Rahul Gandhi places wagers on Asian paint stocks, Bajaj Finance, and Pidilite Ind

Congressman Rahul Gandhi has a sizable amount of assets dedicated to equities and mutual funds, however he does not hold shares in Reliance Industries Limited or any other Adani Group entity.

Gandhi has been a harsh critic of Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, the two richest men in India, often charging them with profiting from their close relationship to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In an affidavit submitted to the Election Commission, the Waynad MP disclosed assets above Rs 20 crore in total. This comprises immovable assets valued at Rs 11.15 crore and moveable assets valued at Rs 9.25 crore, of which 90% are attributable to investments in stocks and mutual funds.

In terms of market value, Gandhi’s best equity investments are in Asian Paints, Pidilite Industries, Bajaj Finance, Nestle India, and Titan Company. There were shares in twenty-five listed businesses in his stock portfolio.

As of March 15, 2024, the value of his stock holding was Rs 4.33 crore. Gandhi’s largest investment was 1,474 equities in Pidilite Industries, valued at Rs 42.27 lakh as of March 15. He had shares in Asian Paints for Rs. 35 lakh, Bajaj Finance for Rs. 35.89 lakh, Nestle India for Rs. 35.67 lakh, and Titan for Rs. 32.58 lakh. Deepak Nitrite, Divi’s Laboratories, Infosys, TCS, and HUL are additional holdings in his share portfolio.

Gandhi has spent Rs 3.81 crore on investments across seven mutual funds. His preferred option is HDFC Small Cap regular (growth), with an investment amount of Rs 1.23 crore. In only a year, this scheme’s value has increased by 50%.

Sonam Srivastava, founder and fund manager at Wright Research, commented on Gandhi’s portfolio, stating that the presence of both larger and smaller businesses shows a desire to take advantage of possibilities in a variety of market areas.

According to Srivastava, “all things considered, Gandhi’s asset portfolio reflects a prudent approach to investment, aiming to optimize returns while managing risks effectively.”

Gandhi also has 220 Sovereign Gold Bond 2020–21 units, which as of March 15 were valued at Rs 15.21 lakh. As of March 15, his Public Provident Fund balance was Rs 61.52 lakh.