sell it to the locals

sell it to the locals
drinking the bug juice

The equity segment is dominated by individual and non-wealthy investors, termed retail in sector parlance. It now accounts for three-fourth of all folios.

The number of SIP accounts is nearly 17 mn. Monthly investment through this route is now Rs 6,000 crore, compared to less than Rs 1,000 crore during some of the times after the 2008 global financial crisis. Fund managers have no dearth of money in their hands to pump in the market. Over the past three years, they've put in over Rs 2 lakh crore, a strong counter to any withdrawals by foreign investors.

G Pradeepkumar, CEO of Union MF, says, "This is one of the biggest structural shifts in our markets. Increasing retail participation through MFs gives rise to robust institutional players, which in turn should lead to structurally more stable markets."

During the January-October period of 2017, net inflow into equity schemes was Rs 1.16 lakh crore or nearly Rs 12,000 crore a month.

There are a little over 400 equity-oriented schemes being offered, collectively managing assets worth Rs 7.2 lakh crore.