The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has surpassed the 11-crore mark in its unique investors’ base for the first time. The number of client accounts registered with the exchange now exceeds 21 crore. This milestone highlights a surge in stock market participation.
Investor registrations at the NSE have surged in recent years. The unique investors’ base has grown 3.6 times in the last five years. It took 14 years after the NSE’s launch in 1994 to reach 1 crore investors. The next 1 crore registrations took around seven years. The pace then increased, with the following crore added in 3.5 years. The NSE added its fourth crore in just over a year.
“The rate of growth has accelerated significantly,” said the NSE. “Each additional crore of investors is now added in 6-7 months. The last 1 crore came in just over five months, showing a shift in investor enthusiasm.”
Key Drivers Behind Growth
The rise in unique investors stems from several factors. Strong market performance, increased investor awareness, financial inclusion efforts, and rapid digitisation have all contributed. In the last five months, daily new unique investor registrations have ranged between 47,000 and 73,000.
In 2024, the Nifty 50 index posted an 8.8% return. The Nifty 500 index saw a 15.2% gain. Indian markets have delivered positive returns for nine consecutive years. Over the five years ending in December 2024, the Nifty 50 and Nifty 500 posted annualised returns of 14.2% and 17.8%, respectively.
The market capitalisation of NSE-listed companies has risen nearly six times, from Rs 73.5 lakh crore in May 2014 to Rs 425 lakh crore today, reflecting the strength of India’s stock market.
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