The Gulf Time Newspaper One of the finest business newspapers in the UAE brought to you by our professional writers and editors.
Parag Shah, Founder and Partner at Amara Partners
MUMBAI / GULF TIME
Amara Partners, a rising force in India’s private equity ecosystem, is gaining significant attention with an oversubscribed fund and strategic backing from business leader Anand Mahindra. Founded by Parag Shah, Amara is carving out a distinctive position by focusing on mid-sized, founder-led businesses and providing more than just capital—bringing operational expertise, strategic alignment, and a long-term corporate mindset to the table.
In a recent interview, Shah explained how Amara Partners is addressing a largely underserved segment in India’s private equity space: businesses that are agile but in need of structured growth support. “We are a private equity fund with a corporate mindset. We like boring businesses with strong cash flows and founders who are ready to transform,” said Shah.
Amara’s unique value proposition lies in its post-investment strategy, which includes embedding leadership talent, scaling into adjacent markets, and institutionalizing operations using methodologies like Kaizen, Total Quality Management (TQM), and systems thinking. “We act as a bridge between entrepreneur-led agility and institutional-grade scalability,” Shah added.
Strategic Sectors and Gulf Investor Appeal
Amara’s investment focus spans high-growth sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, and financial services—segments that are central to India’s structural economic transformation. These sectors also align with the priorities of Gulf-based investors seeking scalable, asset-backed opportunities.
“In manufacturing, India’s emergence as a China+1 alternative is creating tailwinds in sub-sectors like auto components, specialty chemicals, packaging, and precision engineering,” Shah noted. In healthcare, growing demand for private care, insurance penetration, and exports create stable, impact-driven returns. Meanwhile, the digital rise of NBFCs and fintech platforms is reshaping financial services in MSME and affordable housing markets.
For Gulf investors, Amara’s hands-on, mid-market approach opens doors to co-investment in businesses that combine high growth with strong fundamentals. “India-GCC ties are robust, and these sectors serve as natural bridges for strategic capital collaboration,” Shah emphasized.
Leveraging the China+1 Shift
As global supply chains diversify away from China, Amara is actively aligning its portfolio strategy with India’s positioning as a key alternative. From auto components to precision manufacturing and industrial automation, Shah noted that Amara is backing companies poised to meet global standards and integrate into international value chains.
“Our role goes beyond capital—we help scale capacity, boost efficiency, and plug companies into global procurement networks,” he said, pointing to Lumax Auto as a prime example. Amara deploys operational excellence tools like lean manufacturing and Kaizen to prepare its portfolio companies for international demand.
The Amara Leadership Circle: A CEO-Driven Value Network
One of Amara’s defining features is the Amara Leadership Circle—a curated group of CEOs, founders, and senior executives who invest as Limited Partners and act as hands-on value creators. “It’s a closed-loop ecosystem where capital, capability, and community come together,” said Shah.
This platform offers founders access to mentorship, board-level insights, and strategic collaboration—turning traditional investor-operator dynamics into a deeper partnership model. The Circle also facilitates talent referrals, peer learning, and even cross-border partnerships.
Deepening Presence in the GCC
Amara Partners is now actively looking to expand its presence in the Gulf region. With growing interest from UAE-based institutional investors and family offices, Shah sees immense opportunity for co-investment and long-term collaboration. Amara offers structured deals with transparency and robust governance—hallmarks of its institutional approach.
“We invite family offices and sovereign-linked entities in the GCC to be part of our ecosystem. Amara is committed to becoming the go-to private equity bridge for mid-market collaboration between India and the Gulf,” Shah concluded.
As India continues its ascent as a global manufacturing and consumption hub, Amara Partners is positioning itself not only as an investor, but as a builder—connecting entrepreneurial ambition with institutional discipline, and regional capital with global opportunity.