Vidya Bala
Founding Partner & Head, Research and Product
About Vidya
Vidya helped build one of the country’s earliest robo-advisory solutions in the country in her earlier role at FundsIndia. She believes in not just providing the right solutions for investors but also taking ownership for the same and following up or changing course when the situation warrants.
Vidya was the head of mutual fund research at FundsIndia where she did some path-breaking work in analysing funds and offering researched portfolios. Her recommendations had a sound track record of beating markets and showcasing consistency. They were followed widely by investors, advisors and media.
A Chartered Accountant by qualification, Vidya began her career as a Senior Internal Auditor for Ashok Leyland. She then went on to work for The Hindu Business Line’s Research Bureau, tracking mutual funds, stock markets, sectors and the macro economy for eight years. She has more than 18 years of experience, of which over 15 were spent analyzing the markets.
Vidya is known in the media for her straight talk and, calling out bad products.
Stay in touch
Vidya in the media
- One size fits all approach does not work for debt funds – LiveMint
- Big Truth about investing in Small Caps – The Hindu
- Why SEBI needs to strengthen rules to protect investors in debt mutual funds – Economic Times
- Why people are exiting their real estate investments – FundsIndia
- The debt funds spook and what it means – FundsIndia
Watch Vidya talk about her financial journey
Vidya's recent articles
Prime bond recommendation: a high-yielding bond for 2-3 year time frame
We are adding this secured, listed NCD with attractive yields that compensate for the risk which is also mitigated by other factors.
Prime Fund Recommendation: A sector that disrupts to grow
While this sector is currently in a consolidation zone, it’s a good time to begin loading up as factors for a recovery are starting to line up.
Prime Stock update: This automation play may be in takeoff mode
When a company, especially an MNC, discloses little by way of scheduled earnings calls or business information, save for its AGM, its stock price can also react only to earnings or move on visibility in prospects of the company. We took that risk in one such company which is in the business of automation, in late 2021.
Prime Fund recommendation: A fund to play the small cap pick up
Mid and small-cap funds form a part of a long-term portfolio to boost overall portfolio returns. But there are times when these market-cap segments underperform for various reasons. The small-cap index spent much of nearly two years languishing behind the Nifty 50. This is now changing, serving up a good opportunity to focus on the small-cap segment.
SEBI sees through AMCs’ games – How the new MF proposals will impact you
Last week, we made a quiet note about SEBI’s consultation paper on mutual funds in the PrimeInvestor Community. A consultation paper solicits opinion from the public on proposals mooted by the regulator, along with rationale for such proposals. Do note that these are proposals and have not been implemented.
Prime Fund Recommendation: A beaten-down sector to pick up now
Getting into a sector when the going is rough can pay off as kinks get ironed out and prospects look up. The complexity of this sector, along with other factors, has led to steep underperformance against the Nifty 50. But with more clarity now emerging on sustainable growth from here as well as a shift in the contours of the sector, this may be an opportune time to build up exposure to this beaten-down sector.