Stocks to buy | Dussehra 2026 special: In India, starting an investment on an auspicious occasion is an age-old tradition. The tradition has continued; however, over time, the investment instruments have changed. In ancient times, during the Palaeolithic period (5,00,000 to 10,000 BC), there is no evidence of any investment as people used to live on the basis of hunting. Evidence of celebrations, gifting, and investment dates to the Neolithic period (6,000 BC to 1,000 BC), when people moved from hunting to agriculture. During this period, they began domesticating animals, which were used as a source of food and for insurance during famines and rainy seasons.
They used to celebrate crop harvests and adopted a gifting culture, handing over crops and domesticated animals to their near and dear ones. So, in India, investment existed even when there was no financial instrument like currency. Buying of land and domestic animals through the payment of money, called ‘Pana’ is available during the Vedic Period. Later on, the investment shifted towards precious metals like gold and silver, as well as their ornaments, and this trend continues.
In modern India, people with abundant wealth have the luxury to invest in physical gold, silver, land, etc. However, for a marginal retail investor, physical gold and silver have shifted to electronic and digital gold and silver. In digital gold and silver, an investor can invest with a Re 1 investment. Likewise, if an investor can't afford to buy land paying a hefty amount upfront, they can buy a unit of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs).
Similarly, on an auspicious occasion, there is a tradition in India to start a new company or its subsidiary, or announce a new company for the next generation. However, this is not a piece of cake for every individual. For such marginal investors, there are listed companies whose shares are available for buying and selling on the BSE and the NSE. A retail investor can buy stocks of companies listed on the BSE and the NSE, and these stocks are expected to grow over time.
For stock investors planning to add some value picks to their portfolios this Dussehra, Mahesh M Ojha, VP — Research and Business Development at KC Securities, has recommended three long-term shares, predicting a whopping return by next year's Dussehra. Those three shares are ICICI Bank, Adani Ports, and Reliance Industries.