As per the famous adage of Winston Churchill, ‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts’. Acknowledging the above-mentioned statement, Ritu Jain mentions that life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. She further adds, “Opportunities are rarely presented to anyone in a gift box. The good opportunities are messy, confusing, and hard to recognize. Since they are risky and challenging, to exploit these opportunities, you must be proactive and courageous”. Remaining synergistic with her viewpoints about exploring the opportunities dynamically, Ritu tries to remain updated on the business environment continuously, and that’s the silver lining of her success as a quintessential investment banker. Remaining aware of the major economic, regulatory, and policy changes along with their implications for the sectors their investment banking practice is focusing on, Ritu is gradually making a prominent position for herself as a competent woman leader across the challenging domain of investment banking. Emphasizing exclusively excellent negotiation skills, Ritu advises the same to the other professionals operating across this dynamic domain and states that, for successful dealmaking, people should perceive the individual to be a genuine and authentic person.

Below is an excerpt of Ritu’s excerpt with women entrepreneur magazine.

What Motivated You To Establish Eos Capital Advisors? Tell Us About The Underlying Idea Behind The Organization And Its Unique Features.

My father always taught me that the size of your dreams must always exceed your current capacity to achieve them. If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough. As a child, I had a dream – a dream of creating something of my own! After graduating from the ISB Hyderabad, I was climbing the corporate ladder well, but my passion to pave my path was haunting me. So, one day, I decided to quit my well-paying job and started my boutique Investment Bank. As they say, every big journey begins with one step, and EOS Capital Advisors is my first big step.

What Are The Various Roles & Responsibilities That You Shoulder As The Founder Of Eos Capital Advisors? Tell Us About Some Key Business Challenges That You Face In Your Current Role And How Do You Counter Them?

As the founder, I am involved in a lot of things across the value chain of Investment Banking, starting from business development to the preparation of the financial models and negotiation with various lenders. Making the team members grow and move-up on the learning curve is an essential role I have to play because the long-term success and sustainability of my Investment Bank depends on that.

In Your Opinion, What Are Some Of The Most Significant Milestones That You Have Achieved Throughout Your Professional Journey?

Since its inception, energy and infrastructure have been the two important focus areas of EOS. Initially, EOS Capital Advisors focused mainly on Conventional Power, Healthcare & Education. In 2013/2014, we were quick to recognize the huge opportunities across the Renewable & Roads segment. This was also the time when NHAI was coming-up with road bids on the HAM model and the Government had announced massive goals for renewable energy. Similarly, in 2016/2017, we started keenly following the Water and the Waste to Energy sectors. By this time, we had also realized that there weren’t many players offering well-structured Debt Advisory in the country, especially in the mid-market segment. We developed collaborative relationships with firms, lenders & investors and soon went up the learning curve to become a prominent name in Infrastructure Financial Advisory.

“Making the team members grow and move up on the learning curve is an essential role i have to play, because long-term success and sustainability of my investment bank depends on that”

How Do You Foresee The Indian Investment Banking Landscape Evolving Soon? What Steps Do You Take To Keep Yourself Well Aligned With These Changes?

Emerging technology is one of the factors that will have a tremendous impact on shaping the future of investment banking in India. Digitalization, AI, big data, mobile technologies, and augmented & virtual reality will rapidly impact the course of banking across all financial sectors. E-trading has become the dominant technology in financial areas, hence, there is an urgent need to reform multiple trading platforms and investment banking IT systems. Technology will also promote safer work environments, meanwhile, enhancing the customer experience and increasing productivity. A wave of new infrastructure schemes and programs has caught the attention of investors. From India to the US, governments believe that spending on infrastructure will lead to domestic financial growth. Since there is a particular interest to invest in infrastructure projects, real estate and energy-related infrastructure spending are bound to make a significant impact on the future of investment banking in the country.

Drawing From Your Experience As A Successful Business Leader, What Would Your Advice Be To Young Women Who Also Aspire To Become Business Leaders And Entrepreneurs In The Future?

I have always believed that the key to success is to understand your strengths and passions. Passion is the driving force that keeps us excited and gives us the motivation to do anything we set our minds to doing and, ultimately, to live a purposeful, fulfilled, and meaningful life. Life is too short to not be passionate about what we do. Apart from passion, another personality trait that I consider has helped me succeed is my caring attitude towards people. To me, people are everything. Natural energy comes from genuinely caring about each other.

In terms of advice, no matter what your dream is, you need to have the drive to follow through. If you’re doing something you truly love, you must have the resilience to succeed as long as arming yourself with the proper tools. I would advise young women entrepreneurs to avoid the fear of failure. Take every problem as a challenge and never stop believing in yourself and your dreams.

Ritu Jain, Founder, CEO & MD, EOS Capital Advisors

Prior to her MBA from the founding batch of the Indian School of Business (ISB) Hyderabad, Ritu completed her Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Telecommunication engineering with gold medal. Immediately after ISB, she established the Asset Management practice for HDFC in Rajasthan and worked with top-notch conglomerates like American Express Bank, Morgan Stanley, Barclays and Avendus Capital in various leadership roles before starting her own Investment Bank. For her achievements as a proficient investment banker and inspiring modern-day leader, Ritu has been awarded with ET Most Promising Women Business Leader Award 2021.