- Sulaiman Merchant began investing during the Covid-19 pandemic with Vodafone Idea shares
- He bought 50,000 to 100,000 shares when the stock was around Rs 2.3 each
- Merchant sold his shares at Rs 7-7.5, calling the investment a beginner's luck
Music composer Sulaiman Merchant's opened about his investment journey, which began during the Covid19 pandemic with a bet on Vodafone Idea shares.
Speaking at the NDTV Profit IGNITE 2026, Merchant said that his foray into stock market began while discussing investment opportunities with his brother-in-law and came across the company ahead of a Supreme Court hearing.
Trading at around Rs 2.3 piece, the stock grabbed his attention amid alleged concerns about the telecom company's survival. They decided to invest on the stock despite such concerns as people were expected to remain dependent on mobile data for online work and education during the pandemic.
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Calling the investment a "gamble", Merchant said that they bought around 50,000 to 1 lakh shares. The stock eventually rallied, and he sold the shares for around Rs 7-7.5 per share.
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This nvestment was boosted his excitement for the stock market. Merchant said watching the stock price rise gave him a rush comparable to creating a new music or performing before an audience. "So when you go on stage and you're performing for 20,000, 30,000 people, that excitement and this one sitting at home in your bed and watching the stock go up," he said.
Merchant added that the his first investment sparked interest in investing, although the initial decision was largely a speculative bet rather than the result of detailed analysis. He described the Vodafone Idea investment as beginner's luck, which helped him enter the market, while eventually studied the market and has now reached a stage where he is comfortable with the market.
Despite being comfotable with market, Merchant described a certain attarction towards some stocks, with certain company names grabbing his attention without any particluar reason. He said, "I don't know why there are some names just. They look at me and say buy me."
In case of certain stocks, the composer said the finds it difficult to sell. Drawing parallels with music, Merchant said, "There are some things which I don't feel like letting go. So some stocks which I have have that story for me. It's the same thing with some of the songs when you make or your first composition."
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