“I Lost ₹50,000 When I Was Earning ₹3,000 a Month” — The Untold Struggle of NSE CEO Ashish Chauhan
How do you come back after losing 16 months of salary to a scam? Most people would give up. Ashish Chauhan turned it into the foundation of his success.
Today, he’s the CEO of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) — India’s largest stock exchange. But few know that early in his career, he lost nearly everything to the Harshad Mehta scam, one of the biggest market frauds in Indian history.
In a recent interview with NDTV Profit, Chauhan revealed the personal blow that shaped his entire career — a ₹50,000 loss when he was earning just ₹3,000 a month.
That’s not just a financial hit — that’s a gut punch.
The Year Was 1992. The Scam Was Everywhere. And So Was Greed.
If you’ve heard of Harshad Mehta, you know the story: a stockbroker turned market manipulator who triggered a ₹4,000+ crore scam that rocked the Indian economy.
What most people don’t know is how regular investors got burned — and Ashish Chauhan was one of them.
He was young, ambitious, and new to the markets. Like thousands of others, he got swept up in the euphoria.
“I lost ₹50,000. My salary was ₹3,000 a month,” Chauhan shared. “It was painful, but it taught me a lesson I never forgot.”
The Lesson That Cost Him Everything — But Saved His Future
1. Don’t Chase Easy Money
The scam promised quick returns. It was a bull run, and everything looked like a sure bet. But Chauhan learned the hard way that what goes up fast, crashes even faster.
2. Avoid Leverage Like the Plague
Leverage — borrowing money to invest — was everywhere. And it still is today. Chauhan’s loss was a direct result of this risk. His advice now? “Leverage multiplies both your wins and your losses. Most people only remember the first part.”
3. Emotion Is the Investor’s Worst Enemy
He admits he got caught up in the hype, made emotional decisions, and paid the price. That pain? It became his ultimate teacher.
From Crushing Loss to CEO of the NSE
You’d think losing over a year’s worth of income would scare someone away from the markets forever.
But Ashish Chauhan didn’t quit — he doubled down. He became one of the founding members of the NSE, helped build India’s digital trading backbone, and today, he sits at the top of the financial system that once burned him.
Talk about a comeback.
Why This Story Matters More Than Ever
In 2025, the markets are hotter than ever. Social media influencers are promoting “get-rich-quick” trades. Leveraged products are just a click away. Young investors are making the same mistakes Chauhan made in the ’90s — but on steroids.
“It’s easy to get pulled in by promises of quick gains,” Chauhan says. “But the real winners are the ones who think long-term and respect the risks.”
If the CEO of NSE can lose his life savings and still come out on top, there’s hope for every investor — but only if you learn before it’s too late.
What You Can Learn From Ashish Chauhan’s ₹50,000 Mistake
- Never invest more than you can afford to lose.
- If you don’t understand how it works, don’t put your money in it.
- Leverage isn’t your friend — it’s a ticking time bomb.
- Mistakes are okay — as long as they teach you something.
Ashish Chauhan didn’t become a financial leader despite his failure — he became one because of it.
Final Thought: Your Worst Financial Mistake Could Be Your Greatest Asset
It’s easy to look at successful CEOs and think they’ve always made the right calls. But the truth is, many of them made huge mistakes — they just learned faster than everyone else.
Ashish Chauhan’s ₹50,000 loss during the Harshad Mehta scam wasn’t the end of his story. It was the beginning of a smarter one.
He lost money. He gained wisdom. And today, he’s in charge of the very system that once failed him.
