Avinash Satwalekar on trade deficit
From Global Perspective on India | Avinash Satwalekar | EVOKE 2026 · · Team Azure
“India has a trade deficit with the US, but the main target is China. India does not have the same challenges with the US as China does.”
On , Avinash Satwalekar, President of India at Franklin Resources Inc, spoke about trade deficit during Global Perspective on India | Avinash Satwalekar | EVOKE 2026 on Team Azure.
About Avinash Satwalekar
Avinash Satwalekar, President of Franklin Templeton India, has been discussing market volatility, investment products, and India's economic outlook in recent appearances. In an April 2026 conversation about the Sapphire Equity Long-Short SIF, Satwalekar said that the current volatility is "not unusual" and that markets go through phases every three to five years, though they appear to be happening more quickly. He described Specialized Investment Funds (SIFs) as filling a gap between mutual funds and Portfolio Management Services, noting that they allow for derivative use beyond hedging, including "0-25% naked shorts," and require a minimum investment of 10 lakh rupees. Satwalekar stated that investors are increasingly focused on using volatility as an opportunity rather than being victims of it. Speaking at EVOKE 2026 in March, Satwalekar addressed India's global position, saying that while foreign investors have pulled out money, they have also invested significantly, and that much of the outflow is due to private equity funds exiting after taking companies public. He said India's oil dependency has decreased by about 27%, and that oil is expected to stabilize around $90 per barrel on average for the year. In a separate March interview with Moneycontrol, Satwalekar advised investors to "stay calm" during volatile markets, focus on long-term goals, and continue systematic investment plans (SIPs), which he said were designed for such conditions. He also expressed confidence in the financial sector, stating that a strong financial system is core to any economy and that nothing has changed regarding the long-term growth outlook for Indian banks.