Axis Securities Ltd – Portfolio Management Services (PMS)

Chief Investment Officer

Naveen leads the investment strategy for Axis Securities Portfolio Management Services. He has a proven track record of developing and introducing innovative investment approaches at Axis Securities, which have consistently delivered superior market returns. Naveen possesses extensive expertise in the deployment of quantitative strategies, including those leveraging Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Smart Beta, supported by robust performance histories. His professional journey spans over two decades in the financial services and telecommunications industries. Naveen holds an engineering degree and an MBA from the International Management Institute, New Delhi. He is also a certified Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a Financial Risk Manager (FRM). Naveen is a recognized voice in financial media, frequently appearing on platforms such as CNBC TV18, ET Now, and The Economic Times. He has been repeatedly recognized as a leading research analyst in the Telecom, Consumer, and Strategy sectors by respected surveys from Asia Money, Institutional Investor, Thomson Reuters, and The Wall Street Journal. Previously, his team at Philip Capital was acknowledged as one of the top 3 most improved brokerages in the Asia Money Survey for 2016 and 2017.

SVP & Fund Manager

With close to twenty years of extensive background in financial services, Neeraj possesses a comprehensive understanding of corporate banking, equity analysis, and investment administration. As a Fund Manager, his core duty involves generating superior risk-adjusted returns that precisely match client investment objectives. Previously, Neeraj was the Director and Head of Research at Equirus PMS. In this role, he was responsible for directing the research function and actively contributing to the development of investment strategies for their Multi-cap PMS offering. Before joining Equirus, Neeraj served as Vice President – Equities within the Investment Management Team at Franklin Templeton India. There, he managed portfolios that collectively held over $6 billion in domestic assets and more than $3 billion in offshore funds. His professional journey also includes key roles at leading Indian and international financial institutions, such as ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Lehman Brothers, and Nomura Securities. Neeraj is driven by a deep interest in business fundamentals and excels at conducting in-depth, on-the-ground research through direct engagement with stakeholders including customers, suppliers, and corporate leadership. Neeraj holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from M.N.I.T. Jaipur and completed his Post Graduate Diploma in Management (MBA) from the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode. He is also a CFA charterholder, awarded by the CFA Institute, USA.

Fund Manager

Mr. Nishit Master enhances the market insights at Axis Securities with his extensive experience across both buy-side and sell-side financial institutions. In his role as Fund Manager, he is tasked with achieving superior risk-adjusted returns for clients, aligning with their specific investment objectives. With over 18 years in the financial services sector, Mr. Master has a distinguished career with prominent firms including ING Investment Management, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Elara Capital, Reliance Securities, Anand Rathi, and Motilal Oswal Financial Services. Notably, at Reliance Securities, he held the position of Senior Vice President and Head of Institutional Equities. His most recent professional engagement was with Emkay Global Financial Services, where he was a member of the Institutional Broking team. Mr. Master holds an FRM certification and is a graduate in management. He earned his MBA from NMIMS, Mumbai. His expertise includes a keen ability to analyze business models and identify high-potential stocks within the investable universe.