Jammu and Kashmir Sees Ten-Fold Rise In Investor Base On NSE In Last Decade

Jammu and Kashmir has registered a ten-fold increase in the investor base on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) over the last ten years, indicating rising financial awareness and growing trust in formal financial systems.

According to NSE data, the investor base in Jammu and Kashmir rose from 65,000 in 2015 to 6.51 lakh in 2025, showing a ten-fold increase, compared to the overall national investor base, which grew from 1.79 crore in 2015 to 11.28 crore in 2025 -- a 6.2-fold rise.

NSE Managing Director and CEO Ashish Kumar Chauhan said the increasing participation from Jammu and Kashmir demonstrates the country's deepening financial inclusion and growing confidence in the formal capital markets.

He urged investors to stay informed and focus on long-term, knowledge-based investments rather than speculation. “When you invest in the stock market, you are essentially becoming an entrepreneur and contributing to the growth of businesses,” Chauhan said.

Emphasizing caution, he advised against investing in cryptocurrencies, noting that they lack intrinsic value. "Never invest in something you don't fully understand. Learn, analyze, and invest wisely," he added.

An NSE official said in 2010, Jammu and Kashmir had an investor base of 40,000, which rose to 60,000 in 2014, 65,000 in 2015, and 70,000 in 2016.

"The number crossed the one-lakh mark in 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, it has grown to 6.5 lakh in 2025 and is expected to reach 7.1 lakh in the financial year 2026," the official said.

"This growth in the investor base is driven by better internet connectivity, rising financial awareness, and growing trust in formal financial systems. It appears to be largely youth-driven," Chief Economist of the National Stock Exchange of India, Tirthankar Patnaik said.

New investors in Jammu and Kashmir have also shown an increase from 7,500 in May 2025, to 8,400 in June, to 10,010 in July this year, the official added.

As far as the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) is concerned, Jammu and Kashmir has registered 25.5 per cent, compared to the national average of 19.8 per cent in investor base growth over the last ten years, officials said, adding that Jammu and Kashmir is currently contributing around 10,000 new investors every month to the national investor base.

According to NSE data, women are playing a significant role in this transformation. "Female participation in Jammu and Kashmir's investor base stands at 25 per cent -- higher than the national average of 16.3 per cent.

Maharashtra continues to hold the top position among all states, with a registered investor base of 1.9 crore, marking a 12.3 per cent expansion. Uttar Pradesh retained its position as the second-largest contributor, with 1.4 crore registered investors as of August 2025. Gujarat ranked third with one crore investors, followed by West Bengal (70 lakh) and Rajasthan (68 lakh).

Collectively, these five states accounted for 48 per cent of India's total registered investor base as of August 2025, officials said. They added that investor penetration has now reached almost every part of the country, with only 28 PIN codes nationwide reporting no registered investors.

NSE, which began operations in 1994, is among the top four stock exchanges globally and has remained the world's largest derivatives exchange since 2019. Last year, it handled 82 per cent of all global exchange trades, according to official data.