Barings Asset Management has announced the launch of the Baring India Fund which will be managed by Ajay Argal.

The fund, set to launch on 7 December, will primarily invest in Indian equities and equity-related securities of companies listed in India.

In a statement, Barings said this would account for 70 per cent of the fund's holdings, with up to 30 per cent of the portfolio held in companies listed outside India but within the Indian subcontinent.

The fund is expected to have between 30 and 50 holdings.

As of October, Barings said it already held $288 million (£182 million) of assets in Indian equities and that it felt the region 'will continue to sustain high GDP growth, driven by fast-developing upper middle and high class consumer segments, low personal and national debt, and extensive government spending.'

Argal was appointed head of Indian equities at Barings in August and is based in Hong Kong. He was previously head of offshore equities at Birla Sunlife AMC, where he was manager of the Birla Sunlife India Advantage Fund.

He said he felt India was well positioned for a period of growth that would benefit investors.

'Domestically, India's youthful population is fast developing a preference for consumer goods, while demand for housing and for financial services is likely to remain strong for many years to come as the pace of urbanisation accelerates,' he said.

'The government plans to invest US$1 trillion (£635 billion) on upgrading India¹s roads and energy sectors and this should help improve productivity as well as provide a further boost to growth.
 
'Unlike many emerging economies, India's main export is information technology services, where a well educated workforce and cost advantages make it a global leader. These services tend to be supplied on a long term contract basis, providing India with a degree of shelter from the extremes of the global economic cycle,' he added.