Sumit Chanda: Mind Over Money: Need for Speed! 3 market lessons which biking taught this CEO

In an interview with ETMarkets, Chanda said: “It is my way of meditating, bringing everything to normalcy, that helps me maintain my mental peace. It is a nice break for me,” Edited excerpts:

You love riding a bike, and that has helped you to maintain calm and keep mental health in check in this volatile market scenario. Tell us more about your passion, and how it helped you to keep calm?
I am in a domain that deals with finance, numbers, technology and a lot of other things. It is quite stressful.

I am more of a tourer which means I go for long hauls. I do not use my bike for commuting to the office or any other purpose; it is only for long distance travelling.

I take these breaks wherein I ride at least 400-500 km, or even 1,000 km at a stretch. All these rides help me keep my cool and take me away from daily life, the numbers, and the finances.

I would say it is my way of meditating, bringing everything to normalcy that helps me maintain my inner peace. It is a nice break for me.

How did you get into biking for long hauls? When did it all start?
I started riding during my college days. Those days I used to take the bike to college. Eventually, when I started working, the bike got replaced by a car for commuting and instead became a passion or a hobby.

As time passed, I stopped using the bike completely for commuting, and now it is more a passion for long rides.

What is the make of the bike? Is there a discipline that you follow? Is it usually weekend rides or some daily rides as well?
Currently, I am riding a Kawasaki Versys 650. It is a tourer bike by Kawasaki. I have got a standardised top box and the entire set.

I do not take out the bike on a regular basis but ride it mostly over weekends.

I go for long rides at least three to four times in a year and whenever I am travelling, it is definitely out of state.

What lesson has biking taught you which investors/traders can use in their lives?
Here are few lessons which biking has taught me –

Long Rides
I use the bike for longer rides and not for shorter rides, not for commuting or breakfast rides. It is like one should avoid taking shorter positions, rather be invested over a long term.

Don’t be in a hurry: Drive slow
Nothing happens too fast, even biking. I avoid driving too fast, and at the same time, remain cautious on the road. It is the same story in equities; nothing happens overnight, be patient.

Protection: Hedge
I ensure that I am completely protected while I am riding. I use all the riding gears, and I do not take any unnecessary risk on the road. These are some of the disciplines that I maintain.

You met your co-founder in one of your riding experiences. Tell us more about that as well.
I met one of my co-founders, Vignesh Reddy, who is the chief operating officer (COO), over a biking trip. We both share the same passion of biking.

We shared the concept of Jarvis when we met over a biking trip and the rest is history and he is a part of the company now.

I am sure a lot of traders have motorbikes, but they might not have explored this experience. So how can they start their journey?

I am sure almost everybody would know how to ride; people use it mostly for riding to workplace or maybe some weekends trips with friends. I think those things are good.

But a long ride is something to be explored. If somebody has not done it, I would urge you to try it out. In fact, over the years, we have seen so many people riding to Leh-Ladakh.

I remember some 10-15 years back, a biking trip to Leh-Ladakh was considered an achievement. But today it is a common practice.

It would ease a lot of stress for many. I would say one can use it as a stress buster. It is good, and at the same time, it is a nice experience.

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