Investor Base Hits Record Milestone
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) announced that unique trading accounts, or client codes (UCCs), have crossed a historic 25 crore mark in February 2026. Remarkably, the most recent one crore accounts were added in just two months, reflecting the accelerating pace of retail participation in capital markets. Over the last 16 months, five crore accounts—20% of the total—were added, highlighting growing household interest in equities. As of January 31, 2026, the number of unique registered investors stood at 12.7 crore.
Geographical Spread and Market Drivers
Maharashtra leads the investor base with 4.2 crore accounts, followed by Uttar Pradesh (2.8 crore), Gujarat (2.2 crore), West Bengal and Rajasthan (1.4 crore each). The top five states account for nearly 49% of all accounts, while the top ten contribute over 73%. The surge is attributed to rapid digitization, fintech innovations, low-cost trading platforms, and increasing investor confidence. Strong market performance has further bolstered participation, with Nifty 50 and Nifty 500 delivering annualized returns of 11.3% and 13.7% over the last five years.
Growing Wealth Creation and Investor Awareness
Indirect participation is also on the rise, with nearly 6 crore new SIP accounts opened between April 2025 and January 2026, and average monthly inflows rising to ₹28,766 crore. Individual investors now hold 18.6% of NSE-listed companies’ market capitalization, up from 14.6% five years ago. NSE’s investor education initiatives, including 22,931 Investor Awareness Programs covering nearly 12 lakh participants, have reinforced disciplined investing. Sriram Krishnan, NSE’s Chief Business Development Officer, emphasized that expanding participation across equities, debt, ETFs, REITs, InvITs, and government securities will strengthen sustainable wealth creation while ensuring market resilience, transparency, and inclusivity for India’s long-term growth.
(This article has been syndicated from ANI)
Aishwarya is a journalism graduate with over three years of experience thriving in the buzzing corporate media world. She’s got a knack for decoding business news, tracking the twists and turns of the stock market, covering the masala of the entertainment world, and sometimes her stories come with just the right sprinkle of political commentary. She has worked with several organizations, interned at ZEE and gained professional skills at TV9 and News24, And now is learning and writing at NewsX, she’s no stranger to the newsroom hustle. Her storytelling style is fast-paced, creative, and perfectly tailored to connect with both the platform and its audience. Moto: Approaching every story from the reader’s point of view, backing up her insights with solid facts.
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