India, May 13 -- For nearly 15 years, Rohit Mehra (name changed), a 43-year-old marketing professional in Pune, believed he was doing well with money. He had a stable job, avoided unnecessary loans, paid his bills on time, and saved regularly. Every raise made him feel more secure.

But one evening, while planning for his son's higher education, Rohit looked at his bank balance and felt a strange discomfort. The money was there, but the confidence was missing. The future looked more expensive than his savings made him feel prepared for.

That was when he realized the hard truth: his salary had grown for years, but his money had not grown with the same intent.

Rohit's story is familiar to many Indian families. We are taught to study hard,...