Vijay Bharadia is a third-generation businessman from a textile family who turned to managing people’s money in 2018. He manages Rs 375 crore across five strategies in Wallfort PMS, which he founded after transitioning from managing private client money successfully to launch a PMS structure. The founder and CIO's oldest strategy has delivered 112 percent returns to investors in the last one year.
His current focus? He is betting big on the data center space because 2026 onwards, data generated by 140 crore Indians has to be stored in the country itself and cannot be taken outside India. While companies like Anant Raj and Techno Electric & Engineering are at the forefront in the data centers arena, Bharadia has something different in his mind. He prefers to invest through proxies -- businesses providing various parts which enables data centers to run.
One of his bets is Blue Star, which has a pan-India presence. As data centers generate substantial heat, the demand for efficient cooling solutions, will surge, benefiting the company.
Meanwhile, the fund manager has invested in an unlisted company called Motohom, which makes caravans. He says that the caravan business in India is untapped unlike the $20 billion RV (recreational vehicle) industry in the US. While many companies in India focus on vanity vans, which celebrities use for temporary comfort on movie sets, caravans are designed for family holidays, and have amenities like kitchens and bathrooms.
Bharadia sees a major gap in India’s infrastructure, especially in remote tourist areas and national parks where there is a lack of proper accommodation. He says in the coming years, caravans could solve this problem by offering a mobile and hygienic solution. Although it may take 5-7 years for the caravan market to develop fully in India, the potential is huge for companies willing to invest in this space. The fund manager bought the company six months back at Rs 30 crore, and its valuation is at the same level currently.
The fund manager has invested in a biotech company as well, called Pandorum Technologies, which focuses on tissue regeneration to restore eyesight. They have developed a solution that uses just two drops to regenerate a person’s cornea. After successfully clearing animal trials, the company is preparing for human trials, expected to begin within nine months. Wallfort invested in this company before it started animal trials at a valuation of Rs 350 crore. It is currently valued at around Rs 1,000 crore.
With the upcoming human trials and its potential success, the market opportunity is significant, especially in the US where the product could target a $10 billion market, he says. Bharadia says that even insurance companies could cover the cost of the drops as they annually spend $100,000 on one person on care for blind individuals. Spending on the drops rather is cost effective for them.
The PMS’ oldest strategy – Diversified Fund had given returns of 112 percent in the last one year as compared to the benchmark returns of 44 percent. While it has given returns of 41 percent in the last 5 years as compared to the benchmark of returns of 22 percent.
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