Nearly 63 per cent Indian households are now aware of at least one securities market product, but just 9.5 per cent have put in their money into it, a survey conducted by the Securities and Exchange Board of India said, highlighting a persistent gap between financial access and meaningful participation in capital markets.
The survey, conducted by Sebi covering 90,000 households across urban and rural India, said that only 32.1 million households, or 9.5 per cent, have invested in securities market products. Awareness levels vary sharply across regions and demographics.
Urban households reported 74 per cent awareness, compared with 56 per cent in rural areas, underscoring the uneven spread of financial literacy, Sebi Investor Survey 2025 said.
In India's top nine metros, awareness climbed to 89 per cent, reflecting deeper market penetration and better access to financial intermediaries.
Education and income continue to be strong determinants of market awareness. Postgraduates (86 per cent) and graduates (81 per cent) showed significantly higher familiarity with securities products than households educated up to Class 10, where awareness fell below 50 per cent.
Similarly, households in the top socio-economic category (NCCS A) recorded 84 per cent awareness, while lower-income groups (NCCS C, D and E) lagged at 45 per cent.
Among the age groups, Gen Z -- those born between the late 1990s and early 2010 -- reported 66 per cent market awareness.
Millennials -- those born between the early 1980s and late 1990s -- showed 62 per cent.
People of both the age groups reported higher awareness than Gen X -- those born between 1965 and 1980 -- and older cohorts.
--Khushboo Tiwari, Business Standard
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