Have you ever met a financial prodigy, someone determined to reshape India’s financial world? Anant Ladha is exactly that. Anant, a CFA, CA, CFP, LL.B., and B.Com, is one of the top finance creators in India. Anant is the founder of YouTube’s most viewed stock market-related channel in 2022, ‘Invest Aaj For Kal’. Through his channel, Anant has imparted free financial literacy sessions to more than 25 Crore people in India. Anant embarked on his financial literacy mission in 2016 when he was just 22. At 29, Anant has received 20 national awards, appeared as a financial expert and adviser in over 100 shows, and given three TEDx talks. Anant is also a Director at the Nagrik Sahkari Bank.
Seeds sown early in his life
Anant’s fascination with the stock market began in the 8th grade. Anant began drawing parallels between the stock market and a high-stakes video game, characterized by its dazzling lights and ever-shifting digits. It was his grandfather, a repository of market wisdom, who further ignited his passion for this world. Remarkably, at the tender age of 14, Anant ventured into the realm of trading, participating in the NSE and BSE’s dummy sessions, where he honed his skills using dummy funds. He didn’t just want to follow in the footsteps of his family; he wanted to understand the intricacies of the financial world from the ground up.
Choosing passion over conventional success
By 2016, at the tender age of 23, Anant was offered a lucrative job opportunity with a package exceeding 30 lakhs. Most would have leaped at such an opportunity, but not Anant. He chose a distinct path that led him to his family’s business in Kota, a tier 2 town in Rajasthan. His role was to expand the family business, all the while pursuing further studies to attain the titles of CFA and CFP.
Anant Ladha, while in the family business, recognized the widespread financial illiteracy in the nation, leading him to passionately initiate free financial literacy sessions. His commitment quickly gained momentum, spreading awareness like wildfire.
In 2016, a life-altering event occurred when a company closure in Kota left a 50-lakh windfall recipient unable to access his funds for urgent medical needs. Touched by this tragedy, Anant Ladha intensified his financial literacy sessions, conducting over 100 in the next six months.
Between 2016 and 2019, he hosted innumerable sessions to promote the cause of investing and combat market misselling. These efforts eventually attracted the attention of the Rajasthan government, and soon after a partnership for statewide financial literacy sessions was born. Anant conducted over 150 sessions for the government, and in 2020, he was recognized by the Rajasthan government with an award for his efforts.
Using YouTube as a weapon against financial Illiteracy
In 2020, Anant decided to amp up his efforts and launched his YouTube channel, ‘Invest Aaj for Kal,’ which quickly gained popularity. Sharing vital investment advice, Anant even devised specialised sessions for women. This culminated in him earning the Creator on the Rise YouTube Award in 2020.
Furthermore, in May 2022, Anant applied his learnings and experience to co-author a book, ‘13 Swing Trading Strategies,’ with his father, Pankaj Ladha. The book became a national bestseller within 24 hours of its pre-launch and has since sold over 1 lakh copies.
Anant’s dedication and indelible imprint on the financial industry have garnered recognition from diverse quarters. He has received over 20 prestigious awards, including the Swadesh Samaan at the national level in 2023, Start-Up India’s Certificate of Recognition in 2022-23. Aside from spreading knowledge, his YouTube channel also boosted his business, resulting in over 6,000 mutual fund accounts and over 25,000+ stockbroking accounts being opened through him. In 2023, Cafe Mutual Funds recognised Anant as the highest SIP distributor in India. Anant envisions the future of the financial market to revolve around automation and algorithms, and he’s actively working towards that goal.
