Feb. 14, 2026

What India Needs: The Financial Literacy Deficit with Karthik Rangappa

Send a text Only 27% of Indians have basic financial literacy, and that gap becomes dangerous as more people enter the stock market and rely on digital financial tools. In this episode of ‘What India Needs’, Shutapa Paul speaks with Karthik Rangappa, Chief of Education at Zerodha and Curator of Varsity, India’s largest open-source financial education initiative. Together, they discuss why financial literacy remains low in India, how digital scams are becoming more sophisticated with AI, a...

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Only 27% of Indians have basic financial literacy, and that gap becomes dangerous as more people enter the stock market and rely on digital financial tools.

In this episode of ‘What India Needs’, Shutapa Paul speaks with Karthik Rangappa, Chief of Education at Zerodha and Curator of Varsity, India’s largest open-source financial education initiative.

Together, they discuss why financial literacy remains low in India, how digital scams are becoming more sophisticated with AI, and what individuals can do to make smarter, long-term financial decisions. From unrealistic expectations in stock markets to the importance of simple, common-sense investing, this conversation cuts through the noise.

Catch the full conversation on YouTube or listen on Spotify.

#WhatIndiaNeeds #Podcast #FinancialLiteracy #PersonalFinance #Investing #IndianStockMarket #MoneyManagement #FinancialEducation

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00:00:00 - Intro

00:02:16 - Gaps in financial literacy in India

00:04:07 - Linguistic diversity in financial education

00:07:00 - The rise of demat accounts

00:10:05 - Women's in Trading and Financial Initiatives

00:14:50 - Financial fraud, digital scams, and regulatory efforts

00:21:55 - Finfluencers: Controversy and the Need for Sensible Advice

00:25:47 - Making Money Vs Managing Money

00:28:35 - The purpose and need for Varsity