What India Needs: The Financial Literacy Deficit with Karthik Rangappa Artwork

What India Needs with Shutapa Paul

Join Shutapa Paul as she delves into social, economic, and environment issues that should matter, speaks to inspiring individuals, while diving deep into every conversation.

Shutapa Paul is an anchor, commenter, author, and media entrepreneur. She has spent almost two decades within the media space, first as a journalist, and now as a media entrepreneur. Currently, she is Founder of award-winning brand-building and communications company, Dharma Media Consultants, where she has been working closely within the investing, startup, and impact ecosystem.

Shutapa has been recognised as:

- BW 40 Under 40 (PR & Corp Comm)
- BW Excel Communications Personality of the Year
- Social Samosa 40 Under 40
- Agency Reporter 40 Under 40
- LinkedIn ‘Top Voice’
- ‘100 Women Faces’ by the Confederation of Women Entrepreneurs
- ‘Woman of the Year in Media and Journalism’ by Woman Times
- Sattva Nation’s Iconic Wellness Award

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What India Needs with Shutapa Paul

What India Needs: The Financial Literacy Deficit with Karthik Rangappa

February 15, 2026 • Shutapa Paul • Season 4 • Episode 3

0:00 | 45:25

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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