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By:

Kaustubh Kale

10 September 2024 at 11:37:15 pm

Fast Today, Prosper Tomorrow

AI Generated Image Navratri is a time when devotion, self-control, and celebration come together. For nine days, people across the country observe fasting, prayers, and rituals with discipline and faith. But beyond the spiritual significance, Navratri also carries valuable lessons for our financial lives - especially in how fasting and sacrifice mirror the principles of investing. Fasting as discipline When we fast, we consciously give up indulgence. It is not just about avoiding food; it...

Fast Today, Prosper Tomorrow

AI Generated Image Navratri is a time when devotion, self-control, and celebration come together. For nine days, people across the country observe fasting, prayers, and rituals with discipline and faith. But beyond the spiritual significance, Navratri also carries valuable lessons for our financial lives - especially in how fasting and sacrifice mirror the principles of investing. Fasting as discipline When we fast, we consciously give up indulgence. It is not just about avoiding food; it is also about training the mind and body to resist temptation. The same applies to investing. In a world full of instant gratification, whether it is the latest gadget, a fancy car, an expensive lifestyle or a luxury holiday, real wealth creation requires the discipline to sometimes say, “not now.” Just as fasting strengthens willpower, disciplined investing strengthens our financial health. Sacrifice for a greater good Navratri fasting involves small sacrifices today for spiritual growth tomorrow. In investing too, we often have to sacrifice some short-term pleasures to secure long-term prosperity. Choosing to invest a bonus instead of spending it entirely, or increasing SIPs using a portion of every salary increment instead of allocating the entire increase towards expenses and new liabilities, may feel like a sacrifice initially. But these small decisions, repeated over many years, can accumulate into significant future wealth and financial security. This is the very essence of delayed gratification. Patience and consistency Navratri fasting is not observed for just one day. The discipline continues throughout the nine days. Similarly, investing is not about one lucky trade or one successful investment. Wealth creation requires staying the course month after month and year after year through regular investing, sensible asset allocation and the power of compounding. There will inevitably be periods when markets test our patience. But just as discipline during Navratri is maintained throughout the festival, financial discipline must continue through both good and difficult market conditions. Balance and moderation Fasting during Navratri is not about starving. It is about moderation, restraint and mindful eating. Investing too should not be about extremes, neither reckless risk-taking nor excessive conservatism. A well-planned portfolio spread appropriately across assets such as equity, debt and gold can provide both growth and stability. Just as moderation keeps the body healthy, balance helps keep our finances resilient. The bigger picture Ultimately, Navratri fasting is also about purification of the body, mind and soul. Investing, in its own way, requires purification of financial habits: moving away from impulsive spending, unnecessary liabilities and short-term thinking towards purposeful saving and wealth creation. This Navratri, as you observe your fast with devotion and discipline, also resolve to bring the same qualities into your financial life. After all, both fasting and investing ask us to give up a little today in pursuit of something greater tomorrow. (The author is a Chartered Accountant and CFA (USA). Financial Advisor. Views personal. He could be reached on 9833133605.)

Legacy to leadership

Pearl Noronha
Sep 29, 2025
2 min read

The nine days of Navratri celebrate goddesses who embody strength in different forms; valour, compassion, creativity, austerity, devotion, justice, protection, forgiveness and wisdom. In our annual Navratri series, we celebrate the lives of nine women who strive to build happy and safe spaces for themselves and those around them.


PART - 9


Name: Isha Ambani | Where: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Name: Isha Ambani | Where: Mumbai, Maharashtra

Isha Ambani’s rise at Reliance has been steady. Her leadership at Reliance Retail marked a turning point in transforming everyday shopping in India. Expanding fashion and grocery formats and launching the Tira beauty platform, she carved a distinctive space through innovation and instinct in consumer business.


In 2023, Isha was appointed a non-executive director on the Reliance Industries board, joining brothers Akash and Anant in a clear signal of succession planning. Her simultaneous induction into Jio Financial Services, approved by the RBI, underscored Reliance’s intent to position her at the forefront of its financial services push.


Beyond Reliance, Isha has steadily built an international profile. In 2021, she joined the Board of Trustees of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C., a recognition of her role as a cultural ambassador. And in 2025, she was appointed to the Board of Administration of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), signalling her growing presence on the global stage.


Isha’s entry into the business world came after a strong academic foundation. A graduate in psychology from Yale University and later an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, she combined global exposure with an instinctive understanding of India’s consumer landscape. Her return was not just about inheriting responsibility but about shaping one of India’s fastest-growing consumer sectors.


Under her leadership, Reliance Retail has gone digital-first, integrating e-commerce with offline stores while bringing millions of kirana shops into its supply chain. She has driven technology and innovation, ensuring small shopkeepers remain empowered even as large-format retail and online platforms expand. This same commitment to impact extends beyond business, as she applies her strategic vision to social initiatives that uplift communities across India.


As a director at the Reliance Foundation, Isha has been instrumental in programmes spanning education, healthcare, and rural transformation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked on initiatives that expanded access to oxygen, digital classrooms, and women’s empowerment schemes. This dual role — of corporate leader and social entrepreneur — positions her as more than a business heir, serving as a bridge between profit and purpose.


Her rise has not been without scepticism. As the daughter of Mukesh Ambani, her position is often viewed through the lens of privilege. Yet, in boardrooms and on the ground, she has demonstrated competence, clarity, and conviction. By blending empathy with efficiency, she has gradually reshaped perceptions, particularly among younger professionals who see her as a relatable role model rather than an untouchable heiress.


While her entry into the corporate world was shaped by legacy, Isha has forged her own path. She has combined inherited responsibility with fresh vision, shaping Reliance’s consumer businesses with ambition and innovation. In doing so, she is steadily defining a new standard for leadership, proving that succession can be more than inheritance—it can be transformative.

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