Individual ownership in NSE-listed firms hits record 19.5% in Q2FY27

Combined individual investors' equity ownership in NSE-listed companies rose to a record 19.5 per cent at the end of the September quarter, as households continued to add to their exposure through direct stock holdings and mutual funds, according to data from the exchange’s India Ownership Tracker.

The combined non-promoter ownership of individuals, including indirect holdings through domestic mutual funds, increased 26 basis points quarter-on-quarter to a fresh high, with the value of their direct and indirect equity holdings standing at ₹90.4 trillion.

Direct ownership by individuals increased for the second consecutive quarter, rising 10 basis points to 9.6 per cent of the market in September, taking their holdings to ₹44.6 trillion in Q2FY27. For comparison, this is just 20 basis points below the post-pandemic peak of 9.8 per cent recorded in December 2024.

“Combined individual ownership has now exceeded FPI ownership for eight consecutive quarters, marking a structural shift first seen in 2024 after nearly two decades of FPI dominance,” the report noted.

The rise in direct ownership was supported by net purchases in the secondary market. Individual investors bought equities worth ₹42,700 crore in the June quarter, the highest in six quarters, followed by net purchases of ₹4,900 crore in the September quarter. They had turned modest net sellers in FY26 for the first time in seven years.

On the other hand, FPI ownership in NSE-listed companies fell 38 basis points quarter-on-quarter to 14.7 per cent in September, marking a 21-year low and the first time in 17.5 years that it slipped below 15 per cent.

Total promoter ownership in the broader NSE-listed universe, meanwhile, rose in the September quarter to a seven-quarter high of 50.4 per cent.

“The increase was led by higher private Indian and foreign promoter holdings, partly offset by a dip in government share,” the report noted.