Thread by @gchikermane

Enough has been written about the returns the #Sensex has delivered in the 40 years of its existence. This is my personal story, a thread...

The day I began my career, the Sensex stood at 1,856.
From then till today, it has multiplied by 20.9 times.

But the #Sensex has given me more than just returns — it has given me a livelihood. Most of my working life I have engaged with m writing and editing magazines and newspapers around businesses, financial services and the economy.
All through, the Sensex was my best friend.

This friendship was sealed by an idea called daily disclosure. While economic data was hard to find, company information was not online, and spread out annually (half-yearly and quarterly results came later), #Sensex reached out to me every trading day. Without fail.

As a result, analysing a company, a policy or even political events became easy – place a point-to-point comparison on a before-after, or further process it under a what-if model and out came a story.
All this happened around an idea called #Sensex.

So, I could hold forth on governments, on corporate decisions, on impact of FIIs entering India, on the government disinvesting public companies to public sector mutual funds, tenures of PMs…using the #Sensex as benchmark.

Between my financial gurus Warren Buffett and Peter Lynch, and the Indian market through the #Sensex (and the several companies, whose share prices I had on my fingertips), my livelihood was set.
I was having serious fun — and getting paid for it!

I wasn’t alone. New industries were being born before my eyes — mutual funds, insurance, pensions, M&As, investment banking, equity research — and thousands of professionals were hitting the streets.
Their foundations: #Sensex.

As technology trickled down to computers, TV and smartphones, I expanded the scope of my livelihood to indices of other countries, placing a globalising India in global financial perspective.
All through using #Sensex as benchmark and the fast-growing Indian economy as base.

Of late, analysis of and around #Sensex has become commoditised. Every analyst worth her spreadsheet is doing it — and possibly better than me. Soon #AI will do this heavy lifting.
On the way, the Sensex has become a far more sophisticated tool than it was when I began my career.

The #Sensex has given me a job, allowed me to grow, shown me its wonders, its moods, its highs, lows.
What I wrote for newspapers, I can now experience in my investments – invest regularly, stay invested until you need the money, and walk towards financial security.

It’s been nice climbing the economic rise and tracking the growth of India with you, dear #Sensex — this journey will continue.
I wish you the very best ahead!

#Sensex is the witness and representation of India’s victories and India’s struggles, India’s hopes and India’s worries, says @ashishchauhan — I couldn’t agree more financeintellect.com/home-page/home…

If you think you missed the great Indian equity ride, belt up, there is plenty left in this journey livemint.com/opinion/online…
Educative and insightful piece on the #Sensex by @monikahalan – follow her advice