This year’s Republic Day witnessed India host the leaders of 10 Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), which included Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Brunei. The aim of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to highlight the sovereign equality of these nations and broad base commercial engagements and trade relations on the basis of shared values and shared cultures.
An appeal to ASEAN members
The prime minister took the opportunity to highlight the confident strides of new India towards global integration and invite investments by these nations in the infrastructure sector that offers great opportunities. He highlighted that the government policies in the recent past have been veered towards the strengthening of the domestic manufacturing sector and enabling the services sector. Focusing on the “aspirational” values of India along with the ASEAN nations, the prime minister said that the more the economies of the respective nations open up, there will be mutual investments among these nations that will bring about collective prosperity.
Feeling of fraternity and equal rights
The president, in his address to the nation, also spoke on a similar vein on the principle of fraternity that won India the most coveted freedom. The president urged the people of the nation to embrace selflessness and make co-operative efforts to look after all stakeholders of the society that includes everyone to a soldier, a doctor or nurse, the farmer and even the homeless and orphaned.
Making of a new India
While lauding the efforts made towards progress so far in terms of literacy rates and upliftment of the underprivileged, the President stressed on equal rights of all sections of the society. He stressed on the fact that the focus of the nation both policymakers and citizens alike should be on improving the foundation of the society through advances made in education and health. He mentioned how the hopes of the nation are pinned on the youth and children who he believes will be the chalice of change through innovation. The message of both leaders of the nation thus pointed towards the same direction. While the President and Prime Minister stressed upon the feeling of fraternity, the idea was to put forward the need to empower new India.
Stress on progress on the nation
With the stress on sectors such as infrastructure, education and health, there is a clear message for investors who prudently make investment planning strategies juxtaposed against macro-economic conditions. The takeaway for such investors is to remain invested in companies that are either directly or indirectly related to the progress of the nation.
Further, there was a clarion call towards equal rights for all sections of the society. Corporate majors have thus been nudged to conduct businesses on the basic principles of equity. The emphasis is on investments towards the creation a low cost yet sustainable business environment, where resources are used efficiently with the help of state of the art technology. This in turn will bring about greater affordability and trickle down in terms of better living standards for all.
Choose ethical businesses
Investors can read in between the lines and choose ethical and honest businesses to be a part of their financial portfolio. While consumerism is a theme that holds true for investment in India, a paradigm shift is underway where consumers are choosing brands from the stable of honest and trustworthy companies where there is a need-based support between the maker and the buyer of the product.
Mutual funds make investment journey easier
While making a choice of such companies may be a tad difficult for an investor on his own, the easier route towards financial planning would be through investing in mutual funds. Fund managers who follow the moves of the policymakers carefully are adept at modifying the portfolio of companies that are in sync with a changing India that is focussing on domestic growth on the one hand and aligning itself as a global player that can compete on any global arena.
Thus, all one needs to do as an investor is to chalk out investment planning strategies that are in line with one’s overall financial goals and remain firmly invested in the India story. However, if one chooses the SIP route for investing in mutual funds, especially in equity-oriented funds, it is prudent to remain invested for the long-term (10 years and beyond) to reap the benefits of one’s investments to meet long-term goals.
