Axis Consumption Fund is being launched at a time when green shoots are finally visible on rural demand revival, which will augment robust urban affluent discretionary consumption, bringing the consumption theme into the market’s centre stage which has been occupied for the last couple of years by the manufacturing/industrials theme.
Consumer staples companies and 2-wheeler companies are reporting encouraging pick up in rural demand in the last quarter on the back of better monsoons. The K curve which saw urban affluent consumers do well post pandemic while urban middle class and rural consumers struggled with stagnant incomes and rising prices – is now much less sharp as inflation abates and economic growth momentum picks up.
Premiumization continues to be a key trend to invest into and Hitesh is confident that valuations will hold up as long as earnings momentum continues – which he sees no imminent signs of tapering off.
Real estate is a key theme Hitesh intends focusing on –especially since consumers seem to be preferring the large listed national players over smaller sized local companies.
Hitesh points out that the consumption index has outperformed the market 6 out of the last 10 years – underlining the inherent growth and resilience of businesses that cater to the rapidly growing Indian consumption base.
He believes there is more to the theme beyond a likely catch up that these sectors may play as money potentially rotates out of industrials into this theme. He believes that the much expected J-curve on consumption after crossing $2500 per capita income threshold – which was muted following the pandemic and its aftermath – will now be increasingly evident as more segments of Indian consumers participate in the great Indian consumption story.