Rs 91,685 crore gone! 88% retail investors lost money in F&O trading in FY26 even after strict Sebi rules

Individual traders incurred substantial losses in India's equity derivatives market during FY26. Options trading accounted for the vast majority of these aggregate net losses. Active traders declined significantly, and new entrants also dropped considerably. Smaller investors with limited equity holdings experienced heavier losses than larger ones. The profit pool remained concentrated with institutional and professional traders.