Angel One CEO Reaffirms Brokerage as Core While Diversifying Revenue
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Angel One CEO Hints at a Broader Growth Horizon – Broking Remains the Core, Lending and Other Sectors Rise in Parallel
In a recent interview with Moneycontrol, Angel One’s chief executive officer (CEO) – who is also the chief strategy officer – reaffirmed the brokerage business as the backbone of the firm while highlighting a clear shift toward a more diversified revenue mix. The CEO – Shashank Bhatia, who has been steering Angel One since its transition from Angel Broking – said the company’s core broking operation will stay robust, but its ancillary lines such as lending, mutual funds, and wealth‑management are expanding at a rapid pace. The conversation provides a snapshot of Angel One’s strategy for the next fiscal year and offers insights into the broader Indian financial‑technology landscape.
1. Broking: “The Core, but Not the Only Game”
The CEO opened the interview by stressing that Angel One’s brokerage remains the core of the business. “We have a solid, technology‑driven platform that keeps our fee‑to‑revenue ratio among the best in the industry,” Bhatia said. The company has a significant retail investor base, and its trading desk continues to see heavy usage, especially during volatile market phases. The firm’s recent upgrades – which include a new mobile app with AI‑driven trade‑recommendations – are aimed at reducing turnover and enhancing the trader experience. The CEO also noted that, while the brokerage fee stream has been under pressure due to increasing competition from discount brokers, the firm has been able to offset that through better cost controls and a higher volume of “freemium” clients.
Importantly, Bhatia emphasized that the firm’s fee‑to‑revenue ratio has actually improved in the last quarter, partly because of a shift toward high‑margin “premium” accounts. “We are converting a larger slice of our customer base to tier‑2 and tier‑3 plans that carry higher fees per trade,” he added. The company also plans to launch a dedicated “pro‑trader” package in the next six months, which will bundle advanced charting, risk‑analysis tools, and exclusive webinars.
2. Lending and “Other” Business Lines – A Growth Engine
The bulk of the interview’s focus was on Angel One’s ancillary businesses. According to Bhatia, the company’s lending portfolio has grown by 25 % year‑on‑year, thanks largely to the launch of the “Angel Loan” platform in 2022. The platform offers instant personal loans, small‑business working capital, and micro‑credit for retail customers. The CEO highlighted that these products benefit from the firm’s deep client database and its analytics engine that quickly assesses creditworthiness. “Because we already know our customers’ trading behaviour, we can offer a friction‑free credit experience,” he said.
Beyond lending, Angel One has recently expanded into the mutual‑fund distribution arena. “We have an AUM of ₹30 billion in mutual funds and that is expected to reach ₹50 billion by the end of FY25,” Bhatia told Moneycontrol. The firm’s distribution model – which combines a robo‑advisor “Angel Wealth” platform with human financial advisors – is designed to attract tech‑savvy millennials who prefer digital portfolios. The CEO noted that the firm’s AUM is now the third highest among Indian brokerage‑based distribution platforms.
Wealth management has also taken centre stage. Angel One launched “Angel Wealth – Digital Advisory” last year, which uses machine learning to suggest asset‑allocation mixes based on the client’s risk appetite. Bhatia said that “digital wealth management is the next frontier. We are looking to grow that segment by 30 % annually, leveraging our existing data and technology infrastructure.”
3. Strategic Partnerships and Market Outlook
Angel One’s CEO also touched on the firm’s partnership strategy. The company recently signed a multi‑year tie‑up with the fintech firm Credit Karma to offer credit‑score monitoring and loan‑product comparison tools. “These partnerships enable us to cross‑sell effectively,” Bhatia said. The partnership will also allow Angel One to tap into Credit Karma’s user base, which is predominantly under‑banked, thereby broadening the firm’s demographic reach.
Looking ahead, Bhatia remains cautiously optimistic about the Indian equity market’s trajectory. “We expect a consolidation phase in the near term but anticipate a breakout in mid‑2025 as valuations become more attractive,” he said. The CEO also noted that regulatory changes – such as the Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI) new “Retail Investor Protection” guidelines – will compel brokers to adopt higher transparency standards, thereby creating a more robust operating environment.
4. Additional Context – Linked Articles
To give readers a fuller picture, Moneycontrol links to several related pieces that provide deeper insights into Angel One’s strategy and performance:
“Angel One Reports Record Q4 Revenue, Highlights Growth in Lending” – a detailed earnings release that shows the company’s quarterly financials and growth metrics across all business lines.
“How Angel One is Using AI to Power its Trading Platform” – a feature article that explores the technology stack behind the firm’s trading app, with a focus on predictive analytics and customer‑centric design.
“SEBI’s New Investor Protection Rules and What They Mean for Brokers” – a regulatory update that explains how upcoming changes will affect brokerage firms’ operations and cost structures.
These resources underscore the broader context within which Angel One is operating – a space marked by rapid fintech innovation, tightening regulatory oversight, and fierce competition from both traditional and discount brokers.
5. Bottom Line
In summary, Angel One’s CEO presents a balanced view of the firm’s trajectory: the core broking business remains solid, but its ancillary lines – lending, mutual‑fund distribution, and digital wealth management – are gaining traction and become key drivers of growth. The company is leveraging technology, strategic partnerships, and a customer‑centric approach to diversify revenue and mitigate margin pressures from discount brokers. With a growing loan portfolio and a rapidly expanding digital wealth offering, Angel One appears poised to navigate the evolving financial‑tech ecosystem while maintaining its position as one of India’s leading brokerage platforms.
Read the Full moneycontrol.com Article at:
[ https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/startup/broking-will-remain-strong-core-but-lending-other-businesses-growing-as-well-says-angel-one-ceo-13721027.html ]