Hans Lee
4 minutes reading time
Abhilash Gupta used to spend hours watching his trading app, hoping the market would deliver quick wins. It didn’t.
“I realised I didn’t have time for day trading,” he said. “You need more time and knowledge of the market, which I didn’t have. “At 26, far from home and starting over in Australia after completing a postgraduate degree in supply chain management, he has come to see investing less as a pursuit of quick wins and more as a slow way to build independent wealth.
Abhilash celebrating his graduation in Australia. (Source: Supplied)
Abhilash started investing in India during the market turmoil of March and April 2020, at a time when online forums were filled with advice for first-time investors. He began with a small amount, then encouraged his family to invest as well.
“I encouraged my dad to start investing. Soon after, I brought my elder sister on board,” he said. “It’s been a good journey for everyone,” he added.
When Abhilash secured his first full-time job in 2021, he began building his portfolio more seriously through an Indian investment platform. He experimented with short-term trading and mutual funds, learning what worked and what didn’t in the process.
The main lesson he learned then was patience.
“I’ve learned that building wealth takes time and I don’t need to look at the app daily. It won’t give me a $1000 jump every day,” he said.
Starting over in Australia
When Abhilash arrived in Australia to begin his Master’s, investing fell down the priority list. Rent and university fees left little money for anything else.
In mid-2025, after a tax refund and a rental bond return, he decided to start again. Unsure where to begin, he turned to Reddit’s r/AusFinance community.
“I posted on Reddit and asked people investing in the Australian market what I should do,” he recalled. “I was new to the market and looking for a platform that doesn’t charge fees.”
Several users recommended Betashares Direct, citing its zero brokerage feature. He then invested $1,600 across four funds: HACK Global Cybersecurity ETF , NDQ Nasdaq 100 ETF , a broad market ETF and a high yield ETF. At 26, he said he was deliberately seeking higher-risk exposure. From there, his plan was straightforward: set up an automatic $100 monthly investment and let time do the work.
Source: Supplied
The reality of job hunting
Since completing his studies, Abhilash has been freelancing while applying for full-time roles. It was while navigating that uncertainty that his investment portfolio got an unexpected boost.
Recently, he won a $5,000 managed portfolio through the Big Betashares Giveaway, adding to his existing investments.
“Knowing that money is invested means I don’t feel I’m starting from zero while I’m looking for work,” he said.
What security looks like
When Abhilash talks about his financial goals, he talks about independence.
“In 15 or 20 years, if I decide I don’t want to work anymore or if I want to retire at 50, then I want this investment to be enough to sustain me for 10 to 15 years,” he said.
He also sees investing as a buffer against uncertainty.
“If I need some emergency funds, if something happens and I lose my job, then my investments would make a difference.”
He also no longer checks his portfolio daily, content to let time do the work.
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