Mind Over Money: From Scuba Diving to Portfolio Strategy – Gautam Kalia on Gaming, Music and Financial Freedom

Gautam Kalia, Super Investor Head of Mirre Asset Sharekhan, is a multi-faceted leader whose passions extend beyond the boardroom.

An advanced open water diver, musician and gaming enthusiast, Gautam draws inspiration from his varied interests to shape his professional and personal outlook.

Whether exploring the depths of the ocean, composing music with his wife as part of their duo “Kal”, or navigating strategic challenges in the financial world, he embodies the perfect balance of creativity, discipline and analytical thinking.

In this Mind Over Money interview with ETMarkets, Gautam shares how his passions influence his leadership style, problem-solving approach and his vision of empowering consumers through personalized financial solutions.

Edited quotes –

Q) Thank you for taking the time. What inspired you to become a Certified Advanced Open Water Diver and how has diving influenced your perspective on life and work?

A) I did a discovery course for beginners several years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. There is something about the cry of the sea that I have never been able to ignore, maybe my father being in the Indian Navy had something to do with it.

And after I discovered a natural aptitude for it, it became something I wanted to dive deeper into (pun intended)!

I got my open water diver certification in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands with a college friend. And since then, I usually plan vacations with the family to places where I can even go in for a few dives.

I was thrilled when my son took to it literally like a fish to water, and got certified last year. It has now become a great way to connect with my family.

Diving is a very physical activity, but it teaches extreme awareness, mindfulness, and control over both our physical and mental abilities.

One learns to plan the dive, to prepare oneself, to prepare the equipment, to be very precise and careful of the resources available, the air available to breathe.

But even in between – there is pure peace and beauty to be enjoyed underwater. It’s like life, really, or work – you learn to stay calm under pressure, but live the moment to the fullest.

We inevitably face moments that seem like insurmountable challenges, and these often invoke a fight or flight response. Having survived nitrogen narcosis at a depth of 27 meters in shark-infested waters, I consider myself capable of navigating such circumstances with a calm, composed, reasonable approach. This is useful when leading a large team that looks to you for direction and inspiration.

It seems you can put things into perspective – anyone who has been diving for more than 10 years can clearly see the impact of climate change and ocean pollution.

Q) Why does the ocean hold such a special place in your life, and do you have a favorite scuba diving spot?

a) I think my love for the ocean was pre-programmed into me. My childhood was spent in INS Hamla and Navinagar. I grew up near the ocean and loved swimming in it.

I have fond memories of late night beach picnics with my family and friends – so no surprise there. Andaman and Nicobar Islands are best for rich marine life, while for coral life, some dive sites in Maldives are magical.

Q) What draws you to strategy and role-playing games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and how does it help enhance your analytical thinking?

a) Oh, these games are mostly designed to enhance analytical thinking—they’re designed to encourage players to solve problems. All of these games have a structure or structure that you are restricted to, but also include an element of probability (luck).

The rules need to be understood to identify key parameters that one can/should optimize for. So probabilistic thinking combined with real-time optimization is all wrapped up in fun/relaxation – what’s not to like!

Baldur’s Gate is multiplayer, so I also enjoy playing it with my son.

Q) How did you first discover your passion for music and how did it develop into a collaborative journey with your wife?

a) Music is an innate gift – for which I am so grateful – it has brought me countless hours of decompressing as well as deep connection.

My parents weren’t particularly musical, so it was amazing that as a kid, I was able to intuitively play entire songs on a small Casio keyboard. I trained in piano at the Delhi School of Music in Western Classical Music.

In college I was the head of the music club. I met my wife there – she’s a trained Hindustani classical singer, and was already changing the lyrics to my songs and fixing them by the time we graduated.

With those kinds of complementary skills, collaboration was inevitable – we became musical partners and eventually life partners.

When COVID hit and we were dealing with the volatility of life and circumstances, we made a concerted effort to record and release our music and our musical duo Kal was born.

Q) What role does music play in your creative and professional life today?

a) Consider the following two scenarios:

1) When the lyrics are written and you have to compose the music around them – this is where you channel your creativity within the limitations. These obstacles may seem daunting at first but eventually, they provide structure and direction. This is similar to business life where we consider making small adjustments to existing portfolios to improve risk adjusted performance based on client mandates or preferences. Tagline for SuperInvestor: “Your Financial Freedom, Your Way” Born from creating something right for every client in an industry that largely follows a cookie-cutter approach.

2) When you have to create something new from scratch – this seems easy because there are no obstacles. But it is quite the opposite. Most of the time you end up “composing” something that already exists – it got stuck somewhere in your subconscious and emerged in the creation process. This is similar to the workplace where situations often call for first principles thinking. Where you have to completely ignore existing structures and challenge them. Many times, you end up with the same existing structures! But since you’re used to the repetitive nature of making and failing, you go back to it until something different comes out. Sometimes it’s different in a good way!

Q) What’s next for “Kal”? Can we expect new music soon, or is there an upcoming project in the pipeline?

a) We have over 7 singles released on major music streaming platforms with another 3-4 in the pipeline.

Some of these songs were composed decades ago while some were cooked up recently. We will release new music as soon as we have some time available.

Q) Do you think your hobbies like music, gaming or diving influence your approach to problem solving in your professional life?

a) One hundred percent. We all underestimate the power of emotions when it comes to problem solving. What we all choose to ignore is that we are all, at the very core, driven by emotion, impulse and animal instinct.

We rest in the idea that logic and analytical thinking drive everything, and suppressing emotions—to the point of denying their role in decision-making or action—gives us some kind of edge, because it gives us the illusion that we’re in control. .

This creates blind spots in our thinking. It is through the balance between emotion and logic that innovative solutions emerge. My hobbies and passions help me cultivate and nurture both sides simultaneously.

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