A recent investor awareness programme in Mumbai tackled a long-standing paradox in Indian households: women are often the backbone of family savings, yet frequently hesitate to take the lead in active investment decisions. To bridge this gap and transform saving discipline into goal-oriented wealth creation, Mirae Asset Mutual Fund, in collaboration with Mint, hosted an event titled 'Secure Your Tomorrow: Start Early with Smart Financial Planning for Women' on December 13, 2025.
From Innate Savers to Confident Investors
The session, held in Mumbai, began with a keynote by Suranjana Borthakur, Head of Distribution & Strategic Alliances at Mirae Asset Investment Managers (India) Pvt. Ltd. Borthakur addressed the psychological barriers that hold women back, reframing their inherent qualities as strengths for the financial markets. She highlighted that women's natural discipline, commitment to goals, and focus on long-term processes make them ideal candidates for successful investing, contrasting sharply with speculative, short-term trading behaviours.
"As women, when we commit to a goal, we stay focused on the process, and that consistency is what ultimately leads to more meaningful outcomes," Borthakur stated, emphasising that these traits are foundational for building substantial wealth over time.
Why Saving Alone is Not Enough: The Inflation Trap
A core theme of the programme was the critical distinction between passive saving and active investing. While applauding the saving habit, experts warned about the silent erosion caused by inflation. Borthakur shared a stark illustration: "In 1990, 100 rupees. Today, the value of those 100 rupees is just nine rupees. This is how inflation eats away into your savings. Therefore, you need to start investing your money as well."
The speakers defined saving as setting aside capital, while investing involves deploying that capital with the objective of achieving long-term growth that outpaces inflation. They stressed the importance of proper asset allocation—strategically distributing funds across various asset classes like equities, debt, and gold—for genuine portfolio stability and growth. The event encouraged women to look beyond traditional physical assets like gold and real estate to build a diversified portfolio.
The Unmissable Power of Starting Early
Perhaps the most compelling part of the discussion was a demonstration of compounding's magic and the real cost of delay. Using a hypothetical scenario, experts showed the vast difference in outcomes for two individuals investing ₹10,000 monthly at an assumed 12% annual growth rate.
A person starting at age 25 and investing for 35 years could accumulate a corpus of approximately ₹3.6 Crores.
A person starting just 10 years later at age 35, investing for 25 years, would accumulate only about ₹1.6 Crores.
Despite investing only ₹12 lakh less, the person who started later would see a wealth gap of nearly ₹2 Crores, powerfully reinforcing the event's central motto: 'Start Early'.
Breaking Myths and Building an Actionable Plan
In a panel discussion moderated by journalist Karunya Rao, Borthakur was joined by financial expert Nisha Sanghavi. They addressed common behavioural hesitations. Sanghavi pointed out the pervasive myth of "I don't have enough to start," even among high-earning women. She urged a mindset shift from passive avoidance to active ownership, challenging dependence on male family members for financial decisions.
"If we are good savers, then why can't we start investing and make that decision? I believe we should take charge," Sanghavi asserted.
The experts provided a clear, actionable blueprint for women to begin their journey:
The 30% Rule: Allocate ₹30 towards investment for every ₹100 earned post-tax.
Prioritise Retirement: Declared the non-negotiable goal, as there are no loans for old age.
Harness Mutual Funds: For equity-related growth goals, mutual funds offer professional management, convenience, and transparency.
Manage Irregular Income with Liquid Funds: For freelancers or gig workers, liquid funds were recommended as a better alternative to low-yield savings accounts for parking idle money.
For women starting later in life, the advice was clear: avoid chasing high-risk investments to "catch up." Instead, focus on a structured, long-term plan tailored to the remaining time horizon.
The programme concluded with a powerful message on the ripple effect of financial confidence. When a woman takes charge of her finances, the positive impact extends to her family and community. The final call to action was to abandon the habit of postponing planning for "someday" and to adopt a structured, proactive approach immediately.
