Axis AMC to venture into realty funds, hires Balaji Rao as business head

Axis Asset Management Company (AMC), a unit of Axis Bank, is padding up to foray into the real estate funds business through the alternative investment fund (AIF) route.

It has hired real estate funds veteran Balaji Rao to head the business and build a core team of eight to 10 people in the investment and asset management verticals. 

“We will do several AIFs. We can do structured debt, equity, commercial real estate, etc. We can also do affordable housing and invest in tier-II cities,” Rao said. 

Before joining Axis, he was managing director (MD) at Indic Capital Advisors, supervising the