Veteran investor Raamdeo Agrawal has expressed strong confidence in India’s long-term market growth story, describing the country as the “Ferrari” among global investment destinations. Speaking at an investor event, the Motilal Oswal Financial Services chairman said India continues to remain one of the strongest markets globally for wealth creation and multi-bagger opportunities.
Despite global uncertainties and ongoing geopolitical tensions impacting investor sentiment, Agrawal said India’s structural growth story remains intact. He pointed out that the Sensex has climbed from nearly 100 points to over 80,000 during the last four decades, reflecting the power of long-term compounding and economic expansion.
Why India Stands Out Globally
Comparing India with other Asian markets such as South Korea and Japan, Agrawal said temporary rallies driven by artificial intelligence and technology cycles may attract foreign investments elsewhere, but India’s long-term fundamentals remain superior.
He highlighted that while South Korea’s KOSPI and India’s Sensex started around the same period in 1980, the Sensex has significantly outperformed over the decades. According to him, India’s market capitalisation has compounded at nearly 14 percent annually in dollar terms over the past twenty years, far ahead of many developed economies.
India’s Multi-Bagger Advantage
Agrawal explained that India creates more wealth-generating stocks because of its fast-growing economy and rapidly expanding industries. Referring to internal market studies, he noted that a large percentage of companies in India’s NSE 500 have delivered exceptional long-term returns compared to companies in the US market.
He stressed that successful investing requires patience, conviction and the ability to stay invested during periods of uncertainty. According to him, most wealth creation in long-term investments happens in the later stages of compounding.
Bharti Airtel Investment Story
The veteran investor also recalled his early investment journey in Bharti Airtel during the early 2000s. After analysing India’s telecom growth potential and meeting founder Sunil Bharti Mittal, Agrawal invested heavily in the company when mobile penetration in India was still very low.
Despite widespread scepticism at the time, the investment later turned into one of the defining bets of his career, generating massive returns over the years.
Quick Commerce Could Be the Next Big Opportunity
Agrawal compared India’s booming quick-commerce sector to the telecom revolution of the early 2000s. While many firms are currently operating with high cash burn, he believes the network-driven nature of the business could create major long-term winners in the coming years.
He also highlighted India’s rapidly expanding retail investor ecosystem, pointing out the massive rise in demat accounts and increasing participation in financial markets.
Sensex at 3 Lakh by 2036?
Maintaining his bullish outlook, Agrawal projected that the Sensex could potentially touch 1.5 lakh by 2030 and rise further to 3 lakh by 2036 if India continues its current growth trajectory.
According to him, rising earnings, increasing financial participation, and sustained economic expansion could continue driving Indian equities higher over the next decade.
