# Ikigai CIO Tibrewal turns bullish on smallcaps after Q1 earnings surprise 2026-08-10T11:58:55+00:00 | Business & Economy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Pankaj Tibrewal, founder and CIO of Ikigai Asset Managers, has turned constructive on Indian equities, citing a strong Q1 earnings season and easing foreign investor selling. He says 398 of the top 500 companies reported results, with topline growth crossing 20 per cent, the strongest in 12 quarters. Bottom line growth is healthy at 13-14 per cent despite oil marketing companies reporting cumulative losses of Rs 17,000-18,000 crore. Tibrewal told Business Today that earnings breadth is improving, with 56-57 per cent of companies reporting over 15 per cent profit growth, up from 45-50 per cent in recent quarters. He expects Q2 momentum to sustain, with July demand picking up. His smallcap fund, launched in March during extreme pessimism, has delivered 25 per cent returns in four months. He manages Rs 4,200 crore. ## Coverage - businesstoday.in - businesstoday.in - businesstoday.in Tags: earnings growth, Ikigai Asset Management, market outlook, Nifty 100, Pankaj Tibrewal, smallcap stocks Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/smallcap-stocks-offer-high-growth-says-fund-manager-tibrewal/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/smallcap-stocks-offer-high-growth-says-fund-manager-tibrewal/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.