At first glance, Grow Rich Through Stock Investment might look like just another beginner’s guide to the stock market — the kind of book that walks you through basic concepts like PE ratios and ROEs in simple terms. But scratch the surface, and you’ll find something much more powerful: a compelling, passionate case for why now is the moment for Indian investors.
Dr VK Vijayakumar, chief investment strategist at Geojit Financial Services and a former economics professor, brings the perfect blend of classroom clarity and street-smart approach. His writing is conversational, peppered with data, anecdotes, and economic storytelling that connects India’s financial history with its future promise.
The central message? Indian investors today are standing where American investors once stood in the 1950s — at the foot of a mountain of opportunity. Quoting Warren Buffett, Dr Vijayakumar compares today’s India to mid-20th-century America: full of potential, bursting with demographic and economic tailwinds, and just waiting for its citizens to participate in its success.
But there's a problem: financial illiteracy. Citing eye-opening stats from the book’s preface, Dr. Vijayakumar reveals that as of March 2024, Indian households held a whopping 51.3% of their wealth in property, 15.2% in gold, and just 5.8% in equities. Meanwhile, a staggering 13.3% lies idle in bank deposits. The book doesn’t just identify this gap — it sets out to fill it.
And it does so with admirable simplicity. Terms like market cap, EPS, ROCE, volatility, and indexation — often confusing to newcomers — are explained in the tone of a favourite professor who never talks down to you. There’s no jargon overload, no intimidating charts. Just clear, friendly guidance.
Dr Vijayakumar isn’t interested in selling dreams of overnight riches. In a post-COVID world where demat accounts exploded from 4 crore in early 2020 to 17.5 crore by end-2024, the book sounds a firm note of caution. Millions of new investors, driven by lockdown boredom and social media hype, plunged headfirst into Futures & Options (F&O), intraday trading, and other speculative games — often without understanding the risks. “They haven’t seen a bear market,” he writes.
What’s refreshing is that this isn’t just a lecture. Dr Vijayakumar walks readers through real-world examples, historical cycles, and cautionary tales. And while he encourages equity investing, he constantly reminds readers that success in the market is more about temperament than tips.
What truly elevates the book, though, is its context. Alongside Indian market trends and investor behavior, it covers landmark global events — from the Harshad Mehta and Ketan Parekh scams to the 1990s dotcom boom, the BRICS rally of 2003–08, and the 2008 global financial crisis — all in crisp, digestible capsules. These aren’t just footnotes; they’re vital lessons, helping readers understand how macro events shape markets, and how history tends to rhyme, if not repeat.
The book also introduces readers to investment legends like Peter Lynch, John Templeton, and Jack Bogle — not with fanboy reverence, but with insights on how their principles can be applied in the Indian context.
Compared to popular Indian investing titles like Coffee Can Investing or Retire Rich, this book occupies a unique niche. Published by Manorama Books, Grow Rich Through Stock Investment is more than just a guide — it’s a nudge in the right direction for the millions of Indians yet to fully discover the power of equity investing.