Investors are asking more of their brokers than a slick app, according to Shripal Shah, Managing Director and CEO of Kotak Neo.
Shah spoke in an ETMarkets Smart Talk interview about how the way people invest has changed. In his view, digital convenience alone is no longer enough to win and keep customers. Investors increasingly want a partner who supports them throughout their wealth journey, rather than a platform that only lets them place trades.
He argued that the next phase of broking will be shaped by three things: connected investing, access to research, and human expertise.
Connected investing points to a broking experience in which a customer’s investing activity is linked up, not split across separate tools. Access to research gives investors information to back their decisions. Human expertise keeps real advisers in the picture, even as more of the process moves onto screens.
Shah’s message to the industry is that speed and ease of use are now the starting point. The brokers that stand out will be those that combine technology with research and personal guidance.