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Let's start with your personal storyI was born and brought up in the city of joy - Kolkata and I belong to what is now fondly known as “Cal maru” community. I am a commerce graduate and postgraduate from IIM Bangalore. Additionally, I am a CFA charter holder as well.How did you land up in this job?I have been associated with the equity markets throughout my career which now spans 25 years. During these years I have been lucky to have global exposure with working experience in global financial centres like New York city and Hong Kong. Also, I have been associated both on the buy side as well as sell side. So, in a nutshell, I had the good fortune of a 360-degree view of the equity markets.Which funds are you currently managing?Currently I am managing Mid cap fund, Small cap fund, Consumption fund, Value fund and Dividend Yield Fund. Aggregate AUM across these funds is approx. Rs 6,300cr.What is your investment philosophy and how will you describe your investment strategy?I have been a career research guy. Hence, my investment philosophy is deeply entrenched in fundamentals. I believe in consistent performance over a long term. This, in turn, requires strict adherence to processes and investment discipline.What gives you the kick while managing other people's moneyI think the biggest satisfaction comes from knowing that I have been part of the journey for wealth creation of so many mutual fund investors.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times)

Elevated levels of Dalal Street's fear gauge, India VIX, suggest that caution is still lurking and making it tougher for Nifty to zoom past 23,000, says Anand James, Chief Market Strategist, Geojit Financial Services.Edited excerpts from a chat:Nifty saw sharp swings on both sides last week as Trump’s tariff-related news flow made it tougher for traders to predict the direction. But given the fact that the trade war now appears to be limited between the US and China, notwithstanding the spillover effect, do you see a sustained rise in Nifty beyond 23,000?Indeed, a sense of relief, albeit brief, has replaced the utter panic that gripped global financial markets early last week. As more visibility has emerged in terms of worst-case scenarios of the trade war, global indices have begun to show signs of heading higher. That Nifty managed to keep overnight gains intact on Friday is a signal toward this end. However, the fact that VIX fell just 6% on Friday does not sit well with a projection beyond 23,000 for now. We are still over 46% above the VIX levels seen prior to last week’s mayhem, suggesting that caution is still lurking. With this in perspective, we are not keen on committing beyond 23,000 for the time being, unless there is a drastic fall in VIX. With a shortened trading week, the odds of that remain low.Where do you see Nifty Bank headed before lenders start releasing their Q4 numbers? What are the key levels to watch out for?The index has seen a steady bounce back since mid-March but faced a hurdle around the rising trendline resistance of 52,100, from where we saw a pullback on Friday. A large green candle on the weekly scale, average RSI of index majors below 50, and a close above the 50-week SMA are expected to push the index toward 52,400. But caution continues as index majors like HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank are coming out with their Q4 earnings in the coming week. HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank which form more than 50% of the index are technically looking neutral to negative, pointing to a potential for rejection trades reappearing after initial bullishness. Kotak Bank and Axis Bank, which are looking positive, could lend support to the index if the other majors pull back.Muthoot Finance shares ended the week 14% lower. Where do you see the stock going forward from here?The rejection trades from the 20-day SMA have apparently nipped the recovery move in the bud. With oscillators pointing to directional moves, we feel that the stock is poised to head much lower, with 1,756 — November’s first-week low — seen as the initial landing point. Alternatively, if the 1,960 region manages to attract bargain hunting, the anticipated down move may be negated.The coming week will have only 3 trading days due to holidays. Do you think it can lead to higher volatility but with lower trading volumes?VIX continuing to stay above 20 is an indication that volatility expectations remain high. This will change only if we sustain trades above 23,000 in the coming days. However, we do not feel that the holidays will see traders staying away. In fact, volumes are not likely to fall sharply as we also have the weekly expiry falling at the end of the truncated week.Give us your top ideas for the week ahead:CCL (CMP – 599)Target – 650Stoploss – 573The stock has been in a pullback since the beginning of this year and remained within a falling wedge pattern since March. This week, we have seen the stock break out of the pattern, and the weekly SMIO has moved above the zero line for the first time this year, which is painting a rosy picture for the stock in the near term. We expect the stock to move toward 650 in the next few weeks. All longs may be protected with a stoploss placed below 573.Anant Raj (CMP – 439)Target – 484Stoploss – 417The upside that we saw since 2022 got over in January 2025, from where it retraced 61.8% to 375. It saw a bounce back from 375, forming a hammer candle in the monthly time frame and a bullish Marubozu candle on the weekly scale, hinting at strength in reversal. Daily SMIO is expected to move above the zero line soon, which could bring in more positivity to the stock. We expect the stock to move toward 484. Protect all longs with a stoploss below 417.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of the Economic Times)

The United States wants a nuclear agreement "as soon as possible", Iran said after rare talks on Saturday, as US President Donald Trump threatens military action if they fail to reach a deal.The long-term adversaries, who have not had diplomatic relations for more than 40 years, are seeking a new nuclear deal after Trump pulled out of an earlier agreement during his first term in 2018.Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, a seasoned diplomat and key architect of the 2015 deal, and Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff led the delegations in the highest-level Iran-US nuclear talks since the previous accord's collapse.Araghchi, who briefly spoke face-to-face with Witkoff, a real estate magnate, during the otherwise indirect meeting in Oman, said the talks would resume next Saturday."The American side also said that a positive agreement was one that can be reached as soon as possible but that will not be easy and will require a willingness on both sides," Araghchi told Iranian state television."I think we came very close to a basis for negotiation... Neither we nor the other party want fruitless negotiations, discussions for discussions' sake, time wasting or talks that drag on forever," he added.The White House called the discussions "very positive and constructive"."Special Envoy Witkoff's direct communication today was a step forward in achieving a mutually beneficial outcome," it said in a statement.Asked about the talks, Trump told journalists aboard Air Force One: "I think they're going OK. Nothing matters until you get it done."Oman's foreign minister acted as an intermediary in the talks in Muscat, Iran said. The Americans had called for the meetings to be face-to-face.However, the negotiators also spoke directly for "a few minutes", Iran's foreign ministry said. It said the talks were held "in a constructive and mutually respectful atmosphere".The two parties were in "separate halls" and "conveying their views and positions to each other through the Omani foreign minister", Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei posted on X.The process took place in a "friendly atmosphere", Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said. Witkoff open to 'compromise' Iran, weakened by Israel's pummelling of its allies Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, is seeking relief from wide-ranging sanctions hobbling its economy.Tehran has agreed to the meetings despite baulking at Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign of ramping up sanctions and repeated military threats.Meanwhile the United States, hand-in-glove with Iran's arch-enemy Israel, wants to stop Tehran from ever getting close to developing a nuclear bomb.There were no visible signs of the high-level meeting at a luxury hotel in Muscat, the same venue where the 2015 agreement was struck when Barack Obama was US president.Witkoff told The Wall Street Journal earlier that the US position starts with demanding that Iran completely dismantle its nuclear programme -- a view held by hardliners around Trump that few expect Iran to accept."That doesn't mean, by the way, that at the margin we're not going to find other ways to find compromise between the two countries," Witkoff told the newspaper."Where our red line will be, there can't be weaponisation of your nuclear capability," he added.The talks were revealed in a surprise announcement by Trump during a White House appearance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.Hours before the talks began, Trump told reporters: "I want Iran to be a wonderful, great, happy country. But they can't have a nuclear weapon."Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's adviser Ali Shamkhani said Iran sought "a real and fair agreement".Saturday's meetings followed repeated threats of military action by both the United States and Israel."If it requires military, we're going to have military," Trump said Wednesday when asked what would happen if the talks fail.'Survival of the regime' The 2015 deal that Trump abandoned aimed to make it practically impossible for Iran to build an atomic weapon, while at the same time allowing it to pursue a civil nuclear programme.Iran, which insists its nuclear programme is only for civilian purposes, stepped up its activities after Trump withdrew from the agreement.The latest International Atomic Energy Agency report said Iran had an estimated 274.8 kilogrammes of uranium enriched to 60 percent, nearing the weapons grade of 90 percent.Karim Bitar, a Middle East Studies lecturer at Sciences Po university in Paris, said the Iranian government's very survival could be at stake."The one and only priority is the survival of the regime, and ideally, to get some oxygen, some sanctions relief, to get their economy going again, because the regime has become quite unpopular," he told AFP.

Mohun Bagan clinched the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024/25 title with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Bengaluru FC in the final.Despite falling behind due to an own goal by defender Alberto Rodriguez, the Mariners fought back, equalising through a Jason Cummings penalty in regulation time. The match was ultimately decided in extra time when Australian striker Jamie MacLaren netted the winner in the 96th minute.With this triumph, Mohun Bagan cap off a dominant season, securing both the ISL Shield and the Championship title.