Editor’s Note: Embrace The Old This New Year

In India, one of the factors that sets the food journey apart is that it takes twists and turns with changing seasons. For instance, every winter my grandmother used to make laddoos—using til (sesame, both white and black), methi dana (fenugreek, the laddoo known as kasar in Bihar), tissi (flaxseeds) and so on, with jaggery being the binding agent. Some of my north Indian friends have grown on pinnis (atta laddoos with dry fruits) and panjiri (the non-laddoo version of pinnis with a fair amount of ginger powder), packed with desi ghee. These ingredients are said to keep the body warm.

While many households have moved over such practices, these ingredients have reared their heads in new forms and now have the sobriquet of “health foods”. The market is crowded today with new health snacks, with different combinations of the same ingredients.

In search of the new, we often ignore the old, which may hold the key to healthy practices and habits. Our saving habits are no different. The Thirsty Crow tale that most of us have read (the Panchtantra tales have truly stood the test of time) is about patience and perseverance to earn a reward. In the tale, the crow throws pebbles in a pitcher to raise its level and quench his thirst. The systematic investment plan (SIP) follows the exact approach. Consistent small savings, done with patience and perseverance over a period of time, are likely to give big rewards.

The age-old Indian proverb of ‘jitni chadar hai utne hi pair phailao’ (cut your coat according to the cloth) can help you budget wisely and steer clear of debt. While modern-day lives are rarely without debt (the equated monthly instalments or EMIs are all debt payments), you can at least ensure that the EMIs are in proportion with your income and repaying capacity.

The age-old investing ethics are still relevant, but the “new” is always tantalizing, but should you give in?

There were many “new-s” in the investment landscape in 2025, including the launch of specialised investment funds (SIFs) and real estate investment trusts (Reits) getting equity status. Do they have a connection with the old? Yes.

SIFs are being seen as a bridge between mutual funds (MFs) and portfolio management services (PMSes) and meant for high net-worth individuals (HNIs), but HNIs could still stick to the products SIFs are a bridge between. However, SIFs are more flexible than MFs and more regulated than PMS.

As for Reits, they just add to the huge stocks universe that gets confusing for retail investors in any case. But the fact that MFs can invest in Reits can make portfolios more diversified, in the end benefitting investors. Could funds do without it? Yes, they could, but it’s a given that the investing universe is widening at a faster pace.

When you are choosing a new investment product or strategy, don’t just go for the “new”. Remember that a lot of it already exists in the market and may well be a part of your portfolio in another form (think of a laddoo instead of a seed mix snack!). It doesn’t make sense to duplicate strategies and investment products to overcrowd a portfolio that’s on course already.

Keep it simple this new year and stick to the good old basics. You may not need to change anything just to chase the “new”.