Looking to double investor base in 3-5 years: Sebi Chairman

Last week, the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) said its total unique trading accounts surpassed 24 crore. The number of unique registered investors stood at 12.2 crore as of October 31, 2025, the exchange said.

Citing a Sebi survey, Pandey said that around 63 per cent of investors are aware of the securities market, but only 9.5 per cent of households have yet invested. The survey also showed that nearly 22 per cent of households are looking to invest in the securities market some way or other over the next 12 months.

He further said over the past ten years, capital markets — equity and debt together — have facilitated average issuances of roughly Rs 9.5 lakh crore every year. Even in the current financial year, from April to October of FY26, equity capital raised has already crossed Rs 2.5 lakh crore, while corporate bond issuances have touched almost Rs 5.5 lakh crore in the first seven months, reflecting strong market buoyancy.

The growth of the mutual fund industry, from Rs 12 lakh crore in FY16 to nearly Rs 80 lakh crore at present, signifies the emergence of millions of first-time savers as stakeholders in India’s growth. The rise of the Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) ecosystem, from a modest Rs 0.2 lakh crore in FY16 to more than Rs 6 trillion currently, marks another shift: risk capital is flowing into startups, early-stage ventures and new-economy businesses at a scale that was unimaginable even a decade ago, he said.

“The securities market is no longer a passive mirror of the economy — it is an active partner in nation-building,” he said.

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