INVEST, SAVE AND SPEND SMARTLY

THREE OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN THE CAPITAL MARKETS SHARE THEIR INSIGHTS ON HOW YOU CAN MULTIPLY YOUR WEALTH IN A GROWING ECONOMY BY TEENA JAIN KAUSHAL

- BY TEENA JAIN KAUSHAL

'[My portfolio consists of] equity, fixed income, debt, gold and real estate... as valuations become less expensive, I'd look to increase my equity exposure' NIKHIL KAMATH CO-FOUNDER, ZERODHA AND CO-FOUNDER, TRUE BEACON

Smart investing is about diversifying your portfolio and not about putting all your eggs in one basket. It is about making informed decisions so that when one asset class loses steam, you quickly reposition yourself and reap the benefits of another asset class to stay ahead of the curve. To help you invest systematically and spend smartly, we speak with three market expertsNikhil Kamath, Co-founder of Zerodha, and Co-founder of True Beacon; Nilesh Shah, MD, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company; and Radhika Gupta, MD & CEO, Edelweiss Asset Management-to understand how they save, invest and spend their money. The experts also share the strategies that are likely to play out in the future and the opportunities that will likely be available to strengthen your portfolio. Edited excerpts:

Q: How do you invest, spend, and save currently?

NIKHIL KAMATH:I re-invest as much as 98 to 99 per cent of what I earn; a small portion of 1 per cent or under is spent while the rest is saved.

NILESH SHAR: Traditionally people believe in income minus expenses equal to savings. For some time, I have believed that income minus savings should be equal to expenses. Savings for me is not optional, it is compulsory. I spend money to live life ina comfortable manner, but never beyond my means. I earmark a part of my income for charitable activities. To me that is the most important investment. I practice what I preach to people. I do regular investments, I do long-term investments, and I invest across the asset classes of debt, equity, real estate and precious metals.