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She has forayed into a field hitherto unheard of
in India. Financial planning is all about keeping track of your investments,
updating it and diversifying according to your financial circumstances. Priya
Sunder is the co-founder and director of a company which plans finances for
individuals. Along with her husband, Priya started Peak Alpha Investment
Services about six months ago in Bangalore.
“India is on the crest of an economic cycle. In such a scenario, financial
planning is no longer an option anymore. It is imperative to plan your
investments", says Priya.
Having worked with corporate immigration law firms in the US such as Fragomen,
Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, Priya holds a double Masters degree in Economics and
Business Journalism. She has covered the derivatives market extensively and has
written for some of the leading Chicago dailies.
Relocating to India has been a pleasant experience
for this entrepreneur. Priya says that the company is still in its honeymoon
period, and that India offered her the flexibility and infrastructure to start
her own venture.
Being the director of her company in India, she takes important decisions for
the company. Sales and marketing is her exclusive domain. Priya was surprised to
find that after presentations in the corporate world, the employees of the
organization would linger even after the sessions to find out how to invest and
plan their future.
Financial planning services to corporate employees is a very new and nascent
concept in the Indian financial services industry. As of now, such a service is
only available to high net worth individuals through banks such as HSBC and
Citibank. Cashing in on this huge lacuna in the market, Priya decided to foray
into this field.
“Today, bank rates are so low that you cannot afford to put your money into
banks and watch your money grow like our parents used to do. Investing in
equities, bonds, etc, needs to be planned out. You have to figure out how to
make your money work for you,” explains Priya.
The young generation is earning high salaries and running-up huge credit card
debts, and therefore messing up their finances. Financial planning allows one to
take control of finances, feels Priya.
The services of her company are much sought after by the corporate world.
Depending on the needs of each individual, her company chalks out short and
long-term plans for the clients.
How did she venture into this domain? “I have always been interested in this
field, and having dealt with clients in investment banking in the US, financial
planning seemed like the next thing to do. In India, people do not seem to seek
professional advice when it comes to money matters. But abroad, people do not
take risks with money. It is a routine and is considered perfectly normal to
seek the services of a financial planner,” says Priya.
A food freak, she loves cooking a variety of cuisines and is also a student of
Hindustani classical music. She is currently doing the interiors of her parents’
home in Bangalore.
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