I Am My Own Laxmi: Because Money Deserves a Conversation

Money has always been present in our lives, yet for many women it has remained the silent corner of the room. We speak freely about our children, our health, our homes, even our recipes. But money is where the conversation often stops.

We are told to be smart, but not about stocks. We are told to be strong, but not when it comes to financial decisions. We are encouraged to save, but not to invest. We are asked to trust, but not to question.

I have spent years sitting across investment tables, heading a family office, evaluating startups, and mentoring women entrepreneurs. I have handled large portfolios and serious financial decisions, yet I have also sat with a woman who quietly asked me, “Term insurance matlab kya hota hai?” I have been in rooms where women turned to their husbands, brothers, or bankers for permission before signing their own names. It is not because we are not capable. It is because no one ever handed us the pen.

This column, I Am My Own Laxmi, is my way of handing you that pen.

Recently, we celebrated Diwali, the festival of lights, of renewal, of hope. We cleaned our homes, dressed in our finest clothes, adorned ourselves with jewellery, and prayed to Goddess Laxmi for prosperity. Yet in the middle of all that celebration, how many of us truly felt like Laxmi ourselves? Despite the sparkle and the rituals, many women still feel uncertain and dependent when it comes to their own money. We worship wealth but often hesitate to claim control over it.

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What if the Laxmi we have been waiting for is already within us?

This column begins with that belief. Every woman has the ability and the right to understand, manage, and grow her own money.

It is not a lecture filled with jargon, nor is it a lesson in complicated charts. Think of it instead as a conversation with your friend, your sister, or your older cousin—someone sitting beside you, saying, “Let us understand this together.”

This column is for you if you earn but allow someone else to decide what happens to your salary. It is for you if you do not earn but run your household and wonder if that counts as value. It is for you if you want to ask about money but fear it will sound foolish. It is for you if you have ₹2,000 saved but no idea where to put it. And it is also for you if you are already doing well but want to do even better.

Each week we will meet here and take up one aspect of money. We will begin with the basics, like your bank account, your savings, and your budget. Then we will move forward into investments, insurance, mutual funds, SIPs, loans, and digital safety. Every piece will leave you with a small action step that you can begin immediately.

You do not need a finance degree. You do not need lakhs to begin. You only need the courage to say, “Main seekhna चाहती हूं.” That willingness is more powerful than any portfolio.

So here is your first action. Take a notebook or your phone and write down three questions. Do I have a bank account? Do I know the password, the nominee, and where the debit card or documents are kept? Is this account truly mine, or only in my name?

This is where we begin. Not with big words, but with your real life. You have always managed money for everyone else. Now it is time to manage it for yourself.

In the coming days, start noticing your money more closely. Check your account balance yourself, even if someone else maintains it. Read one financial headline a day, even if you don’t understand every word. Ask one question that you have never asked before, about your savings, your policy, or your investment. Each of these steps, however small, is a spark that builds confidence. Over time, those sparks turn into light.

This is your space, your voice, and your journey. From today, say it with pride: I Am My Own Laxmi.

Next week: we will talk about why saving is not enough, what inflation really means, and how to make your money grow faster than prices.

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