Combining Wealth and a Passion for Capital Markets in My Career

Two factors have defined my career so far: struggle to overcome my family’s abject poverty and

passion for capital markets. And interestingly, both have spawned long term goals, which

seemed disparate, until recently; while I have embarked on a course to become a financial whiz,

substantial success in emerging from poverty has kindled my hankering for rural India’s uplift.

However, having worked in the financial industry for last 2 years, I have realized its potential to

influence growth. Consequently, the two dissimilar goals have unified into one vision for life: to

establish and lead a financial firm that will foster small businesses across rural India to bring it

into mainstream economy.

Born in a farmer’s family with an annual income of meager US$120, I delivered milk, worked in

fields, and looked after cattle to make ends meet while pursuing primary education. The

complete lack of academic inclination and respect for education in the community, however

discouraging, made me stronger and unusually driven. At 12, in a first major breakthrough, I

earned the Navodaya Scholarship – awarded to 37 out of 700 students who took the All India

Entrance Test throughout the state of Goa. For the next 6 years, the government completely

sponsored my education including accommodation and clothing. As I grew up among equally

talented, motivated and underserved students with diverse background, the ambiance instilled a

sense of community belonging, collaborative attitude and passion for leadership at a very early

stage of life. Thus, I found myself taking initiatives and was soon elected as the head of the

student association - a title I carried for 3 years. During my tenure, I led the school team for

debate contests and ...

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...h history major. Being the only visitor in the

room, I discussed variety of issues from class and team dynamics to life beyond classroom. The

conversation – that also included sharing my experiences – was so engrossing that I realized that

I had also missed the second class only when other prospective students joined us at 1pm. One of

students later quipped that it was exactly what happens in the study group.

My long-term goal depends on my ability to identify and promote small businesses; Wharton’s

Small Business Development Center is a great place to initiate that expertise. Rising from lowest

stratum of the society in a third world country, I have accumulated experience that will be an

asset to my fellow students. Also, through Wharton Follies, I am excited to invigorate my acting

skills among this driven and fun-loving group of my fellow Wharton students.