Last men standing: How mutual fund investors are holding the line against ruthless FIIs
foreign institutional investors (FIIs), who have been unloading Indian equities at an alarming pace. Since the market peaked in September 2024, FIIs have pulled out a staggering Rs 2.13 lakh crore, testing the resilience of India's stock market. Yet, domestic mutual fund investors have fought back, pouring in nearly Rs 1.88 lakh crore between October and February—emerging as the last line of defence against the selloff.
In February 2025, even as volatility rattled the markets, mutual fund inflows remained positive for the 48th consecutive month, coming in at Rs 29,303 crore. While this marked a 26% decline from January, it highlighted the unwavering commitment of domestic investors, who have kept faith in Indian equities despite global headwinds. Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) contributions remained strong at Rs 25,999 crore—surpassing the September figure of Rs 24,509 crore and underscoring the growing financial discipline of retail investors.
The average SIP ticket size has increased from Rs 2,482 when the market peaked out in September to Rs 2,557 now. The number of SIP accounts has also risen from 9.87 crore to 10.17 crore in the last 5 months of market downturn.
Also read | SIP investors aren’t even flinching at market slump! Are you one of them?
“During Feb’25, the drawdown in Indian stocks intensified, especially in the small-cap space. However, MF data released for Feb '25 indicates that local investors kept their faith in Indian stocks at its darkest hour, both in terms of sources and deployment of
