Beyond Access: What the Investor Behaviour Index 2025 Tells Us About India’s Real Investment Challenge

The 80 Lakh Lesson

There was a time when I believed I had cracked the stock market. I was confident, ambitious, and ready to multiply my money. But the market had different plans. I lost 80 lakhs by confusing tips for strategy and confidence for competence. This expensive lesson taught me something fundamental: investing isn't about access - it's about expertise & guidance.

That loss was painful, but it was also my biggest teacher. It showed me the gaps in investor education, the lack of structured guidance, and how most people enter the stock market without the right tools. Years later, StockGro’s Investor Behaviour Index 2025 echoes these findings loud & clear.

What the Numbers Tell Us About Indian Investors

The report presented in collaboration with 1Lattice reveals a striking paradox in India's investment landscape. While 93% of respondents actively track the stock market, only 81% actually invest. The primary reason? Not lack of money, but lack of understanding.

The findings paint a clear picture of today's Indian investor:

• 42% of non-investors cite "lack of understanding" as their biggest barrier
• 45% of young investors now prioritize stocks over traditional assets
• Despite interest in equities, 41% of prospective investors opt for bank deposits
• Only 23% of women surveyed feel highly knowledgeable about the market, despite 63% having received some financial education

These numbers tell a consistent story: India's investment revolution has solved the access problem but not the guidance & trust problem.

Beyond Access: What Indian Investors Actually Need

The democratization of market access through technology has been revolutionary. Today, anyone with a smartphone can open a demat account in minutes. But this accessibility has created a new challenge - millions entering the market without the tools or expertise to navigate it wisely.

Financial jargon and complex platforms often overwhelm beginners. And when they do step in, many rely on friends, family, or even social media for investment advice - not always leading to the best outcomes.

So, what do today's Indian investors really need?

1. Experiential Learning
Reading about investing is not enough. People need safe environments to experience markets without financial consequences. The gap between theory and application remains one of the biggest hurdles for new investors.

2. Trustworthy Guidance
In an ecosystem flooded with influencers offering stock tips, finding credible, regulated advice remains difficult. The line between education and promotion has blurred, leaving many vulnerable to poor advice.

3. Community Support
Investing is often portrayed as an individual journey, but learning happens faster in communities. Peer comparison, advanced tools providing shared experiences, and expert wisdom accelerate wealth creation in ways solo investing cannot.

India's Wealth Creation Imperative

My own investment journey mirrors what many Indians experience today - a steep learning curve between understanding that investing isn’t just about picking stocks - it’s about understanding the market.

As India aims for a $5 trillion economy, widespread, informed participation in capital markets can have powerful ripple effects, where:

• Domestic capital becomes a stabilizing force in our markets
• Economic growth benefits reach beyond traditional investor classes
• Compounding, not just saving, enters our cultural mindset

The survey's finding that 73% of young investors plan to increase their market participation shows promise. But without proper guidance to expertise & tools, this enthusiasm could lead to disappointment.

The Path Forward

The future of investing in India won't be shaped by more brokerages or lower platform fees - those battles have been won. The next frontier is about leveraging regulated expertise, structured education & intelligent tools that translate into investment confidence.

Access is democratised. Now we need confidence.

Ajay Lakhotia 
Founder & CEO, StockGro