Jefferies CEO Rich Handler is in India this week to explore expansion, hiring, and growth in the country’s booming asset-management and private credit markets. The Wall Street firm, operating in India for nearly two decades, aims to tap the $900 billion asset-management sector amid rising household inflows and has recently hired a banker from Mizuho to lead its private credit advisory unit. Handler’s tour also includes meetings with major clients and coincides with a leadership shift: country head Aashish Agarwal will depart in February 2027 to become CEO of 360 ONE WAM Ltd. The visit underscores India’s increasing importance to global financial institutions as the nation pursues developed‑economy status by 2047, requiring substantial capital for infrastructure and corporate growth.
Jefferies currently employs about 150 staff across investment banking, fixed income, equities, and asset management in India.
Source: Bloomberg Markets · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing