Women Managers | MF Industry: ETMarkets Fund Manager Talk: Women Fund Managers are making a meaningful difference in the MF industry: Meeta Shetty, Tata MF

fund manager at the leading fund house, ETMarkets said in an interview. Edited excerpts:

What prompted you to enter the world of finance, which is still predominantly male today? How did it become a passion?
I never thought I was destined for the world of finance. But I certainly had the curiosity to know more about the business and businesses, find out why some have done so well while others could barely survive.

This curiosity led me into the world of stock markets, where I not only had the chance to study companies more closely, but also the opportunity to create wealth for my investors.

The field of finance may be dominated by men, but it also provides equal opportunities for women. In my experience, the field of finance has been very receptive to women.

One needs to be hardworking, diligent and determined to succeed in any field. I’ve always had a passion to give my best to any opportunity that comes my way.

Can you share some of your experiences? What were the main challenges you faced during your time in this industry?
As women, we sometimes have to take sabbaticals from our jobs when motherhood knocks on our door, and getting back on our career path is usually a very big challenge. It was a challenge for me too. The other challenge I can think of is networking in a male dominated industry.

For all working women in all sectors, managing home, family and performing at their best at work is sometimes difficult and it has been no different for me.

What is your investing mantra and how well has it worked for you and your clients?
The stock selection framework is based on our central idea of ​​’growth at a reasonable value’, in which we seek to invest in companies that not only offer growth prospects, but can also see significant revaluation in the future. .

The portfolio is structured to have a healthy mix of stable compounds and alpha-generating opportunities based on growth and value.

Given the need and emergence of financial independence, what will be your investment and savings advice to women in this country today?
Start investing early and in a disciplined way with a long-term perspective. The basics such as understanding the different financial products available, risk profiling and having a defined and realistic goal should be addressed from the start.

It’s best to start small and grow gradually, as it sometimes takes a lot of patience, especially when investing in stocks.

The most important thing is to have a long-term investment horizon because the power of compounding can create a much more significant return compared to small quick wins.

An analysis has shown that female fund managers make up just 10% of FM industry? 5 years later, where do you see this figure?
There is certainly a long way to go before we see a noticeable representation of women in the mutual fund industry, but as companies focus on diversity and inclusion, we will see that change.

We have seen great achievements from female fund managers over the past two decades and these few role models are making a significant difference.

More women are choosing to join the industry today compared to the very low participation observed ten years ago. As the participation of women in this field increases, the number of female fund managers is also expected to increase in the future.

(Disclaimer: The recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times)