The financial technology sector, particularly within brokerage and wealth management, is witnessing a paradigm shift. In this dynamic environment, platforms like Shoonya by Finvasia are reimagining the traditional brokerage model, focusing on accessibility, innovation, and affordability. Rajeev Ranjan, Editor of Digital Terminal recently spoke with Sarvjeet Singh Virk, MD & Co-founder, Shoonya by Finvasia about the company’s approach to addressing market challenges. From leveraging AI for smarter investing tools to offering cost-efficient services, the discussion explores how Shoonya is adapting to the changing landscape and its plans for the future of investing in India.
Rajeev: Can you explain Shoonya's business model and what makes it stand out in India's highly competitive brokerage industry?
Sarvjeet: Shoonya has emerged as a transformative force in India’s competitive brokerage industry, combining cost-effectiveness, technological innovation, and financial inclusivity to redefine retail investing.
Offering over 16 essential services, including analytics and portfolio management tools, completely free, Shoonya reduces barriers to market entry and simplifies the investment journey, particularly for first-time investors.
Leveraging cutting-edge technology, Shoonya provides AI-driven tools like colour-coded stock signals, confidence indicators, and heat maps, empowering retail investors with insights traditionally reserved for institutional players.
Features like streamlined onboarding through AI, real-time sentiment analysis and predictive models enhance user experience and engagement. At the same time, future developments include generative AI solutions and innovative financial products backed by its NBFC license.
By addressing pain points such as high costs and limited access to advanced tools, Shoonya is democratizing investing and establishing itself as a unique and pivotal player in India's evolving brokerage landscape.
Rajeev: Shoonya utilizes a unique data-driven, signal-based modelling approach to help investors make informed investment decisions. How does this work effectively for investors and traders?
Sarvjeet: Shoonya's data-driven, signal-based modelling approach revolutionizes investing by providing investors and traders with advanced insights traditionally reserved for institutional players. By leveraging real-time analytics and AI-driven tools, Shoonya simplifies market complexities, enabling users to make informed decisions and optimize their strategies effectively.
At the core of Shoonya’s approach is the ability to analyses large volumes of market data in real-time, identifying patterns and generating actionable signals. These signals highlight market trends, stock movements, and investment opportunities, making them invaluable for traders and investors. To enhance clarity, Shoonya uses intuitive colour-coded indicators to simplify market interpretation. For example, dark green and dark red signals indicate strong market trends, while light green and red signals show weaker trends.
Shoonya’s collaboration with platforms like "I Know First" amplifies its capabilities by delivering data-driven market signals. Features like daily heat maps and algorithmic forecasts give users insights into price trends and portfolio performance. These tools enable investors to monitor and adjust their strategies in real-time, ensuring they stay ahead in a fast-paced trading environment.
Shoonya’s approach benefits retail investors, democratizing access to sophisticated market analytics. The platform’s signal-based modelling and AI-driven predictions eliminate guesswork, making data-backed decision-making accessible to all. Its intuitive design and affordability make it especially impactful for first-time investors and those from tier-2 and tier-3 cities, where financial literacy may be developing but interest in trading is growing.
By integrating cutting-edge tools, intuitive colour coding, and real-time analytics, Shoonya bridges the gap between institutional expertise and retail investing. This empowers users to confidently navigate markets, making Shoonya a transformative force in India's brokerage industry. The platform's innovative and inclusive model sets a new standard for accessible and effective trading solutions, aligning with its mission to simplify investing for all.
Rajeev: How has Shoonya’s recent pricing adjustments reinforced its position as the most cost-effective stockbroker in the market?
Sarvjeet: At Shoonya, we’ve always strived to make trading and investing accessible and cost-effective. Our recent pricing adjustments reflect our ongoing commitment to offering a transparent and affordable platform. We continue to offer zero brokerage across 16 key areas, including delivery trades, AMC, API access, ETFs (delivery only), mutual funds, bonds, IPOs, and NRI equity delivery trades, ensuring you pay no hidden fees.
Brokerage for all derivatives and options trades will be ₹5 per order; which is competitive as per industry standards.
However, as a customer-centric company, we believe in adding value to our clients. To that end, we are working towards introducing new AI-powered features on the Shoonya app to enhance the trading experience, providing smarter insights and data-driven recommendations to help our customers make unbiased and informed decisions.
Rajeev: How is Shoonya evolving its tech infrastructure for future growth?
Sarvjeet: Shoonya is evolving its tech infrastructure to drive future growth by focusing on in-house technology development and leveraging AI to enhance user experience and operational efficiency. As a tech-first company in the finance sector, Shoonya prioritizes ease of market access, wealth creation, and empowering investors.
The company has streamlined its onboarding process, allowing users to open accounts in under five minutes on its app or website. To ensure security, Shoonya employs a robust two-factor authentication system that includes biometric verification and time-based one-time passwords (TOTP), providing a secure multi-layered approach to account access.
Once registered, users can access Shoonya's multi-asset platform, which allows them to trade and invest in various financial instruments, including stocks, derivatives, commodities, mutual funds, SIPs, bonds, and ETFs, all from a single screen. This unified platform helps users efficiently manage their investments and explore various market opportunities.
Looking ahead, Shoonya plans to redesign the onboarding process for greater user-friendliness. The company is also exploring new ways to enhance the user experience through AI. Already, AI has been integrated into several internal processes, streamlining onboarding, compliance, and business operations and empowering users to make more informed investment decisions.
For example, Shoonya uses an AI model to assist with signature integration during account opening. If a user’s signature is incorrectly uploaded, the system alerts them and guides them through the correction. Additionally, Shoonya is developing AI-based sentiment analysis models to understand customer emotions and pain points better. These insights create customized chatbots that provide real-time, personalized responses, improving customer satisfaction.
Shoonya also runs AI models across its client base to analyse behaviour patterns and offer a more personalized experience. The company is building advanced AI-based cognitive, predictive, and generative solutions for various asset classes. While still in development, this project reflects Shoonya's commitment to innovation and growth. With its NBFC license, the company is dedicated to expanding its financial product offerings to enhance the retail investor experience further.
Through these efforts, Shoonya aims to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving financial landscape, providing users with cutting-edge tools and services.
Rajeev: Which tech trends, especially with respect to the utility of AI & data analytics, do you anticipate to influence the wealth management space?
Sarvjeet: AI and data analytics are reshaping personal wealth management by equipping users with sophisticated tools for greater financial independence. Here’s how this evolution is expected to influence users over the coming years:
Personalized Financial Planning: AI-driven personal finance platforms are expected to grow significantly, with the market projected to reach $10.7 billion by 2030. AI-driven platforms will offer highly personalized financial plans tailored to individual goals, income, spending habits, and risk tolerance. Users will benefit from tools that simulate various life scenarios—such as buying a home, funding education, or planning retirement—helping them make informed decisions with clarity and confidence.
Real-Time Insights and Transparency: AI-enabled dashboards will give users real-time insights into their financial health, portfolio performance, and spending patterns. Predictive analytics will alert users to potential risks, such as market downturns or liquidity issues, enabling proactive adjustments.
Access to Advanced Tools and Data: Users will gain access to sophisticated analytical tools that professionals use, such as sentiment analysis from social media, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) scores, and alternative data insights. This democratization of data helps users uncover unique investment opportunities.
Cost-Effective Wealth Management: AI-powered platforms will drastically reduce the cost of managing wealth. With automated processes and intelligent algorithms, users can access high-quality advice and execution without the traditional fees associated with professional wealth managers.
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