Pick a trust or try an Asian fund

A NUMBER of Indian investment trusts, all listed on the London Stock Exchange, are available to UK investors. They are Aberdeen New India, Ashoka India Equity (managed by White Oak Capital Mana g e ment ) , India Capital Growth (Ocean Dial Asset Management) and JP Morgan Indian.

Respective stock market identification codes and ticker codes are: 0604877 (ANII), BF50VS4 (AIE), B0P8RJ6 (IGC) and 0345035 (JII). India-only funds (not stock market listed) include those run by the likes of Alquity, Fidelity, Franklin, Goldman Sachs, Jupiter, Pictet and Schroder.

Investment experts have their favourites. FundExpert’s Brian Dennehy is a fan of Goldman Sachs India Equity which he describes as a ‘consistent performer over the past five years’. Ben Yearsley, a director of Plymouth-based Shore Financial Planning, likes Alquity Indian Subcontinent and Ashoka India Equity.

Other advisers take a more pragmatic approach, recommending that investors opt for an emerging markets or Asian fund with limited exposure to India. Such funds, they say, offer country diversification.

Dzmitry Lipski, head of fund research at Interactive Investor, likes investment trusts JPMorgan Emerging Markets ( 16 per cent exposure to India), Mobius ( 14 per cent), Pacific Assets (40 per cent) and U ti li co Emerging Markets (14 per cent).

Laith Khalaf, head of investment analysis at AJ Bell, says Stewart Investors Asia Pacific Leaders Sustainability fund is conservatively managed with 40 per cent of the portfolio invested in India.