'Play The Game, Start Early': Ray Dalio's Golden Advice To Young Indians On Wealth Creation

Ace investor Ray Dalio has a simple message for young Indians looking to build wealth for long-term: Invest in yourself first, start early, and “play the game.” Speaking to Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath on his WTF podcast, the hedge fund veteran shared his advice for those starting out with limited resources and big ambitions.

When asked where a 25-year-old in India should invest $100, the billionaire investor emphasised self-improvement over chasing returns. “The first thing I would do is ask myself, ‘What do I need most to be most successful?’ And I would secure that,” said the Bridgewater Associates founder.

Dalio added that the best investment is in education and skills, “Whatever is going to, as a young person, invest in their own success to be able to learn… How do I learn? Do I listen to your podcast? What is it that is going to allow me to invest in myself and learn and get better? That’s the most important thing. That’s the best investment I can make.”

Dalio advised young Indians to get hands-on experience in markets and business early on. “Play the game. If you have an opportunity to play the game, you can play the game,” he said, adding that markets allow even small investors to participate meaningfully.

“At $50, I’d run into the game… because the market pieces can be broken up into small sizes, you can almost play the game the same as a huge investor can play the game.” He stressed that early exposure shapes future success, “The earlier you start learning, the better it is… Play the game, find a game that you love, and ideally, one that makes money. Wow, if you can do those two things together, that’s a terrific thing.”

Dalio also expressed optimism about India’s economic growth trajectory.
“India is at a wonderful arc in terms of its circumstances, its potential, and what it’s developing,” he said. Highlighting strong fundamentals, he added,
“India has the best fundamentals to have the best growth rate… You have to build infrastructure, you don’t have much debt, and you have a large talented population. For those reasons, India over the next 10 years has all the ingredients to really be the strongest growth rate and improvement.”

On young investors speculating in stock markets, Dalio said the risk is acceptable if it’s manageable, “I don’t mind any kind of risk, something that becomes a tolerable amount of risk. That’s different from exploitation.”

However, at the bottom line, Dalio’s advice for young Indians is clear, invest in learning, start early, and immerse yourself in the game. With India’s growth prospects, he believes the next decade offers unparalleled opportunities for those willing to take the initiative.