Our ESG Philosophy
OUR COMPANIES
Indian companies continue to make strong progress on the ESG front. Some of this is highlighted by the links below of our top 10 holdings (as of June 2023):
| Top 10 Stocks | Industry | Website |
|---|---|---|
| ICICI Bank | Banks | ICICI (icicibank.com) |
| Bajaj Finance | Consumer Finance | BFS-Business Responsibility and Sustainibility Report-FY2022 (bajajfinserv.in) |
| Axis Bank | Banks | ESG Governance - CSR - Axis Bank |
| Shriram Transport Fin Co. | Consumer Finance | Know The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Policy | Shriram Finance |
| Infosys | IT Services | Infosys - ESG |
| Aurobindo Pharma | Pharmaceuticals | aurobindo.com/sustainability |
| Redington (India) | Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components | Social – Redington (redingtongroup.com) |
| HCL Technologies | IT Services | ESG & Sustainability: Our Sustainability Strategy & Reports | HCLTech |
| Cipla | Pharmaceuticals | Cipla Foundation |
| HDFC | Financial Services | HDFC Bank CSR - Corporate Social Responsibility Activities |
ENVIRONMENT
DALMIA BHARAT
The Dalmia Bharat Group has evolved as a distinct brand that commands respect as an environmentally responsible business group. The group’s cement business is globally ranked No. 1 by CDP in 2018 on business readiness for a low carbon transition and has achieved the lowest carbon footprint in the cement sector globally. It follows the business philosophy of ‘Clean & Green is Profitable and Sustainable’ to create positive environmental and social impacts. By replacing conventional fuels and raw materials with alternative solutions, the group continues to expand its overall renewable energy portfolio. Its blended cement portfolio and continued investment in technology reduce any adverse impact on the planet. With a clear thrust on improving efficiency in all practices and technological innovations, the group is dedicated to operate its facilities with the utmost respect for the communities and environment it exists in.
SOCIAL
TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES
TCS has more than 390,000 employees globally, representing more than 129 nationalities, and of whom more than a third are women. A heavy investment has been made in training to help women at all levels excel in their roles, including one to one coaching when they take up senior positions, a Rising Stars Program for those with three to five years of experience and the Pathways to Success Workshop, a leadership programme for women with five to eight years of experience.
Link: www.tcs.com/tcs-named-best-company-diversity-inclusion
GOVERNANCE
HDFC BANK
The Bank believes in adopting and adhering to the best recognized corporate governance practices and continuously benchmarking itself against each such practice. The Bank understands and respects its fiduciary role and responsibility towards its shareholders and strives hard to meet their expectations. The Bank has infused the philosophy of corporate governance into all its activities. The philosophy on corporate governance is an important tool for shareholder protection and maximization of their long-term values. It has been established as global best practice when it comes to Governance, alongside our other portfolio companies in Infosys, Hindustan Unilever and Wipro.
India Avenue is a boutique investment management firm providing investment solutions that allow our clients to benefit from India’s remarkable growth story.
OUR BUSINESS
2005
The journey towards the “birth” of India Avenue originated in 2005, when ING Investment Management started a business in India as a separate division, utilising a practiced multi-manager philosophy in markets like Australia, and exported it to India. Three of our founders, Mugunthan Siva, Rajeev Thakkar and Sajjan Raut Desai worked together for INGIM (India), building investment strategies and structures, under this philosophy and applying them to Indian capital markets
2011
In 2011 our founders started discussing the possibility of building an investment firm with a capability to provide a focus on India as an stand-alone investment jurisdiction for foreign investors. The founders identified Australia and New Zealand as nascent markets for investing in regional locations, with the potential to accelerate given education and insights which the firm could provide.
2015
By 2015 the group of founders decided to work full-time on this concept to bring it to life. They did this by leaving their existing employment, thus exercising high conviction in the investment region of India as a long-term structural story for investors in Australia and New Zealand. Thus, the firm India Avenue Investment Management was registered and came to life in 2015 in Sydney, Australia.
2016
After building our business for a period of 12 months, our first fund, The India Avenue Equity Fund was launched on 6th September 2016, with strong service provider partners like Equity Trustees (RE), Mainstream (Fund Administrator), KPMG (Fund Auditor) and BNP India (Custodian).
NOW
India Avenue is now a boutique investment business firm, with clients spread across family offices, high net worth individuals, wealth advisers and financial planning firms. Our firm has focused on education and knowledge as a driver of investment behaviour and have taken a long-term approach towards Australian and New Zealand investors contemplating an allocation to India’s growth as part of their portfolios. Our firm has assets in excess of A$50m and the India Avenue Equity Fund is rated “Recommended”* by Lonsec and is available on multiple investment platforms across Australia and New Zealand.