Investors are disillusioned with the stock market, 35 lakh active investors left in one year, big blow to Zerodha and Angel One

News India Live, Digital Desk: The last one year has been full of ups and downs for the Indian stock market, which has had a direct impact on the participation of retail investors. According to the latest data from the National Stock Exchange (NSE), there has been a huge decline in the number of active investors in the financial year 2026 (FY26). This is the first time in the last three years that such a large number of investors have moved away from the market. According to the data, about 35 lakh active investors have exited the market. 7% decline in active investor base. According to NSE data, the number of active investors (those who trade at least once a year) was 4.92 crore in FY 2025, which has decreased to 4.58 crore in FY 2026. This is an annual decline of 7%. Market experts believe that the frenzy that was seen in the stock market after the Corona period seems to be cooling down. These three big brokers suffered the most loss. Only three big discount brokers account for more than 70% of the total investors who exited the market. The exit of investors is also likely to affect the revenue of these companies: Zerodha: Maximum 9.95 lakh active investors were lost (29% of the total decline). Angel One: About 8.15 lakh active accounts were reduced. Upstox: 7.6 lakh investors also left this platform. Apart from this, traditional brokers like HDFC Securities, Sharekhan, and Motilal Oswal also lost 1 to 1.25 lakh investors. Why is the confidence of investors breaking? Market experts have given several main reasons behind this decline: Tremendous rise in gold prices: During the year 2025-26, a historic jump was seen in the prices of gold (crossing Rs 1.5 lakh per 10 grams). Investors shifted money from the stock market to gold for safe investment. Geopolitical tension: The tension that started in the Middle East (Israel-Iran-America) after the Ukraine war pushed the Sensex and Nifty to record low levels along with the global markets. Strict rules: Due to the strict steps taken by SEBI in the derivatives (F&O) segment and margin rules, small speculators went out of the market. Shortcoming: In the last one year, Nifty and Sensex have not been able to give returns as per expectations, due to which new investors have been discouraged. Some brokers shine even in adverse conditions. While big discount brokers are struggling, some traditional brokers have increased their stake. ICICI Securities’ market share has increased from 3.96% to 4.57%, while SBI Securities has also gained 2.55%. This shows that investors are now turning to experienced and trusted institutions in a volatile market.