Youngsters want to become Nikhil or Nithin Kamath but don't want to use Zerodha: Ankur Warikoo
Nikhil Kamath
and
Nithin Kamath
but do not want to use the stock trading app Zerodha they founded, said influencer Ankur Warikoo on his official X handle in response to a tweet from the founder and CEO of the discount broker lamenting the platform's shrinking demat market share.
While he called Zerodha's services accurate, Warikoo said that it was not fun. He also called the app a "vanity", hinting that the name itself did not give the right vibes because of the initial "Zero".
Explore courses from Top Institutes in
Please select course:
Select a Course Category
Others
MCA
Public Policy
Product Management
others
Artificial Intelligence
Technology
Operations Management
Leadership
CXO
healthcare
Finance
Healthcare
Data Science
Project Management
PGDM
Management
Data Analytics
Degree
Data Science
MBA
Cybersecurity
Design Thinking
Digital Marketing
Skills you'll gain:
Duration:
7 Months
S P Jain Institute of Management and Research
CERT-SPJIMR Exec Cert Prog in AI for Biz India
Starts on
undefined
Get Details
Skills you'll gain:
Duration:
9 months
IIM Lucknow
SEPO - IIML CHRO India
Starts on
undefined
Get Details
Skills you'll gain:
Duration:
16 Weeks
Indian School of Business
CERT-ISB Transforming HR with Analytics & AI India
Starts on
undefined
Get Details
Skills you'll gain:
Duration:
28 Weeks
MICA
CERT-MICA SBMPR Async India
Starts on
undefined
Get Details
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
15 most beautiful women in the world
Topgentlemen.com
Undo
"As a huge long time admirer of Zerodha and someone who has a ring side view of retail investors in the country - sharing some views, Nithin. If I were to sum it up: Zerodha is accurate. But it's not fun. It's where the serious money goes to grow. But it's not where the cool kids start their journey. And that's, in my head, the issue," the tweet said.
"Reality: The next 100M retail investors in India share 3 things: > They're young (investing before they turn 25); > They're impatient (thanks to reels, they want wealth now); > And they share - not just their meals, but their portfolios too. Now, all this wouldn't matter if broking wasn't commoditized. But it is." the tweet said.
"For someone just getting started buying a stock or mutual fund is the same across platforms. Zerodha's features? Great. But to this first time retail investor, it's all vanity. The decision comes down to: 'Where do my friends go?'. 'Where does it feel cool to be?'," Warikoo said.
Live Events
"So something as seemingly banal as the name (please don't read this as as a suggestion to change the name). To most people, it sounds like 'zero-something.' It doesn't signal money. It doesn't feel aspirational. And then you have kite and coin and console and varsity. Kids don't get it. Compare that with Groww, Upstox, Dhan - all positive connotations. Or HDFC/ICICI Sec. brand trust," he suggested.
To Kamath's tweet where the Zerodha founder said that the company was addressing the issue by creating content, Warikoo said,"Zerodha has always led with great content but I have got a lot of feedback that it feels high-brow. Smart, but not simple. Accurate, but not relatable. Even the legendary Varsity is a textbook, not a storybook".
Warikoo, who dons multiple halts as an entrepreneur, teacher and author, also commented on Zerodha's communications strategy.
"Always precise, but rarely sticky. The Kite disclaimer is a classic example - it's the right thing, but packaged like a compliance doc, not a cultural insight. So today, the real paradox is this: The same 23-year-old who wants to become Nikhil or Nithin Kamath...doesn't want to use Zerodha," he opined.
Warikoo's suggestions
"If I were in your shoes, I'd do 3 things: 1. Don't advertise. But do show up. Loudly. Relatably. Consistently. Find the places where the next-gen investors hang out. Not just finance podcasts - but gaming streams, college fests, Shark Tank reactions, Instagram memes. You don't have to run ads.
But you have to show up in their world," he said.
Secondly, he suggested making content that is not just smart but useful. "Make content that's not just smart but useful AF. Budget calculators. SIP goal planners. Loan vs rent tools. Credit score explainers. Content people bookmark, not just watch. Also please please make it short-formas well. And in Hinglish," the tweet said further.
Thirdly, he pitched for redefining 'cool' in investing. "You don't have to do CRED-style storytelling. But you can be the 'quiet rebel' brand - the one that says: 'We don't bribe you. We don't push you. We just work.' Make that aspirational again," the tweet added.
Tips on product
"Product ideas that can help: > Kite + Coin = One app. One journey. Why split the user story? > Social: Let users optionally create 'investing squads' - goal-based investing with friends, or community SIPs," Warikoo said.
The social media influence said that it was time for Zerodha to earn intention after gaining a truest among the investor community.
"Zerodha has earned trust. Now it needs to earn attention. Not through noise. But through presence, relevance, and culture. The way that I see it. No one brags about using Excel. But they still use it. Zerodha feels like that. Always a fan
," he concluded.
On Thursday, Kamath posed a question for founders and marketing professionals on his X handle if traditional strategies used in the past to acquire customers will be useful now. Kamath also explained how his company was coping up with the problem.
Read more:
Zerodha's demat market share shrinking, says founder Nithin Kamath. How is it coping?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
15 minutes ago
- Time of India
Union Bank of India opens recruitment for 250 Specialist Officer posts: Check direct link here
Union Bank of India has launched a fresh recruitment drive to appoint 250 Specialist Officers across various departments. The online application process begins on August 5, 2025, and will remain open until August 25, 2025. Candidates must apply via the official website — To be considered, applicants must hold a full-time two-year postgraduate qualification such as an MBA, MMS, PGDBA, PGDBM, PGPM, or PGDM from a government-recognised university or an institution approved by regulatory bodies. The age of the candidate must be between 25 and 35 years as per the recruitment notification. Union Bank of India recruitment 2025 : Selection process The selection will be carried out in multiple phases depending on the number of eligible applicants. These include an Online Test, Group Discussion, Screening of Applications, and possibly a Personal Interview. The exam will feature 150 questions carrying a total of 225 marks, to be attempted in 150 minutes. Except for the English section, all parts of the test will be available in both English and Hindi. A penalty of 0.25 marks will be deducted for every incorrect answer. Union Bank of India application 2025: Steps to apply Candidates can follow the steps mentioned here to apply for the Union Bank of India recruitment 2025: Visit the official website : Go to Navigate to the careers section : Click on the 'Recruitment' or 'Careers' tab available on the homepage. Click on the SO recruitment link : Locate and select the notification link titled 'Recruitment of Specialist Officers 2025'. Register yourself : Click on 'New Registration', enter your basic details such as name, mobile number, and email ID to generate a provisional registration ID and password. Complete the application form : Log in using your credentials and fill in the application form with your educational details, work experience, and other required information. Upload documents : Upload scanned copies of your photograph, signature, and other necessary certificates in the prescribed format and size. Pay the application fee : Choose your preferred payment method and complete the transaction. Submit and download confirmation : Review the filled form carefully, click on 'Submit', and download the confirmation page for your records. Alternatively, candidates can click on the link provided here to apply for the Union Bank of India application. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If Your Ears Ring, Stop Sleeping Like This Immediately Derila Ergo Undo Application fee The application fee is ₹177 for candidates belonging to the SC/ST/PwBD categories and ₹1180 for all other applicants. Payments can be made through various digital methods including debit or credit cards, net banking, UPI, IMPS, and mobile wallets. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Time of India
23 minutes ago
- Time of India
UAE: TikTok removes over 1 million videos in Q1 2025 for policy violations
TikTok removed more than 1 million videos in the UAE in the first quarter of 2025/Image: File TL;DR: TikTok removed more than 1 million videos in the UAE in the first quarter of 2025 for violating community guidelines, with a 98.2% proactive removal rate and 94% taken down within 24 hours. The platform also banned nearly 87,000 live hosts and shut down over 140,000 livestreams in the UAE, as part of a wider safety campaign across the MENA region that saw more than 16.5 million videos removed. The company uses both automated systems and human moderation, supports appeals (over 41,000 UAE videos restored in Q1), and is expanding digital literacy campaigns and community education for safer online behaviour . TikTok has intensified its content moderation across the Middle East, with the UAE seeing more than 1 million videos removed in the first three months of 2025 for breaching community guidelines. The figures, shared in the company's Q1 2025 Community Guidelines Enforcement Report, highlight new heights of proactive moderation as the platform aims to ensure a safer and more responsible online environment. Record removals in the UAE and MENA From January to March 2025, TikTok took down 1,051,226 videos in the UAE alone for violating its standards, marking one of the highest enforcement levels among five covered MENA countries (UAE, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco). The UAE's content removals were characterized by: A 98.2% proactive removal rate, indicating most objectionable content was detected and erased before it could be reported by users. 94% of these videos were removed within 24 hours, demonstrating TikTok's emphasis on rapid response and platform integrity. The crackdown also extended to live content, with 86,790 live hosts banned and 140,295 livestreams interrupted during Q1 2025 in the UAE. Across the broader MENA region, TikTok moderators and its AI tools removed a total of 16.5 million videos, alongside banning nearly 850,000 live hosts and terminating over 1.5 million livestreams. Appeals and restorations TikTok's process allows content creators to appeal when they believe a video was wrongly removed. In the UAE, 41,148 challenged videos were restored following successful appeals in the first quarter, reflecting efforts to balance safety with user recourse. Iraq, which led the region in total removals, saw over 209,000 reinstated, while Egypt and Morocco reported 144,600 and 53,500 successful appeals respectively How TikTok moderates content The platform uses a combination of machine-learning detection systems and human moderation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Kate Garraway's Husband Leaves Behind A Fortune That Makes His Cry. Weight Loss Groove Undo Harmful and rule-violating videos are typically flagged and deleted before they appear in users' feeds, especially those relating to hate speech, dangerous acts, illegal activity, and misinformation. Users receive notifications when their content is taken down and instructions on how to challenge the decision if they disagree. Beyond enforcement, TikTok is expanding digital literacy campaigns in the MENA region, partnering with education bodies and advocacy groups to help users better understand safe content practices and reduce accidental rule-breaking. These initiatives aim to foster a culture of respect, safety, and compliance across the platform. Country-by-Country overview UAE : 1,051,226 videos removed, 86,790 live hosts banned, 140,295 livestreams ended, 98.2% proactive removals, 94% within 24 hours, 41,148 appeals successful. Iraq: Over 10 million removals, 346,335 live hosts banned, 99.5% proactive, over 649,000 livestreams interrupted, 209,291 appeals successful. Egypt: 2.9 million removals, 347,935 live hosts banned, 144,605 appeals successful, 99.6% proactive. Morocco: Just over 1 million removals, 44,121 live hosts banned, 53,525 appeals successful. Lebanon: Nearly 1.35 million removals, 24,795 live hosts banned, 31,880 appeals successful. TikTok's Q1 report emphasizes its investment in advanced moderation technologies and steadfast dedication to promoting a 'safe, respectful, and inclusive environment' for users across the region. TikTok's 2025 enforcement figures in the UAE reflect a determined, technology-driven approach to content regulation. With nearly all harmful and violative material proactively removed and a strong framework for appeals and digital safety, the social media giant is reinforcing its role as a responsible digital platform. As part of a regional focus, these measures are expected to shape a safer online space in the UAE and across the wider MENA community. FAQ How many TikTok videos were removed in the UAE during Q1 2025? Over 1 million videos were taken down for violating community guidelines. What is TikTok's proactive removal rate in the UAE? The platform recorded a 98.2% proactive removal rate, flagging and removing almost all harmful content before user reports. How quickly does TikTok remove violative content? 94% of offending videos in the UAE were removed within 24 hours of being posted. Can users appeal TikTok's content removal in the UAE? Yes, users can appeal. In Q1 2025, more than 41,000 videos were reinstated in the UAE after successful appeals.
Time of India
27 minutes ago
- Time of India
Trump tariffs aren't scaring India's new businesses
US President Donald Trump seems to be escalating his tariff war on India. He has again threatened substantial tariffs against the country for purchasing Russian oil and 'selling it on the open market for big profits". Trump had last week announced a 25% duty on all Indian goods in addition to a penalty for buying a 'vast majority' of Russian military equipment and crude oil. Though India has not announced any tit-for-tat tariffs, the India-US trade stalemate seems to be worsening. India is not submitting to Trump's threats. It has called out the hypocrisy of the US and EU for continuing to import various goods from Russia while pressuring India not to do so. Risks to India's economy and businesses can blow up if Trump slaps more tariffs on India. However, all the gloom spread by Trump's tariff threats has failed to deter new businesses in India. Fresh registrations of companies rose for the seventh straight month in July and those of limited liability partnerships surged for five months in a row, said an ET report citing the latest corporate affairs ministry data. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program As many as 17,555 companies, including overseas entities, were incorporated in July, an 18% increase from 14,887 a year earlier. Similarly, the number of LLPs that got registered in July rose by a quarter to 7,343. Between April and July, the number of companies that got incorporated jumped over 26% from a year before to 78,696, the data showed. During this period, 30,411 LLPs got registered, a 29% rise from a year before. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like NRI in Latvia? Invest ₹18K/Month & Get ₹2Cr for your kid's College. NRI Investment Plan! Click Here Undo Also Read: US to 'substantially' raise tariff on India, says Trump Why are new businesses bullish on India? Live Events Despite the external threats such as tariffs and domestic challenges such as low demand, India is still projected to retain its status as the world's fastest-growing major economy this fiscal year and the next. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) last week raised India's economic growth forecast to 6.4% for both FY26 and FY27, citing a more favourable external environment than anticipated in the April outlook. The earlier projections stood at 6.2% for FY26 and 6.3% for FY27. But Trump's 25% tariffs are likely to hit GDP growth. However, economists have said tariffs could dent India's GDP growth by 20-30 basis points this fiscal year, but the higher duty is unlikely to significantly impact the country's domestic demand-driven economy. India's economy enters the second quarter of FY26 on a relatively firm footing, as the first quarter of FY26 presents a picture of resilient domestic supply and demand fundamentals with inflation remaining within the target range and monsoon progress on track, said a Finance Ministry report last month. The economy has the look and feel of 'steady as she goes' as far as FY26 is concerned, the Finance Ministry's Monthly Economic Review for June said, even though it pointed out downside risks. Also Read: Trump's staffing gaps complicate India's bid to ease US tensions "The Indian economy in mid-2025 presents a picture of cautious optimism," the review said. "Despite global headwinds marked by trade tensions, geopolitical volatility, and external uncertainties, India's macroeconomic fundamentals have remained resilient. Aided by robust domestic demand, fiscal prudence and monetary support, India appears poised to continue as one of the fastest-growing major economies, with various forecasters, including S&P, ICRA, and the RBI's Survey of Professional Forecasters, projecting GDP growth rates for FY26 in the range of 6.2 per cent and 6.5 per cent." The Finance Ministry report also indicated room for further rate cuts for the RBI. "Core inflation remains subdued, and overall inflation is comfortably below the RBI's 4 per cent target, affording room for the easing cycle to be sustained," it said. A global slowdown could further dampen demand for Indian exports and continued uncertainty on US tariffs may weigh on the country's trade performance in coming quarters, the finance ministry review said. Though 25% US tariffs and possibly higher as Trump has threatened will certainly dilute the positive outlook, a trade deal with the US this year can't be ruled out even as other trade agreements will create new avenues for Indian exports. Global CEOs are betting on India Executives across companies said there is a visible revival of demand in India after months of slowing sales. They are tapping into this recovery with more investments, distribution, equipment and innovation, ET has reported recently. Apple chief executive Tim Cook said growth in India accelerated in the June quarter with the iPhone maker reporting record revenue driven by double-digit expansion in smartphones, Macs and services. It's not just Apple that's upbeat on India. A dozen global chiefs of large companies such as Coca-Cola, Unilever, Reckitt Benckiser, PepsiCo, Nestle, Mondelez, Whirlpool, LG, Domino's, AO Smith and FedEx have renewed their bet on the country after a challenging phase. The CEOs were speaking on earnings calls for the last quarter. India is a key growth market for global companies given that various large categories are still underserved. Companies said they are increasing their focus on India with the revival of demand visible after unseasonal rains and geopolitical tensions weighed down sales since March. The overall household consumption is set to pick up in the next two to three quarters on rural strength, a Swiss brokerage said on Tuesday. Softened inflation, which boosts purchasing power, improving crop outlook on good monsoons and a USD 20 billion social welfare spends on women are set to strengthen rural consumption, UBS Securities said in a report. Urban consumption will "stabilise" on aspects like RBI's rate cuts, USD 10 billion of policy stimulus through personal income tax changes and improved availability of credit, it said. Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) President, Rajiv Memani, has countered prevailing market sentiment about private capital expenditure, asserting that while there's a perception of a slowdown, private capex is actually taking place across various industry sectors in the country. "There's an atmosphere suggesting that private capex is not happening, but actually capex is happening," Memani said last month, citing data showing consistent private investment over the past three years. The CII President pointed to robust corporate fundamentals as evidence of ongoing investment activity. "If you look at listed companies and attend their AGMs, you'll find that CII members are looking to increase capex. Everyone has strong balance sheets, low debt, and the ability to raise funds from public markets," he said. While external risks and domestic uncertainties do pose challenges to economic growth, India's structural story remains resurgent which gives confidence to new businesses as well as top companies.
