October 2, 2025

SEBI, working with AMFI, NSE, BSE, NSDL, and CDSL, dropped a bombshell with its Investor Survey 2025. Although 63% of Indian households—about 213 million—know about at least one securities market product, only a small slice, 9.5%, or 32.1 million households, actually invest money in these markets. This huge gap shows that people need better financial knowledge, easier ways to invest, and more trust in the system. The massive study by Kantar covered over 90,000 households from 400 cities and 1,000 villages. The results? Urban areas shine with a 15% participation rate, while rural areas lag behind at just 6%. Delhi and Gujarat topped the charts with 20.7% and 15.4% engagement respectively. But here’s the catch: even among investors, only 36% have good or moderate knowledge about securities markets. This means many invest but don’t fully understand what they’re doing. Most households—nearly 80%!—want to keep their money safe rather than chase big returns. Youngsters, the Gen-Z crowd, are no different with 79% wanting low risk. The survey points fingers at why so many hesitate: complicated products, lack of knowledge, mistrust, and fear of losing money. For those who want to start investing soon, the wishlist includes simpler digital tools, easier steps, inspiring success stories, and lower money requirements to begin. When it comes to learning about money, social media, mobile apps, and TV or online ads are favorites. Gen-Z loves quick reels and short videos, while older folks prefer articles, podcasts, and workshops. Everyone agrees: financial education needs to be in regional languages to truly connect. Interestingly, SEBI’s complaint system is not well known, but people who use it are almost 90% happy with how their problems get solved. Here's a spark of hope—22% of non-investors who already know about securities say they plan to invest soon. The takeaway? To bring millions more into the investment fold, India needs to build trust, simplify investing, and boost financial literacy – especially through learning in local languages. With so much untapped potential, the stage is set for a financial revolution in Indian households.

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Tags: Sebi, Investor survey 2025, India investment, Financial literacy, Securities market, Investment participation,