‘My Self-Belief, My Journey’ contest celebrates the self-belief that MFDs exhibited in their journey to success. The contest was launched by Tata MF in collaboration with Cafemutual. Today, let’s get to know another winning story. This is the story of Ramesh B Popat and his journey.
Many may look at retirement as taking a back seat and bidding farewell to their professional life. However, Ramesh thought differently and held a different vision.
Ramesh was working as an officer in a PSU bank. Going back to the year 2000, he opted for VRS (voluntary retirement scheme) offered by the bank. At that time, he was 51 years and saw this as an opportunity to start something on his own. While some believed bankers may not succeed in other areas post-retirement, he took up the challenge of proving them wrong.
The following year, owing to social commitments, Ramesh moved out from his native into a new city. Settling down in a new city along with a new profession can be challenging for many. However, as the first stepping stone, he purchased an office in the city. With a keen interest in economy, finance and investments, Ramesh embarked on the journey of an independent investment distributor.
Within a year, he procured an insurance agency license which marked the beginning of creating a diverse product portfolio. His product offerings gradually widened to include 80C infrastructure bonds, pension plans, mutual funds, tax-free bonds, non-convertible debentures, etc.
Ramesh approached college professors, bankers, offices, chartered accountants in the nearby area to spread the word about his business. He also used print advertisement to popularize his offerings. Over the years, he acquired many clients including HNIs.
Even at 71, Ramesh works round the clock and has never stopped learning. He believes earning the trust of people is the most difficult part of distributors’ job. However, staying in constant touch with clients and remaining accessible for them 24*7 can help MFDs gain clients’ trust over time.
This is Ramesh’s story that proves that age is just a number. Stay tuned and keep an eye for the remaining 6 stories …
