The retail participation in the Indian securities market is undergoing a rapid expansion with the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informing the Parliament that the number of unique individual investors in India has risen sharply from 5.1 crore in FY 2021 to 12.5 crore in FY 2025.
In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said, “Over the last five years, the number of unique individual investors* has increased from 5.1Cr in FY 2021 to 12.5 Cr in FY 2025”.
The term “unique individual investor” refers to unique PAN holders, including individuals, sole proprietorships, NRIs, and HUFs, present in active accounts with non-zero holdings, excluding institutions.
Further, the age profile of new investors indicates a decisive tilt toward younger participants.
Individuals below 30 years accounted for 55.9 per cent of new investors in calendar year 2025, while those aged 30-39 years formed 23.5 per cent of the cohort.
Investors in the 40-49 age group represented 12.2 per cent, followed by 5.5 per cent in the 50-59 bracket and 2.9 per cent among those above 60 years.
“The age distribution of new investors in CY25: below 30 years 55.9 per cent, 30-39 years 23.5 per cent, 40-49 years 12.2 per cent, 50-59 years 5.5 per cent, above 60 years 2.9 per cent,” the minister stated.
The Finance Minister further said that data regarding age-wise average profit or loss incurred by new retail traders is not available with the Securities and Exchange Board of India, which is the country’s market regulator.
On investor awareness, the minister informed that SEBI conducted 35,734 investor education programmes during FY 2024-25 across 724 districts in 36 States and Union Territories.
These programmes focus on risks in the securities market, responsible investing, investor rights and obligations, do’s and don’ts of investing, and protection against scams and frauds, including cyber and digital fraud.
According to the minister, SEBI has also launched the “SEBI vs SCAM” campaign to counter misleading information circulating on social and messaging platforms, while continuing investor education through its dedicated website and the Saa₹thi mobile application.
Additionally, the regulator commissioned a nationwide Investor Survey 2025 covering over 90,000 households across 400 cities and 1,000 villages to assess the penetration and awareness of the securities market in India.
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