New Delhi [India], June 6 (ANI): The National Stock Exchange of India hit a new milestone in June 2026 with unique trading accounts, or client codes, crossing 26 crore, underlining the rapid democratisation of India's capital markets.

The exchange said in a press release on Friday that it added the most recent 1 crore accounts in just under four months, and over 4.3 crore accounts, nearly 17 per cent of the total, were added in the past year alone.

As of May 31, 2026, NSE had over 13.1 crore unique registered investors, having crossed the 13-crore mark in April. Trading accounts outnumber unique investors because one investor can hold multiple accounts with different brokers.

The growth is no longer confined to traditional financial centres. Maharashtra leads with 4.4 crore accounts, 17 per cent of the total, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 3 crore, Gujarat with 2.2 crore, and West Bengal and Rajasthan with 1.5 crore each. The top five states account for nearly 49 per cent of all accounts. But penetration is rising fastest in the Northeast: Mizoram, Sikkim and Meghalaya saw 32.3 per cent, 30.0 per cent and 29.2 per cent of their 2021-25 additions come in 2025 itself.

NSE attributed the surge to rapid digitisation, with mobile trading platforms now accounting for more than a fifth of cash market turnover, plus a simplified KYC framework. Market performance has also supported confidence. Annualised returns for Nifty50 and Nifty 500 stood at 7.1 per cent and 9.8 per cent, respectively for the five years ending June 4, 2026. Market capitalisation of NSE-listed companies grew at a 12.6 per cent CAGR over five years to Rs 462.2 lakh crore, adding to household wealth.

Individual investors now own 18.7 per cent of the market, directly and via mutual funds, as of March 31, 2026. Disciplined investing through SIPs is also deepening. Between April 2025 and March 2026, 7.2 crore new SIP accounts were opened. Average monthly SIP inflows jumped eight-fold in a decade, from Rs 3,660 crore in FY17 to Rs 29,132 crore in FY26.

NSE Chief Business Development Officer Shri Sriram Krishnan said the 26-crore mark 'reflects the continued deepening of investor participation in Indian capital markets.' He noted that despite geopolitical uncertainty, 'the addition of one crore accounts in just under four months underlines sustained investor confidence.' Participation is expanding into Tier 2, 3 and 4 cities, and investors are engaging across equities, ETFs, REITs, InvITs, government and corporate bonds. The recent Electronic Gold Receipts have further broadened access.

With a younger, wider base entering markets, NSE said investor education is critical. Investor Awareness Programs grew five-fold from 3,504 in FY20 to 17,902 in FY26, covering 9.4 lakh participants last year. The Investor Protection Fund stood at Rs 2,890 crore as of April 30, 2026. (ANI)