Stock market experts believe that being good at trading takes skill, discipline, and strong mental strength. Unfortunately, not everyone has these three qualities. For example, recent data from Sebi shows that 93% of individual traders in India lost money in equity futures and options from FY22 to FY24.
Nikhil Kamath, the founder of Zerodha, is a self-made billionaire who made his mark in the stock market. He started working in a call center before he began trading stocks and later founded a successful discount brokerage with his brother, Nithin. Recently, Nikhil hosted Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, on his show called “People by WTF.”
During the show, Nikhil mentioned that he is naturally unemotional, which has helped him succeed in trading for over 20 years. Kumar Birla thought Nikhil seemed very soft and not the type to get angry. Nikhil agreed, saying he rarely feels anger and can’t even remember the last time he got mad. He grew up avoiding confrontations, which is why he prefers to ignore people instead of arguing with them.
Nikhil also shared that he doesn’t cry very often. In fact, he can only remember crying five times in the last ten years: when his father died, when his brother Nithin had a stroke, when his dog passed away, and after a breakup. He believes that not getting too emotional has helped him make better decisions in trading.
“I’ve been trading and investing for 21 years now,” Nikhil said. “I started at 17 and I’m now 38. I think my ability to stay calm and not react emotionally is why I’ve done well.”
Aside from trading, Nikhil is also involved in investments through his company, Gruhas. They focus on new technologies, cleaner energy solutions, and consumer-friendly innovations. Nikhil has backed several startups in the energy sector, like Ossus Biorenewables and Solar Square. These companies aim to help India adopt electric vehicles and move towards cleaner energy.
Leave a Reply