Engineer Turned Cost Accountant: Moving Back to India and Starting a Consulting Firm?

Ans: Prefer CSE @ SRM Chennai if possible. Though both are established and reasonably secure, pick SRM if placements are your top priority, pick Manipal if campus life/security atmosphere matters more. The final choice will be yours.

Good luck.
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Radheshyam

Ans: You can hope for lower/midtier NITs for core branches like Civil/Mechanical/Chemical/Production; some newer NITs for EEE/ECE in later rounds; and many lower IIITs/GFTIs for ECE/IT/CSE specialisation branches (especially via CSAB/spot rounds). Exact chances depend heavily on home state/quota/gender and year-wise cutoffs.

Good luck.
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Radheshyam

Ans: Your clarity about life, discipline and independence is very strong. At 61, you have already done the hardest part — you built a corpus that can support your lifestyle for the next 15 years. Now the decision is not about returns, it is about peace, control and dignity of living.

This is a very important life decision. Let us evaluate it calmly.

» Your current situation strength

– No dependents and no legacy requirement
– Medical insurance already in place
– Corpus available for 15 years expenses
– Simple lifestyle and controlled spending

This gives you flexibility. Your decision can focus on comfort and certainty, not only returns.

» Understanding your main concern

Your real issue is not investment return.

Your concern is:

– uncertainty of getting rental house in later years
– loss of independence in old age home
– desire for stable, peaceful living space

So this is a lifestyle security decision, not just a financial one.

» Option 1 – Continue in rented house

Advantages:

– liquidity remains intact
– flexibility to move
– no large capital lock-in

Risks:

– difficulty in getting rental in late 60s or 70s
– dependence on landlords
– mental stress of shifting
– uncertainty at older age

For a disciplined bachelor, this risk is real and increases with age.

» Option 2 – Move to old age home

Advantages:

– no property management
– basic care support
– social environment

Concerns:

– loss of independence
– fixed lifestyle rules
– emotional discomfort
– not aligned with your “self-dependent” mindset

This option does not match your personality.

» Option 3 – Buy plot and build tiny home

Advantages:

– full independence
– lifetime housing security
– no landlord dependency
– emotional comfort and control
– stable living in later years

Concerns:

– large capital withdrawal from mutual funds
– reduced investment corpus
– money gets locked (illiquid)

But here is the key point.

This is not “dead investment”.

This is conversion of financial asset into life security asset.

» Is it right to use mutual fund corpus for this

Yes, but with discipline.

You should not drain the entire corpus.

Better approach:

– use only required portion for land + basic construction
– keep at least 10–12 years expenses still invested
– maintain emergency fund separately

This ensures:

– housing security
– financial security

Both are balanced.

» Your idea of “self-financing” by reinvesting rent amount

This is a very smart thought.

Once you move:

– rent you would have paid becomes your SIP
– this rebuilds part of corpus gradually
– helps maintain investment discipline

This approach reduces the impact of initial withdrawal.

» Key risk to manage before buying tiny home

Before you proceed, ensure:

– location has hospital access
– basic services nearby (grocery, transport)
– low maintenance property
– simple construction (no luxury spending)
– legal clarity of land

Avoid over-investing in construction. Keep it functional, not emotional.

» How to decide finally

Ask yourself one simple question:

What gives you more peace at age 70?

– depending on landlord?
– adjusting in old age home?
– or living independently in your own small space?

Your answer will guide you clearly.

» Finally

In your case, buying a small, simple home is not a financial mistake. It is a life stability decision.

But do it with balance:

– do not exhaust entire mutual fund corpus
– keep sufficient investments for living expenses
– use only required portion for the home
– continue investing (recycling rent as SIP)

This way you protect both:

– your independence
– your financial security

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

Chief Financial Planner,

www.holisticinvestment.in

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramalingamcfp/

Ans: Both are equally good. Both are among the top 12 MBA institutes in India. For Fin JBIMS would be better. For Operations, Systems SJMSOM should be better,

Ans: Chances are slim/Nil for NIT Calicut with the mentioned data.

Good luck.
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Radheshyam

Ans: You can take admission via CUET. Its eligibility is around 50% in Class 12, but admission depends on the specific course’s cutoff and entrance performance.

Good luck.
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Radheshyam

Ans: Chances with top NITs are nil. You have borderline chances with newer/lower NITs, and even then only with lower-demand branches. Keep other option in backup.

Good luck.
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Radheshyam

Ans: Yes for JEE (Mains). But JEE Advanced eligibility is strict and depends on the year of your first Class 12 pass, plus official rules for that session. i..e you will not be eligible for JEE (Adv)

Good luck.
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Radheshyam

Ans: Chances with top NIts are nil. But a few lower-demand branches in lower/newer NITs may be possible only in late CSAB/special rounds if cutoffs stretch unusually.

Good luck.
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Radheshyam