{"id":221,"date":"2025-11-27T04:44:30","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T04:44:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/?p=221"},"modified":"2026-08-19T07:00:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T07:00:43","slug":"from-nimbu-pani-to-narasimha-avatar-lakshmi-iyers-guide-to-the-decadal-journey-of-investment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/podcast\/from-nimbu-pani-to-narasimha-avatar-lakshmi-iyers-guide-to-the-decadal-journey-of-investment\/","title":{"rendered":"From \u2018Nimbu Pani\u2019 to \u2018Narasimha Avatar\u2019: Lakshmi Iyer\u2019s Guide to the \u2018Decadal Journey\u2019 of Investment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lakshmi Iyer, Group President, Investments and CEO of Bajaj Alternates, explains why wealth creation is a \u2018decadal journey\u2019 that rejects instant gratification, highlights the \u2018Cinderella treatment\u2019 of debt, and argues that the evolution of the Indian investor is a \u2018non-negotiable\u2019 shift driven by a \u2018Digical\u2019 ecosystem on Simple Hai!<\/em>, the financial podcast hosted by Vivek Law.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iyer describes her professional philosophy as “Go with the Flow,” often comparing herself to water that adapts to the shape of its container. For her, direction matters far more than rigid planning. Drawing a reference from Vidya Balan’s The Dirty Picture<\/em>, she says that while the film industry thrives on “Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment,” the investment world survives on “Patience, Patience, Patience.” According to Iyer, many people forget that wealth creation is a decadal journey rather than a process measured in weeks, months, or even a few years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as a plant requires water, nourishment, and sunlight to grow into a tree, investments also need time and consistent attention. Iyer points out that many mutual fund schemes have delivered returns that outperformed benchmarks over 20- or 30-year periods. However, very few investors stay invested long enough to experience those long-term benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She believes that one of the biggest obstacles to successful investing is the modern culture of instant gratification. Social media has conditioned people to seek immediate rewards through likes, comments, and constant validation, creating a dopamine-driven mindset that often spills over into financial decisions. According to Iyer, investors must honestly ask themselves whether they are giving their investments enough time to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Debt: The All-Seasons Footwear<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Iyer challenges the common perception that mutual funds are only about equities. She argues that debt deserves a much more significant place in an investor’s portfolio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She compares debt investments to lemonade or “nimbu pani,” describing them as an all-season asset class that provides stability regardless of market conditions. Unlike equities, debt investments offer multiple options, allowing investors to remain invested for as little as one day or as long as 10 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, she describes equity as the “caffeine” or “energiser” of a portfolio. Equities provide growth and can potentially double capital over five to seven years, while debt acts as the stabilising force that protects emergency and contingency funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Does Gold Deserve the \u2018Narasimha Avatar\u2019 Label?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Using mythology to explain investment behaviour, Iyer compares gold to Lord Vishnu and says that the precious metal has recently assumed the “Narasimha Avatar” because of its sharp rise in value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to her, increasing investment demand and central banks’ growing purchases of gold have fuelled this rally. She believes declining confidence in paper currency has also contributed to the trend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, she warns investors against expecting extraordinary returns from gold forever. Instead, she recommends maintaining a 10-15% allocation to gold, primarily as a portfolio-balancing asset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, she argues that fixed-income investments often receive the “Cinderella treatment” from both investors and the media. Traditional products such as fixed deposits continue to dominate public perception, despite debt investments offering several advantages. She also explains that interest rate cuts generally have a positive impact on fixed-income returns because of their inverse relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is India Still in the \u2018Intermission\u2019 Phase of Investing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to Iyer, India is currently in the “intermission” stage of its transition from a nation of savers to a nation of investors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She compares this transformation to a caterpillar becoming a butterfly and insists that this shift is non-negotiable for long-term financial well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For new investors, her advice is simple: start today. She strongly believes that “time in the market” is significantly more important than “timing the market.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although financially aware individuals can manage investments independently, she believes most people should seek professional guidance without hesitation. Financial advisors, she argues, provide customised services and deserve to be compensated rather than being expected to offer free advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is the \u2018Digical\u2019 Future of Investing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Looking ahead, Iyer believes the future of investing will be “Digical”\u2014a combination of digital technology supported by a physical human connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She explains that technology has dramatically improved accessibility and convenience, particularly in alternative investments, much like infrastructure projects such as the Mumbai Coastal Road have transformed transportation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to her, the financial ecosystem should focus on collaboration rather than competition. Referencing the film Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya<\/em>, she highlights how technology is rapidly blurring the boundaries between human and machine interactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Is the Alternates Industry Generating So Much Excitement?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Iyer says her decision to lead Bajaj Alternates was driven by her desire to embrace new challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She describes the alternatives industry as a “toddler” compared with the “adult” mutual fund industry, estimating that alternatives are currently where mutual funds were 10-15 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of its relatively small size, she believes the sector has enormous growth potential, with expected growth rates of 20-30% annually. Alternative investments also provide greater flexibility by allowing investors to combine public and private assets, along with equity and fixed-income investments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, she cautions that products such as private equity, which focus on unlisted companies, carry higher levels of risk despite offering the potential for higher returns. She compares the experience to the adrenaline rush of bungee jumping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iyer concludes with one of the most important financial lessons she learned from her parents: never spend more than you earn. She warns against excessive borrowing, particularly when people fail to understand the true cost of debt, reminding investors that financial discipline remains the foundation of long-term wealth creation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lakshmi Iyer, Group President, Investments and CEO of Bajaj Alternates, explains why wealth creation is a \u2018decadal journey\u2019 that rejects instant gratification, highlights the \u2018Cinderella treatment\u2019 of debt, and argues that the evolution of the Indian investor is a \u2018non-negotiable\u2019 shift driven by a \u2018Digical\u2019 ecosystem on Simple Hai!, the financial podcast hosted by Vivek […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":222,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-podcast"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=221"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":223,"href":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221\/revisions\/223"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesimplehaishow.com\/thesimplehaishow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}