Ashish Dhawan
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Ashish Dhawan was one of the minds behind ChrysCapital, one of India’s premier private equity firms. He co-founded the company in 1999 and directed it for nearly 13 years until 2012, when he departed to start the Central Square Foundation (CSF).
CSF’s objective is to improve India’s education system and its quality. His efforts led to the establishment of Ashoka University, a leading sciences and liberal arts university in Haryana, India.
Ashish is one of India’s sharpest investors, and he is known for his strong desire to help the country.
Ashish Dhawan Biography
| Name | Ashish Dhawan |
| Born | March 10th, 1969 |
| Age | 52 |
| Alma Mater | Yale University, Harvard Business School |
| Occupation | Founder and CEO of Central Square Foundation, Founder and Governing Body Member of Ashoka University, Founder and CEO of Improving the Quality of Life |
| Spouse | Manisha Dhawan |
Ashish Dhawan Education
Ashish Dhawan was born in Delhi, India on March 10, 1969. From his schooling days, he was a bright child and he always had an intent to do something for the nation that can make him proud.
He attended St. Xaviers Collegiate School and graduated as the school’s top student. He then moved on to Yale University, where he earned a dual degree (BA/BS).
Following that, he earned a distinction grade in his MBA from Harvard Business School. At the age of 30, Ashish became an entrepreneur, and at the age of 45, he became a social activist.
Also Read: India’s Money Market
Ashish Dhawan Net Worth
Ashish Dhawan is a well-known Indian investor with an estimated net worth of 700 crores.
Chrysalis Capital (ChrysCapital) is his co-founder. In addition, he established the Central Square Foundation (CSF). Asish Dhawan is credited with helping to establish the Indian venture capital business.
Ashish Dhawan Investment Early Days
Ashish began his career in 1992, working for Mergers Group, one of Wall Street’s greatest investments.
Following that, he worked as a junior associate for McCown DeLeeuw & Co. in California for the following two years.
Here, he met McCown, who inspired Ashish to get an MBA at Harvard Management School. McCown urged him to enroll in the course and improve his learning portfolio.
After taking a break from work to complete his MBA, Ashish returned to Goldman Sachs to work in the Risk Arbitrage Group. He left his work at the age of 28 and went to India to fulfill a childhood passion of serving his country.
He co-founded ChrysCapital with one of his Harvard classmates shortly after arriving in India in 1999. Despite the fact that the company was new to the market at the time, it was able to succeed despite the challenges it faced.
He oversaw funds worth close to $1 billion throughout his five to six years at ChrysCapital, making it one of India’s largest equity capital firms.
He then set out to realize his aim of making a difference in Indian education. He co-founded the Young India Fellowship, a carefully curated postgraduate program that emphasizes experiential learning.
This program’s goal is to develop the next generation of Indian leaders. Despite the fact that ChrysCapital is now one of the country’s premier private equity firms, Ashish abandoned his 20-year career in investment management to pursue philanthropy full-time.
He launched the Central Square Foundation (CSF) in 2012 with the goal of increasing education quality in India through grants and policy. In 2014, he expanded his efforts in the sphere of education by establishing Ashoka University.
Ashish Dhawan Investment Strategies
These skills were acquired and polished by Ashish Dhawan thanks to a high-quality education and working under brilliant people in the investment market industry in both the United States and India. Some of the tactics that can be derived from his portfolio are as follows:
- Diversify Your Investments
After the dot-com bust in 2000, Ashish Dhawan had one of his toughest periods as an investor. He had lost a lot of money on telecom businesses at this time.
Yet, because he had diversified his investments, he was able to gain more than six times the value of his initial investment through companies that survived the catastrophe.
ChrysCapital had invested $10 million in SpectraMind and made a profit of about $60 million. Global Vantedge, Gammon, TechTeam, Yes Bank, Axis Bank, and others are some of ChrysCapital’s other highly profitable investments.
- Market Analysis
Before investing, all investors should study everything they can about the firm, the people who run it, and its market performance.
The evaluation of the various risks associated with a particular investment is critical in making the investment decision. Mastek, Orient Green Power, and other enterprises where Ashish lost a lot of money are examples.
- Concentrate on long-term investments.
Ashish Dhawas focus has always been on long-term investing. Such investments profit in the long run by riding the wave and market fluctuations.
For example, in 2001, Ashish invested in Mphasis at a per-share value of INR 350.
The stock’s price dropped to INR 50, yet they profited roughly 5 times that in the long term. Keeping calm during market volatility is critical for investors.
Ashish Dhawan Portfolio
According to the quality held and the holding value, below are Ashish Dhawan’s top 5 portfolio investments.
| Company * | Quantity Held (No. of Shares)* | Value of Shares* | Industry* |
| Max Healthcare Institute Limited | 13,738,267 | INR 437.9 Crores | Medical and Healthcare |
| Birlasoft Limited | 8,000,000 | INR 337.4 Crores | IT Consulting |
| Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited | 5,100,000 | INR 287.3 Crores | Medical and Healthcare |
| IDFC Limited | 56,000,000 | INR 280.8 Crores | Finance |
| Equitas Holdings Limited | 16,000,000 | INR 200.4 Crores | Banking |
Final Thoughts and Takeaways – Ashish Dhawan
Benjamin Franklin has been a key source of inspiration for Ashish Dhawan. He feels that one should not invest without first learning about the market.
Everyone may learn how the market operates and what it is up to using a variety of tools and materials available on the Internet.
Another piece of advice from Ashish Dhawan is to stick to your investments and be patient, since if the company is good, you may see long-term gains.
Another lesson learned from Ashish Dhawan’s life is that money isn’t everything in life; people must work hard to make our country proud.
