Cyrus Poonawalla’s Multicrore Bet On Raja Ravi Varma Painting: When Art Becomes A Wealth Strategy

The recent acquisition of a Yashoda and Krishna painting by Cyrus Poonawalla for a staggering Rs 167 crore has once again brought Raja Ravi Varma into sharp focus—underscoring how masterpieces by the 19th-century artist are no longer just cultural treasures, but strategic financial assets for the ultra-rich, offering a blend of legacy, prestige, and portfolio diversification.

For the ultrarich, buying a multicrore painting is not “just one of the luxury moves” but a structured financial move that serves several wealth management objectives at once. Fine art from established masters or blue-chip artists tends to appreciate over decades, often outpacing inflation and many traditional assets.

Why Rare Art Holds Value

These are categorized as rare items. They fall into museum-grade work. And, due to limited supply and rising demand from global collectors, valuations are pushed up over time.

“For the ultra-rich with a 10-year horizon, a multi-crore painting is a calculated allocation; art market returns from 1995 to 2025 averaged 11.5 per cent annually, versus 9.6 per cent for the S&P 500 over the same period,” says Tanvi Kanchan, associate director, Anand Rathi Share and Stock Brokers.

The illiquidity, 15–30 per cent transaction costs, and selection bias in performance data mean it only works as a strategic asset with the right holding period and advisory infrastructure.

Art’s returns are relatively uncorrelated with stock and bond markets, so it diversifies the portfolio and reduces overall risk. “A collection of art is also tax-efficient and provides asset protection. High-value art can be stored in tax-friendly freeports (these destinations offer low/no tax). These are situated in Geneva, Luxembourg, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Malta, etc., or via special-purpose vehicles where wealth tax exposure is minimal or deferred. The paintings rest in a high-security transparent vault and do not move; only the owner changes. So, no transportation, theft, or insurance-related expenditure occurs,” says Madhupam Krishna, Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) registered investment advisor (RIA) and chief planner, WealthWisher Financial Planner and Advisors.

In India, art is treated as a capital asset and, if held long-term (24 months), it qualifies for more favorable long-term capital gains treatment (currently 12.5 per cent). Ultrarich families also use art as part of intergenerational gifting (tax-free if exchanged in the family) or estate-planning structures that smooth out tax and succession-related frictions.

“The art market is intentionally illiquid, as this suits investors who don’t need instant exits. Multicrore paintings are typically sold through auctions or private negotiations, where timing and price can be managed strategically,” says Krishna.

This illiquidity filters out short-term speculation, curbing daily fluctuations and keeping the asset in the family or holding company for long-term wealth preservation. “The illiquidity, 15–30 per cent transaction costs, and selection bias in performance data mean it only works as a strategic asset with the right holding period and advisory infrastructure,” says Kanchan.

Long-Term Hedge Vs Short-Term Risk

“So while top-quality works by institutionally recognised artists — think Husain, Raza, Souza in India; Basquiat, Warhol, Rothko globally, maintain value during market dislocations. Scarcity is structural: no monetary policy creates more Husains. In India, rupee depreciation adds a currency hedge dimension for works priced internationally,” says Tanvi Kanchan, associate director, Anand Rathi Share and Stock Brokers.

While we have also seen works between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 5 crore show resilience in 2024, with the mid-market generating $8 billion in global auction sales. But price discovery is thin, transaction costs eat returns, and holding periods must be long. The hedge is real but requires patience and expertise.

Ultra-wealthy clients are certainly buying more land, more real estate, and art as an inflation hedge. “But the wet paint (artworks sold within three years of creation) speculative market collapsed from $215M in 2021 to $30M in H1 2024, exposing how thin the hedge argument is for emerging art. India's 2008 crash. When a speculative boom turned to a collapse, it is the clearest local proof that the hedge story is tier-specific,” says Kanchan.

Invest In Art Strategically, Not Emotionally

Fine art is not tightly correlated with listed equities, bonds, or even real estate, so it can lower overall portfolio volatility for Ultra High Networth (UHNW) families. This acts as a “tangible alternative” that behaves differently in crises. “Unlike bonds or dividend stocks, art generates no regular cash flow and has no official index, so investors must rely on self-selected datasets and dealer narratives, amplifying perception-driven pricing,” says Krishna.

Also, a purchase can be non-strategic if it is unplanned, emotionally driven, or massively concentrated in a single piece with no risk management (e.g., no insurance, unclear exit plan). “A single multicrore work can sit unsold & out of demand for years or plummet in value if the market loses faith in that artist. If the purchase is carefully curated, backed by research, insurance, custodial storage, and integrated into a broader alternative asset allocation, it can deliver huge benefits & returns,” says Krishna.