Steptrade Capital

CA Kresha Gupta is an investment professional with over 8 years of experience across capital markets, equity research, portfolio construction, and alternative investments. She specializes in SME and microcap investing and is recognized for her disciplined investment philosophy, research-led decision-making, and ability to identify emerging businesses with scalable growth potential. As Director and Fund Manager at Steptrade Capital, she leads the company's investment strategies across the SME and microcap segment, overseeing capital deployment through specialized alternative investment vehicles. She manages the Chanakya Opportunities Fund series, a CAT II AIF and India's pioneering SME-focused Alternative Investment Fund (AIF), along with the Steptrade Revolution Fund series, a CAT III AIF, focusing on businesses positioned to benefit from structural economic and industry transformations. A Chartered Accountant who qualified at the age of 20, Kresha's investment framework combines rigorous bottom-up research, promoter quality assessment, governance evaluation, and sectoral analysis to identify businesses capable of delivering sustainable long-term value creation. Before joining Steptrade Capital, Kresha worked with Vodafone Idea Limited, where she collaborated closely with senior leadership across Investor Relations and Treasury functions, gaining valuable exposure to corporate finance, capital markets, and strategic decision-making. She also managed her family office, where she was actively involved in investment management and capital allocation decisions across asset classes. In addition, she advised companies in the pre-IPO, unlisted, and SME segments, providing strategic guidance on growth, capital planning, and market positioning. These experiences laid the foundation for her disciplined investment approach and deep understanding of both public and private markets. A recognized voice in the investment community, her insights have been featured in CNBC Awaaz, Moneycontrol, The Economic Times, Business World, and Financial Times.

Ankush Jain is a CFA charterholder with over 18 years of experience across Indian equities, alternative investments, portfolio management, and capital markets. As Director and Fund Manager at Steptrade Capital, he plays a pivotal role in shaping the firm's investment strategies, overseeing capital allocation, and identifying opportunities across public and private markets. Ankush currently manages Chanakya Opportunities Fund I (CAT II AIF) and Steptrade Revolution Fund series (CAT III AIF). His investment approach combines deep fundamental research, market cycle analysis, and disciplined risk management to uncover businesses with strong growth potential and long-term value creation capabilities. In addition to fund management, Ankush actively advises high-growth companies on pre-IPO opportunities, helping businesses navigate growth capital requirements, strategic positioning, and market readiness. Prior to joining Steptrade Capital, Ankush held investment advisory roles at Edelweiss Wealth Management, specializing in structured products and alternative investment solutions. He began his career as a Research Analyst covering commodities and currency markets.