Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath recently took to social media to express his frustration with telemarketers who constantly pester him, reminiscent of his time making unsolicited calls while working at a call center. Kamath humorously mentioned how his phone is always on silent due to the influx of telemarketing calls, suggesting that karma might be at play given his past experiences in the industry.
Reflecting on his humble beginnings, Kamath started stock trading in his teenage years with minimal capital and supplemented his income through various side jobs, including working at a call center and a stall where he earned ₹200 a day. However, the dotcom bust in the 2000s led Kamath to make outbound calls from a 24/7 call center, further shaping his career trajectory in the finance industry. His journey eventually led to the establishment of Zerodha in 2010, a popular online trading platform.
A recent survey conducted by LocalCircles in India highlighted the prevalent issue of telemarketing calls, with 6 out of 10 individuals receiving three or more such calls on a daily basis. The survey identified financial services and real estate as the top categories for telemarketing calls, with a significant percentage of respondents reporting receiving multiple spam calls regularly. In response to this nuisance, the Indian government has taken steps to address the issue by establishing guidelines and implementing measures to help consumers control the types of promotional calls they receive.