Asia Centric by Bloomberg Intelligence Gen Z, Women and Rural India Drive Trading Boom
Jan 14, 2026
Jayprakash Gupta, founder of Dhan, an innovative online brokerage in India, shares insights into the retail trading revolution in the country. He reveals that over 125 million investors have joined the market, with a significant rise in young, female, and rural participants. Gupta discusses how digitization and mobile access have driven this boom, while also emphasizing the new generation's penchant for quick gains in speculative trading. He highlights regulatory changes by SEBI aimed at curbing this frenzy, yet remains optimistic about India's growth potential.
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Digital Infrastructure Fueled Mass Onboarding
- India's digital ID, bank access and mobile penetration removed major onboarding frictions for investors.
- Account opening time fell from days to under 30 minutes, enabling mass participation.
Investor Base Became Broader And More Diverse
- Retail participation broadened geographically and by gender, shifting from urban-dominant to near 50-50 urban-rural.
- Female participation rose from ~5% to almost 24% of investors.
Gen Z And Millennials Drove The Surge
- Over 70% of new accounts belong to people under 30, driving a generational shift toward market investing.
- Younger investors favor financial assets because real estate and gold are less affordable.