37-year-old ex-investment banker helps start three platforms, invests in 30-plus start-ups
Dubai-based Indian expat worked at Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank for nearly a decade
Dubai: For UAE-based Indian expat Harsh Kumar, the call to become an entrepreneur full time came after nearly a decade of being an investment banker. And in the years after he became his own boss, the 37-year-old not only managed to help start three new ventures, but also invest in 30-plus start-ups.
“I was encouraged to experiment and take risks early, and as a kid, I would spend money together with a group of friends,” said Kumar. “It wasn’t merely splitting bills equally but pooling in based on what we can afford, which changed constantly. I then started observing my spending habits, and planned wisely.
“For instance, with each festival – often a source of gift money – my group fund contribution would be higher then. I gradually developed a sense of rationalised spending like buying a quality gadget, which may be on the costlier side but saves money in the long run compared to its counterpart.”
I was encouraged to experiment and take risks early, and as a kid, I would spend money together with a group of friends
– Harsh Kumar
Career in banking taught him to save, invest
During the rest of Kumar’s childhood, while his parents focused on investing in his education and co-curricular activities, the pocket money he got wasn’t a whole lot. However, Kumar said this was a valuable lesson in spending for him.
As the years passed by, like many who start out their full-time jobs hoping to make more money, Kumar too considered that earning was the only factor paramount at the start of his career. However, his career in banking taught him the importance of investing and using money to grow funds.
Up until late 2014, when Kumar started his first business – an e-learning platform which connects schools, teachers and parents, he worked at US-based financial services giant Bank of America – Merrill Lynch and then at top German lender Deutsche Bank, in India and Singapore.
