MUMBAI, January 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Nearly 500 investment management professionals came together for the 6th India Investment Conference on Friday, 15 January, at the Taj Lands End, Mumbai. The annual conference, co-hosted by CFA Institute and the Indian Association of Investment Professionals (IAIP), brought into focus the challenges facing the investment management industry in India.

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160119/10138358)

"Investors need financial professionals they can trust and an industry with their best interest in mind. Putting investors' interest over intermediaries is the order of the day," asserted Sunil Singhania, CFA, Chief Investment Officer, Equity Investments, Reliance Mutual Fund, who delivered the opening address. Anil Ghelani, CFA, Senior Vice President, DSP BlackRock Mutual Fund, chaired the conference, which included a distinguished lineup of global and Indian speakers.

Key quotes: 

• "Every business is born, matures and declines. Every number should tell a story and every story should relate to a number. Number crunchers shouldn't diminish the value of storytelling; let's go, tell stories!" - Dr. Aswath Damodaran, Professor of Finance, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New York University.
• "Get away from the myth that one can beat the market. The right allocation of assets, human capital development is more important. How do we tackle the balance between measure of risk and the real risk investors perceive?" - Dr. Ashvin B. Chhabra, President, Euclidean Capital; Author: The Aspirational Investor.
• "We need simpler, more direct structures of financial intermediation. You don't promote ethical behaviour by enforcing rules. You promote a cultural change in your organisation." - John Kay, FSIP, Visiting Professor of Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science.
• "Sometimes you need to look for another opportunity to offset the mistake. Losing money for reasons you don't understand; that, is what gets you fired!" - Robert P. Browne, CFA, Executive Vice President and CIO, Northern Trust.
• "What happens in a business cycle does not happen on a structural basis. If your productivity is faster than that of the world, your currency remains strong." - Manoj Pradhan, Global Economist, Morgan Stanley.
• "Asset allocation maybe the key a better portfolio, not manager selection. Moreover, it is not about passive versus active management, but ability to pick a good manager." - Pranay Gupta, CFA, Director, Curriculum Projects, CFA Institute.

Jayesh Gandhi, CFA, President of IAIP (volunteer) and Senior Portfolio Manager, Birla Sun Life Asset Management Company, aptly summed up the 6th India Investment Conference: "Against a backdrop of market volatility, conference delegates focused to commit to shaping a more trustworthy financial industry that better serves investors. Prominent international thinkers and speakers presented alternative perspectives to investment themes, business opportunities and mitigating emerging challenges. We are excited to see the continuous growth of this conference, and look forward to closer collaboration with industry professionals, who left with many new themes and ideas to consider."

About Indian Association of Investment Professionals 

The Indian Association of Investment Professionals (IAIP), the India society of CFA Institute, was established in April 2005 as an association of local investment professionals consisting of portfolio managers, security analysts, investment advisors and other financial professionals. As one of the 147 CFA Institute member societies, IAIP connects local members to a global network of investment professionals. For more information, visit http://www.cfasociety.org/india.  

About CFA Institute 

CFA Institute is the global association of investment professionals that sets the standard for professional excellence and credentials. The organisation is a champion for ethical behaviour in investment markets and a respected source of knowledge in the global financial community. The end goal: to create an environment where investors' interests come first, markets function at their best, and economies grow. CFA Institute has nearly 135,000 members in 145 countries and territories, including 128,500 CFA charterholders in 144 countries, and 147 member societies in 73 countries/regions. For more information, http://www.cfainstitute.org/india

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SOURCE CFA Institute