Franklin Templeton appoints Janakiraman Rengaraju as CIO for Indian equities

Janakiraman Rengaraju currently manages many of the firm's equity funds, including Franklin India Prima Fund, Franklin India Smaller Companies Fund and Franklin India Flexi Cap Fund

Franklin Templeton announced on November 28 that Janakiraman Rengaraju, presently serving as the Deputy CIO & Senior Portfolio Manager at Mutual Fund, is set to become the Chief Investment Officer for Emerging Market Equities in India, in a press statement.

Effective December 1, Rengaraju will step into his new role while maintaining his base at the Franklin Templeton offices in Chennai. He will report to Sukumar Rajah, who holds the positions of Senior Managing Director and Director of Portfolio Management for EME Asian Equity.

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"Janakiraman takes over from Anand Radhakrishnan, CIO, Emerging Market Equities – India, who will be leaving the firm effective January 12, 2024, to pursue other opportunities. In his new role, Janakiraman will work closely with Avinash Satwalekar, President, Franklin Templeton – India to further strengthen our equity franchise in India, supported by a strong 16-member team of investment managers and experienced analysts," the release further noted.

Rengaraju joined the firm in 2007 and has close to 27 years of experience in investment management. In his 16 years with Franklin Templeton, he has built an excellent track record in managing various funds. "He currently manages many of our equity funds, including Franklin India Prima Fund, Franklin India Smaller Companies Fund and Franklin India Flexi Cap Fund," the release added.

Sukumar Rajah, Senior Managing Director and director of Portfolio Management – EME Asian Equity, commented, “Anand has been a great contributor to the development of the India equity team and business over the past 19 years as a portfolio manager and leader displaying commitment, energy, market insights, persistence and patience. We thank him for his contributions and wish him the best in his future endeavours".

Rajah further emphasised that the company values teamwork, and succession planning is an integral aspect of team management at Franklin Templeton.

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Janakiraman, with 16 years of diverse experience, has served in various capacities, including Deputy CIO, handling portfolio and team management responsibilities, he further added. "I am confident that Janakiraman will take the team to new heights in creating value for our investors and other stakeholders," he noted.