Ashoka WhiteOak Emerging Markets (AWEM)

When it floated in May 2023, AWEM became the first investment company to join the London market in 17 months. The company’s aim is to generate long-term capital growth by investing in securities that provide exposure to global emerging markets (EM), including companies on Western exchanges with EM exposure. In this interview we spoke to Prashant Khemka, founder of WhiteOak and manager of AWEM and sister company Ashoka India Equity (AIE) about overcoming the challenges faced in bringing the trust to market; the comparative growth attractions of emerging markets when compared to Western counterparts; the company’s rigorous valuation and risk-based stock selection process; and the company’s views on the profound geopolitical shifts currently taking place.