National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) said its registered investor base has crossed the 13 crore mark, stressing the rapid expansion of retail participation in India’s capital markets.

The exchange added that the milestone was reached on April 27, just seven months after crossing 12 crore investors, highlighting the accelerating pace of investor additions.

Investor growth picks up pace

NSE said that it took 14 years to reach the first crore investors, but the pace has sharply increased in recent years, with an additional crore investors being added every 6–8 months on average.

Over the past five years (FY21–FY26), the investor base has grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.4%, significantly higher than 15.2% in the preceding five-year period.

“This rapid rise underscores the continued deepening of retail participation in capital markets, supported by wider digital access, rising market awareness and continued efforts… to make capital markets more inclusive,” NSE said in its release.

Younger and more diverse investor base

The exchange highlighted a shift in the demographic profile of investors, with a median age of 33 years, down from 36 years in FY21. Nearly 40% of investors are below 30, while one in four investors is a woman, reflecting increasing inclusivity in financial markets.

Expansion beyond metros

Investor participation has become geographically widespread, with coverage now extending to 99.85% of India’s pincodes.

States such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat lead in absolute numbers, while smaller states—particularly in the Northeast—have seen multi-fold growth, indicating rising penetration in Tier 2, Tier 3 and Tier 4 cities.

SIP flows indicate disciplined investing

NSE also pointed to sustained growth in systematic investment plans (SIPs), with 7.2 crore new SIP accounts opened in FY26.

Monthly SIP inflows have surged from ₹3,660 crore in FY17 to ₹29,132 crore in FY26, reflecting a steady shift towards disciplined, long-term investing among households.

Sriram Krishnan, chief business development officer at NSE, said the milestone reflects the resilience of investor participation.

“Crossing the 13-crore registered investors mark is a significant milestone… adding one crore investors in roughly seven months reflects the underlying strength of investor participation in Indian capital markets,” he said.

He added that growth has been supported by mobile-based trading, simplified KYC processes and investor awareness programmes, with participation expanding beyond urban centres into smaller cities.