Mind Over Money: Meditate, pray and keep fit is the mantra for this Rs 4,500 cr money manager with 30 years of experience

In an interview with ETMarkets, Sachdeva who manages about Rs 4500 cr and has almost 30 years of experience, said: “Being physically fit is one of the key tenets to being mentally fit. I believe a regimen of regular workouts and disciplined eating had kept me going through life,” Edited excerpts:

With 3 deca
des of experience under your belt in corporate and leadership roles. How do you keep yourself mentally fit and energized at all times?

One of the things which keeps me going is a positive attitude towards life and seeing the best in each situation and most people.

Talking to people from various backgrounds and skill sets is quite an energizing experience. My association with the India Fintech Forum, for example, has introduced me to highly intelligent people with different skill sets and a technology-backed solution mindset which, in turn, has made me evolve further as a leader

I enjoy mentoring students and my junior colleagues helping them learn from my experiences and sharing life hacks. Equally, it is a pleasure being reverse mentored by them and understanding the dynamics of the world from their perspective.

One of the advantages of being a voracious reader is that it keeps your thinking agile and your perspective contemporary. I enjoy reading books from various walks of life and am into two books simultaneously at any point of time

Being physically fit is one of the key tenets to being mentally fit. I believe a regimen of regular workouts and disciplined eating had kept me going through life


What is your way of dealing with stress?

A) A few things which work for me are:

• Planning much in advance, while trying to anticipate potential situations which I might have to deal with, helps me play out multiple alternatives. This helps me handle situations more objectively and consequently, less stressfully.

• Having conversations about what stresses you out, either with the person or with people in the know of the situation, helps you find a more lasting solution to the problem.

• Sports, reading, running, meditating, movies, time with near and dear ones – all are life hacks for me when it comes to handling stress.

I have read that you also do Acupressure. How did that come along? What is the story?

Indeed, this is one of the life skills I picked up quite by chance after meeting Dr Ketan Shah, a very renowned acupressure practitioner.

Someone I know was suffering from tinnitus, which is usually supposed to be something which is non-reversible. He was the only person who told me with great confidence that if done right, acupressure would relieve this person in 3 months.

Seeing it actually work, convinced me of the utility of this skill. I have since kept trying to improve my technique and can help with mitigating some basic health issues like migraines, stomach disorders, anxiety and back pain. The more I learn, the more I realize how profound the wisdom of the ancients is.

Mind Over Money: Physical fitness is one of the key tenets of mental fitness

“Being physically fit is one of the key tenets to being mentally fit. I believe a regimen of regular workouts and disciplined eating had kept me going through life,” Vikaas M Sachdeva – Managing Director – Sundaram Alternates, said.

This might be off-topic, but you have also done a course on Voice Modulation. Very inspiring. What prompted you to take up this challenge?

That was way back in 2004-05! That was a time when a lot of dubbed versions of National Geographic and Animation mini-series had made their debut on cable in India. I have an ear for voices and sounds and have always wanted to host a show like Prannoy Roy or dub a series in my voice.

A course in voice modulation interested me and I went ahead and enrolled for it.

Over the last few months, I have had the chance to host a few shows digitally and my training as a voice modulator did help me.

The most amazing part of the journey has been to meet people behind voices I admired, as well as people who could literally act with their voices.

What about sports? Any sports you like to play?

I am a high-energy sports enthusiast, a big cricket aficionado, and a hockey supporter, I play decent lawn tennis and TT and am a runner to boot. Give me a high-energy activity any day and I will be up for it!

I also plan vacations and trips around major sporting events that I have always wanted to see. I have seen the French Open, The Asian Games in Jakarta, the inaugural F1 races in Kuala Lumpur and Bahrain – not to mention the world cup cricket in India, the inaugural NBA Basketball tour in Mumbai, and of course, some games of the IPL each year ! In 2023, I hope to start the year by seeing the FIH hockey world cup early next year in Odisha

What is your message to our viewers for the year 2023? Will it be as stressful as 2022?

Our generation has probably seen the maximum change, but at a pace at which we have been able to adapt to, and master.

Change is happening too fast for the conventional human mind, and hence stress happens when we try to adapt and control as fast as it happens.

Social media also manifests “picture perfect” (Pun intended) people’s time which stresses out those who want the same. So yes, stress is now part of our lives

The way forward is to not ride the tiger but sidestep it. One needs to adapt rather than control. Maturity is realizing that you are not answerable to anyone but yourself.

Hence, enjoy what you do…seek out experiences rather than material stuff. Meditate, pray and keep fit.

You live only once, so live your life rather than trying to live out someone’s expectation of what it should be

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times)