Eternal Sunshine From An Optimist Mind

S. Sriniwasan (Srini) has been with the Kotak Group since 1993 and currently heads Kotak Investment Advisors Limited (KIAL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kotak Mahindra Bank. 

Srini also oversees Kotak Private Equity, Kotak Infrastructure Funds, Kotak Special Situations Fund and Kotak Listed Equities. Overall, Srini manages about USD 2.7Bn in AUM across asset classes. Srini has played a crucial role in setting up and building the Alternate Assets business at KIAL. He established one of India’s first real estate funds in 2005 and steered the growth of the business since its launch.  

As one of the earliest fund managers to raise and invest capital in India, Srini has introduced significant financing, financial structuring and negotiating skills in the alternate assets industry. 

Srini joined the Kotak Mahindra Group in January 1993. He was a part of Kotak’s investment banking joint venture with Goldman Sachs from inception in 1995, and was also co-head of Kotak Investment Banking till 2005. At Kotak Investment Banking, Srini advised leading domestic and international companies on capital raising, M&A and strategic divestitures. 

Srini is a member of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) committee for policy initiatives on Foreign Direct Investment and REITs and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) subcommittee on Capital Markets. He also serves as Chairman for the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), South Asia Valuation Professional Group Board. He is also a Board member of Asia Pacific Real Estate Association Limited (APREA) India Chapter and a member of the Governing Council of Global Real Estate Institute (GRI) – India Chapter.  He is a Member of the Executive Committee at the Indian Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (IVCA).   

Srini holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Delhi University and an MBA from the Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad.