Individual investor participation in India's stock market declined in FY26 for the first time in nearly a decade after sharp corrections in equities, stringent futures and options (F&O) rules, persistent foreign investor selling and weak returns in midcap and smallcap stocks dented retail activity.
Data from the latest NSE Market Pulse report showed the total number of individual investors participating in the NSE cash market fell to 3.59 crore during the 12 months ended April 2026, compared with 3.75 crore in the previous year.