DIIs

There is a debate that a surge in retail investments through SIPs has provided foreign portfolio investors a smooth exit from Indian equities, leading to significant currency pressures.

So far in May, FIIs have extended their selling streak, offloading shares worth ₹5,052 crore. India’s relative underperformance over the past 12-18 months, elevated market valuations, and now the US-Iran war have driven FIIs away from India.

FIIs were net sellers on every single trading session in March, which tells you this was not tactical profit-booking but a structural reallocation away from India and emerging markets more broadly.

According to Seema Srivastava, Senior Research Analyst at SMC Global Securities, FIIs have recently been net sellers of Indian equities, due to heightened geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran.

There are clear lessons from the FII-DII conundrum: stay with the basics. It’s SIP compounding through FII volatility, according to experts.

DIIs have surpassed FIIs in India's Nifty50 index ownership, driven by strong SIP inflows and retail participation. This shift signals a more resilient equity market, reducing reliance on foreign capital.

In 2025, domestic institutional investors (DIIs) recorded unprecedented inflows, while foreign institutional investors (FIIs) faced historic outflows. Will FIIs return, or will DIIs continue to dominate in 2026?

Foreign portfolio investors sold ₹22,130 worth of Indian stocks in December 2025, contributing to a total outflow of ₹1,58,407 crore for the year. Meanwhile, domestic institutional remain invested, supporting the market amid declining FPI sentiment.

FPIs have continued to sell Indian stocks in December, withdrawing over ₹17,800 crore amid a weak rupee and heightened risks. However, strong domestic investor activity has helped mitigate the impact, allowing market indices to reach new highs.