
Cat III · Managed by Malabar Investments
Navigating the shores of the Indian opportunity
Complex or leveraged strategies — long-short, hedge-fund-style and quant funds. Often open-ended, within SEBI leverage limits.
Malabar Investment Trust is a SEBI-registered Category III Alternative Investment Fund (IN/AIF3/16-17/0255), registered on August 29, 2016, and managed by Malabar Fund Managers LLP. The trust is administered with Vistra ITCL India Limited (formerly IL&FS Trust Company) as Trustee, at the IL&FS Financial Centre, BKC, Mumbai. Malabar Investments was founded in 2008 by Sumeet Nagar and Akshay Mansukhani, with the backing of reputed institutional value investors from the US and Asia. The firm manages over $1 billion in assets and has 16 years of track record. As a Category III AIF, the Malabar Investment Trust enables Indian resident investors to access Malabar's long/short and event-driven equity hedge fund strategies, which are otherwise channelled through offshore feeder structures (Malabar India Fund and Malabar Select Fund). Malabar specialises in identifying small to mid-size Indian companies that are leaders in their niche, have sustainable competitive advantages, demonstrated pricing power, and a long runway for profitable growth. The firm operates from offices in Mumbai (The Point, Bandra West) and New York (c/o Holding Capital Group Inc). Malabar has been a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI), one of the first India-focused public market funds to do so.
Sumeet Nagar
Fund managerManaging Partner, Portfolio Manager
MBA (Wharton), IIT Bombay graduate
Sumeet Nagar is the founder of Malabar, and as Portfolio Manager, remains the head of the Investment team. Prior to joining Holding Capital group and establishing Malabar, he was a consultant at McKinsey & Company where he was a founding member of its dedicated private equity group. Sumeet is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, and earned an MBA degree in Finance and Entrepreneurial Management from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (USA).
Akshay Mansukhani
Managing Partner, Business Development and Risk Management
BSE, MBA (Wharton), Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst
Akshay Mansukhani has a dual focus at Malabar, heading both Business Development and Risk Management. Prior to joining Malabar in 2009, he worked at UBS Investment Bank, New York, where he focused on structured products as part of equity capital markets. Akshay received his BSE and MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (USA), where he was selected as a Joseph Wharton Scholar. He is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst.
Ashish Gulati
Partner, Head of Research
BE (Mumbai University), MBA (IIT Kharagpur)
Ashish Gulati is a Partner at Malabar, and has been with the firm since its inception. As the Head of Research, he has played a vital role in creating investment processes and setting up the research team. Prior to Malabar, Ashish was responsible for analysing investment opportunities at SBI Capital Markets, where he was part of the proprietary investment group that oversaw an equity and debt portfolio. Ashish graduated from Mumbai University with a degree in Engineering, and earned an MBA degree from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.
Ketan Shah
Chief Operating Officer
Ketan Shah joined Malabar in March 2019 as COO, overseeing operations, back office, audit, compliance, general administration, IT, and HR. Prior to Malabar, he was Executive Director and member of the India Management Committee at Morgan Stanley Fund Services. He is a member of both ICAI and ICWAI.
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Rajat Mahajan
Partner, Investments
BE (NIT Durgapur), MBA (IIM Ahmedabad)
Rajat Mahajan joined Malabar in 2016. Prior to Malabar, Rajat worked at Synergy Advisory, focusing on financial advisory transactions in the infrastructure sector. Rajat graduated from National Institute Of Technology, Durgapur with a degree in Engineering, and earned an MBA from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.
Rohan Rai
Partner, Investor Relations
BE (Mumbai University), MBA (IIM Ahmedabad)
Rohan Rai joined Malabar in 2015 as a member of the Business Development team. Prior to Malabar, he was with the HSBC for over 7 years, where he worked in multiple roles including Strategy & Planning, Investment Advisory, and Relationship Management. Rohan graduated from Mumbai University with a degree in Engineering, and earned his MBA from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.
Dhruva Mukherjee
Investments
IIT Kharagpur, MBA (IIM Ahmedabad)
Dhruva Mukherjee joined Malabar in 2017. Before Malabar, he worked as an Associate at Kalaari Capital, an early-stage VC fund, where he was responsible for deal evaluation across various sectors, and portfolio management. Dhruva completed his undergraduate degree at Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, and earned an MBA at Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.
Gayathri Dhevi Ramkrishnan
Investments
MBA (Harvard Business School), member of ICAI
Gayathri Dhevi Ramkrishnan joined Malabar in 2024. Prior to Malabar, she worked as a Global Business Analyst at Arga Investment Management, and across equity research at Bank of America (USA). Gayathri also worked as a management consultant at Boston Consulting Group. She completed her MBA at Harvard Business School, and is a member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
Yash Mehta
Investments
Member of ICAI, CFA (all three levels passed)
Yash Mehta joined Malabar in 2024. Prior to Malabar, he worked at Steinberg India Advisors, Amansa Capital (Singapore), and CLSA India in investment research and portfolio monitoring, covering the Indian equity markets. Yash is a member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, and has passed all three levels of the CFA Program.
Chirag Shah
Chief Operating Officer
B.Com (Accounting), Company Secretary
Chirag joined Malabar in February 2026 as Chief Operating Officer ('COO'). His role is to oversee Operations, Back Office, Audit, Compliance, General Administration, IT, and HR related activities. Prior to joining Malabar, Chirag was COO of HSBC Asset Management, and Head of Operations at Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC. Chirag holds a Bachelor of Commerce, Accounting degree from University of Mumbai and a Company Secretary qualification from the Institute of Company Secretaires of India.
Jhanvi Bhanushali
Operations Manager
B.Com (Mumbai University), member of ICAI
Jhanvi joined Malabar in 2023. Prior to joining Malabar she worked with Purnartha Investment Advisors and KFIN Technologies in operational roles; she was responsible for investor services, investor & fund on-boarding, fund accounting, fund operations, and setting up new investment vehicles. Jhanvi has also worked with SS&C GlobeOp and BNP Paribas Fund Services in the Fund Accounting and Administration space. Jhanvi graduated with a degree in Commerce from Mumbai University and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India ("ICAI").
Nilesh Phondke
Investor Communications
B.Com (Mumbai University), Diploma in HR (Welingkar)
Nilesh Phondke joined Malabar in 2014 to support the Business Development team. Prior to joining Malabar, he was Manager of Human Resources at Baldota Institute, which is a part of Global Hospitals. Nilesh graduated with a degree in Commerce from Mumbai University, and earned his Diploma in HR from Welingkar Institute.
Pratiksha Kotian
Investor Services and Office Administration
Masters in Management Studies (HR), Mumbai University
Pratiksha Kotian joined Malabar in 2022 with a dual focus of supporting Investor Services and Office Administration. Prior to joining Malabar, she worked as an Executive Assistant at Jet Airways and its subsidiary, Filmstoc. Pratiksha graduated from Mumbai University with a Masters in Management Studies (Human Resources).
Nerissa Fernandes
Office Manager
Bachelor of Arts, Mithibai College
Nerissa Fernandes joined Malabar in 2024 as the Office Manager. Prior to joining Malabar, she worked at Canara Robeco as an Executive Assistant to the COO. Nerissa graduated from Mithibai College of Arts, with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Steven Leischner
BoardBS (cum laude), Wagner College, CPA
Steven Leischner has been a principal of Holding Capital Group ("HCG") since 1983. He is currently the CFO of various HCG related entities and oversees HCG's finance, accounting, administration, and recruiting. He is an officer and board member of several of HCG's portfolio companies and is active in managing HCG's investments. Steven received his BS (cum laude) in Accounting and Business Administration from Wagner College and attained his Certified Public Accountant certification in 1982.
David Broser
BoardLaw degree (Boston University), BBA (University of Michigan)
David Broser has been President of RDA Ventures, LLC since 1993. He has helped RDA invest in over 30 companies in a variety of industries. Over the last few years, David has also helped RDA provide strategic capital to select hedge funds. David received his Law degree from Boston University, and a BBA from the University of Michigan.
Carl Oppenheimer
BoardB.A. (St. Lawrence University), MBA (University of Chicago)
Carl Oppenheimer is Managing Partner of Oppenheimer + Close, an investment advisory firm. Prior to joining Oppenheimer + Close, he was a Principal at Milestone Venture Partners, and before that he was a Manager in the Business Development department of Sears, Roebuck and Company, where he focused on strategic M&A transactions. In April 2010 Carl was elected to the FINRA District 10 Committee. Carl received a B.A. from St. Lawrence University, and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
James W. Donaghy
BoardMBA, CPA
James Donaghy joined Holding Capital Group ("HCG") in 1978. In addition to being an owner and an officer of Holding Capital Group companies, he serves as President of HCG's primary investment entities, and is President of Holding Capital Asset Management, LLC. James holds an MBA, is a Certified Public Accountant, and served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1968 to 1972.
Brian Cooper
AdvisorBS Economics (Wharton, University of Pennsylvania)
Brian Cooper has been investing in the middle/lower-middle markets over the past 20+ years and has led over 30 M&A transactions. Currently, Brian is a Partner at Windsong Global and a member of Windsong's investment and executive committee. Brian also serves as an Operating Partner at Tengram Capital Partners, a consumer-focused private equity firm. From 2020 to 2022, Brian led the acquisition and subsequently served as CEO of Daytona Apparel, a $150M sock and sportswear supplier, leading a distressed turn-around effort that led to a successful sale to a large strategic. Prior to joining Windsong, Brian was a Partner at Atlantic Street Capital, an operationally driven, hands-on private equity firm that partners with entrepreneurs in the lower middle markets. Prior to joining Atlantic Street Capital, Brian was a Vice President at Gordon Brother's private equity arm, where he invested in the retail and consumer sector. Brian started his career at Financo (currently a subsidiary of Raymond James), a boutique investment bank focused on serving the consumer sector. Brian received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
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