Composer Sulaiman Merchant On Taking A "Gamble" Into Market And "Beginner's Luck"

Did you know, a Supreme Court hearing on Vodafone Idea sparked music composer Sulaiman Merchant's foray into the investment world? At the NDTV Profit Ignite 2026 event, Merchant shed light on how he ventured into investing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Merchant said that he was discussing investment opportunities with his brother-in-law when he came across concerns about Vodafone's alleged survival ahead of a Supreme Court hearing.

Merchant and his brother-in-law decided to invest in the stock despite such concerns. He stated that during the pandemic, everything was running from home on internet and mobile data, which made them believe that Voadafone's closure was not possible.

Sulaiman Merchant On How He Started Investing

Before the hearing, Vodafone's stock was trading about Rs 2.3 apiece. Taking a “gamble," Merchant and his brother-in-law purchased around 50,000 to 1 lakh shares “just as a kick.”

The hearing was stayed, and Vodafone's stock jumped.

“I remember selling it at about Rs 7 to Rs 7.5 or something like that. And the kick in that was massive,” Merchant recalled.
 

He compared the excitement about making a profit gave him a rush comparable to creating new music or performing before an audience.

“So when you go on stage and you're performing for, let's say, 20,000 or 30,000 people, that excitement, and this one sitting at home in your bed and watching the stock go up was almost parallel,” he said.

Sulaiman Merchant On “Beginner's Luck”

Merchant told investor Vijay Kedia that while his first success in the investment market was the result of “beginner's luck,” he started researching the market.

The music composer said he started studying the market and has now reached a stage where he is comfortable with his knowledge levels.

“Today when the market falls, I get happy and say I can invest now. When people are running out, I am running in,” he added.

Despite being comfortable with the market, Merchant stated that certain company names get his attention without any particular reason. "I don't know why there are some names that jump out at me and say, 'buy me'," he mentioned.

He also said that there were some stocks he found difficult to sell, comparing them to songs he found hard to let go of.