For decades, investing in India meant one of two things. Either you put your money in a Fixed Deposit and waited for it to grow slowly. Or you invested in Mutual Funds and hoped for the best over the long term.
Both are still valid. But the world of investing has moved far beyond these two options — and most people have not caught up.
In a practical and eye-opening conversation on The HJ Show, Sabneesh Singh — an Investment Consultant and Expert with over a decade of experience — broke down the new landscape of investing in India. From startup equity to fractional holiday home ownership, solar energy investments to NCD bonds, this episode is a masterclass in modern wealth building.
The Foundational Truth About Investing
Before diving into specific avenues, Sabneesh establishes a principle that anchors everything else.
Investing is not about the amount of money you have. It is about not losing time.
Time is the most valuable asset any investor holds. The earlier you begin — regardless of how small the amount — the more powerfully compounding works in your favour. A twenty-year-old who starts investing ₹500 per month today will build significantly more wealth than a forty-year-old who starts with ₹5,000. The mathematics of compounding rewards patience and early action above everything else.
The biggest bottleneck in the market, as Sabneesh observes, is a mindset problem. Most people tell themselves they will invest when they have more money. That day rarely comes. And in the meantime, time — the one resource that cannot be recovered — keeps passing.
Mutual Funds — The Starting Point, Not the Destination
Mutual funds remain one of the best entry points for first-time investors. But most people make the same set of mistakes with them repeatedly.
The first mistake is investing without a goal. Mutual funds work on compounding, which requires time. But if you do not know what you are investing for — a child’s education, a home, retirement — you have no reference point for how long to stay invested. Without a goal, the first market correction becomes a reason to exit.
The second mistake is copying what friends or social media suggest. Every investor’s situation is different. Risk appetite, time horizon, income stability and financial goals vary enormously. What works for someone else may be entirely wrong for you.
The third mistake — and the most damaging — is breaking the investment at the first sign of pressure. Data from AMFI shows that the average Indian exits a mutual fund within three years. Compounding needs a minimum of seven to ten years to work meaningfully. Patience is not optional. It is the strategy.
For those starting out, NJ Wealth is a recommended platform that is built specifically around mutual fund planning, with goal-based tools and portfolio tracking built in.
Startup Equity — Investing Like a VC
This is where things get genuinely exciting for the modern retail investor.
For most of India’s investment history, investing in startups was exclusively available to large Venture Capital funds and high-net-worth angel investors. The average person had no access to early-stage startup equity.
That has changed. Platforms like Pedal Start now allow retail investors to participate in startup funding rounds — starting from as little as ₹2 Lakh. The platform handles all due diligence — financial audits, market research, competitive analysis, founder evaluation — over a four to six month process before onboarding any startup for investment.
Investors then attend pitch rounds, interact with founders directly and choose which startups to back based on their own interest and conviction. Portfolios can be diversified across industries — fintech, EV, D2C brands, retail and more.
The key insight Sabneesh shares about startup investing is this — back the founder, not just the idea. The most passionate, dedicated founders with clear vision consistently outperform more polished but less driven ones. Industry giants have proven this repeatedly.
Fractional Ownership of Holiday Homes
This is perhaps the most delightful investment avenue discussed in the episode — and one that most people have never heard of.
Through a platform called BRIK , retail investors can own a fractional share of a fully furnished holiday home — in Goa, Nainital, Mukteshwar, Himachal Pradesh and Puri — starting from ₹5 to 10 Lakh per unit.
Each property is divided into eleven shares. Owning one share entitles you to thirty days of personal use annually — at zero additional cost — while also earning you a proportional share of the rental income generated when other guests book the property through travel portals.
In practical terms, this means a family trip to Goa costs you nothing beyond travel. Your accommodation is your own property. The rental income from the rest of the year offsets your investment, and your capital appreciates as property values rise.
For anyone currently taking personal loans or credit for vacations, the contrast is striking. Instead of creating debt for a trip, you create an asset that funds your trips.
Solar Energy Investment — Turning Your Electricity Bill Into Returns
Sunday Grids offers one of the most innovative investment concepts covered in this episode.
The premise is simple. You invest in a solar energy project proportional to your monthly electricity consumption. In return, you receive energy credits to your dashboard that can be used directly to pay your electricity bill — from any provider listed on their platform, regardless of where in India you live.
A ₹2.5 Lakh investment, for example, can generate enough credits to cover a ₹5,000 monthly electricity bill — for ten to fifteen years. Within five to six years, your capital is recovered through bill savings. The remaining contract period is effectively free electricity.
For flat owners who cannot install solar panels on their own rooftop, this is a particularly valuable option. For large corporates with electricity bills running into lakhs, the scale of savings is even more significant.
NCD Bonds — Fixed Returns Like a Bank
Non-Convertible Debentures, or NCDs, offer something increasingly rare in today’s investment landscape — fixed, predictable returns.
Real estate companies that need capital for ongoing projects issue these bonds to retail investors instead of borrowing from banks. The investor effectively becomes the lender — earning 12 to 13 percent annual returns, paid quarterly, over a two to four year period.
The parallel Sabneesh draws is both simple and powerful. Banks borrow money from depositors at 6 to 7 percent and lend it at 12 percent. NCDs allow ordinary investors to occupy the bank’s position — lending directly to companies and earning what the bank would have earned.
Platforms like Funds India curate and list NCD opportunities for retail investors, starting from as little as ₹1 Lakh.
Who Should Start — And When
The answer is everyone. And the time is now.
For a twenty-year-old just entering the workforce, Mutual Funds and goal-based SIPs are the ideal starting point. As income grows, the portfolio expands to include startup equity, fractional properties and NCD bonds.
For mid-career professionals, diversification becomes the priority — spreading investments across asset classes, time horizons and risk profiles.
For business owners and corporates, solar investments and NCD bonds offer stable, high-yield options that work alongside more growth-oriented investments.
The common thread is this — salary gives you comfort for a month. Investing gives you comfort for a lifetime. The habit, once built, compounds just like the money.
