Retail Investor Count in NSE Unlisted Shares Hits Record Amid IPO Buzz
- NSE’s unlisted shareholder count jumps to 1.59 lakh, led by retail investors.
- Strong demand pushes unlisted share price up 36% to Rs 2,225.
- Despite FII sell-off, major domestic investors continue holding stakes.
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has witnessed a record surge in retail investor participation in its unlisted shares, with 1.46 lakh individuals now holding stakes worth less than Rs 2 lakh the highest for any unlisted Indian company. The total number of NSE shareholders has soared to over 1.59 lakh in the June quarter of FY26, up nearly four-fold from 39,201 in the previous quarter.
The sharp rise in investor interest comes amid growing speculation around NSE's long-awaited initial public offering (IPO). Despite a notable increase in unlisted share prices, retail appetite remains robust. NSE’s unlisted stock price jumped over 36% from Rs 1,650 in April 2025 to Rs 2,225 per share indicating strong demand.
While the number of retail investors with holdings under Rs 2 lakh grew from 33,896 to 1.46 lakh, their collective ownership saw a slight dip from 9.84% (23.86 crore shares) to 9.52% (23.56 crore shares). Meanwhile, investors with holdings exceeding Rs 2 lakh dropped marginally in number from 354 to 343 but their ownership rose from 9.89% to 11.81% of total shares, suggesting increased investment per individual.
The NSE, with a market capitalization of Rs 5.7 lakh crore in the grey market, would rank as the 8th or 9th most valuable firm on the Nifty 50 if listed.
Despite foreign institutional investors (FIIs) offloading Rs 5,870 crore worth of shares in the June quarter, key domestic institutional investors such as LIC, SBI, Radhakishan Damani, and several government-backed insurers including GIC and New India Assurance, retained their stakes, underlining continued confidence in NSE’s long-term potential.
