The Economist · 1 Oct, 09:05 · Finance briefing

Financial astrology is a serious business in India

The Economist reports that financial astrology remains a substantial industry in India, with practitioners advising high-net-worth individuals and corporations on investment timing.

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The briefing

The story
in brief.

What happened, who it affects, and why it landed on our intelligence desk — in plain English, sixty seconds or less.

The Economist reports that financial astrology remains a substantial industry in India, with practitioners advising high-net-worth individuals and corporations on investment timing. Despite global market rationality, this niche persists, reflecting deep cultural roots and specific client demands. Professionals in Indian finance increasingly encounter these requests, requiring a nuanced understanding of how traditional beliefs intersect with modern asset management strategies and client relationship dynamics.

Employer demand for Finance and Accounting skills — indexed growth since 2019
Indicative index of skill mentions in professional job postings for the field this story moves (2019 = 1)

Your move

What this means
for your career.

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You must navigate client expectations where tradition influences financial decisions. This development elevates the value of cultural intelligence and client psychology skills. Professionals in wealth management should prioritise training in behavioural finance to understand these drivers without endorsing pseudoscience. Focus on enhancing your ability to manage diverse client portfolios respectfully. Smart practitioners will integrate these insights into broader relationship management strategies, ensuring compliance while maintaining trust. Develop expertise in cross-cultural communication and ethical advisory practices to thrive in markets where such beliefs persist and influence significant capital allocation decisions effectively.

For this story, the fields that convert it into pay are Finance and Accounting, Psychology, Business And Management and Compliance And Governance — exactly the programmes matched below. The chart shows the indicative salary uplift certified professionals report in each of those fields; every one of them is a click away, from £79, finishing in as few as 20 days.

Indicative salary uplift in the fields matched to this story
Indicative ranges from published continuing-education salary studies, by field — each field is a recommended course below

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