Your toughest investment opponent is yourself: Bajaj Finserv MF's Ganesh Mohan

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. It was a counterintuitive message that Ganesh Mohan, managing director of Bajaj Finserv Mutual Fund, delivered to a hall of eager investors at the Mint Money Festival 2026. Speaking on 14 February at the NSE Atrium in Mumbai, Mohan focused not on markets or products, but on a relationship that often damages both confidence and capital – the one between investors and their own minds.

Addressing the long-running debate between “Do It Yourself" (DIY) investing and professional advice, Mohan stripped away industry jargon to highlight a striking shift underway. India, he said, is in the middle of a historic transition from savers to investors. “In the last five years, the ratio of mutual fund assets to bank deposits has almost doubled," Mohan noted.

At the same time, nearly half of new mutual fund inflows now come through direct channels, raising a critical question: are investors navigating markets with a plan, or simply following the loudest voices on social media? Mohan pointed to what he described as a modern paradox – the rise of financial influencers. While 80% of followers admit to being influenced by these online voices, only 2% are registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), he said. The risk, he argued, goes beyond poor advice; it undermines the single most important ingredient for long-term success.

“In the markets, the answer to success is discipline. Discipline trumps everything else," Mohan emphasized. If discipline is so critical, why is it so rare? The answer, he argued, lies in human psychology.