Sahil Contractor

He's reviewed 1000+ cars over 25 years. The first car he ever bought for himself? A Porsche 911. At age 45. In the latest episode of the Create Wealth Podcast, I sat down with @SirishChandran — Editor and Publisher of @evoIndia, former Executive Editor of @odmag , and one of the most respected voices in Indian automotive — for a conversation at the Porsche Centre in Pune. What made this conversation special wasn't just the super cars. It was what Sirish said about money, patience, and how our generation thinks about wealth differently from our parents. "Our parents saved for us. They put it into FDs. They never spent on themselves." Shirish's mom used to take his salary and invest it in stocks without telling him. That portfolio is now his largest holding. But he also believes that spending on yourself, when done right, isn't indulgence. It's a trigger. When you see the visual signs of your own progress, it pushes you to do 5-10% more. That tension between the discipline our parents instilled and the permission this generation is learning to give itself  is something I think every wealth creator navigates. In our conversation, Sirish also shares: - Why India's luxury car market at 51,500 cars is still less than 1% of total sales and what's changing - The real economics of owning a sports car — a 911 costs as much as a BMW 3 Series to maintain annually - Why 90% of luxury cars in India are financed and how entrepreneurs structure it smartly - His framework for picking cars at every budget — under ₹50 lakhs to ₹5 crore+ - Why EVs are the most financially sensible purchase for entrepreneurs today — per-kilometre running cost is less than a bus ticket - How supercar clubs have become the new networking corridors for India's wealthy - The story of building EVO India — completely bootstrapped, surviving the print-to-digital shift, and a business model built on authenticity 🎥 Watch the full episode here: youtu.be/5r_v00MsCHI?si… #CreateWealth #Podcast #Dezerv #EvoIndia #LuxuryCars

India's startup ecosystem has created more wealth in the last 5 years than the previous 20 combined. Yet most founders are struggling to manage their money. From ESOPs turning employees into crorepatis to unicorn exits creating generational wealth, we're witnessing the largest wealth creation event in Indian history. But here's the problem: wealth creators don’t have time, are flushed with investment options and don’t know who to turn to for advice. This can become a major deterrent in multiplying wealth. This afternoon, I'll be joining @somani_utsav and @dhruvsharma_in on @OfflineOnAir to break down what founders and wealth creators are getting wrong—and how to fix it. We will be talking about - - What’s fundamentally broken in how India’s HNIs manage their money and how @DezervHQ is solving for it - How India’s wealth-tech landscape has evolved - Lessons I’ve learnt while scaling Dezerv The focus will be on practical lessons and clear takeaways that matter in today’s environment. Going live on 3rd September at 4:20 pm on The Offline Network's YouTube and X (Twitter) platforms. #TheOfflineNetwork #Startups #India #WealthManagement #Dezerv

During the covid-19 pandemic, a batchmate from IIM-B reached out for help. He's as accomplished as they come, senior partner at a consulting firm, sharp business acumen, substantial wealth accumulated over years of smart career moves. But when I reviewed his portfolio, what I found was unsettling. Despite his success in building wealth, his investment portfolio told a different story. I saw scattered investments, consistent underperformance and fees that were quietly eroding his returns. That conversation became the catalyst for everything that followed. @ContractorSahil, @vaibhavpor, and I couldn't shake a simple realisation: if someone this capable was struggling with portfolio management, how many other wealth creators were facing the same challenges? This question led us to start @DezervHQ. Soon, we launched the Dezerv Wealth Monitor app to help investors review and analyse their mutual fund investments in an unbiased data-backed approach. Over the past few years, we've analysed more than 500,000 portfolios. What emerged from this extensive analysis was a clear pattern: 7 recurring mistakes that consistently appear in the portfolios of India's most successful investors. In the latest edition of the Create Wealth Newsletter, I delve into these common mistakes that are wealth destroyers. I’ve covered: - The 7 critical portfolio mistakes we discovered - Real impact of each mistake on wealth creation - Actionable solutions to fix or avoid them - How to conduct your own portfolio health check Compounding rewards the early and the intentional. A misaligned portfolio wastes both. The sooner you course-correct, the more time you give your wealth to grow. #CreateWealth #Dezerv #WealthManagement #MutualFunds #InvestorBehaviour #PersonalFinance #Compounding #InvestmentStrategy #SmartInvesting

The ₹100 trillion opportunity: Insights from Moneycontrol Mutual Fund Summit 2025 Had the privilege of being part of a panel discussion on Gen Z investors alongside @vishaljain2510 , @ashish343, and @DilshadDilzern1. It's exciting to see the industry collectively addressing the challenges and opportunities ahead. Beyond our panel, I had the chance to listen to another interesting panel discussion with D.P. Singh, Navneet Munot, @NileshShah68 , @KalpenParekh, and @iRadhikaGupta on India's journey toward the ₹100 trillion mutual fund milestone. Amarjeet Singh's (Whole-Time Director, @SEBI_updates) keynote was particularly compelling—his focus on trust, governance, and investor awareness struck at the heart of what our industry needs to prioritise. My key takeaways from our panel discussion on Gen Z investors? Gen Z will drive the next wave of wealth creation in India. Understanding how they think, what motivates them, and how they can avoid the pitfalls of impatience will be crucial for all of us in the wealth management ecosystem. From my experience, Gen Z investors are significantly more empowered and aware, and they come to conversations already well-researched. The challenge isn't educating them from scratch - it's channeling their knowledge into disciplined, long-term wealth creation. I shared how we've learned that constant communication is everything. When young investors are aware and informed about market movements and the reasons behind them, they don't react impulsively. In fact, during recent market corrections, our younger clients weren't panicking - they were asking how much more they could invest! Looking forward to seeing how this generation shapes the future of wealth management in India. Thank you @moneycontrolcom and @Abhinavkaul, once again. #MoneycontrolMFsummit #MutualFunds #GenZ #WealthManagement #InvestmentAdvisory #FinancialPlanning #MoneycontrolSummit

🚀 Excited to share that we've moved into our new office in Bengaluru! This space, designed to accommodate 500+ team members, is a reflection of our growing team and the scale of the opportunity ahead of us. At @DezervHQ, our vision is clear: To become portfolio managers for India’s wealth creators—providing them with access to institutional-grade investment expertise and truly comprehensive wealth management. As we work towards this goal, our team has been growing rapidly. Until recently, our business, product, and tech teams were spread across three separate offices in Bengaluru. This move is a major step towards our vision of One Dezerv—bringing all teams under one roof to foster deeper collaboration, sharper alignment, and a more unified culture. Our new office, located centrally in Bengaluru, will be a space where ideas flow faster, teams innovate better, and our mission becomes even more tangible every day. Full steam ahead.

We're incredibly proud to share that our team member Ritika Kumar had the honour of attending the 69th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the United Nations in New York! Ritika, who leads Dezerv's Business Team in Pune, took the stage to advocate for financial literacy for women, at a session organised by the International Women's Peace Group (IWPG) and BMIT. We're immensely proud of Ritika for championing such important issues on a global stage. In her speech she emphasised the power of financial education to empower women. Onwards and upwards! #CSW2025 #UN #Empowerment #GlobalImpact #financialliteracy #dezerv

We have an announcement! We are thrilled to announce that Dezerv has crossed INR 10,000 crore in AUM across AIF, PMS and other assets! This milestone underscores our commitment to revolutionising wealth management for India's wealth creators. In just over 2 years, we have seen a 7x growth in AUM and are able to cater to India’s wealth creators across 200+ cities. This growth results from our dedicated team of over 300 professionals across offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune. This journey wouldn't be possible without the unwavering trust and faith of our clients. Thank you for trusting us with your wealth. Together, we're reshaping India's wealth management landscape. Here's to an exciting future ahead! Read the full press release here - dezerv.in/blog/dezerv-su…

The ~400 kilometre journey that reminded me why trust is the only thing that matters in wealth management. Delivering a superior client experience and upholding the trust of investors are the cornerstones of our vision at Dezerv. Last week, a meeting with a potential client turned out to be a great validation of our vision. A businessman who had already committed to investing through Dezerv travelled over 180+ km from a small town in Karnataka to our office in Domlur, Bengaluru, just to get a feel for our office and business. His close friend, an IT professional from the same town, has referred him to Dezerv. While his friend highlighted the client experience he had, this businessman wanted to meet the team and see the office before he actually invested his hard-earned money. When we spoke, he explained how he felt compelled to drive down to Bengaluru, meet me in person, and understand how we would be partners in his wealth creation journey. That, for me, was a great reminder of the trust investors instil in us, wealth managers. As per the @HurunReportInd Rich List 2024, India is adding 1 billionaire every 5 days. We are also expecting to see an 85% increase in millionaires by 2034. This means only one thing — As wealth creators continue to create wealth in their respective fields, wealth managers are increasingly becoming integral partners in this wealth creation journey. That’s what drives us at Dezerv - establishing trust and aligning our interests with those of our clients. I believe the true measure of our success won't be the assets we manage, but the trust we build and the dreams we help realise. #CreateWealth #Dezerv #IndianEconomy #WealthManagement #Investing

In the latest episode of the Create Wealth podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with @dpadaki, President of Catamaran - the investment firm of tech visionary Narayana Murthy. Deepak has transitioned from being one of the earliest employees of Infosys to managing a mega INR 10,000 crore corpus of Mr Murthy’s wealth, which is invested across the board - from public markets to private investments. Some of Catamaran’s most noteworthy private investments are - @ACKOIndia and @paperboatdrinks in venture capital, @SpaceX and @Reddit in late-stage growth capital and @NSEIndia as well as @udemy in private equity. In this insightful conversation, we delve into: ➡️ The evolution of Infosys from a 350-person company to a global tech giant, and how ESOPs played a crucial role in wealth creation for employees ➡️ The strategy behind Catamaran's portfolio allocation - balancing public markets, fixed income, and private investments ➡️ The importance of ‘patient capital’ in private investments and how Catamaran’s investment strategy changes as its corpus grows ➡️ Insights into managing a family office with the rigour of a top-tier investment firm, including benchmarking against the best in each asset class What struck me most was Deepak's emphasis on running Catamaran with the rigour of a top-tier investment firm while maintaining the ‘patient capital’ approach that early-stage entrepreneurs value so highly. You can also watch the full episode on the Create Wealth YouTube channel here - youtube.com/watch?v=t2x7kG… #WealthManagement #Investing #FamilyOffice #CreateWealth #Dezerv #Infosys #Catamaran

When Dezerv's Wealth Monitor analysed ~300,000 Mutual Fund portfolios in India, we found that 2/3rd of them struggled to beat the market benchmarks. What's even more interesting is that even one under-performing fund can bring down the entire portfolio's returns. Presenting our latest campaign airing on @JioCinema during the @Olympics 2024. #WealthMonitor #CreateWealth #Dezerv

@DoctorNene Absolutely in sync with this @DoctorNene

Nice review. The key is that there has to alignment between the investor and the so called wealth manager. Sebi was very clear in 2020 when it eliminated the ability to be both a distributor and an advisor as it sets up a conflict of interest. Investors always have to know where the incentive to perform is coming from: essentially whose agent is the wealth manager. Secondly, it is prudent to independently assess any advisor, fund or pms performance. Now days, information is freely available on the web through many apps and websites and Google. So the need for advisors is really the question. Peter Lynch in his book, “Beat the Street,” maintained that most fund managers don’t beat the index. Now you have to choose how you do ur investing as information arbitrage is readily available. Right?

The first Union Budget of the newly formed Government is coming up this month, and everyone is waiting to see what the Government has in store for the common man and India's growth story. Our co-founder @vaibhavpor spoke to @business_today and shared his expectations regarding the government's reforms and initiatives to drive the next phase of growth. Vaibhav's deep understanding of how sustainable economic growth can be driven through policy is an interesting part of this interaction. Read the entire article in Business Today (LINK IN COMMENTS). #UnionBudget #India #Dezerv #CreateWealth

I am excited to announce that Dezerv has raised INR 265 crore in a funding round led by Premji Invest and backed by our existing investors @ElevCap, @matrixindiavc and @accelindia. This is going to be majorly dedicated to building innovative investment products, delivering personalisation through tech and hiring the best-in-class investment minds to work on outperforming your portfolio. Read more about the announcement, fundraise and what this means for India’s wealth creators here: bit.ly/Dzv-fundraise A big shoutout to @VikramV23, @AbhinavC, @Anish_Pats , @vaasbhaskar, @kshitijjay, @manasishah25, for being a part of this journey with us!

We're thrilled to announce that @DezervHQ, co-founded by our community member @ContractorSahil, has just closed a $30 million strategic funding round. This raise was spearheaded by Premji Invest, with participation from existing investors @ElevCap, @matrixindiavc, and @Accel. Dezerv has achieved an incredible 14x growth in client assets in just two years, managing over $850 million. With a team of 250+ across five major cities, they're revolutionizing wealth management in India for high-net-worth individuals, with plans to expand their innovative strategies to new client segments. This funding marks a significant milestone in Dezerv's journey and reinforces their position as a leader in the wealth management space. We're incredibly proud of Sahil and the Dezerv team for their achievements. Here's to continued growth and success! 🚀

🚀 Privileged to double down and co-lead the funding round for @DezervHQ, one of India's fastest-growing wealth management platforms, founded by @ContractorSahil, @sandeepjethwani, and @vaibhavpor. Dezerv supports India's affluent and HNIs by addressing underperformance in HNI portfolios through trusted, customized investment solutions, centralized portfolio management, and a technology-first approach for superior client experiences. The funds will be used to: 💻 Craft new investment strategies 📈 Boost its technology platform to deliver a superior client experience 👥 Hire investment specialists for its next growth phase (1/2)

@tyremajor @TRAI If it was not for them, how would you know that you needed a credit card :)?

Because of the tyranny of telemarketers calling & the scam phone calls that one receives every day it is time that we adopt an etiquette that a new caller would first send an sms & identify oneself & then only the receiver decides whether to receive the call or not @TRAI #Block

At Dezerv, we're obsessed with data. While there are numerous reports on mutual fund investing behaviour, we wanted to delve deeper into the investing habits of India's wealth creators. So, we sifted through thousands of data points to understand how India's affluent and emerging HNIs invest in mutual funds. The insights we uncovered were both fascinating and alarming. We analysed over INR 43,000 crore in assets of portfolios above INR 40 lakhs and found that nearly 65% of them failed to beat the market benchmark. Surprisingly, 4 out of 10 investments were responsible for this underperformance. This shows that while picking winners is crucial, avoiding losers is equally important. Even a few underperforming investments can significantly drag down your portfolio. As we delved deeper, we realised that underperformance is primarily driven by three factors: 1. Reliance on past performance to make investment decisions. 2. Suboptimal asset allocation. 3. Inability to adapt to changing market conditions. Now, we're excited to share our findings on what is leading to wealth creation and destruction in mutual fund investing. Our team has created this infographic to lay out the data and help you understand the investing styles of India's wealth creators. We invite you to take a look and share your thoughts in the comments. What do you think is happening in these portfolios? #WealthManagement #InvestmentInsights #createwealth #Dezerv

Yesterday, I spoke to @niraj_shah on The Mutual Fund Show on @NDTVProfitIndia on wealth creation through mutual funds. I strongly believe that mutual funds are optimal instruments to create wealth through equity, and this conversation reiterates my thoughts on this topic. In this interesting conversation, we spoke about - - The performance of mutual fund portfolios in India - How diversified should your mutual fund portfolio be? - Why it is important to actively review your portfolio - Factors that determine how much equity exposure you should have - How to create wealth through your mutual fund investments Watch the entire episode (LINK IN COMMENTS) now! #CreateWealth #Dezerv

In the latest episode of the Create Wealth podcast with @sandeepjethwani, we speak with Aakash Chaudhry, the co-founder of @aakashinstitute. Stay tuned to know the story behind India's largest acquisition in the ed-tech space - RELEASING TOMORROW! #Podcast #CreateWealth #Dezerv

The Indian SaaS market is expected to grow to $50 billion by 2030! In the latest episode of the Create Wealth with @sandeepjethwani podcast we have @ku1deep , founder of Last9.io, one of India’s leading SaaS companies.