How Are Younger Investors Reshaping India’s Equity Markets?
The share of new investors under the age of 30 has risen sharply in the first four months of FY26, reaching 56.2%, compared to 53.2% in FY25. This marks a rebound after the proportion of young entrants had moderated from its FY22 peak, when nearly three-fifths of new investors were below 30 years of age.
According to the NSE Market Pulse report, since FY23 there has been a steady rise in investors aged 30 and above. This trend has slightly pushed up the mean and median ages of India’s investor base, showing a subtle demographic shift. Yet, compared with the pre-Covid period, the under-30 segment has expanded remarkably — from just 22.6% of all registered investors in FY19 to 38.9% in FY26.
Interestingly, the momentum among sub-40 investors has slowed. Their share — which forms more than two-thirds of India’s total investor base — rose by only 4% in the first four months of FY26, compared to a much stronger 9.1% increase in the same period last year.
On the gender front, Maharashtra and Gujarat lead with female participation at 28.5% and 26.6% respectively. In contrast, Uttar Pradesh — India’s second-largest investor pool — lags with just 18.8% women investors, well below the national average of 24.6%.
👉 Younger Indians are increasingly shaping the equity market, but sustained participation from both youth and women remains key for a balanced investor landscape.
Age Distribution of New Investors (% of yearly additions)
FY | Below 30 | 30-39 yrs | 40-49 yrs | 50-59 yrs | 60 yrs & Above |
FY19 | 45.1 | 27.0 | 12.0 | 8.2 | 7.8 |
FY20 | 52.1 | 26.5 | 10.7 | 6.0 | 4.7 |
FY21 | 57.1 | 25.4 | 9.5 | 4.6 | 2.7 |
FY22 | 59.1 | 23.9 | 10.0 | 4.7 | 2.4 |
FY23 | 58.3 | 24.4 | 10.4 | 4.5 | 2.4 |
FY24 | 55.8 | 25.7 | 10.5 | 5.6 | 2.4 |
FY25 | 53.2 | 27.5 | 11.6 | 5.6 | 2.9 |
FY26* | 56.2 | 25.3 | 11.2 | 5.3 | 2.8 |
*FY26 data is until July
Rise of Under-30 Investors in Total Registered Investor Base
FY | Under-30 Share (%) |
FY19 | 22.6 |
FY20 | 26.3 |
FY21 | 29.4 |
FY22 | 37.5 |
FY23 | 38.5 |
FY24 | 40.0 |
FY25 | 39.5 |
FY26* | 38.9 |
*FY26 data is until July
Written by Indian-Share-Tips.com, which is a SEBI Registered Advisory Services