As mounting uncertainties reshape investment landscapes heading into H2 2025, we hosted an inaugural Lighthouse Canton IDEAs event in Bengaluru. The exclusive gathering brought together ultra-high net worth families for strategic insights led by Sunil Garg, MD & CIO of Lighthouse Canton and Devesh Wadhwani, Executive Director - Private Client Business of Lighthouse Canton in India.
Sunil's assessment revealed how strong economic indicators mask underlying fragilities, with market trends peaking and rising volatility ahead. He highlighted that tariff uncertainties are creating deferred investment decisions, with earnings deceleration expected despite solid Q1 results. His strategic counsel was clear: reduce portfolio risk and use rallies as de-risking opportunities.
On geographic positioning, while European stocks outperformed Wall Street early in 2025, Sunil favors US markets strategically. India emerged as a compelling opportunity with 7.4% GDP growth and robust fundamentals positioning it as the world's fourth-largest economy. For fixed income, corporate bonds continue holding well despite treasury yield concerns, with European Financials particularly well-positioned. His diversification strategy emphasizes Bitcoin and gold for non-correlated exposure, alongside alternatives including insurance and private credit.
The evening's fireside chat with guest speaker, Shyam Powar, CIO of Claypond Capital (the family investment office for the Manipal Group, helmed by Ranjan Pai), reinforced India's investment case. With 100% of investments focused domestically, Claypond targets undervalued newly listed companies, special situations, and pre-IPO opportunities in founder-led businesses embracing professional governance.
The inaugural Bengaluru Lighthouse Canton IDEAs event sparked enthusiastic dialogue among attendees, with sophisticated discussions reflecting the evolving investment acumen of the city's entrepreneurs and business families. The level of engagement and quality of insights shared demonstrated how platforms like IDEAs are becoming essential venues for India's affluent to decode macroeconomic shifts and translate them into actionable investment strategies.
