Hussain Selani, head of investments for India and global Indians at Barclays Private Bank, will complete a year in his role in July, which offers him a close look at India’s evolving ultra-rich segment where new-age entrepreneurs are rubbing shoulders with legacy family businesses.
In an exclusive interview to Moneycontrol, Selani discusses why global Indians need bespoke strategies and how the British bank is building a future-ready wealth platform. Drawing on a diverse career across large financial institutions and entrepreneurship, Selani also talks about investment trends, intergenerational planning, and the growing push toward ESG-aligned portfolios. Edited excerpts of the interview:
You have had an interesting career path — from holding senior roles at several large financial players to running your startup. How has it been and what excites you about your role with Barclays Private Bank?
When you have spent as much time in the market as I have, you will realise that the only thing that really drives growth and satisfaction is an innate curiosity to learn and a commitment to consistently add value to clients. Barclays has a long-standing presence in Asia and a strong foundation in India. We are also investing significantly in strengthening our India Private Bank — scaling capabilities, expanding talent, and deepening our local footprint. I’m excited to help scale our private banking franchise by combining the firm’s global strengths with deep local expertise.
In India, we’re focused on delivering institutional-quality investment solutions tailored to clients’ evolving needs. Through the Power of One Barclays, clients gain access to a full suite of capabilities, from global markets to private banking and investment banking.
We also work closely with families on intergenerational wealth planning and succession, which is increasingly relevant in this market. The opportunity to strengthen a distinctive and future-ready platform in such a dynamic environment is what drew me to the role.
What are the key client segments that you cater to and how does your investment philosophy vary to meet the distinct needs of each group?
We serve ultra-HNIs across three segments — legacy family businesses, new-age entrepreneurs and single-family offices, each reflecting India’s evolving wealth landscape.
Legacy families’ clients often lead long-standing family businesses where wealth is deeply tied to legacy. In India, over 70 percent of businesses are family-run. According to analysis from consultant firm McKinsey in 2024, (they are) projected to contribute 80–85 percent of the country’s GDP by 2047. These families prioritise continuity and reputation across generations. We support them by institutionalising portfolios, formalising governance through family charters, and managing transitions, especially where business and family dynamics are closely intertwined.
New-age clients, typically first-generation founders post-liquidity, are navigating personal wealth for the first time. We take a phased, advisory-led approach — establishing risk frameworks, guiding asset allocation, and helping them transition from wealth creation to preservation. Many also seek global access for investing, philanthropy, and curated learning, which we enable through our international network.
Single-family offices in India have grown rapidly from fewer than 50 a decade ago to over 300 today. These clients operate with institutional rigour and seek advanced solutions: strategic asset allocation, manager selection, and integration with treasury, lending, and M&A support. Increasingly, they’re also exploring cross-border structures via the GIFT City.
Across all segments, the Power of One Barclays brings together private banking, investment banking, and global markets seamlessly. But beyond financial strategy, we understand that in India, wealth is deeply personal. It carries emotional weight and generational complexity. Our role is often as much about aligning vision and values as it is about managing capital.
You also head investment strategy for the global Indian community. What are the key differences between the investment needs of global Indians and those of other international investors? How are these trends shaping their investment decisions?
Global Indians often balance two investment worlds — deeply rooted in India while maintaining a global outlook. Their approach is shaped by a strong familiarity with the Indian market and evolving aspirations across geographies. Compared to other international investors, they’re more comfortable navigating domestic complexities like regulatory changes, currency shifts and market volatility. This translates into meaningful allocations to Indian private equity, real estate, and INR-linked structured products, alongside diversified holdings in global equities and alternatives. Many also maintain an active understanding of India’s regulatory and tax frameworks, allowing them to respond swiftly as new structures and opportunities emerge — be it through onshore feeder funds or offshore vehicles with Indian underlying.
There’s also a growing trend of return intent, with many planning to spend more time or eventually retire in India. As a result, we see portfolios evolving into a barbell strategy: global assets for growth and currency diversification, balanced with India-linked investments and legacy planning.
Our role is to help clients navigate this dual lens with clarity, ensuring their strategy keeps pace with changing regulations, life stages, and family needs.
How do you offer a differentiated investment proposition to global Indian investors to navigate complexities across wealth hubs such as Singapore, Dubai, London and Switzerland?
Managing wealth across multiple jurisdictions and generations is complex, especially for global Indian families. The goal is a unified strategy that works seamlessly across borders.
At Barclays, we enable that by offering clients a single point of contact supported by an integrated network of specialists across private banking, investment banking, global markets, and wealth advisory.
This allows us to design holistic solutions, whether that means monetising a business in Singapore, financing a property in London or creating a compliant trust structure aligned with both Indian and international frameworks. Our teams are well-versed in navigating cross-border regulations and emerging platforms, helping clients simplify decision-making without compromising flexibility or control.
We also engage actively with the next generation, many of whom are taking a more hands-on role through curated programmes focused on investing, leadership, and legacy. The strength of our proposition lies in combining global scale with tailored insight, so clients can focus on building their future, knowing their wealth is managed with clarity and care.
The upcoming launch of our Singapore booking centre should further enhance our wealth management proposition for global Indian clients, enabling them to book assets in Singapore and benefit from seamless cross-border transactions through the wealth corridors across the Middle East, the UK, Asia and Europe.
What is your strategy to stay ahead of trends and deliver consistent performance, particularly in volatile markets like these? Are there any specific sectors/asset classes that clients are showing preference for?
India continues to be a structural growth story and despite near-term volatility, clients view it as a compelling destination for capital. Our approach in these markets focuses on staying ahead of macro and sectoral trends through disciplined asset allocation, deep research, and active risk management rather than reacting to short-term market moves. We also work closely with clients to rebalance portfolios dynamically, using structured solutions to protect the downside while capturing selective upside.
Right now, clients are favouring sectors linked to India’s capex recovery — industrial manufacturing, real estate and select financials, driven by policy momentum and multi-year demand cycles.
We’re also seeing renewed interest in large-cap equities where valuations have corrected, offering more attractive entry points. In this environment, the goal isn’t to time the market but to stay anchored to fundamentals while remaining flexible as conditions evolve.
Do you believe there is a growing interest among ultra-HNIs in India for integrating ESG and sustainable solutions in their investment portfolios? How is your firm helping clients to achieve these goals?
Absolutely. We’re seeing growing awareness among ultra-HNIs in India around the impact of their investments not just on performance but on the ecosystems and communities around them. This shift is no longer just about product selection; it reflects a broader desire to align wealth with personal values, intergenerational purpose, and long-term legacy.
While ESG investing in India is still maturing compared to global markets, interest is clearly on the rise. Clients are moving beyond exclusion-based strategies to more forward-looking inclusion, allocating to companies that demonstrate strong governance, climate responsibility or social impact, even in traditional portfolios. Our role is to bridge this intent with execution by providing access to credible ESG research, global sustainability frameworks, and products that meet both return and responsibility thresholds.
More importantly, we see this as an educational journey. We work closely with clients and their families, especially the next generation, to evaluate what ESG means to them personally and how it can be integrated meaningfully without compromising performance. It’s not about checking a box but building conviction through transparency, data and dialogue.
The investment landscape in India is evolving at a fast pace. What are some of the key opportunities and challenges and how are you enhancing your proposition to stay competitive?
India’s wealth landscape is undergoing a significant shift, driven by expanding entrepreneurship, generational transition and rising affluence across newer pockets of the country. The profile of wealth is changing and so are client expectations. Many are seeking deeper engagement, more customised solutions, and advice that extends beyond returns to purpose and continuity.
Our positioning as an investments-led private bank in Asia means we lead with advice, not products and stay grounded in delivering long-term outcomes over short-term trends. Clients today are navigating a market that offers opportunity but demands discipline. The challenge is not access, it’s curation. That’s why our approach is rooted in staying client-aligned, not market-driven. We focus on time in the market rather than timing it, adopt a long-term asset allocation framework, and use high-conviction strategies to complement a core, stable portfolio.
To stay competitive, we’re also investing in capability — integrating global insights with local relevance, building stronger digital tools for portfolio visibility, and expanding thought leadership across investment themes that matter. But more than anything, we’re deepening our relationships. Clients today aren’t looking for transactional advice — they want a long-term partner who understands their world, adapts to it and helps them make sense of what’s next.
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