Ashish Dhawan
Ashish Dhawan is an Indian investor and philanthropist. He is the co-founder of India’s leading private equity fund ChrysCapital.
Ashish Dhawan is an Indian investor and philanthropist. He is the co-founder of India’s leading private equity fund ChrysCapital.
Ashish Dhawan's Early Life and Personal Background
Ashish Dhawan is an Indian investor and philanthropist with a portfolio of 12 stocks with a networth of ₹2,848.6 Crores. Ashish Dhawan is also the former co-founder of ChrysCapital, one of India's leading private equity firms.
Education
Ashish Dhawan was born on 10th March 1969 in New Delhi. He commenced his education in Kolkata at St. Xavier’s Collegiate School, followed by St. James School. Further, Ashish Dhawan graduated Magna Cum Laude from Yale University with a science degree in applied mathematics and economics. Ashish Dhawan also pursued and completed an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Personal Background
Ashish Dhawan married Manisha Dhawan in 1998 and has two daughters, Ayla and Anya. Besides professional life, he is fond of travelling, reading, and water sports.
Ashish Dhawan - Career and Investment Journey
Ashish Dhawan started his career as an analyst at the investment bank Wasserstein Perella & Co. He worked there from 1992 to 1993. After this, Ashish Dhawan joined McCown DeLeewu & Co. as a junior associate in California.
Ashish Dhawan’s next professional break came from the Risk Arbitrage Group with Goldman Sachs, which he joined in 1977 after completing his MBA. At the age of 29, he left New York and came back to India.
Ashish Dhawan | Private Equity Co-founder and Philanthropist
Foundation of ChrysCapital
After coming back to India, Ashish Dhawan co-founded ChyrsCapital along with Raj Kondur, a classmate from Harvard Business School. With time, ChrysCapital became one of India’s leading private equity firms, with assets under management exceeding $4 billion.
Under the leadership of Ashish Dhawan, ChrysCapital generated significant returns by capitalising on the rising opportunities in IT, financial services and pharma sectors. Ashish Dhawan followed a value-oriented and long-term investing strategy in the firm.
After its establishment in 1999, the company exited its first investment in the BPO sector through Spectramind, one of India’s first BPO companies. The other notable investments of ChrysCapital included IT giant Infosys and a leading pharma company, Mankind Pharma.
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Ashish Dhawan’s Philanthropist Venture
After serving as the co-founder and key personnel of Chryscapital for 20 years, Ashish Dhawan retired from the role in 2011. However, the decision to step down as founder was the start of a new philanthropic venture for Ashish Dhawan.
In 2012, Ashish Dhawan founded the Central Square Foundation (CSF). CSF is a non-profit organisation that focuses on providing quality education to all school-going children. It works towards uplifting the young minds of India through system-led education reforms. CSF focuses on 4 critical areas of work to achieve its vision. These areas include Foundation Literacy & Numeracy (FLN), EdTech, Early Childhood Education (ECE) and School Governance. Besides CSF, Ashish Dhawan is also the Founder and CEO of the Convergence Foundation (TCF) and the founder-trustee of Ashoka University.
Ashish Dhawan Portfolio & Networth
Ashish Dhawan portfolio consists of 12 Indian companies that have provided significant returns to him over the long term. Because of a strong portfolio, Ashish Dhawan networth currently stands at a figure of ₹2,848.6 crores.
Some notable stocks in Ashish Dhawan portfolio include Religare Enterprise, Arvind Fashions, Dish TV, Palred Technologies and others. Learn more about the networth and stock holdings of Ashish Dhawan below:
Glenmark Pharma
As of the quarter closing December 2024, Ashish Dhawan had a 1.9% stake in Glenmark Pharma, with a holding quantity of 5,300,000 shares and a valuation of 729.8 crores. In FY25, the stock increased from ₹958 to ₹1,402, indicating an appreciation of 46%.
IDFC First Bank
As of the quarter closing December 2024, Ashish Dhawan had a 1.2% stake in IDFC First Bank, with a holding quantity of 86,800,000 shares and a valuation of 537.6 crores. In FY25, the share price of IDFC First Bank has dived 25% from ₹75 to ₹57.
M&M Financials
As of the quarter closing December 2024, Ashish Dhawan had a 1.2% stake in M&M Financials, with a holding quantity of 5,300,000 shares and a valuation of 391.4 crores.
AGI Greenpacks
As of the quarter closing December 2024, Ashish Dhawan had a 4.8% stake in AGI Greenpacks, with a holding quantity of 14,600,000 shares and a valuation of 244.4 crores. This stock has experienced an increase of 30%, from ₹726 to ₹943 in FY2025.
Equitas Small Finance Bank
As of the quarter closing December 2024, Ashish Dhawan had a 3.5% stake in Equitas Small Finance Bank, with a holding quantity of 40,370,000 shares and a valuation of 235.0 crores. This stock has reduced Ashish Dhawan networth, as its prices went down by 31% from ₹92 to ₹64 in FY25.
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FAQs
Who is the founder of CSF?
Ashish Dhawan, a private equity investor and philanthropist, is the founder of Central Square Foundations (CSF). He founded CSF in 2012 and provided high-quality education to children through system-led reforms.
What is Ashish Dhawan Networth?
As per the recent data, Ashish Dhawan networth is ₹2,848.6 crores. Ashish Dhawan portfolio includes 12 publicly traded companies, such as Quess Corp, Arvind Fashions, RPSG Ventures and many more.
What is the education of Ashish Dhawan?
Ashish Dhawan did his early education in Kolkata at St. Xavier’s Collegiate School, followed by St. James School. Thereafter, he graduated with a science degree in applied mathematics and economics. Ashish Dhawan also completed a 2-year MBA in 1995 from Harvard Business School.
Who founded Ashoka University?
Ashoka University was founded by Ashish Dhawan in 2014. It is known as one of the best liberal arts and science universities in India. It is a wholly donation-funded Univerisy with its founder and trustee board of over 40 businessmen and philanthropists.
What is the business of ChrysCapital?
ChrysCapital is a private equity investment firm co-founded by Ashish Dhawan and his Harvard classmate Raj Kondur. ChrysCapital is involved in private equity investment in Indian companies. It targets high-growth, high-ROCE sectors for investments. Currently, ChrysCapital has done deals worth $5 billion with 75+ exits.