Best Micro Cap Funds in India for 2023

Microcaps have been in the news over the last few months. Due to the stock market boom and very high returns delivered by several micro caps in recent times, this category seems to be in focus. In this post, we’ll understand exactly what micro-cap funds are and how they are different from traditional small-cap mutual … Read more

Alternative Investment Portfolio – August 2023

alternative

Macroeconomic cues were mixed this month. India’s GDP grew by 7.8% in the April-June quarter, as per government data—the official GDP data for the Indian economy for the April-June(Q1) quarter. While the Indian economy showed signs of strength, China is facing an impending recession.

The past six months have brought a stream of bad news for China’s economy: slow growth, record youth unemployment, low foreign investment, weak exports and currency, and a property sector in crisis. US President Joe Biden described the world’s second-largest economy as “a ticking time bomb”, predicting growing discontent in the country.

Telegram channel for details on new deals

Alternative Investment Portfolio Performance

This month we explored 2 new platforms

  1. Incred Money
  2. Alyf

Incred Money 

Incred

Incred Money is an investment platform focussed on products like bonds and Structured products. It is the first platform in India to introduce Market Linked Debentures for retail investors. The product is ideal for those looking to participate in the market without wanting to take the downside risk of market volatility.

The best feature I liked about the product is that it provides liquidity to investors and thus makes it more attractive.

I have also invested in one bond on Incred Money.

 Alyf 

Alyf is a platform through which investors can buy fractional holiday homes. The differentiating factor for Alyf is that it focuses on homes and flats rather than commercial properties which means that it would be easy to exit the opportunity at a future date if required. Investors also get timesharing in the properties they purchase. These properties are in holiday destinations like Goa and get good  Airbnb revenue!

Alyf smart ownership

I will continue to test the platform with limited exposure before allocating a much higher capital.

We are facing a startup winter which can affect some of the deals in the alternative portfolio. To create more information dissemination about deals I encourage people to share their experiences on the Randomdimes forum. You can also create new topics to share opinions and views.

Randomdimes Forum

Lending Investment

Platform Returns NPA
Grip Invest 13% 0%
Klubworks 15-17% 0%
WintWealth 10-11.5% 0%
Jiraaf 12-15% 0%
Pyse 10-11%(Post-Tax) 0%
Afinue (Upcide ) 13%(Post Tax) 0%
Growpital 16%(Tax Free) Blended Yield
Leafround 15-18% 0%
Altifi 12.50% 0%
Better Invest 16-18.00% 0%
  • All my cash flows in Klubworks, WintWealth, Pyse, Leafround, and GripInvest are per schedule.
  • Invested in  Vedika LoanX deal on Grip offering 12.7%.
  • Invested in a Couple of Invoices on Leafround ( Peelworks, Freyr)
  • Received my Bhanix NCD coupon and KNS infra repayment as per schedule.
  • Invested in Satya Microcapital for 13.25% on Altifi

Grip Bigspoon Update  – Grip recently shared an update on a leasing deal that had some repayment pending and the company is going through stress. Below is the excerpt of the deal.  Grip has been quite proactive and transparent in handling challenges related to the investment portfolio.

A comparison between Securitized investment vs. bond deals

In securitization, the originator packages a pool of loans and assigns his interest therein, including the underlying security, to a bankruptcy remote & tax neutral entity which, in turn, issues securities to investors. The idea of such an exercise is to completely transfer the interest in a pool of loans to the investors.

Securitization allows investors to improve their yields while keeping intact or even improving the quality of investment because :

  1. Direct investment in a pool of loans and not indirectly through bonds, which means even if the company defaults investor is protected.
  2. Higher Yield compared to High Rated bonds
  3.  Extra protection through Extra Interest spread and FD etc. to make up for any defaults in the pool.

Updated on Upcide (Afinue)

Upcide has rebranded itself Afinue (use code MR630878). I have invested in a few deals on the platform. I really like the knowledge of the founding team. They have deep experience in the financial sector. They have come up with a new opportunity which I am subscribing.

 

I got an opportunity to talk to the founder of Afinue (Mr Avishek Bannerjee ). He has shared his insights on the platform and leasing as an asset class. We will be uploading the video in the below channel this week.

Randomdimes Youtube

 

New Deals

Jiraaf

betterinvest

Altifiwintwealth

Invoice Discounting and Pooled Loans

Platform Returns NPA
Liquiloans 9-10% 0%
Tradecred 11.50% 0%
Lendbox (Per Annum +Settlement Finance) 11.50% 0%
Lendzpartnerz 14.0% 0%
KredX 12% 0%
  • Lendbox Per Annum returns are as per expectations with seamless liquidity. Current yield 11.75%
  • Using Liquiloans/Per Annum to Park Short term capital
  • Invested in Bizingo on Kredx
  • Have invested in 3 deals to date on Lenderpartnerz

Crypto Investing

Crypto is going through a long-drawn bear market. Though large institutions have started adopting Bitcoin, we can see a 2-3 year period sideway window before BTC shows a massive rally in the future.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) postponed its decisions on seven Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) proposals, including one submitted by BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager.

Seven firms — BlackRock, WisdomTree, Invesco Galaxy, Wise Origin, VanEck, Bitwise, and Valkyrie Digital Assets — published ETF applications in the Federal Register on July 19. The SEC was scheduled to rule on all seven applications by Sept. 4. However, the regulator postponed by 45 days meaning the seven firms will now have to wait until mid-October for a decision.

I will be adding BTC in small quantities at these levels with a 3-year window for 100% gains. Will keep all BTC in the hard wallet and avoid any trading on exchanges.

You can buy Hardware Wallets on Etherbit

P2P Investment

Current allocation:

  • India P2P – 55%
  • 12Club – 5%
  • I2IFunding- 15%
  • Finzy-10%
  • Faircent Pool Loan -15%
Platform Loans Selected Yield NPA
I2IFunding(Paused) Urban Clap Loans, education loans, Group loans 13.5% 4.8%
IndiaP2P Only Women Borrower Loans, Branch-based p2p lending 17% <1%
FINZY(Paused) Prime Borrowers, High Salary, A category 13% 3.7%
12 Club Only Minimum amount 12% 0%
  • I have completed 1 year of using IndiaP2P with steady performance.
  • I2Ifunding and Finzy have a very low volume of loans and I haven’t added any new capital in the last 4 months.
  • The systematic investment plan loan on Faircent ( Only SIP Loan) is doing well

 

IndiaP2P Performance

indiap2p

Equity Market

PreIPO Stocks

The Indian IPO market has gained momentum in 2023 so far tracking a rally in equity markets with stellar debuts on chart. Most of the issues have given double-digit returns, and have peaked up to a whopping 106% since the date of listing. This has buoyed the pre-market also but investors should show restraint and only buy stocks with good valuation.

India Alternative investment

The current price for NSE has gone over INR 3300-3350 based on the quotes some brokers are offering for a minimum ticket size of 500.

Listed Stocks

The five-month rally on Dalal Street came to an end in August as the Indian stock market indices declined in the month amid volatility and selling by foreign institutional investors (FII). Below is the valuation of  India compared with other countries. I am planning to keep my equity investment to the minimum and will add in case there is some correction in the upcoming months.

 

 

 

Other Alternative Investment Assets  and Platform Updates

Growpital Investment –  The performance of the platform has been satisfactory till now. They had recently organized a farm visit. If anyone has attended please do reach out and share your experience.

Growpital(Promo code GROWRDIMES)

Sustvest Investment – My Sustvest Portfolio has been doing fine and repayment is on time. Waiting for the next opportunity to go live.

Fractional Real Estate Update- My investment in MYRE Capital has been performing as expected.  It is now called Yiedlwisex. I have been exploring other real estate platforms like Alyf. Will be doing a comprehensive post on the real estate options investors have.

 

Read more

Incred Money Review – Multi Asset Alternative Investment Platform

  In the ever-evolving landscape of personal finance in India, Incred Money emerges as a fresh player, introducing an array of alternative investment opportunities to the Indian market. Specializing in corporate bonds and market-linked debentures, this up-and-coming platform has piqued the interest of investors seeking unique avenues for financial growth. In this review, we will … Read more

Alternative Investment Portfolio – July 2023

 

Macroeconomic cues were mixed this month. India’s GDP grew by 7.8% in the April-June quarter, as per government data. The official GDP data for the Indian economy for the April-June(Q1) quarter. While the Indian economy showed signs of strength, China is facing an impending recession.

The past six months have brought a stream of bad news for China’s economy: slow growth, record youth unemployment, low foreign investment, weak exports and currency, and a property sector in crisis. US President Joe Biden described the world’s second-largest economy as “a ticking time bomb”, predicting growing discontent in the country.

Telegram channel for details on new deals

Alternative Investment Portfolio Performance

This month we explored 2 new platforms

  1. Incred Money
  2. Alyf

Incred Money 

Incred Money is an investment platform focussed on products like bonds and Structured products. It is the first platform in India to introduce Market Linked Debentures for retail investors. The product is ideal for those looking to participate in the market without wanting to take the downside risk of market volatility.

The best feature I liked about the product is that it provides liquidity to investors and thus makes it more attractive.

I have also invested in one bond on Incred Money.

 Alyf 

Alyf is a platform through which investors can buy fractional holiday homes. The differentiating factor for Alyf is that it focuses on homes and flats rather than commercial properties which means that it would be easy to exit the opportunity at a future date if required. Investors also get timesharing in the properties they purchase. These properties are in holiday destinations like Goa and get good  Airbnb revenue!

I will continue to test the platform with limited exposure before allocating a much higher capital.

We are facing a startup winter which can affect some of the deals in the alternative portfolio. To create more information dissemination about deals I encourage people to share their experiences on the Randomdimes forum. You can also create new topics to share opinions and views.

Randomdimes Forum

Lending Investment

Platform Returns NPA
Grip Invest 13% 0%
Klubworks 15-17% 0%
WintWealth 10-11.5% 0%
Jiraaf 12-15% 0%
Pyse 10-11%(Post-Tax) 0%
Legalpay 14-16%(Post Tax) 0%
Growpital 16%(Tax Free) Blended Yield
Leafround 15-18% 0%
Altifi 12.50% 0%
Better Invest 16-18.00% 0%
  • All my cash flows in Klubworks, WintWealth, Pyse, Leafround, and GripInvest are per schedule.
  • Invested in  Vedika LoanX deal on Grip offering 13%.
  • Invested in a Couple of Invoices on Leafround ( Peelworks,
  • Received my Bhanix NCD coupon and KNS infra repayment as per schedule.
  • Invested in Satya Microcapital for 13.25% on Altifi

Grip Bigspoon Update  – Grip recently shared an update on a leasing deal that had some repayment pending and the company is going through stress. Below is the excerpt of the deal.  Grip has been quite proactive and transparent in handling challenges related to the investment portfolio.

Securitized investment vs. bond

In securitization, the originator packages a pool of loans and assigns his interest therein, including the underlying security, to a bankruptcy remote & tax neutral entity which, in turn, issues securities to investors. The idea of such an exercise is to completely transfer the interest in a pool of loans to the investors.

Securitization allows investors to improve their yields while keeping intact or even improving the quality of investment because :

  1. Direct investment in a pool of loans and not indirectly through bonds, which means even if the company defaults investor is protected.
  2. Higher Yield compared to High Rated bonds
  3.  Extra protection through Extra Interest spread and FD etc to make up for any defaults in the pool.

 

New Deals

Altifi
Altifi
Leafround

Gripinvest

Betterinvest

Invoice Discounting and Pooled Loans

Platform Returns NPA
Liquiloans 9-10% 0%
Tradecred 11.50% 0%
Lendbox (Per Annum +Settlement Finance) 11.50% 0%
Cashkumar(Elastic Run) paused Paused
KredX 12% 0%
  • Lendbox Per Annum returns are as per expectations with seamless liquidity. Current yield 11.9%
  • Using Liquiloans/Per Annum to Park Short term capital
  • Blinkit and Indus Tower on Kredx Matured and got repayment before schedule. Investing in Zetwerk .
  • Avoid Dunzo deals for invoices as the company going through stress.
  • Invested in Log9 on Tradecred
lendbox
Lendbox IRR
Kredx

Crypto Investing

Crypto investors would have had a tough time declaring tax due to the numerous TDS deducted for each transaction. It makes more sense to buy and hold in India rather than trade.

MicroStrategy said that, as of July 31, 2023, it had acquired 152,800 BTC for $4.53 billion or $29,672 per Bitcoin. It is the largest private holding of Bitcoin by any corporate. Bitcoin buying strategy has turned out well for the company as the stock has gone up since the Bitcoin purchase!

microstrategy

You can buy Hardware Wallets on Etherbit as it is highly advised not to keep large amounts on exchanges.

P2P Investment

Current allocation:

  • India P2P – 50%
  • 12Club – 5%
  • I2IFunding- 25%
  • Finzy-10%
  • Faircent Pool Loan -10%
Platform Loans Selected Yield NPA
I2IFunding(Paused) Urban Clap Loans, education loans, Group loans 13.5% 4.75%
IndiaP2P Only Women Borrower Loans, Branch-based p2p lending 17% <1%
FINZY(Paused) Prime Borrowers, High Salary, A category 14.2% 3.5%
12 Club Only Minimum amount 12% 0%
  • I have completed 1 year of using IndiaP2P with good performance. I am awaiting an interview with the founder
  • I2Ifunding and Finzy have a very low volume of loans
  • The systematic investment plan loan on Faircent ( Only SIP Loan) is doing well

indiaP2P - portfolio performance

IndiaP2P Performance

Blacklisted Platform- Platform which had poor performance in the past 

  • Rupeecircle
  • Lendenclub

Equity Market

PreIPO Stocks

NSE posted a stellar performance this quarter. I feel the only thing stopping NSE’s price from shooting much higher is the litigation for the colocation case which is still not closed.

The current price for NSE has gone over INR 3300-3350 based on the quotes some brokers are offering for a minimum ticket size of 500.

Listed Stocks

A few sectors which we have invested in the start of this year are more than 30% include

  • Nasdaq
  • Hangseng
  • IT ETF
  • Pharma ETF

The broad market has also been very kind. The equity market is full of regrets. If you invest a lot and the market corrects you feel disappointed, if you invest less and the market goes up you feel bad, so a balance approached without reading too much about market behavior is essential.

Other Alternative Investment Assets  and Platform Updates

Growpital Investment –  The performance of the platform has been satisfactory till now. They have been doing regular meetings with investors along with webinars. I request investors to share their experience of attending their farms etc on the forum, which will help us to develop more confidence on the platform.

Growpital(Promo code GROWRDIMES)

Sustvest Investment – My Sustvest Portfolio has been doing fine and repayment is on time.

Fractional Real Estate Update- My investment in MYRE Capital has been performing as expected.  It is now called Yiedlwisex. They  Lease rental discounting opportunity backed by real estate is 99% funded.

Read more

Sundaygrids Review – Digital Solar Power Platform

Renewable energy sources such as solar power allow people to save a lot of energy consumption and consume carbon-free and environment-friendly energy. In the present times, people are adopting more renewable energy because of the same reason. India has an abundance of sunlight and is a leading generator of renewable energy. However, most of us … Read more

Best Multi Asset Allocation Funds in 2023

  Multi-asset allocation funds (MAFs) have been around for a while, but they have recently gained popularity as investors seek to diversify their portfolios and reduce risk. MAFs invest in a mix of asset classes, such as equity, debt, and commodities, which can help to reduce volatility and improve risk-adjusted returns. There are a number … Read more

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