On Wednesday, February 18, 2026, Mumbai-based ValueQuest Investment Advisors announced it is closing its ₹1500-crore private equity fund, ValueQuest Tristar. The fund significantly exceeded its initial target of ₹1,500 crore, leading the firm to activate a ₹500-crore greenshoe option to accommodate strong demand from domestic Limited Partners (LPs), including family offices and UHNIs.
The fund is 100% rupee-denominated and specifically targets advanced manufacturing—a sector ValueQuest believes is undergoing a “structural inflection point” in India.
Fund Strategy: Growth & Precision
Managed by Aniket Dharamshi and Arvind Ananthnarayanan, the Tristar fund follows a disciplined “scale-up” philosophy. Unlike many venture capital models, it avoids loss-making ventures, focusing instead on capital-efficient businesses with proven unit economics.
- Target Sectors: Aerospace, Defence, Energy Transition, and Precision Engineering.
- Portfolio Construction: Plans to back 8–12 companies.
- Investment Size: Typical cheque sizes range from ₹150 crore to ₹400 crore.
- Deployment Timeline: Aims to fully deploy the capital within 18–24 months.
Early Portfolio & Track Record
ValueQuest has already completed two major investments from this corpus, anchoring its position in high-tech industrial chains:
| Company | Sector | Investment | Details |
| Rangsons Aerospace | Aerospace & Defence | ₹100 Crore | Maidan investment; high-complexity precision manufacturing for global OEMs. |
| Waaree Energy Storage | Energy Transition | ₹125 Crore | Manufacturing Li-ion and Sodium-ion cells/packs with a 20 GW target capacity. |
Beyond private equity, ValueQuest has a long history as an early investor in Defence PSUs, having backed entities like HAL, BEL, Mazagon Dock, and Cochin Shipyard well before the recent policy-driven sector rally.
The “Manufacturing Renaissance” Thesis
Aniket Dharamshi notes that India may require ₹2.5–10 lakh crore in manufacturing capex over the next decade. He argues that the current cycle is distinct because:
- Resilience over Cost: Global supply chains are pivoting toward India for dependability, not just low cost.
- Capex Intensity: Unlike SaaS, where capital often funds “exits,” advanced manufacturing requires tangible investment in machinery, land, and technical R&D.
- IPO Readiness: Many of these specialized firms are now mature enough to tap public markets, providing a clear exit path for private equity.
“We are not just participating in these sectors; we are positioning ourselves to lead in them. Tristar represents our high-conviction view on India’s emerging industrial champions.” — Ravi Dharamshi, Founder & CIO, ValueQuest.