NSE registered investor base crosses 13 crore (130 million) unique investors

Panaji-The unique registered investor base on the National Stock Exchange of India has crossed the 13-crore (130 million) mark as of April 27, 2026, nearly seven months after reaching 12 crore in September 2025. The total number of client codes stands at 25.7 crore as of April 25, 2026, having crossed 25 crore in February 2026.

Shri Sriram Krishnan, Chief Business Development Officer, NSE, said:“Crossing the 13-crore registered investors mark is a significant milestone we have achieved this year. Despite the prevalent geopolitical uncertainty, adding one crore investors in roughly seven months reflects the underlying strength of investor participation in Indian capital markets.”

Investor growth has accelerated significantly over time. While it took 14 years to reach the first crore investors and another 11 years to add three crore, recent momentum has seen an addition of one crore investors every 6–8 months. Over the past five years (FY21–FY26), the investor base has grown at a CAGR of 26.4%, compared to 15.2% in FY16–FY21, reflecting deeper retail participation driven by digital access and increased financial awareness.

Benchmark indices have delivered steady returns, with Nifty50 and Nifty 500 generating annualised returns of 10.8% and 13.3% respectively over the past five years. NSE-listed companies’ market capitalisation has grown at an 18% CAGR to ₹460.6 lakh crore, contributing to household wealth creation. Individual investors now hold 18.6% of the market, directly and via mutual funds.

The investor base is becoming younger and more diverse. The median age has declined to 33 years, with nearly 40% below 30, and women accounting for nearly one-fourth of investors. Participation has expanded geographically across 99.85% of India’s pin codes, with strong growth in smaller states and Tier 2–4 cities.

Systematic investing continues to grow, with 7.2 crore new SIP accounts added in FY26 and average monthly inflows rising to ₹29,132 crore. NSE has also strengthened investor education, conducting over 17,700 awareness programmes in FY26 and reaching more than 9.3 lakh participants.

Established in 1994, NSE is India’s largest stock exchange by turnover and the world’s largest derivatives exchange by trading volume (FIA 2025).