India’s government says individual investors lose ₹916.85 billion (about $9.6 billion) in equity futures and options in the year ended March, down from ₹1.1 trillion in the prior year. The figure comes from data the government provides to lawmakers in Parliament.
The outlets also report that the number of retail traders falls as regulators tighten rules. The Economic Times says SEBI measures introduced over roughly the last 18 months reduce the count of individual investors trading equity derivatives by nearly a fifth to 7.86 million, and that retail options trader losses decline by about 18% year-on-year. It adds that a SEBI study finds most retail traders in the market lose money on average and that retail investors have reported losses in each of the past five financial years, with peaks in FY25 before easing in FY26. Bloomberg focuses on the aggregate loss figure and its year-on-year decline, while The Economic Times provides additional context on regulatory curbs and market participation.
Related data cited includes a decline in overall derivatives turnover to ₹202 trillion from ₹213 trillion year-on-year, according to the government reply.
