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Interview with Ms Lakshmi Iyer

Every year in march, we celebrate the spirit of womanhood by
educating our female investors on matters of personal finance and
the freedom to attain financial independence. Arihant Capital firmly
believes that it’s indeed time to own the hustle of your savings in
your hands and woman definitely play a major role in it. So, let us
hear the insights from such a role model, a female fund manager,
Ms Lakshmi Iyer,
CIO (Debt) & Head – Products, Kotak Mutual Fund.

Can you tell us about yourself and your work at Kotak AMC ? How has been your journey so
far?
It has been a delightful journey for me at Kotak AMC. From research analyst to fund manager to
CIO, the journey has been a fruitful one indeed. The world of finance is exciting and it requires
you to stay connected with markets and ‘market wallas’. That’s what keeps me going at this job
Did you face some initial struggles as a female in this male dominated industry?
Not at all. It’s all about perception of the kind of job that you do and if you are enjoying what you
are doing. Be it sports or finance, women are making a mark in their own way. It’s important to
focus on what one what’s to achieve than being worried about gender mismatches!
What keeps you motivated to be consistently working in this field?
If you are passionate about something, you are self-motivated to keep going. The world of finance
is indeed very exciting, though it has its own sets of challenges. But who said it will always be a
smooth ride. Key is to withstand the ups and downs and be determined to reach the finish line.
Also when you see fewer people getting to the top, you start pushing yourself a tad more,
knowing fully well that you are capable of doing it!
What are the common mistakes an investor makes according to you and how can they
overcome it ? Mistakes are always part of life... only good thing is that you tend to get a chance to
make amends most of the time. Most common mistake an investor makes is mistaking insurance
to be an investment product - when it’s actually a risk cover! Another common observation I make
is that investors keep holding on to gold and tend to exit financial investments at the first sign of
volatility or correction.. Gradually these are witnessing some changes, which tells you some
mistakes are being corrected
Why do you think debt oriented schemes are less popular amidst retail investors as a financial
solution vis-à-vis equity oriented schemes ? How do you think we can amend it?
The general impression is that If you have invested in traditional modes like bank FDs, post office
savings, NSC etc. your debt allocation is taken care of. Lack of financial literacy is the root cause of
such impressions. Debt oriented schemes have investment solutions suited to all rate cycles.
Hence, it’s important to sync your time horizon and risk appetite before initiating such
investments... If one methodically approaches financial planning with guidance, if needed from an
advisor, I firmly believe we can amend it. After all even villains morph into good hearted souls in
Bollywood movies :)
What are your interests other than finance?
I’m a financial geek, filmi and foodie in that order I also love travelling and exploring offbeat
destinations within and outside India.
9 ARIHANT CAPITAL ¡ march 2018