How To Become an Investment Banker In India

Lately, you might be hearing a lot about one job opportunity which is of course becoming an Investment Banker in India, right? Well, that’s mainly because people look at the salary an investment banker gets in India, and they go like: let’s pursue it or they suggest it to someone they know. But is it that simple to become an investment banker right here in India, especially in such a competitive environment in the year 2024? Well, if you are kinda confused about that, then we’d advise you to just stick with us until the very end and you’ll know what to do. See, here we will be going over what exactly an investment banker is, what they do, how much they earn in India, and most importantly, how to actually become one in 2024. So yeah, let’s get to just that, shall we?

Who Is An Investment Banker, Anyway?

Well, many of you might not know this, but becoming an investment banker in India is kinda a new thing, but not a lot of people actually know about it, like what it is, what the job role of an investment banker is, how much the earn, and of course, how to actually become an investment banker in India.

To put it in the simplest words possible, take it like this: an investment banker is a professional working in the financial industry, specifically in investment banking. But who do they work for, you ask? Well, they usually are an important part of large financial institutions doing a lot of tasks, or maybe, they specialize in one and stick to that long term. Below are the things that usually an investment banker does:

• Advising Clients
• Executing Transactions And Deal Structuring
• Market Research and Analysis
• Create Financial Models
• Client Relationship Management
• Risk Management

But Why Should You Consider Becoming An Investment Banker In India?

First of all, and of course, the biggest reason why people choose this career stream is because they want higher income, and that’s precisely what investment banking is all about, you know? Want to know how much an investment banker earns on average right here in India? Well, you’ll be kinda dazzled to know that an investment banker earns an average salary of 9.61 lakh to as high as 70 lakh rupees per annum. Consider the fact that we are not even counting the commissions, shared profits, and bonuses in this.

That’s just the salary aspect of the whole picture, now let’s talk about what else there is that you can take benefit of after becoming an investment banker right here in India. Well, if you are kinda a person who likes intellectual challenges, then this career stream would be just a perfect fit. Along with that, you’ll be having the global exposure that many people in the financial industry in India don’t have access to, but you will have that. You can even specialize in investment banking, and stick to one particular thing while leveling up a notch your skills, you know? And yeah, your work is going to be impactful for the financial institutions, investment banks, and individuals as well, which is again a good feeling to have. Plus, the network of your own that you’ll be building is going to help in all parts of life, right?

Step-By-Step Guide On How To Become An Investment Banker In India

Alright, let’s say now you know what an investment banker is responsible for, what they do, and how much they earn, but now you want to know how to become one, right? Well, this career path has piqued your interest already, now let’s get down to the actual process that can lead you to become an investment banker in India and you can launch yourself in the industry. Alright, here we go.

1. Complete Your 12th Grade

The very first step on the path to becoming an investment banker is to of course complete your 12th grade, and that too with either a Commerce or Science background (Mathematics/PCM). This is like a baby step, and within your 12th grade, you’ll get to learn about a lot of basics that will be useful later on in this career path, you know? Alright, let’s say you have already done your 12th grade, so what’s next then? Let’s find out.

2. Complete Your Bachelor’s Education Like B.Com Or BBA

The next step you must take in this pathway to become an investment banker is that you have to get your hands on a Bachelor’s degree. For that, if you are coming from a Commerce background, you can pursue the B.Com course, or if you are a science student, then you can continue with BBA. But with BBA, you must choose banking, accounting, finance, and BFSI as particular specializations. See, upon completing these courses, you can land an entry-level job in the finance industry, like an intern, entry-level analyst, or anything like that. If you want and if you can, then for sure consider these job prospects because they’ll give you some work experience before you actually land the job as an investment banker in some high-level financial institute or bank in the country.

3. Sign Up For A Masters Course In Your Relevant Field

Let’s say you have your Bachelor’s degree in your hand already, and now you want that next step that can take you one step closer to becoming an investment banker, right? Well, that next step would be to actually sign up for a master’s course, like an M.Com or MBA (with specializations related to the finance industry, of course).

4. Pursuing Professional Certifications Or Course

Let’s say you have just finished your M.Com or MBA, and now you think you can apply for that investment banker job role, right? Yeah, you can do that, but the chances of you landing that job are very slim, to be honest. That’s because there are two more things that the banks and financial institutions require you to have to actually become an investment banker. And yes, you guessed it just right, you must pursue a professional-level certification or course, which can be either a CA (Chartered Accountant) or CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) course.

5. Get Some Actual Experience In The Field

Well, after cracking that CA or CFA certificate, you are now all set to become an investment banker right here in India. But you’ll still have a lot of issues with that, but why? Well, many financial institutions or banks ask about your work experience before they give you that job role, you know? And for that, you must have considerable experience working as a CA or CFA in the county. The equation is pretty simple actually, the more experience you have, the better chances there are of you becoming an investment banker. Simple as that! Though, one thing you can do is to actually apply for some investment banking internships to make sure you have the right skills and expertise to finally land that dream job of yours.

Conclusion

That’s pretty much it. We tried our best to clear things up, well, at least as much as we could, you know? So yeah, the path to becoming an investment banker is laid out right in front of you, all you need to do is see whether you see yourself working as an investment banker. If yes, then just take action.