Ekta Haryani started her journey in financial services in the year 2000, initially specializing in customer service and operations. She came from a tiny Gujarati institute and worked hard for three years before switching to sales in 2003. She established a strong career in mutual funds, PMS, and alternative investment product sales and distribution over the twenty years that followed. Her goal as an Individual Financial Advisor (IFA) is to fill the gaps in financial advising services in India.
Empowering Individuals Through Financial Literacy
In addition to asset management, Haryani’s mission is to educate and equip people, from young professionals to seasoned investors, with the tools they need to succeed financially. She has noticed that many people in various industries, including IT, disregard the fundamentals of asset allocation and planning in favor of superficial financial data found on social media.
Without thoroughly evaluating the dangers, many investors, especially in the previous two years, have put all their eggs in the mid-cap and small-cap fund baskets. Fund houses have taken different approaches in handling these investments; some have imposed sensible caps, while others have allowed unfettered inflows. As a result of not having clear instructions, investors frequently put their faith in market hype instead of long-term strategy. She wants to empower individuals to make educated decisions about their money by assisting them in distinguishing between stable investment opportunities and passing trends.
Beyond Wealth: Financial Planning as a Gift
For Haryani, the most important present one can give is knowledge about personal finance, particularly to women. Over materialistic gifts, she favors encouraging people to be financially independent.
‘Instead of gifting a handbag or a dress, if we can teach a woman how to buy a mutual fund, how to handle her finances, or how to drive a car, that would be a better gift. Buy a meaningful future rather than a handbag.‘
Addressing Work-Life Balance and Women’s Challenges
Structured financial planning is something Haryani believes in, and she is also cognizant of the particular difficulties women, and working mothers in particular, confront. ‘Guilt management,‘ she says, is the phenomenon wherein women are perpetually divided between their personal and professional lives. She observes that working mothers often feel bad about leaving their children at home and they feel sorry about not putting in enough effort at work. Things become increasingly difficult due to this ongoing cycle.
A Vision for Impact: Financial Advisory at Scale
Despite her passion for dealing with high-net-worth individuals (HNIs), Haryani aspires to reach corporate personnel and the general public. In an effort to educate thousands of workers simultaneously about estate planning, asset allocation, and financial planning, she plans to team up with IT companies and organizations.
Achievements: The Courage to Start
The path itself is more important than the final tally for measuring success. She considers her greatest accomplishment to be quitting a well-paying executive job to start something new.
‘The first step of saying no to a stable salary and starting from zero is the biggest achievement for any entrepreneur. Everything that follows stems from that first courageous decision.’
Ekta Haryani’s tale represents more than a mere progression in one’s career— it aims at transforming the mindset of individuals when it comes to financial planning. It is not just about setting up a business rather it is about establishing a discipline or body that is grounded on the principles of education, awareness, and financial empowerment.
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