India’s consumer market saw explosive growth when Chinni Krishnan introduced affordable sachets of talcum powder and Epsom salt in the 1970s. This "sachetisation" made luxury products accessible, and a similar opportunity is now emerging in financial markets. The Securities and Exchange Board of India aims to replicate this success by promoting micro systematic investment plans in mutual funds to promote financial inclusion. Yet, a bolder opportunity lies in fractional share trading. By enabling direct ownership of high-value equities through bite-sized purchases, India could ignite its next great wealth-creation wave—provided regulators seize the moment.SEBI's consultation paper proposes reducing the minimum SIP threshold to ₹250, lowering the barrier for investors deterred by high costs and complex procedures. The scheme envisions discounted charges, streamlined KYC processes, and distributor incentives. While laudable for making investing more accessible, this mutual fund sachetisation still shackles retail investors to intermediaries.
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