FPI shift: Out of IT, into infra in FY26—what’s in store for FY27?
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.MUMBAI: Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) pulled out a record ₹1.8 trillion from Indian equities in FY26, according to data Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), but the headline outflow masks a more targeted shift. Rather than a broad exit, investors pared exposure to IT, defensives and parts of consumption, while selectively adding to sectors tied to India’s capital expenditure cycle.A Mint analysis of sectoral flows shows that even as overall selling remained elevated, capital moved towards capital goods, telecom, and metals, signalling a narrower, conviction-led allocation rather than a wholesale retreat from the market.
The shift reflects diverging earnings visibility between export-facing sectors and domestic investment plays.Information technology (IT) stocks bore the brunt in FY26, with outflows of ₹80,628 crore, the steepest among sectors, CMIE data showed. The trend caps a volatile few years: after outflows of ₹51,138 crore in FY23, the sector saw inflows of ₹5,931 crore in FY24, before slipping back to outflows of ₹4,226 crore in FY25 and then accelerating sharply in FY26 amid weak global demand and concerns around artificial intelligence (AI)-led disruption.Defensive segments also remained under pressure.
Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) saw outflows of ₹30,712 crore, following ₹37,235 crore in FY25 and reversing inflows of ₹17,180 crore in FY23. Financial services, long a core FPI holding, recorded outflows of ₹29,242 crore, extending the weakness from FY25, when the sector had seen an exit of ₹39,421 crore.“This is not panic selling but a portfolio shift,” said Sachin Jasuja, head of equities and founding partner at Centricity WealthTech.
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