J&K’s Investor Base on NSE Jumps Tenfold in a Decade, Driven by Youth and Financial Awareness
Mumbai: Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a remarkable ten-fold surge in its investor base on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) over the past decade — a clear sign of rising financial literacy and growing trust in formal investment platforms.
As per NSE data, the number of registered investors in the Union Territory rose from 65,000 in 2015 to 6.51 lakh in 2025, compared to the national investor base, which expanded from 1.79 crore to 11.28 crore during the same period — a 6.2-fold increase.
NSE Managing Director and CEO Ashish Kumar Chauhan said the sharp rise in participation from Jammu and Kashmir reflects India’s expanding financial inclusion and the deepening reach of its capital markets.
He encouraged investors to focus on long-term, knowledge-driven investments instead of speculation. “When you invest in the stock market, you’re essentially becoming an entrepreneur and contributing to business growth,” Chauhan said.
Sounding a note of caution, he advised against investing in cryptocurrencies, which he said lack intrinsic value. “Never invest in something you don’t fully understand. Learn, analyze, and invest wisely,” he added.
An NSE official highlighted that Jammu and Kashmir’s investor base grew from 40,000 in 2010 to 60,000 in 2014, 65,000 in 2015, and 70,000 in 2016, crossing the one-lakh mark in 2019 just before the COVID-19 pandemic. The number has since grown exponentially to 6.5 lakh in 2025, with projections to reach 7.1 lakh by FY26.
According to Tirthankar Patnaik, Chief Economist of NSE, the surge is largely youth-driven, supported by improved internet connectivity, rising financial awareness, and increasing faith in formal financial systems.
Monthly data also shows a consistent rise in new investors — from 7,500 in May 2025 to 8,400 in June and 10,010 in July this year.
The Union Territory’s Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in investor base stands at 25.5%, outpacing the national average of 19.8%, officials said. Jammu and Kashmir now adds around 10,000 new investors each month to India’s overall investor pool.
Women have played a significant role in this transformation, with female participation at 25%, notably higher than the national average of 16.3%.
Among states, Maharashtra leads with 1.9 crore registered investors (12.3% growth), followed by Uttar Pradesh (1.4 crore), Gujarat (1 crore), West Bengal (70 lakh), and Rajasthan (68 lakh). Together, these five states account for 48% of India’s total registered investor base as of August 2025.
Investor penetration has now reached nearly every part of the country, with only 28 PIN codes reporting no registered investors.
Founded in 1994, the NSE ranks among the world’s top four stock exchanges and has remained the largest derivatives exchange globally since 2019, handling 82% of all global exchange trades last year, according to official data.
