'I have learnt to ignore the market and stick to my plan'

Living in Ludhiana, Hardit Singh Thind (36) is a mariner by profession and has been sailing since 2002. Singh's family includes his wife, son and his mother. He also has a younger sister who lives in Mumbai. Born in the woodcraft city of Nagina in UP, Hardit's childhood was that of a typical army brat. He had to move from one cantonment to another every two years or so. Reflecting on a well-learnt lesson, the brat in him recalls, "When I was in Class 12, I just started riding to tuitions on my father's scooter. My dad used to give me a fuel allowance and instead of using it effectively, I spent it on treating my friends. The fun part ended when I ran out of money and had to walk 4 km every day, as my dad didn't bridge the deficit." Investment cruise Since he began as a trainee with a small stipend for only the months he sailed, he couldn't save much. He says, "From 2001 to 2006, most of my savings were invested in my training and professional education. Thankfully, the saving was enough so that I did not have to borrow money." Year 2006 was when he finally received his licence, but in the process he ran out of his savings. The licence however opened the gateways to a better pay. It was around the same time that his father retired from active service and decided to settle down in Ludhiana, the hometown of Singh's parents. Owing to a rise in his salary once he received his licence, Hardit wanted to spend big and so he did. Highlighting this as his biggest financial mistake, Hardit recalls, "One can say it was the rush of new money and at that point, I did not realise the importance of time." The 'mutual' beginning During 2007-09, when his father invested his

This article was originally published on June 24, 2020, and last updated on November 21, 2022.