New Delhi, Dec. 14 -- Two men dressed in golden livery stand at the doorway of a hall, blowing trumpets as if announcing the entrance of royalty. A grey-haired, medium-built man saunters in, swaying to the beat of a peppy Bollywood number as the packed hall erupts in cheers.

He dances his way to the front stage, where a giant LED screen flickers with stock tickers and candlestick charts. He grabs the mic and fires off stock tips between sudden, jerky dance moves. A few attendees start swaying in their seats, and before long, half the front row has leapt up to join the gentleman boogying on stage.

Only in India can a stock-trading workshop be almost indistinguishable from a wedding sangeet. And why not? In a country where every moment, f...