Rajeev Thakkar Public Talks and Interviews

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Rajeev Thakkar’s public talks and interviews constitute the most extensive public-speaking activity by any senior office-bearer of PPFAS Mutual Fund. As Chief Investment Officer (Equity) and Director of PPFAS Asset Management Private Limited and as primary fund manager of Parag Parikh Flexi Cap Fund since its 24 May 2013 launch (then named Parag Parikh Long Term Value Fund per the PPLTVF, PPLTEF and PPFCF rename history), Thakkar is the principal investment voice of the AMC. His Chartered Accountant, Cost Accountant and CFA Charterholder credentials, his unusually long tenure managing the same flagship scheme and his measured presentation style have made him one of the most-requested investment speakers in the Indian investing community.

Thakkar’s public engagement spans FLAME University’s Investment Lab speaker repository (where he is a recurring senior practitioner speaker), CFA Society India events (where his CFA Charter status is professionally relevant), AMFI industry forums, the major Indian business press (Mint, ET, BS, Outlook Business, Business Today) and broadcast (CNBC TV18, ET NOW, Bloomberg Quint, Moneycontrol), webinars hosted on the PPFAS YouTube channel and on third-party creator channels, and the PPFAS Annual Unitholders’ Meet where he delivers the principal investment-philosophy presentation each year.

This article surveys the principal venues, themes and reception of Thakkar’s public-speaking activity.

Background

Rajeev Thakkar is educated at the University of Bombay (B.Com), is a Chartered Accountant (CA, ICAI), a Cost Accountant and a CFA Charterholder. His investment career began in 1994. He joined PPFAS Ltd (the sponsor company) in 2001 and became Fund Manager of the Cognito PMS in 2003 (corpus approximately Rs 300 crore at that time). He served as CEO of PPFAS Ltd from 2007 to 2012, during which period the firm secured its mutual fund licence and prepared for the launch of PPFAS Mutual Fund on 10 October 2012 (SEBI Registration ID MF/069/12/01).

Thakkar was instrumental in the May 2013 launch of the Parag Parikh Long Term Value Fund (later renamed Parag Parikh Long Term Equity Fund on 16 February 2018 following the SEBI scheme rationalisation circular 2017 and subsequently renamed Parag Parikh Flexi Cap Fund on 13 January 2021 after SEBI’s introduction of the Flexi Cap category) and has continued to manage the flagship scheme since launch. He has accordingly accumulated over a decade of continuous fund-management tenure on the AMC’s flagship, which by May 2026 had reached AUM of approximately Rs 1.6 lakh crore (per PPFCF AUM trajectory).

In addition to managing PPFCF, Thakkar is co-manager of the Parag Parikh Conservative Hybrid Fund, Parag Parikh Arbitrage Fund, Parag Parikh Dynamic Asset Allocation Fund and Parag Parikh Large Cap Fund.

FLAME University Investment Lab

FLAME University in Pune hosts the FLAME Investment Lab, an India-based academic value-investing programme. Thakkar is listed in the FLAME Investment Lab speaker repository as a recurring senior practitioner speaker. The repository is accessible at https://www.flame.edu.in/academics/flame-investment-lab/speakers-repository/rajeev-thakkar.

FLAME Investment Lab events with Thakkar typically address:

FLAME Investment Lab events are typically attended by student investors, value-investing practitioners and PPFAS unitholders. Thakkar’s appearances at FLAME Investment Lab are among the most substantive academic-adjacent public engagements of his career.

CFA Society India

CFA Society India (the Indian member society of CFA Institute) has hosted Thakkar at its events on multiple occasions. Thakkar is among the senior CFA Charterholders working in Indian asset management. CFA Society events with Thakkar have addressed:

CFA Society India events with Thakkar typically attract a professional audience of charterholders, charter candidates and the broader investment-management community.

AMFI events

AMFI is the association of mutual funds in India, representing the industry in dealings with SEBI and the broader regulatory environment. AMFI hosts industry events including conferences, working-group meetings and educational events. Thakkar participates in AMFI events on behalf of PPFAS Mutual Fund, typically on technical and policy topics. AMFI events with Thakkar have addressed:

Press interviews

Thakkar gives press interviews to major Indian business publications and broadcast networks on a regular basis. Recurring venues include:

CNBC TV18

CNBC TV18 hosts Thakkar for sit-down interviews at multiple points each year, typically around quarterly results, the PPFAS Annual Unitholders’ Meet, regulatory developments and milestone events. The CNBC TV18 interviews typically address current market conditions, the PPFAS cash holdings, portfolio attribution and the PPFCF AUM trajectory.

ET NOW

ET NOW carries Thakkar in segments around scheme launches, milestone events and market-cycle commentary. ET NOW interviews with Thakkar typically address the PPFAS investment philosophy, portfolio construction and the AMC’s continuing operational discipline.

Bloomberg Quint and BQ Prime

Bloomberg Quint (since rebranded BQ Prime) has hosted Thakkar for in-depth long-form interviews. The Bloomberg Quint format is well-suited to Thakkar’s measured, substantive style. Coverage has addressed PPFAS investment philosophy, portfolio decisions, the SEBI mutual fund overseas investment cap episode and the AMC’s stance on derivatives (per PPFAS derivatives stance).

Mint, ET, BS, Outlook Business, Business Today

Mint, the Economic Times, Business Standard, Outlook Business and Business Today have carried Thakkar in print and online interview formats over many years. Particularly notable is the May 2026 BusinessToday interview titled “Why PPFAS Flexi Cap fund is holding cash even after a 10 percent fall” published on 14 May 2026.

Moneycontrol

Moneycontrol, the largest Indian personal finance news website, has carried Thakkar in interview and feature formats over many years. Coverage has addressed scheme launches, AUM milestones, market-cycle commentary and policy themes.

Webinar participation

Thakkar leads or participates in webinars hosted on the PPFAS YouTube channel and on third-party platforms. Webinar topics have included:

Annual Unitholders’ Meet

The annual PPFAS Annual Unitholders’ Meet features Thakkar’s investment commentary as the principal investment-philosophy presentation. The 12th edition on 22 November 2025 at Birla Matushree Sabhaghar, Marine Lines, Mumbai included an extended Thakkar presentation on the AMC’s portfolio decisions through the prior year, the continuing cash discipline, the recovery from the SEBI mutual fund overseas investment cap episode and the path to the May 2025 PPFCF Rs 1 lakh crore AUM milestone.

Thakkar also participates in the question-and-answer session that follows the formal presentations. The Q&A typically runs for over two hours and Thakkar answers a substantial fraction of the audience questions.

Podcast appearances

Thakkar appears on Indian personal-finance podcasts and YouTube creator channels on a recurring basis. The detailed treatment of these appearances is in PPFAS podcast and interview appearances. Recurrent themes in his podcast appearances include:

Speaking style

Thakkar’s speaking style is characteristically measured, technically substantive and patient with questions. His presentations typically combine fundamental analytical content (cash-flow estimation, sector economics, regulatory framework) with reflective commentary on investment psychology and the PPFAS investment philosophy. He routinely acknowledges past errors candidly and is comfortable saying “I don’t know” in response to forecasting questions.

This style has earned Thakkar a strong reputation in the Indian investing community for substantive integrity. His CFA Charterholder, CA and Cost Accountant credentials reinforce a technically grounded presentation profile.

Communications themes

Recurring communications themes across Thakkar’s public-speaking activity include:

Margin of safety

The Graham margin-of-safety doctrine (per PPFAS margin of safety) is regularly invoked.

Focused portfolio

The PPFAS focused portfolio of 25 to 35 stocks per scheme is a recurring topic, with explanations of the rationale for concentration over diversification.

Cash discipline

The AMC’s willingness to hold 18 to 25 per cent cash and equivalents during overvalued markets is regularly addressed, particularly in 2026 when the PPFAS cash holdings had been sustained even after a 10 per cent market fall.

International diversification

The international diversification PPFAS doctrine, the 35 per cent overseas cap and the post-2022 reduction in overseas exposure are perennial discussion topics.

Tax-aware management

The PPFAS tax-aware portfolio management approach, including low portfolio turnover and deferred LTCG realisation, is regularly discussed with reference to section 112A, section 111A and grandfathering rule LTCG.

Derivatives stance

The AMC’s PPFAS derivatives stance of avoiding directional derivatives in equity funds while using arbitrage instruments in the Parag Parikh Arbitrage Fund and Parag Parikh Dynamic Asset Allocation Fund is regularly addressed.

Recent developments

The 2025-26 cycle has seen significant Rajeev Thakkar public-speaking events:

  • Coverage of the May 2025 PPFCF Rs 1 lakh crore AUM crossing milestone, including detailed sit-down interviews with Thakkar on CNBC TV18, ET NOW and Bloomberg Quint, and on multiple long-form YouTube creator channels.
  • The 12th PPFAS Annual Unitholders’ Meet on 22 November 2025, with Thakkar delivering the principal investment-philosophy presentation.
  • Coverage of the January-February 2026 NFO and launch of the Parag Parikh Large Cap Fund, with Thakkar appearing as one of the named fund managers.
  • The 14 May 2026 BusinessToday interview titled “Why PPFAS Flexi Cap fund is holding cash even after a 10 percent fall” addressing the continued PPFAS cash holdings at approximately 18 to 25 per cent levels even after the market decline.

See also

External references

References

  1. PPFAS Asset Management Pvt Ltd. “Spokespersons profiles.” https://amc.ppfas.com/media/spokespersons-profiles/
  2. FLAME University. “Rajeev Thakkar speaker profile.” https://www.flame.edu.in/academics/flame-investment-lab/speakers-repository/rajeev-thakkar
  3. BusinessToday. “Why PPFAS Flexi Cap fund is holding cash even after a 10 percent fall.” 14 May 2026.
  4. PPFAS Asset Management Pvt Ltd. “About us: Management.” https://amc.ppfas.com/about-us/management/
  5. PPFAS. “Directors profile: Rajeev Thakkar.” https://www.ppfas.com/about/bod/rajeev-thakkar/index.php

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