Siddharth Bhaiya: A Contrarian Who Made Risk Management an Art

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Aequitas Investments founder built ₹7,000+ crore wealth through discipline, patience, and downside protection—before a sudden cardiac arrest cut short a towering career

By S JHA

Mumbai, January 4, 2026 — The sudden death of Siddharth Bhaiya has sent shockwaves through India’s investing community. At just 47, the founder of Aequitas Investments succumbed to cardiac arrest, ending a career that redefined contrarian value investing in Indian markets.

Siddharth Bhaiya founded Aequitas Investments in 2012, after a stint at Nippon India Mutual Fund. Over the next decade, he quietly built Aequitas into one of India’s most respected boutique investment firms, managing nearly $850 million in assets. His strategy was clear and uncompromising: protect the downside first, and let returns take care of themselves.

That philosophy delivered extraordinary results. Since 2013, Aequitas generated a 33% compound annual growth rate, driven largely by bold but deeply researched bets on small- and mid-cap value stocks. One of his most celebrated picks, Avanti Feeds, delivered nearly 100x returns, becoming a case study in long-term conviction investing.

Peers remember Siddharth Bhaiya as sharp, outspoken, and intellectually fearless, but also generous with his time and ideas. Sonia Shenoy wrote on X that Siddharth was “at the top of his game, never minced words, and always kind,” adding that the industry had “lost a gem.”

Investor and market commentator Amit Seth reflected on his Telegram channel that although he never met Siddharth personally, he closely followed his views for their originality and contrarian clarity. Seth also drew attention to a troubling pattern, noting the alarming rise in cardiac arrests among professionals aged 30 to 50, urging the industry to take sleep and stress seriously in high-pressure careers.

Rohan Das summed up the loss bluntly, calling it a devastating blow to the investing community, noting that Siddharth Bhaiya delivered over 30% CAGR for more than a decade, a feat few fund managers globally can claim.

Beyond numbers, Siddharth Bhaiya’s legacy lives through the principles he repeatedly shared. He believed risk management mattered more than return maximisation, that valuation could not be ignored even in great businesses, and that patience—not constant activity—was the real edge in markets. He urged investors to do fewer things, but do them well, and to trust compounding over time rather than chasing short-term gains.

Aequitas Investments has said it will carry forward his principles, even as tributes continue to pour in. Siddharth Bhaiya’s passing is not just the loss of a fund manager, but of a rare voice who reminded India’s markets that discipline, humility, and patience ultimately outperform noise and speculation.