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Lessons from Nivesh Mahakumbh 2025: A blueprint for financial freedom for all
Nivesh Mahakumbh 2025 offered a blueprint for financial freedom. Learn about investments for gig workers, and about gold as an asset for women.
India is currently the world’s fourth-largest economy in the world and is projected to continue its robust growth, with a real GDP growth rate of around 6.5 per cent for the current fiscal year. As the nation celebrated its 79th Independence Day this year, it is time to reflect on all our achievements in terms of economic growth and development.
It is also the opportunity for us to secure our financial well-being – a theme that was discussed at length at the 51st edition of Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund Nivesh Mahakumbh 2025, a one-of-a-kind investor awareness initiative launched by Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC Limited in association with Hindustan Times, designed to help thousands of Indians take charge of their financial future.
The core message of the Mahakumbh, ‘Freedom to Invest, Power to Grow’, came as a call to action, aimed at equipping every Indian with the essential knowledge to confidently navigate the complexities of today’s financial markets.
“Nivesh Mahakumbh is the industry’s largest format of such investor education initiatives. We have been on a mission to empower every Indian with the knowledge and confidence to achieve financial freedom. Over the last 11 years, we have conducted nearly 17,000 programs across the country, directly educating more than 1.2 million investors,” said Sidharth Damani, Head - Investor Education and Distributor Development at Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC Limited.
In his address, Damani highlighted the important role of capital markets as a driver of growth. It set the tone for a day of insightful conversations, encouraging participants to move beyond conventional thinking and fully embrace the vast opportunities that the country presents.
Following the welcome address, A Balasubramanian, Managing Director and CEO at Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC Ltd., took the stage for his keynote address. He started with setting the context on the Mutual Fund industry in India, which has witnessed exponential growth in the past few years. “The way to participate in India’s growth story is by investing in mutual funds … It is a beautifully curated product that can meet every need of an investor,” he said.
Balasubramanian provided a clear, strategic blueprint for India’s economic future, with a focus on investment priorities and key emerging sectors. He situated India’s growth story within a broader global context, illustrating how the country is confidently charting its own path amidst a sea of global uncertainty. He asserted that while maintaining macroeconomic stability is crucial, genuine long-term prosperity will be achieved through a highly focused investment approach. He identified key sectors poised to become the bedrock of India’s economy in the coming decades, namely technology, sustainability, and advanced manufacturing and advocated for a targeted flow of capital into these areas.
Panel 1: Building a resilient portfolio: Navigating geopolitical tides with smart mutual fund choices
The global economic landscape has come a long way from multilateral cooperation fostered by the post-World War II Bretton Woods Agreement, which aimed to prevent a return to the destructive trade wars and competitive devaluations of the 1930s. However, with its dissolution in the 1970s and subsequent geopolitical shifts, we have entered an era where tariffs, trade disputes, and even wars have brought volatility and new challenges.
The first panel delved into the complexities of the current global environment and its impact on India. The discussion began with insights on the delicate balance between managing inflation and fostering growth, highlighting the government’s calibrated fiscal policies. Experts advised investors with strategies to eliminate the background noise and stay invested for the long term. They also spoke about debt funds as a great means to add diversification to the investment portfolio with fixed income and delved into another option, which is getting popular with investors – adding geographical diversification to the portfolio.
The panel comprised of Kaustubh Gupta, Co-Head Fixed Income at Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC Ltd, Gurmeet Chadha, Co-Founder and CEO at Complete Circle Capital Pvt Ltd, Pranjal Kamra, CEO at Finology Ventures Pvt Ltd and Saugata Bhattacharya, Senior Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research.
Panel 2: Investing in the age of gig economies and diversified income
The second event of the day was a panel discussion titled ‘Investing in the age of gig economies and diversified income’ is specifically tailored for this cohort, which is changing the traditional definition of work. The gig economy workforce is faced with unique challenges when it comes to investing – they don’t have the predictability of a fixed salary, income streams can be irregular, with no traditional employee benefits.
The second panel offered practical, actionable strategies for creating a disciplined investment habit for gig workers, that attempted to beat the uncertainty and help build an emergency corpus that is higher than that needed for salaried people, and a life and health cover for themselves along with their loved ones. It is a similar situation for small entrepreneurs and freelancers alike, who should separate business and personal finances, and keep a tight check on cash flows. They must also display discipline and consistency.
The panel also suggested different asset classes that they can consider for investments when the income is coming in trenches – some months may be good and others may be lean. To lend structure to the investment journey, experts suggested the three bucket systems – core, safety and surplus – as a first step. They also delved into the transformative power of digital payments and financial services in bringing millions of unbanked citizens into the formal economy. The panellists agreed that while the digital revolution presents immense opportunities, it also requires a concerted effort to ensure that no one is left behind.
The panellists for this discussion included Neil Borate, Editor-in-Chief at Thefynprint, Kunal Aggarwal, Founder and CEO of Credflow, Manish Jeloka, Co-Promoter and CEO at Photofin, and Chanchal Khandelwal, Fund Manager and Senior Analyst at Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC Limited.
Panel 3: Offering the golden advantage for women
The final panel discussion, titled ‘Offering the golden advantage for women’ brought together an all-women panel comprised of Swati Kumari, Financial Educator, Content Creator and Founder of B Wealthy, Neha Singh, Founder of Womoneysta and Certified Financial PlannerCM, Nita Menezes, Founder and CEO at Financially Smart and Kamayani Aniruddh Nagar, Head of Retail Sales at Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC Ltd.
For Indian women, gold is not just an asset that can be used for a rainy day. It is a symbol of financial security and autonomy, traditionally known as Streedhan. It is an asset that she can hold or sell as she wills, giving her financial autonomy. The panel discussed the continuing relevance of gold for the modern woman as well as for someone who wants to preserve the gold she has as a secure asset.
The panel also looked into how the digital revolution has changed the way women invest into gold – from Gold ETFs, Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs), and other such options. It can also be used to get a loan to create another asset. Women can even look at gold in the form of a mutual fund, making it a lot more accessible.
From the perspective of a fund house, when inflation goes up, gold serves as a reliable storehouse of value given its limited supply. In fact, an ounce of gold can buy the same amount of goods today as it did several centuries ago and is independent of a government’s monetary policies. They offered advice on what forms of gold women should buy and in what proportions and what percentage of the total portfolio this should be. This panel was dedicated to ForHER, an initiative by Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund for Women Empowerment with Financial Education.
Masterclass: Balanced Advantage Funds
Next in the line-up of events came a much-anticipated Masterclass on Balanced Advantage Funds or Dynamic Asset Allocation Funds with Dhirendra Kumar, CEO at Value Research, and Harish Krishnan, Co-CIO and Head of Equity at Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC Ltd. These are an effective means for wealth creation as they steer market conditions in favour of the fund and volatility as a growth tool. These funds are designed to automatically rebalance your portfolio between equity and debt based on market valuations, providing a disciplined approach to market volatility.
The Masterclass started with the very basics – what are Balanced Advantage Funds and can they help investors invest into equities without the fear of having to manage your portfolio at regular intervals. They went on to how such funds are managed to give optimal returns and navigate the ups and downs of the Capital markets.
Krishnan also discussed the tax implications of Balanced Advantage Funds, which quality as equity funds and what drives asset allocation at the backend of managing a Balanced Advantage Funds, whether a counter cyclical model or a pro-cyclical model. There are fund houses that opt for one of the strategies and others that mix the two strategies to create their own.
In conclusion
As India continues its journey towards becoming a global economic leader, the insights shared at Nivesh Mahakumbh 2025 will undoubtedly serve as valuable guidance, as they help shape investment decisions for years to come. The event saw the convergence of thought leaders from diverse spheres of the world of investing, right from experts in overall macroeconomics, to mutual funds, investing in gold, investing for women and those who form part of the gig economy – pointing to an inclusive financial future for everyone.
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Note to the Reader: This article has been produced on behalf of the brand by HT Brand Studio and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times.
