SEBI Releases Annual Handbook of Statistics on Indian Securities Market 2025-26

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) officially released its annual flagship publication, the 'Handbook of Statistics on the Indian Securities Market 2025-26'. The official repository provides macroeconomic and micro-level statistical datasets covering secondary market transactions, primary market issuances, institutional investment trends, and derivative market activity across Indian stock exchanges.

The publication documents the growth trajectory of Indian capital markets over recent fiscal periods, tracking essential metrics such as market capitalization-to-GDP ratios, foreign portfolio investment (FPI) flows, systemic investment plan (SIP) contributions, and demat account opening rates. It serves as the primary statistical baseline for academic research, policy formulation, and global financial assessment.

Notable structural data points highlights include the surge in retail equity participation through dematerialized accounts, expanded assets under management (AUM) in the domestic mutual fund industry, and institutional participation across BSE and NSE segment indices. The dataset also details fundraising trends via initial public offerings (IPOs), real estate investment trusts (REITs), and infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs).

This release is vital for aspirants tracking economic indicators. In Prelims, questions frequently ask about economic publications, institutional data sources, and financial market definitions. In Mains (GS-III: Indian Economy), the data provides authoritative empirical evidence to answer questions on capital formation, mobilization of domestic savings, and regulatory reforms in financial markets.