Masters’ Union launches India’s First Student-Managed Trading Fund of ₹40 Lakh for aspiring traders

•  Dedicated fund for its Postgraduate Programme in Capital Markets & Trading (PGP-CMT) from the larger pool of MUIF
• The curriculum is taught by over 50 practitioners, including high-frequency traders, hedge fund managers, and portfolio strategists 

GURUGRAM: Masters’ Union, India’s leading business and tech school, has announced India’s first ₹40 lakh student-managed trading fund as part of its Postgraduate Programme in Capital Markets & Trading (PGP-CMT). The first cohort of the programme is set to begin in August this year. This is the first instance of an Indian educational institution allocating real capital for learners to trade and grow. Enrolled learners will trade in live markets across eight different asset classes (equities, derivatives, fixed income, commodities, currencies, and regulated digital assets) by applying classroom theories to real-time investment decisions under the mentorship of seasoned traders and portfolio managers, all within a structured academic setting. 

After completing the programme, learners can explore career opportunities such as Proprietary Trader / Desk Analyst, Portfolio Management Associate, Capital Markets Analyst, Quantitative / Algo Strategy Internships or Research Analyst (Equity / Derivatives / Macro).  

The programme’s structure is built in collaboration with senior traders, fund managers, and industry veterans to offer deep, domain-specific expertise. It spans eight asset classes, including equities, derivatives, fixed income, commodities, currencies, and regulated digital assets. The curriculum is taught by over 50 practitioners, including high-frequency traders, hedge fund managers, and portfolio strategists. Mentors include names such as Sanjiv Bhasin, former Director at IIFL; Siddhartha Rastogi, MD at Ambit Investment Advisor Pvt LTD; Manoj Goel, co-founder and director at The WallStreet School and Aman Singhania, Sr. Vice President & Head - Products at NSE Indices, ensuring students gain not only theoretical knowledge but the nuanced insights required to navigate real-time markets. The programme is unlike most offerings in India, which are typically simulation-based or limited in scope.  

Pratham Mittal, Founder, Masters’ Union, said “At Masters’ Union, we believe capital markets literacy is no longer a niche skill and it is foundational to leadership in any domain. This programme reflects our commitment to reimagining business education by blending academic depth with real-world exposure. Whether one is building companies, managing capital, or shaping policy, understanding how markets work is a crucial edge and we are creating the ideal environment to build that edge.” 

Nikhil Mittal, Director, Masters’ Union, said, “Our programme stands apart by offering a fully transparent and rigorously designed curriculum taught by some of the industry’s most experienced practitioners. Most importantly, students learn to trade by actually managing real capital and not through simulations or hypothetical portfolios, which gives them a realistic sense of decision-making, risk, and accountability that is often missing in traditional academic settings.” 

Sanjiv Bhasin, former Director at IIFL and core team of programme noted, “India’s trading education ecosystem is currently fragmented, dominated by influencers and self-taught investors with little formal grounding. This initiative marks a significant shift by bringing institutional structure and ethical discipline into an otherwise chaotic learning space. It’s not about tips or momentum chasing, it's about understanding markets, risk, and strategy. In my view, this is how the next generation of traders should be trained.” 

The ₹40 lakh capital pool is carved from the larger Masters’ Union Investment Fund (MUIF) and will be passed down to newer cohorts. Primarily a pedagogical tool, it allows students to make real investment decisions with real money, bridging academic learning with practical experience. The programme also includes a simulated Wealth Management Challenge where students learn to build and manage a fully compliant advisory model without soliciting or handling outside capital.  

Disclaimer: The ₹40 lakh student-managed trading fund is an internal pedagogical tool solely owned and operated by the Masters’ Union and does not involve or manage any external or third-party capital. This fund is used exclusively for educational purposes to provide students with practical market experience under supervised academic guidance. Masters’ Union does not offer investment advice, portfolio management, or any regulated financial services through this programme. The initiative does not constitute a collective investment scheme or any other SEBI-registered fund management activity. 

About Masters’ Union:

Masters’ Union is a premium tech & business school based in the corporate district of Gurugram. It was founded in 2020 with the philosophy of hands-on learning, where students learn by doing. The leadership behind Masters’ Union consists of graduates from Stanford, Wharton, and IITs and IIMs. Unlike traditional colleges, the faculty at Masters’ Union comprises MDs, CXOs and AI Experts from companies such as Amazon, Apple, IBM, McKinsey, PwC, and KPMG. Additionally, the Institute also brings in faculty from the world’s top-ranked universities such as Oxford & Harvard. Visit https://mastersunion.org/