MUMBAI: When alpha meets intellect, the boardroom gets bullish

In a move that screams serious intent and sharp thinking, Arthalpha, the brainy kid on India’s quant-finance block, has just flexed its ambition with two big-ticket appointments. DSP Mutual Fund MD & CEO Kalpen Parekh has joined as board observer, and fintech founder & ex-banker Kunal Bajaj has come aboard as board advisor. Cue the calculators and champagne.

The appointments bring over 40 years of collective market muscle into Arthalpha’s strategic cockpit, reinforcing its focus on blending artificial intelligence with real-world experience. Call it machine learning with street smarts.

"We are delighted to welcome Kalpen Parekh and Kunal Bajaj to Arthalpha... Their strategic insights will be invaluable as we push the boundaries of quantitative finance," said Arthalpha CEO & CIO Rohit Beri.

Parekh has been around the market block more than once. With a resume that reads like the Nifty’s who's who—ICICI, Birla Sun Life, IDFC, and now DSP—he’s spent over 20 years shaping long-term investment playbooks and decoding market moods.

"Arthalpha’s approach to integrating human intelligence with advanced quantitative methods is truly groundbreaking... I look forward to supporting their mission," Parekh said, dusting off any doubt about his hands-on involvement.

Meanwhile, Bajaj brings his own set of war stories. From power seats at Goldman Sachs Japan, Credit Suisse, CLSA and Jefferies, to founding Clearfunds, which later merged with MobiKwik, Bajaj has done it all—capital markets, M&A, and building fintechs from scratch.

"Arthalpha is at the forefront of quantitative finance innovation... I am excited to contribute to their strategic growth and product innovation," Bajaj said, presumably while scanning charts for his next big bet.

With AI-powered investing sweeping the globe, Arthalpha wants to lead the pack—not trail it. And with its turbocharged board now stacked with two of the sharpest minds in finance, expect more disruption, smarter products, and a very interesting FY25.