Bengaluru woman repays Rs 43 lakh education loan over eight years
Arpitha Rao took her three-year-old son to the bank to witness the closure of her debt.
Arpitha Rao, a Bengaluru-based impact consultant, recently closed an education loan of approximately Rs 43 lakh after an eight-year repayment period. Rao, an alumna of the Indian School of Business (ISB), brought her three-year-old son to the bank to witness the final transaction, according to reports by The Times of India and Moneycontrol.
Rao stated on LinkedIn that she wanted her son to observe the milestone to learn about the importance of earning and achieving financial independence. She noted that while some of her ISB classmates cleared their loans in two to four years due to family support, her journey was different as her father stopped providing financial assistance when she was 18.
The repayment process involved navigating several professional and personal challenges. Rao mentioned experiencing a period of no income around the time of her child's birth and alleged that a startup employer failed to pay her six months of maternity benefits. Her career also included an unsuccessful entrepreneurial venture and periods of accepting lower salaries during transitions.
Throughout the eight years, Rao worked with organisations including Sattva, Intellecap, and Sagana, focusing on sectors such as climate, gender, and education. She described the bank visit as an emotional milestone, though she joked that her son was more interested in the security guard's gun.
Having cleared the debt, Rao is now establishing her own advisory and coaching business. She has also developed a six-week training course designed to help professionals gain skills in areas like impact investing and consulting.