Free education and market literacy sessions for farmers and village youth
Kanpur: A quiet afternoon in Bithoor village turned into a powerful moment of realisation for dozens of rural families as 54 residents gathered at the ‘Shri Lagan Barat Ghar’ on 12 October 2025 for a special workshop on capital markets. The four-hour session, conducted by a master trainer from the Avadhut Sathe Trading Academy (ASTA), brought together farmers, agri-entrepreneurs and MSME workers eager to understand how to participate in India’s rising equity market.
Of the 54 participants, 53 were men and one was a homemaker — all of them excited, but mostly unfamiliar with the world of investing. Many had never opened a Demat account, let alone traded online. The session introduced them to the fundamentals of the stock market, the importance of disciplined investing and the dangers of relying on unverified tips.
For many, the experience was eye-opening.
“For the first time, we understood what trading actually is. We didn’t even know we could do it on a mobile phone,” said 40-year-old labour contractor and trader Ram Bahadur Yadav. “If we had invested earlier in companies whose products we use daily, we would have earned good returns. After today, the first thing I will do is open a Demat account and start investing slowly in good companies to save for my children’s studies and weddings.”
For 35-year-old farmer and dairy entrepreneur Sameer Nagar, the session turned inspiration into action. “I’ve been watching ASTA’s programmes online for a while but never imagined such a session would be held in Bithoor — and for free. Five years ago, I bought a Mahindra tractor before Covid. Today I realised that if I had bought Mahindra shares along with it, it would have been a smart investment. Better late than never — today’s workshop has motivated me to start investing.”
Another participant, 38-year-old farmer Deepu Awasthi, said that understanding basic chart reading felt empowering. “We often have to sell our produce at prices set by middlemen. But now, after learning chart basics, I feel we can at least judge whether we are getting the right price or not.”
The event marked the second rural session under ‘Project Ankuran’, ASTA’s latest initiative aimed at bringing financial literacy to India’s grassroots. The programme was conceptualised after SEBI’s 2025 Investor Survey revealed that less than 1% of Indian investors have received any structured financial education, even though India is now the world’s fourth-largest equity market with over 20 crore Demat accounts. Lack of awareness, the survey said, remains the biggest barrier to safe and informed investing.
For nearly 17 years, Avadhut Sathe has been working to change that — and Project Ankuran is his most ambitious effort yet. The term ankuran, meaning “sprouting” in Sanskrit, symbolises the beginning of financial empowerment in rural India.
Launching the initiative, Avadhut Sathe, founder of ASTA, said,
“Project Ankuran is about spreading knowledge and awareness among our brothers and sisters in rural India. Beginning with World Investor Week, this year-round initiative will offer full-day, intensive training programmes completely free of cost. We believe Ankuran is a small but impactful step that can help India move towards global leadership. If rural youth enter the market with the right knowledge, India can become not just the largest but also the most disciplined investor nation.”
What started nearly two decades ago as a small effort to help friends and family understand the stock market has today become a global “gurukul of knowledge.” ASTA has trained more than 60,000 students across 51 countries, with a mission to create financially independent individuals through knowledge, skill and the right mindset.
ASTA’s programmes focus on analytical thinking, decision-making and execution skills to help participants become independent traders and investors. Aligning with the principles of the gurukul tradition, the training also emphasises discipline, emotional balance and mental preparedness — qualities essential to navigate the psychological ups and downs of trading.
The curriculum goes beyond charts and numbers. Participants learn emotional control, stress management, “what-if” analysis, identifying stop-loss points, and avoiding common pitfalls like FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) — behaviours that often lead to financial loss, especially among inexperienced investors.
With Project Ankuran, ASTA aims to take market education deeper into rural India — village by village, session by session — ensuring that the country’s economic rise is matched by financial awareness at the grassroots.
In a nation where millions are joining the formal financial system for the first time, ASTA’s rural education drive hopes to sow the seeds of disciplined investing, informed decision-making and long-term wealth creation.
Project Ankuran is not just a programme — it is a movement to unlock financial confidence in the heart of rural India.
