Making Investing Understandable
Ritesh Kumar
Founder
Finskool21
Making Investing Understandable
Ritesh Kumar
Founder
Finskool21
Financial markets are expanding faster than our financial acumen, and that imbalance is quietly shaping the future of fintech in India. As more individuals enter equities, the real risk is no longer access to platforms, but decisions made without clarity, trust or discipline. This gap is where Ritesh Kumar, Founder of Finskool21, has chosen to focus his work, building a SEBI-registered research platform rooted in transparency and real-time learning. Years spent driving business and digital transformation at HCL Technologies, Genpact, and Fidelity National Information Services shaped his belief that systems, not shortcuts, create lasting outcomes. Today, those learnings guide his mission to strengthen investor confidence at scale. In an exclusive conversation, TradeFlock spoke with Ritesh Kumar about his journey, challenges, and the responsibility of building trust in a fast-moving market.
Why did you start Finskool21, and did it meet your original vision?
The idea for Finskool21 took shape while I was serving as General Manager at HCL Technologies and actively managing my own investments. Over time, two truths became increasingly clear. Historically, the stock market has delivered the highest returns across asset classes, yet for a retail investor, navigating it is anything but straightforward. The space is crowded with misinformation, noise, and unverified opinions, making it difficult to identify genuine investment opportunities with confidence. What made this more concerning was India’s low equity participation. Only about 4-5% of the population invests in equities, compared with nearly 50-60% in developed markets. That disparity pointed to a deeper issue rooted not in access, but in awareness, understanding and trust. I began publicly sharing my investments on the same day I made each investment, along with the reasoning behind each decision, with the sole intention of helping people learn through real-world examples. The goal was to build a transparent investor community. What started with a single video and one follower has grown into Finskool21, now a SEBI-registered entity with 3.5 lakh followers. The original intent was fulfilled, though the scale it reached surpassed anything I had imagined.
How is Finskool21 different from traditional financial education?
Finskool21 was never meant to resemble a classroom or a conventional online education platform. We don’t sell courses, we don’t run promotions, and we don’t operate with a sales team. In fact, we have never directly messaged any user asking them to opt for our services. This approach was intentional because trust cannot be built through persuasion. Our focus has always been on consistent, transparent knowledge sharing across platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Complex financial concepts are explained in simple, jargon-free language so that anyone, regardless of background, can understand them. By sharing every investment on the day it is made, people can see real outcomes and follow the rationale behind each decision. Every insight is aligned with SEBI regulations, ensuring that learning remains responsible and ethical. Over time, this transparency has become the cornerstone of how people engage with Finskool21.
What financial skills matter most for young Indians today?
One of the most concerning patterns among young investors is the growing belief that the stock market offers quick money. Many enter through intraday trading, F&O or speculative strategies without fully understanding risk, often realising the consequences only after losing capital. Alongside this, there is a noticeable gap in fundamental financial knowledge, including asset allocation, investment planning and long-term wealth building. Through Finskool21, the effort has been to challenge this mindset and redirect attention toward disciplined, value-driven investing. We consistently advise our community to avoid intraday trading and F&O, and instead focus on understanding how long-term investing works in practice. When financial literacy is built correctly, it goes far beyond wealth creation. It strengthens confidence, sharpens decision-making and positively influences professional and personal growth over time.
"Financial literacy isn’t about quick wins or market noise. It’s about disciplined thinking that compounds confidence, decision-making, and wealth over time."
How does technology help you connect with a younger audience?
Technology plays a central role in how Finskool21 operates and scales its impact. Digital platforms allow us to reach people in the environments where they already consume information, particularly a generation that prefers learning in short, accessible formats. Through bite-sized Instagram content, detailed YouTube explainers and interactive formats, financial education becomes approachable rather than overwhelming. One of the biggest challenges is sustaining attention in a world where content consumption is measured in seconds. The balance lies in simplifying complex ideas without stripping them of depth. We address this by using visual explanations, real-life examples and clear, actionable insights, always within SEBI’s regulatory framework. The objective is not just to educate, but to make learning immediately relevant, practical and confidence-building at scale.
What is your long-term vision for Finskool21?
The long-term vision is to build Finskool21 into one of India’s most trusted finance research companies. The ambition is to reach millions of individuals, add meaningful value to their financial journeys and guide them toward disciplined, long-term wealth creation. Financial literacy has the potential to transform lives when it is accessible, honest and grounded in reality. By expanding our reach, strengthening research capabilities, and developing more effective learning tools, we aim to empower people to make informed decisions that support not just financial growth but also long-term stability and confidence.
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