DYK Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath Earned Only Rs 8,000 In His First Job?

Zerodha co-founder, Nikhil Kamath, made headlines for sharing personal experiences. He also spoke on several other subjects such as the global economy and the country’s growth trajectory. While talking about his experience, Nikhil Kamath revealed that his first job was at a call centre in Bengaluru and how it impacted him overall. Despite the modest salary, Kamath felt a sense of accomplishment, having more money at his disposal than his peers.

In a recent interview with The Print, Nikhil Kamath reflected on his time in the call centre when he got his first salary at the age of 17. He recalled, “I used to earn Rs 8,000 in my first job at a call centre called 24 bar 7 in Bengaluru, selling accidental health insurance for a company called Stone Bridge, the UK shift between 4:00 pm to 1:00 am.”

However, Kamath also highlighted the societal stigma attached to jobs that don’t require specific qualifications or expertise. He noted that you might work in a call centre and make Rs 1 lakh per month, but if your child is a doctor and earns Rs 25,000 per month, the doctor receives greater societal recognition.

Despite occasional self-consciousness, while his classmates followed more traditional jobs, Kamath emphasised the importance of his individual journey. He clarified that he had an educational background in science and had become a little self-conscious when his peers finished and went on to become doctors and engineers. He continued by saying that by the time they were all 25 years old, he had already completed his 7-8-year runway in life. He went on to say that because the conditions at the time allowed him to do what he was doing, it never negatively affected him mentally in the way that it may have negatively affected many others.

Kamath also discussed his thoughts on Bengaluru’s economic situation, pointing out that although the city’s success in IT businesses may make it seem prosperous on paper, a large portion of this money is not easily disposable.

“It’s not real money,” he said.

Bengaluru has the greatest paper riches and the least amount of disposable money, Kamath continued.