Our 7-Step Process: From First Call to Invested Capital — What to Expect

One of the biggest barriers to investing in PMS or AIF is uncertainty. Investors hesitate not because they doubt strategy, but because they don't know what the process looks like. Will there be pressure to invest immediately? How much paperwork? What happens after investment? This guide walks you through our complete 7-step process from first conversation to capital deployment into a carefully selected strategy.

Our philosophy is radical transparency. We want you to know exactly what to expect at each stage, the questions we'll ask, the time it will take, and what deliverables you'll receive. This isn't a sales process designed to move you quickly into a product you haven't understood. It's an assessment process designed to ensure alignment between your goals, risk profile, and the strategy we recommend.

Step 1: Discovery Call (30-45 minutes)

Your journey begins with a conversation, not a presentation. In this call, we're listening far more than we're talking. We want to understand your financial situation, investment experience, what you've done well, where you've stumbled, and what keeps you awake at night. We discuss your current portfolio and performance, liquidity needs over 3, 5, and 10 years, experience with market corrections, previous advisor relationships, reasons for considering PMS/AIF now, and your understanding of these products.

The outcome is simple: mutual understanding. You'll know what we do and how we think. We'll know whether we're the right fit for you. There's no pressure. If we don't think we can help, we'll say so. If you're not comfortable, you're free to walk away with no strings attached.

Step 2: Risk Profiling (20-question assessment)

Knowing your risk tolerance isn't guesswork. It requires a structured assessment that goes beyond "How much are you willing to lose?" Our 20-question Risk Profiling System is designed by behavioral finance research and refined over years of investor interviews. It covers your financial capacity to absorb losses, experience with market downturns, emotional temperament, investment timeline, income stability, and debt levels.

This produces a Risk Profile Score ranging from Conservative to Aggressive, with nuances in between. Importantly, this isn't just a label—it informs which strategies we'll recommend in the next step. A Conservative investor won't be shown an aggressive mid-cap concentrated strategy, even if historical returns are attractive.

Step 3: Suitability Assessment (strategy matching)

Now we match your profile to suitable strategies. This is not "here are all our strategies, pick one." It's "based on your profile, here are the 2-3 strategies that make sense for you." We eliminate mismatches early. For each suitable strategy, we explain the fund manager's philosophy and track record, typical portfolio composition, historical returns and drawdowns in various market conditions, expected volatility and maximum drawdown, fees and expenses, lock-in periods and redemption terms, and tax efficiency.

We also explain what PMS and AIF are not. They are not get-rich-quick schemes. They are not guaranteed to outperform all mutual funds. They are not liquid like equity mutual funds. They require conviction and patience. If you're not comfortable with these trade-offs, we say so now.

Step 4: Strategy Shortlisting (narrowing the choice)

If multiple strategies passed suitability tests, we help you narrow down using our proprietary 100-Point Fund Manager Scorecard. We evaluate investment philosophy and consistency, track record in various market conditions, downside protection, portfolio concentration, team stability, risk management practices, transparency and communication, and fee structure.

We also discuss portfolio construction. For larger investments, we often recommend deploying across two strategies rather than concentrating in one. This provides diversification while maintaining conviction-based investing.

Step 5: Deep-Dive Presentation Meeting (90 minutes)

This is where we present the fund manager(s) we're recommending. We typically arrange a presentation where the fund manager or their representative discusses their investment philosophy in detail, recent portfolio changes and why, how they handled specific market events, their team and track record, and answers your hard questions directly.

We also cover logistics: minimum investment amount, lump sum or installments, how accounts are opened and funded, expected timeline to full deployment, fee structure and what's included, quarterly reporting and how you'll monitor performance, and redemption process and timelines. You'll receive detailed presentation materials that you can review again later. No pressure to decide in the meeting. We encourage you to sleep on it, discuss with your spouse or advisor, and come back with questions.

Step 6: Documentation & KYC (7-10 business days)

Once you decide to proceed, the administrative phase begins. You'll need to provide KYC documentation, identity proof, address proof, PAN, bank account verification and mandate signing, PMS/AIF subscription agreement with the fund manager, risk disclosure documents signed and dated, suitability certificate confirming this investment is suitable for your profile, and any tax documentation (NRI forms if applicable, or HUF documentation if investing from HUF).

We guide you through every document. There are no surprises. You'll understand what you're signing and why. We also conduct a final "KYC Review" call to ensure all information is accurate before submission to the fund manager.

Step 7: Onboarding & Ongoing Support

Once your capital is deployed, the relationship truly begins. The first month involves setting up your investor portal with the fund manager, understanding how to view your holdings, NAV, and performance, receiving your first statement and reviewing it together, clarifying any questions about positions or valuations, and scheduling quarterly review calls to discuss performance and market conditions.

In ongoing years, we stay connected through quarterly performance reviews (even if returns are negative—especially then), annual tax planning discussions, rebalancing recommendations if circumstances change, communications about significant portfolio changes by the fund manager, candid discussions about staying invested during downturns, and access to our research and market insights. Most importantly, we're available when you panic. Market crashes happen. Your investment will likely decline 20-30% at some point. When that happens, you'll get a call from us—not to tell you everything is fine, but to remind you of your original investment thesis and discuss whether anything fundamental has changed.

Timeline at a Glance

What Makes Our Process Different

Many distributors skip Steps 2-4 entirely. They present whatever strategy gives them the highest commission, assume you'll invest, and move on. This leads to mismatches, unhappy investors, and redemptions during downturns. Our process is longer and more detailed because we believe alignment matters more than speed. We'd rather lose a sale today than gain an unhappy investor who redeems at the worst time. We also believe in transparency—your questions should be answered, not deflected. Your concerns should be addressed, not dismissed. Finally, we recognize that investing is partly rational and partly emotional. Our process accounts for both.

FAQs

Does this process cost anything?

No. All advice and guidance during Steps 1-6 is free. Our compensation comes from the fund manager through a distribution fee, which is built into the fund's expenses. You don't pay anything extra.

What if I change my mind after Step 5?

Completely fine. We don't pressure anyone. If you decide PMS/AIF isn't right for you, we'll recommend alternatives. Our goal is your financial wellbeing, not our commission.

Can I invest less than the fund's minimum?

Rarely. Most PMS require ₹50 Lakhs minimum. Some AIFs are lower. We work with fund managers to see if exceptions are possible, but we won't compromise on this—the fund manager sets minimums for good reasons.

How long until I see good returns?

Never count on quick returns. A good PMS aims for 12-15% annualized returns over a full market cycle (5+ years). You might see negative returns in Year 1 or Year 2. That's not failure—that's the price of long-term outperformance.

Next Steps

If you've read this and think our process might be right for you, the next step is simple: Schedule a Discovery Call. In that 30-45 minute conversation, we'll understand your situation and you'll understand how we work. No commitment. No pressure. Investment decisions are among the most important financial choices you'll make. They deserve transparency, time, and alignment. We're here to provide all three.