“Never stop learning, because life never stops teaching.” A simple motto that Deep Lakhani lives by.
He had enrolled in the EPAT programme to utilize it's project work for his final year of college. Through EPAT, he acquired guidance to explore and implement Algo Trading and is also the recipient of the EPAT Certificate of Excellence.
We connected with Deep to know more about his journey into Algo Trading.
Hi Deep, tell us about yourself!
Hey! I am Deep Lakhani. I am from Mumbai, India. Currently, I'm working for a start-up company that specializes in cryptos, and my job entails developing an algorithm that trades on specific exchanges based on the requirements of the clients.
I love playing volleyball. I used to play when I was in college and participated in tournaments. I have recently gotten into reading.
The pandemic began towards the end of my 3rd year of Engineering. I struggled academically as I had to work on my projects with restricted resources. Otherwise, life has been fairly well and I am grateful.
Being from Engineering (IT), was it challenging for you to grasp the concepts of Algorithmic Trading?
At the time, I only had a basic knowledge of stocks and markets, and it was a different ball game for me altogether. Meanwhile, I was looking into different areas of IT. I got into machine learning but it didn't catch that much of my interest.
While in college, I heard about this whole movement of Algorithmic trading coming to India. I attended a seminar by Rishabh Sanghvi and he inspired me to make my final project related to Algo trading.
It was difficult to grasp the concepts at first, but being from a tech background gave me that advantage to cover the technical aspects and I was able to focus and learn about the marketing side of it. Since my dad is a CA, I had basic knowledge and understanding of finance and the Indian markets.
I was already proficient with the programming language. But, getting the strategy down, now THAT was challenging!
With the placement cell to guide you at EPAT, how was your experience learning Algo Trading?
Since I had no notion of what kind of jobs are available in this field, my first interaction with the placement cell was just getting to know about the available jobs and careers.
There were a couple of profiles that looked the same to me and they helped me differentiate the data sciences and analytics part. From there I got placed in a company I wanted and where someone could guide me into getting to know about the flow-chart that goes into making an end-to-end product for a client.
It has been a boon for me to find QuantInsti, to have such an extensive team to make you understand things on an integrated level. That has been a good experience.
Things fell into place for me and having this knowledge gave me an edge over the others, especially in the competitive world.
Which feature of EPAT really stands out for you?
The EPAT project was integrated into the course. There is ample time dedicated to it and the mentors assigned are experts in their field. They help you understand and practically implement your knowledge. They also help in scheduling the project work.
The lectures were pretty interesting and great. Them being conducted over the weekend worked in my favour. I find it a bit difficult to digest the theory part, but the lecturers are well versed, they know what they’re doing and know where we are coming from.
Any message for the aspiring Quants out there?
Always ask questions. They have a helpful faculty panel that is always ready to address your queries and doubts. And you can rely on their expertise for solutions to them.
Learning is an ever-evolving process.
I don't have much experience but I would like to say that - get a perspective of things, see what you like, and don't settle for things that have been given to you. Urge for more and you will make it through by making an effort.
You are absolutely right Deep, learning is an evolving process and hard work will lead you to fruitful success. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. We are sure you must have worked hard to get the best results for your project and congratulations on your job! We wish you all the best for your future.
If you too desire to equip yourself with lifelong skills which will always help you in upgrading your trading strategies. With topics such as Statistics & Econometrics, Financial Computing & Technology, Machine Learning, this algo trading course ensures that you are proficient in every skill required to excel in the field of trading. Enroll in EPAT now!
Disclaimer: In order to assist individuals who are considering pursuing a career in algorithmic and quantitative trading, this success story has been collated based on the personal experiences of a student or alumni from QuantInsti’s EPAT programme. Success stories are for illustrative purposes only and are not meant to be used for investment purposes. The results achieved post completion of the EPAT programme may not be uniform for all individuals.
