Five Star’s IPO deserves a look and Mukesh Ambani’s NYC buy raises a query

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Editor's note: Advait here. One of you, dear readers, asked us about Five Star Business Finance’s upcoming IPO. I’m glad you did. Though I have been covering non-banking finance companies for a while, Five Star hasn’t really been anything more than a blip on my radar. But it’s draft prospectus makes for a fascinating read. Similarly intriguing has been Mukesh Ambani taking the keys of the famed Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York. A billionaire’s splash, or something more strategic? Read on.  A focused and secure approach It is rare to see a lender sticking to one or two products, and going after a specific target segment. Over the past two decades, Five Star Business Finance has managed to do just that by embedding itself in the small and medium enterprise lending market, particularly in South India. Intriguingly, the company has been undistracted in its lending strategy at a time when fintechs and shadow banks are all building multi-product digital-first companies.  These are two of the reasons why there is an interest in the 38-year-old company after the Securities and Exchange Board …