The appointment marks the return of Mr. Godbole to Morgan Stanley. He first joined the Firm in 1994 in the Securitized Products group in New York, moving to London in 2000 as Chief Financial Officer of MSREI Europe. In 2004, he became Co-head of the Firm’s commercial real estate finance business in Europe. 

Mr. Godbole returned to India in 2007 and joined Goldman Sachs’ Real Estate Principal Investments group. Most recently, he was involved in a number of real estate entrepreneurial ventures in India. Mr. Godbole began his career in Boston with AEW Capital Management.  

“India has been a major market within our Asia real estate investing platform for over six years and is a country where we continue to see significant investment opportunities,” said Hoke Slaughter, Asia Head of Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing. “We are delighted to have Shirish back with the team to lead MSREI India.  His global and local experience will be invaluable as we continue to grow our business here and across the region.”

Morgan Stanley is an active investor in India’s real estate sector through its funds.  Since 2006, MSREI has invested both in property companies and projects in several markets throughout the country. Entity level investments include stakes in several leading property companies such as Oberoi Realty, based in Mumbai, which successfully listed in 2010; Panchshil Realty, based in Pune; Mantri Developers, based in Bangalore; and other growth companies in the hospitality and project management sectors.

“Real estate investing is an important component of our India platform,” said P. Jayendra Nayak, Chief Executive Officer and Country Head for Morgan Stanley India. “Through our real estate investing team, our other investing platforms and through the funds we manage, we will continue to invest in India and partner with successful local growth companies.”

Mr. Godbole holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from Northeastern University in the United States and a Bachelor of Commerce from University of Bombay, India. 

About Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing

Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing (MSREI) is the global real estate investment management arm of Morgan Stanley. Established in the early 1990s, MSREI has been one of the most active real estate investors for two decades, acquiring over US$175 billion of assets in 36 countries. MSREI leverages the expertise, relationships and franchise of Morgan Stanley with dedicated real estate investing professionals located in 15 offices around the world providing acquisition, finance and asset management services. MSREI manages opportunistic and core investment strategies on behalf of its clients, including some of the largest pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and high net worth investors worldwide.

Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, investment management and wealth management services.  The Firm’s employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals from more than 1,300 offices in 42 countries.  For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.

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