Amid jittery markets, Franklin Templeton takes investor education push from Kanyakumari to Kashmir

Amid jittery markets, Franklin Templeton takes investor education push from Kanyakumari to Kashmir

Even as market volatility keeps investor confidence on edge, Franklin Templeton India on Tuesday rolled out a month-long nationwide investor awareness drive, with its India head Avinash Satwalekar embarking on a 4,000-km journey from Kanyakumari to Kashmir to push financial literacy, especially among women, across smaller towns and communities.

The campaign, titled ‘Change the Soch – Kanyakumari to Kashmir Drive’, comes at a time when participation from retail investors outside large urban centres remains uneven, even as mutual fund penetration has steadily expanded over the past few years.

Marking Franklin Templeton’s 30 years in India, the 30-day initiative will cover 21 cities, with Satwalekar stopping every alternate day to conduct investor education sessions aimed at helping households transition from savings-led behaviour to long-term investing.

The programme will largely engage women across a wide socio-economic spectrum, including those from farming and fishing communities, self-help groups, students and educators, entrepreneurs, government employees, and members of the armed forces, according to the fund house.

“While urban centres have made meaningful advances, lakhs of women across Bharat, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 regions, remain underserved in terms of access to financial knowledge and tools,” Satwalekar said, adding that informed financial decision-making at the household level is critical to long-term economic resilience and inclusive growth

Franklin Templeton said the initiative is purely for investor education and awareness, and will not involve scheme-specific discussions or return projections.