Discipline Is Key, Shows This Retiree's Life

Pramod Agrawal, 64, a former banker, is an inspiration for active retirees who do not know what to do with their idle time post retirement. Pramod, who lives with his spouse in Ghaziabad, had the option of staying at home, like most retirees, but chose to use his expertise in new ways. Now, he is a visiting faculty at several institutes.

- Versha Jain

One of his inspirations to keep himself busy was his wife, Manjula, 58, who is a senior lecturer at VMLG college, Ghaziabad, and will retire after two years. He wants to be in the workforce at least until then, but is open to continue being productively busy if he keeps getting assignments.

The banking ethos has had a deep impact on his life, which has been shaped by a preference for calculated decisions, conservative investment choices and aversion to uncertainty, which reflects in both his life choices and financial decisions.

Life After Retirement

Over the years, his public dealing skills rewarded him with lasting connections and friends. That zest for life has continued in his retirement too, and perhaps, it was those connections that helped him find a purpose later in life.

Soon after retirement, he started putting his skills—public dealing, financial acumen and loads of patience—acquired over a 39-year banking stint to good use. He became a visiting faculty in institutions, such as the Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad; Central Detective Training Institute (CDTI); Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) academy; National Institute of Banking Studies and Corporate Management, among others, where he teaches basics of banking and personal finance to impart practical aspects of finance.

He says, “In 1992, I did part-time diploma, PGDBM from IMT, Ghaziabad. The director was an account holder in my bank. He was very impressed with me. Sometimes he would offer some teaching sessions to me. That’s how I started teaching in management institutes.