In
this issue, we are extremely happy to feature the exclusive interview of Mr. Sharan Patil,
who is our CashPundit for this issue.
Mr Sharan Patil
is the Managing Director of Inspire India Financial Solutions Pvt. Ltd. Sharan is an accomplished executive and an
identified expert in Financial Investments Planning (TFIP) and Portfolio
Manager. He is known for his deep understanding of the distribution practices
and its challenges. Also an experienced trainer, he has trained more than
10,000 people till date in major Indian cities and towns. He frequently
conducts transformational training programs with well known corporate and
Govt. organizations. His trainings are focused on effective financial planning
via variety of investment instruments such as stocks, mutual fund,
commodity, forex, insurance & real estate and taxation gains. He
started his career as a Financial Analyst with IEC (International Commodity
Exchange) where he has managed big commodity portfolios. With his rich experience
in the financial industry, he started Inspire India Financial Solutions Pvt Ltd
with the aim of providing one-stop investment advice for investing in
equity, mutual funds, systematic investment planning (SIP) and Total
Financial Management to his clients. Sharan believes in positivity towards life
and pledges by the idea of visualizing his goals in order to see them materialize.
He is driven by passion to empower people to become financially
independent. He and his highly qualified team takes keen interest in providing
its customers with personalized investing advice into well balanced portfolio.
"Dream Big, Execute Smart, Be Honest" has been his success mantra. Sharan is an aeronautical engineer by qualification. He hails from Gulbarga where he completed his pre-university school. He later enhanced his education with a MBA in Finance in the year 2009.
CashPundit Inc: It is a great pleasure to interact
with you and publish your thoughts in this interview.
Mr. Sharan Patil:
Thank you. I’m equally thrilled to share my experiences here.
CashPundit Inc.: Inspire
India has been growing very fast and winning several industry awards, year
after year. What is the secret of your
success?
Mr.
Sharan Patil:
For me success isn’t a destination but the journey itself. That’s what
makes it so exciting. This present model of ours took shape and has evolved
over the past 15 years.
It all began as a personal life transforming program. But the financial
decisions and financial management are the key areas that could reflect on the
quality of anybody’s life. Eventually we realized that money is inevitable and
most people’s worries revolved around money and they weren’t sure whom to
approach in order to find solace to such issues. That’s when we decided to bring
in financial awareness programs. We conducted educational programs on personal
financial management. These were followed by wealth checks or financial
planning for individuals and then goal based investments. We received a lot of
appreciation for this and that’s when we understood the missing link and
continued our efforts in that direction. We got better with each program. Today
it’s one of the major contributors to our ever increasing clientele which stands
at more than 7000!
Through this model we could fill the gap and provide the one-stop
platform for people to plan and invest. The major reason why we are so
successful is we took the client-first approach instead of being
product-centric. We were sure that if we made our clients create wealth we would
always be winners. That’s the story behind all the awards that we’ve been
recognized with for all these years. End of the day it the satisfaction of
showing the right direction to people to achieve a financially healthy life
that motivates us to reach out for more.
CashPundit Inc.: You seem to have coined
the phrase “Honestly, Wealth is Health”. Why do you say that? And, what do you
mean by “Financial Freedom”.
In India its very common to hear
phrases like “Money isn’t everything”, “Money is not all that important”,
“Money can’t buy happiness”, etc, mostly statements made by the middle class
which struggles the most to make the ends meet. For such people big money is
either created illegally or by sacrificing one’s happiness which are mere
assumptions.
“Money isn’t everything but its next to
oxygen”, this was quoted by none other than Warren Buffet himself. It’s very
obvious in these days that you require both time and money to maintain a
healthy lifestyle. It could be going to gym or a health club or a rejuvenating
retreat. You’ll find time to do these only if you have the money. So financial
well-being is very important for a healthy life!
We got our political freedom in 1947 but how many of us are truly
financially free? As Joel Greenblatt puts it “One of the great benefits of
having money is the ability to pursue those great accomplishments that require
the gifts of being and of time”. Financial Freedom to me is having time and
money to accomplish our goals and dreams. How many people truly enjoy their
work and are doing what they’re passionate about? Most of them are forced to
work and take up jobs that support their financial needs. How would it be to
not worry about the finances and do what you actually love to do, at-least at
some point of your life? It’s not retirement. It rather gives you the freedom
to do what you enjoy doing without worrying about the expenses. We help people
understand this and plan accordingly. That’s what financial freedom is all
about.
CashPundit Inc.: We understand that you have few customers who are Bankers, MBAs
and Accountants. These people are supposed to have sufficient knowledge to
weigh the risks and merits of an investment opportunity. Why do they come to you
and what kind of advice do you give them?
Mr. Sharan Patil:
These professionals do exceptionally
well in their area. But when it comes to investing they can only think in
traditional ways. For example a banker, most often than not, would only know
about how to give loans or how to collect deposits or at the most sell a couple
of products that they’re told to. Unfortunately none of them foray into the
goal based investments. Why this makes a difference is it lets the investor
understand why he’s doing whatever he’s doing. This is very important to make
the investor to stick-on especially when it comes staying invested for a long
term. Most of the professionals like MBAs and accountants read about security
markets in their academics but no hands on experience. So in a way they lack
the right kind of knowledge and experience required when it comes to investing.
Since they come with a preset financial background, instead of limiting
themselves to their areas, it’ll be great if they upgrade their knowledge in
goal based investments, financial planning, risk-to-reward ratios, equity
investments for long term, inflation adjusted investments, etc.
CashPundit Inc.: Who should invest and at what age they should start investing?
Mr.
Sharan Patil:
It is like asking the right time to plant a tree. The right time
is now!! The moment you realise the importance of investment, you should start.
Anybody and everybody with financial needs, goals and desires can
start investing. Ideally, we recommend people to start their investments at an
early age. It need not be a big amount. Even a small amount like Rs 1000 a
month invested over a long period can see immense growth due to power of compounding. This is considered
as the eighth wonder of the world – one who understands this earns one who
doesn’t, pays for it.
Long term investments in asset classes like equity, real estate
and gold are very good options to maximise benefits. Also, starting early will
prepare you well for the major upcoming goals like children’s education, buying
house, holidaying and finally the retirement. Starting early means the time gap
works in your favour while late starters have to put in more money to see
similar results.
CashPundit Inc.: Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
Mr.
Sharan Patil:
Yes, one of them is everybody
must be an investor. As per Warren Buffet, you need not be wealthy to be an
investor but you certainly must be an investor to be wealthy. Simple, yet so
profound! I’ve seen people starting with a small amount and create huge wealth.
It is possible with disciplined investment. It is important to understand your
basic needs and first address them. Equally important is to have financial
goals and dreams. They provide you the necessary fuel to stay motivated and
keep investing.
Secondly, it’s a must to
have a personal financial advisor, a good one though! It is like Kurukshetra
war. Pandavas had Krishna as their advisor who steered them to victory. Like
Krishna, a good advisor can help investor create wealth. A good advisor, even
though pricey, is one who understands your actual needs, goals and dreams and
is interested in making you rich. It’s a great practice to spend time with your
advisor and review your investments, goals. It is never a onetime activity.
Every 6 months is an ideal frequency. Also, as all things come with a price, so
is it with financial advice. End of the day it’s the advisor on whom you can
rely and rest assured that your portfolio would be handled with care. So avoid
negotiating for a quality service and reap rich benefits.
At Inspire India we
relentlessly strive to make sure the clients’ portfolios are wisely selected
and periodically reviewed. That’s the way we’ve become the most trusted, reliable
and approachable advisory in the industry. We follow some of the best practices
prevalent to the current scenario. The numerous awards and recognitions we’ve
won in all these years and the good-will we’ve created with the clients stand
testimony to this.
CashPundit
Inc.: You are an Aeronautical
Engineer by qualification. Can you
please tell us about your journey from Aeronautical Engineer to Financial
Investment Expert and the MD of Inspire India Financial Services?
Mr.
Sharan Patil:
The shift was certainly not a
conscious decision. It was purely by chance. Aviation industry was going thru
tough times back then with not many openings. That’s when I happened to read
the all famous book “Rich Dad Poor Dad” which inspired me into personal
finances. Coming from a middle-class family I could relate to what the book
said and how it is just the mindset that makes the difference. Neither my
background nor my education was tuned to create wealth. So I slowly started
making changes in all possible ways, like my knowledge, communication skills,
self esteem and confidence. I also attended a workshop which helped me realize
my true potential. Meanwhile a friend introduced me to commodity trading, after
which there was no looking back. I took up qualifications to support me in this
direction. A host of related seminars, workshops and conferences came handy in
understanding the nuances of the industry. Meeting some of the well know fund
managers like Nilesh Shah, Madhusudan Kela broadened my perspective. I treat
them as my mentors. Reading about Warren Buffet, Robert Kiyosaki was one of my
favorite pastimes. I’m very passionate about conducting workshops to educate
people on financial matters. And the most overwhelming moments are when I see
profits in my clients’ portfolios.
“Financial Freedom Is My
Birthright” is my new tagline…
CashPundit Inc.: Thank you so much for your valuable inputs and time spared for CashPundit
Inc. I am sure our readers will thoroughly enjoy it. Wish you all the best for
all your future endeavors.
Mr.
Sharan Patil:
Thank
you very much!
