Guwahati, Oct 1: Meghalaya has emerged among the states with the lowest participation in India’s securities market, with just 4.2% of households invested in financial products such as mutual funds, shares, or bonds—less than half the national average of 9.5%, according to the SEBI Investor Survey 2025.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), along with the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) and the Market Infrastructure Institutions (NSE, BSE, NSDL, and CDSL), commissioned the survey, one of the largest household studies of its kind.
Conducted by Kantar, it covered more than 90,000 households across 400 cities and 1,000 villages, combining quantitative and qualitative methods to capture insights from investors, non-investors, lapsers, intenders, and intermediaries.
In the Northeast, Assam recorded a penetration of 6.5%, Arunachal Pradesh 7.9%, while Nagaland fared lower than Meghalaya at just 3.4%. The report notes that while awareness of securities market products has improved, actual investment levels remain limited across the region.
Nationwide, the survey found a sharp gap between awareness and participation. Around 63% of Indian households—213 million—are aware of at least one securities product, but only 9.5% (32.1 million households) actively participate. Urban participation (15%) far outstrips rural (6%), with Delhi and Gujarat leading.
India’s strong risk-averse mindset is highlighted, with nearly 80% of households prioritising capital preservation over higher returns. Strikingly, 79% of Gen-Z households also share this cautious outlook, challenging assumptions about younger investors.
Barriers include complexity, lack of knowledge, trust deficits, and fear of losses. Potential investors seek simpler digital platforms, lower entry barriers, and relatable success stories.
Investor education remains critical. Social media, mobile apps, and TV/digital ads are preferred channels. Gen-Z leans towards short-form videos, while older groups prefer articles, podcasts, and workshops.
“Fraud prevention, risk management, and understanding investor rights are the top priorities for investor education,” the survey noted. Almost half the respondents prefer content in Hindi, another 47% in regional languages, while only 5% favour English.
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