Enter equities early to gain from compounding

College students should start with small bets to overcome fear of market volatility

Sumit Sanjay Singare, 26, a second-year student of the Post- graduate Programme in Management at IIM-Ahmedabad, has been investing in equities for the past two and a half years. His portfolio includes seven stocks and four mutual funds. A top-down investor, Singare is currently bullish on themes like housing for all and electric vehicles, and has invested in stocks of housing finance companies and battery makers.

As the bull market matures, many college-goers are entering the equity markets. Some are driven by peer pressure. They have heard of friends making money and wish to emulate them. Such students usually go