Retail investors return with vengeance in Q1 but start selling again in July

Retail investors bought equities worth a net Rs 39,287 crore in the June quarter, the highest since the December 2024 quarter, reversing two quarters of net selling. However, individual investors turned net sellers in July, offloading Rs 2,532 crore as of July 13, 2026, while FPIs — who had sold about Rs 1.4 trillion in April-June — returned as buyers with Rs 15,793 crore of purchases as of July 14. Monthly SIP contributions remained steady at around Rs 30,000 crore (Rs 31,781 crore in June), and DIIs continued buying with Rs 16,365 crore in July, suggesting tactical rotation rather than a structural exit by retail.