Expending Earnings of IFAs & Reach of Mutual Funds in Remote Areas of our Country

At the recently-held Business Standard Smart Business seminar on ‘Expending Earnings of IFAs & Reach of Mutual Funds in Remote Areas of our

Country’, organized in association with ICAA (Independent Consultants and Advisors Association) in Bardhhaman, the speakers discussed ways to

increase the penetration of mutual fund products across Eastern India.
The speakers were unanimous in their view that mutual fund distributors needed to spread out to more locations, and that investor awareness

programmes were critical to bring in informed investors into mutual fund schemes.
Gaurang Ganeriwal, Regional Head – WB & NE, ICICI Prudential AMC, called for investments to expand the branch network and advocated the use of

digital technology in remote areas.
Romit Barat, Regional Head – East, Motilal Oswal AMC, said that ignorance of equity investing was one of the key reasons for under-penetration

of mutual funds in rural India. “Investor education about equity investing is necessary for greater participation of investors from rural

India,” he said.
Goutam Karmakar, General Secretary, ICAA, reiterated ICAA’s commitment to empower distributors with training and learning initiatives on the

latest tools and techniques.
Rana Basu, Senior VP, UTI AMC, informed the gathering about his company’s efforts to work closely with the distributor community to

consolidate the mutual fund business across the country.
Saibal Banerjee, VP & Regional Head – East, DHFL Pramerica, also spoke on the occasion.
More than 150 financial advisors and mutual fund distributors from across Bengal attended the programme.