Business Simplified- For the 'Marathi Manoos'

One never usually identifies business or investments with a Marathi Manoos. For most, and almost about always, Maharashtrians have been involved in the service sector. Chandashekhar Thakur, an activist, journalist and writer, made a move for increasing awareness amongst the Marathi community about commercial ventures and bringing forth the Marathi diaspora as market leaders.

Collaborating with the BSE and the leading Marathi daily Loksatta, Mr. Thakur started a series of seminars and lectures in Marathi on the above subject and that too, free of cost. On the 8^th of Febuary, last week, one such lecture took place in the Bhalerao Hall, Sahitya Sangh Mandir in Girgaum. Considering the fact that not many Marathi people were situated anymore in the Girgaum area, not a lot of Maharashtrians were expected to turn up. However, it was a pleasant surprise when one witnessed a serpentine queue outside the venue, right upto the footpath – all of them Maharashtrians, waiting for an entry to the lecture! And that also, one hour before the stipulated time!

The auditorium was packed with Maharashtrians – a sign that the common man was developing an increasing interest in the stock exchange. Mr. Thakur was accompanied by the General Manager of BSE, Mr. N P Pandya who was felicitated by an executive of Reliance Group- both of whom were instrumental in organizing the seminar.

Mr. Thakur gave a PowerPoint presentation introducing the meaning of shares, equity, share trading, how trade actually takes place- all in extremely lucid language. He also mentioned the safeguards for investors, how one can select a broker, what should be taken into consideration while entering into an agreement, and what the rights of investors are. The podium was then taken over by Mr. Ajit Mansure who then gave a practical presentation of the meaning of primary and secondary market, meaning of a company, shareholding, formation of the sensex of NIFTY and BSE. He also mentioned that all the dealings and tradings and recorded at the BSE and a backup of all that information is kept at a branch at Vashi. There is a third secret location where all the information if backed up but that is not known to anyone except the high post officials.

The fabulous part of the seminar was when Mr. Mansure showed a slide which showed how an investor had invested Rs. 10, 000/- in 1981 and bought 100 shares of a particular company. The chart then showed that after 3-4 years the company went on growing and the volume of production went on increasing to accommodate the capital. The company went of issuing bonus shares and also started splitting up shares. So, in a span of 30 years the man who had invested in the company was now having one lakh shares without doing anything- not buying or selling or doing anything to those shares. The 10 lakh shares were of the value Rs. 345 crores. And the company’s name was Wipro.

This shows how companies grow if investors show faith and the investors too, become rich. Hence, with patience, diligent study of the market and patience, one can become a happy, healthy and a rich investor.