Ask Group exits 2 projects in Pune for Rs 147 crore

Financial services firm Ask Group today said it has exited its investments in two residential projects in Pune for a total realisation of Rs 147 crore.
"Ask Group has exited from two residential projects in Pune, each developed by Amit Enterprises and Paranjape Schemes, garnering Rs 147 crore while clocking impressive returns," it said in a release.
The company had invested Rs 30 crore in Serano project of Amit Enterprises and Rs 40 crore in Skyone of Paranjpe Schemes, both for three years.
Ask Group garnered an exit value of Rs 75 crore, a return of 2.53 times, from its investment in Serano and Rs 72 crore from Skyone project, returning a multiple of 1.80 times.

Both these investments were made from Ask's first domestic real estate fund, 'Ask Real Estate Special Opportunities Portfolio 1', the statement said.
"The performance of the first real estate fund, has demonstrated the success of its focussed strategy of investing in residential real estate projects, in top metros, in partnership with experienced and reputed developers," Ask Property Investment Advisors Chief Executive and MD Amit Bhagat said.

With these exits, the company has returned 1.15 times of the entire capital equivalent of the first fund to investors, he said.
"Our partnership with developers like Amit Enterprises and Paranjape Developers and our confidence in Pune market has given us rich dividends. We will continue with similar prudence and risk management framework while selecting investments for our other funds to provide superior risk adjusted returns to our investors," Bhagat added.

Apart from these, the company has also exited from 'ATS ONE Hamlet', a project of ATS Group in Noida, with a multiple of 2.45 in just over two years and 'Liviano', a project by Darode-Jog Developers in Pune, which returned a multiple of 2.35 in just over three years.
"Ask has managed to raise the two domestic and an offshore fund during very tough economic environment. Apart from our investment strategy, we are diligent even while partnering with developers with whom we have relationship going back to more than a decade.
"We have chalked out detailed plans of exits from other investments over the next 6-12 months with targetted returns for our investors," ASK Group Managing Director and CEO Sunil Rohokale said.

Ask Group, through its real estate business, manages an assets under management (AUM) of Rs 3,000 crore and has committed Rs 1,800 crore in 16 projects spread over 18 million sq ft during the last 18 quarters.
Ask had also invested with Paranjape from its second domestic fund in 2014. "This fund is actively seeking investments in Pune in the current financial year," he added.