, the faculty at Masters' Union comprises MDs, CXOs, and AI experts from companies such as Amazon, Apple, IBM, McKinsey, PwC, and KPMG. Additionally, the institute also brings in faculty from the world's top-ranked universities such as Oxford & Harvard.

Speaking to The Statesman, Archit Bhargava and Mehul Jain, student leaders of the fund this year, throw light on the fund's overall strategy and how it targets companies with strong moats, trusted leadership, and undervalued P/E ratios, holding until valuations peak. In 2024-2025, investments like Nisus Finance (exited after a 60-70 percent surge), Atmastco (defense/EPC), Srivari Spices (FMCG), Embassy Developments (real estate), and Rajputana Biodiesel (biofuel) leveraged India's infrastructure and green energy surge. A 10-student team drives rigorous analysis, maintaining a low-beta (0.8) portfolio to navigate volatility, like the Q3 2024 correction.

Excerpts:

Q: How does being a 100 percent college-owned and student-managed fund set the Masters' Union Public Markets Fund apart from traditional B-school investment clubs or simulation-based models?