They accounted for 39.1 per cent of the premium paid to trade equity options in September 2025.
Sebi Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey announced intensified surveillance and technology-driven enforcement to combat pre-investment scams targeting retail investors, who are increasingly being lured by fake trading apps and promises of high returns.
Direct plans of mutual fund schemes added nearly 21 million individual investor folios in FY26 (as of February), surpassing regular plans' 15 million net additions, marking only the second time direct plans have outpaced regular plans in annual folio growth, despite turbulent equity markets.
India's gross savings rate is projected to be nearly 47 basis points higher in FY25 than previously estimated, following the Securities and Exchange Board of India's (Sebi) revision of the methodology for calculating household savings routed through the securities market.
The Powerica Limited IPO opened on March 24, 2026, with muted Day 1 subscription. Check latest GMP, price band, lot size, issue details, and investor response.
Retail investors are moving away from a buy-and-hold approach and towards more informed short-term positioning, recent investment patterns show.
The post-Covid euphoria surrounding direct equity investing has ebbed in 2025. Individual investors have turned net sellers in the domestic equity market, pulling out about 8,461 crore so far this year - a sharp reversal from the record purchases seen in 2024, according to a report by the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE).
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said the government cannot restrain retailers from trading in Futures and Options (F&O) but will definitely create awareness regarding the risks involved in putting money in such instruments.
Analysts are increasingly optimistic about India's capital markets, with HDFC AMC, CAMS, and KFin Technologies identified as top investment picks. This optimism stems from a structural shift in household savings towards financial instruments and an expected multi-year earnings expansion for market infrastructure providers and asset management companies.
'People become guided by emotions, fear of missing out, and greed. They tend to invest in booming sectors that may prove exceptionally expensive.' 'Typically, that represents the peak, and subsequently, they lose substantially.'
'We are staying away from making forward-looking statements on when we will reach 1 trillion, etc. But growth will be rapid; it's only a matter of time.'
Market watchers link the pullback to underwhelming listing-day performance and the lack of big-name IPOs.
'Except for extremely conservative investors, others can consider allocating 10 to 20 per cent of their portfolio to small caps.'
'For the initial decade, I consistently advise young professionals to prioritise career development and income growth rather than market analysis.'
The inauguration of Noida International Airport (NIA) is set to significantly increase property values in micro-markets along the Yamuna Expressway, with projections indicating a 28 per cent rise for plots and 22 per cent for apartments over the next two years, according to Colliers.
'Indian investors have always been debt-heavy but with growing financial awareness they are getting comfortable with equities.'
The initial public offering of non-banking financial company Tata Capital Ltd got fully subscribed on the final day of bidding on Wednesday. The company's Rs 15,512 crore share sale received bids for 45,84,78,044 shares against 33,34,36,996 shares on offer, translating into 1.38 times subscription, according to NSE data till 13:36 hours.
The initial public offer of app-based beauty and home services platform Urban Company Ltd received overwhelming investor participation, with the issue getting a huge 103.63 times subscription on the last day of bidding on Friday. The Rs 1,900-crore IPO received bids for 11,06,46,08,960 shares against 10,67,73,244 shares on offer, according to NSE data.
The initial public offering of LG Electronics India Ltd received 54.02 times subscription on the final day of bidding on Thursday, driven by overwhelming participation from institutional buyers.
10 stocks from the Nifty 200 index that offer good growth potential and scope to deliver decent returns from current levels, based on brokerage estimates.
'Sebi's measures are necessary to align the derivatives market with its underlying cash market, as the current disconnect is unsustainable.'
2025 marked a shift in investor preference when it comes to MF schemes.
'Large firms and their interests can dominate the narrative, even as smaller stakeholders and retail investors struggle to be heard.' 'Regulators therefore require deep subject-matter expertise to assess representations, recognise underlying incentives, incorporate the perspectives of less-visible stakeholders, and guard against bias or capture,' notes Ananth Narayan.
In the Indian stock market, investors are interested in the actions of both domestic and foreign institutional investors (FIIs and DIIs). These groups have wealth as well as expertise in research, which makes them powerful participants in the Indian stock market. Their buy and sell positions have a large effect on stock prices and market sentiment due to the large volume.
Sometimes, the most powerful Budgets whisper and the wisest investors listen, notes Ramalingam Kalirajan.
Domestic institutional investors (DIIs), mostly mutual funds and insurance companies, overtook foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) in ownership of NSE-listed companies in the March quarter of 2025. According to Prime Database, DIIs held a 17.62 per cent stake, up from 16.89 per cent in the December 2024 quarter.
Many are attracted by the potential for large gains, but don't necessarily seem to understand that a single trade gone wrong can wipe out their accumulated profits.
The proposals outlined in Budget 2026-27 represent a carefully crafted, multi-year strategy designed to strengthen India's big bets on the path to Viksit Bharat 2047, says Sameer Gupta.
'Begin with a small investment, observe performance, then scale up gradually.'
'Trading without strict position sizing, stop-loss discipline, or a clear exit plan almost guarantees losses.' 'Chasing tips, reacting to intraday noise, or assuming frequent trading improves outcomes are equally damaging habits.'
'Investors who remain calm, consistent, and disciplined through short-term volatility are usually the ones who benefit most in the long run.'
Markets regulator Sebi has proposed introducing a single window access for low risk foreign investors seeking to participate in the Indian securities market, a move aimed at simplifying compliance and enhancing the country's attractiveness as an investment destination.
More than a third of 83 mainboard IPOs this year ended their debut sessions in the red, with losses of up to 35 per cent.
An analysis by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has revealed that retail traders remain at the wrong end of the stick when it comes to equity derivatives trading. About 93 per cent of them incurred an average loss of Rs 2 lakh (per trader) during the last three financial years. The new report highlights an increase in the loss-making individual investors in futures and options (F&O) to 91.1 per cent in FY24 compared to 89 per cent in FY22.
National Stock Exchange (NSE) chief Ashishkumar Chauhan on Friday cautioned retail investors against trading in derivatives and suggested them to invest in equities through mutual fund route. He emphasized that trading in Futures & Options (F&O) derivatives should be limited to informed investors who can manage risk and comprehend the market. Recently, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and chief economic advisor V Anantha Nageswaran flagged the growing risk of F&O trading for retail investors.
Over 50 per cent, or 660 stocks, from the BSE 1000 index recorded negative returns during CY25.
This Budget positions India's taxation ideology as not merely a revenue source but as a strategic catalyst for growth, inclusion and long-term confidence.
Former IPS officer Amar Singh Chahal allegedly shot himself after claiming he was duped of Rs 8.10 crore by cyber thugs. He was one of the accused in the 2015 police firing cases related to anti-sacrilege protests in Faridkot.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is set to introduce key reforms aimed at facilitating smoother mega initial public offerings (IPOs). Key among the proposals is a reduction in the quota reserved for individual investors - those applying for less than Rs 2,00,000 per application - from the current 35 per cent to 25 per cent for large IPOs (issue size above Rs 5,000 crore).
Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) poured in Rs 94,829 crore of fresh money into Indian equities in August, the second-highest monthly inflow after record Rs 1.07 trillion influx in October 2024.
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