ANB Capital merges with Anarock to form new investment advisory practice

15 May 2018 Consultancy.in

Weeks after establishing a new vertical for networking and collaboration in India, real estate consulting firm Anarock Property Consultants has now bolstered its consulting services for real estate investment, through a merger with ANB Capital Advisors to form Anarock Capital.

As a new firm that has been operational since just last year, Anarock has the advantage of analysing the current position of India’s real estate market and strategically planning its growth in the near future. The firm is gradually building its foundation in India, particularly in the residential real estate segment.

Anarock’s service offerings fall within two broad categories, namely Residential Business and Investment Business. The former involves broking and advisory services, among others, while the latter involves the management of debt, equity, and mezzanine funding. The two-pronged approach is designed to fit India’s growing real estate sector that spans the retail space and the hospitality sector, in addition to the residential segment.

Late last month, the firm established a Channel Partners vertical with expert Bappaditya Basu at the helm, launched with the specific objective of building the largest real estate services network in India. The division will focus on forming alliances with developers across the Indian and the international markets.

Anarock merges with ANB Capital to establish new investment advisory practice

Now, the firm has bolstered its Investment Business through a strategic merger with ANB Capital Advisors – an investment banking consulting firm with a specific focus on the real estate sector. The firm prides itself on the neutrality of its advice, as opposed to the agenda-driven consulting offered by large financial institutions.

ANB was established in January this year by Shobhit Agarwal – a former Managing Director for Capital Markets at real estate consultancy JLL with nearly two decades of experience in the sector. Agarwal will now act as Managing Director and CEO of the combined operations, which will go by the name of Anarock Capital.

Commenting on the merger, Anuj Puri, Chairman at Anarock said, “The Indian real estate market is in its next evolutionary stage, and perfectly primed for ANAROCK Capital. The firm will fill the massive real estate investment banking advisory gap that exists in a market completely redefined by RERA in terms of how the market operates and who will operate it going forward. Among several other functions, ANAROCK Capital will advise on big-ticket funding, acquisition and consolidation mandates. Shobhit's vast experience and deep-rooted industry relationships will come into play with immediate effect. I take particular pride in announcing the second merger of equals in my professional life - and more are to follow.”

On his new role, Agarwal added, “Leveraging the ANAROCK Group's tremendous market penetration and superb operational infrastructure with 10 operational offices in India and one in Dubai, ANAROCK Capital will lead the real estate investment banking business from the front. There is over US$ 150 billion of capital to be traded in Indian real estate over the next five years - and with our collective expertise, existing exposure, and resources, we are perfectly poised to capture a major share of it.”