CUE - Decoding FPIs
CUE - Decoding FPIs
Category I FPIs form the core investor base US remains the largest source of FPI assets
~94% of FPI assets are held by Category I investors, like govt & govt related Holdings from US-based investors stand at ~₹31 Lakh Cr
investors, pension & university funds, regulated entities etc
FPIs own more of stocks than ever before Key drivers of relative FPI allocation
While aggregate FPI ownership has moderated, FPIs are now invested ➢ Fundamentals & valuations
across a wider universe of stocks than before, with AUC of ~74 Lakh Cr ➢ Interest rates
➢ Macro events
➢ Global risk appetite
FPIs still continue to hold substantial assets in India & hence they are a key transmission channel
of global risk to Indian assets
Source – Internal | Above tax amendment is applicable wef 1st April 2026 | AUC – Assets under custody | AUC data is as on 30th April 2026 2
About FPIs
3
Understanding Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI)
SEBI’s FPI categorization is a proxy for investor type, regulatory comfort and often stability of capital
Category II FPIs
Category I FPIs
(Investors not eligible under Cat I)
Govt & Govt related investors eg Central banks, Sov wealth funds Reg funds not eligible as Cat-I
Regulated entities eg Banks, AMC, Insurance comp, PM, IA,IM Individual & family offices
Source SEBI | FII - Foreign Institutional Investors, AMC – Asset Management Companies, Sov – Sovereign, PM –Portfolio Manger , IA – Investment Advisor, FATF - Financial Action Task Force, Reg- Regulated
IM – Investment Managers | For detail explanation refer SEBI circular No. SEBI/LAD-NRO/GN/2019/36 | Cat-I Category I
4
Category wise breakup
Growth lead by Category I FPIs like central banks, pension & university fund, regulated entities etc
3 Lakh Cr 4 Lakh Cr
6%
7%
93% 94%
41 Lakh Cr 70 Lakh Cr
700
93
600
73
500 50
59
400
300
200 412
100
0
Dec-18
Dec-19
Dec-20
Dec-21
Dec-22
Dec-23
Dec-24
Apr-26
Dec-25
Source: EPFR, Kotak Institutional Equities | AUC – Asset under custody 6
FPIs allocation to India dedicated and GEM funds
India-dedicated flows have seen sharper cycles, while GEM allocations have remained relatively stable
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
(5,000)
(10,000)
(15,000)
2026
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
India-dedicated funds GEM funds
Source: EPFR, Kotak Institutional Equities | GEM - Global Emerging Market | 2026 data is as on 30th April 2026 | GEM flows are not fully allocated to India; India receives only the portion corresponding to its weight and positioning within GEM portfolios |
Please note that there is a difference between EPFR-reported fund flows and FPI flows reported by NSDL. EPFR fund flow data primarily tracks mutual funds, ETFs, closed-end funds and variable annuity funds/insurance-linked funds 7
Permitted investment avenues for FPIs
Equity access is broad with micro-level ownership limits; debt access is macro-controlled through
RBI-defined caps & routes
Investment Avenues
Repos &
reverse repos#
Municipal bonds
Domestic MF Units
Source SEBI, RBI, FEMA, Deutsche Bank| *Central Govt securities (includes Treasury Bills) | # Subject to the amount borrowed or lent under repo not exceeding 10 per cent of the investments by an FPI under VRR | FPI can also invest in other instruments
like derivatives, Units of collective investment scheme, Indian depositary receipts | For more details please refer FEMA,RBI & SEBI Regulations | SEBI and RBI have opened multiple avenues for FPIs, subject to specific limits 8
FPI flows have remained volatile over the years
FPIs often reallocate between equity & debt based on evolving market opportunities, and these
shifts can reverse rapidly
-2.0 -1.6
-2.5 -2.2
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026*
Equity Debt Hybrid
Total 0.7 -0.2 2.0 -0.8 1.4 1.0 0.5 -1.3 2.4 1.6 -1.0 -2.1
FPI market access is intermediated through DDPs and custodians, which anchor registration,
KYC, settlement and ongoing compliance under SEBI’s framework
Investment Architecture
Domestic
DDP Custodian
DDP acts on behalf of SEBI to grant Settle trades & corporate actions
registration & perform KYC
Source PL Capital
11
The FPI Map - Where do they come from
30
25
20
15
10
Source NSDL | Data as on 30th April 2026 | FPI domicile shows the investing vehicle’s jurisdiction and may not fully capture the underlying source of investor capital. 12
How FPIs differ from FDIs
Feature Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI)
Nature of investment Physical assets, businesses Financial securities, stocks, bonds, ETFs
Investor intent Long-term ownership and control Short to medium-term financial returns
Stake Limit 10% or more of post-issue capital Less than 10% of post-issue capital
Entry/Exit Difficult (Illiquid, regulatory approvals) Easy (Entry/exit via stock exchange)
Regulated by RBI and DPIIT under FEMA SEBI (FPI Regulations 2019) and RBI
Examples Factory setup, company acquisition Buying Nifty 50 stocks, Indian bonds
Source PL Capital | upstox | DPIIT- Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade 13
FPI taxation in India
Revised taxation will be applicable wef 1st April 2026
Sale of listed bonds & debentures 30% 12.5% Exempt for G- Secs
Source Income Tax Act 2025 | The above is excluding surcharge and cess | New amendment applicable wef 1st April 2026 | G-Sec – Government Security 14
Returns earned by FPIs
FPI equity investments have generated ~6.8% USD XIRR since 2012
CY FPI AUC (USD B) FPI Equity Flows (USD B) Nifty 100 Index (USD)
2012 211.83 - 106.72
2013 20.10 100.65
2014 16.11 131.13
2015 3.19 122.16
2016 3.17 123.31
2017 7.77 172.04
2018 -4.39 159.42
2019 14.37 172.24
2020 23.01 192.88
2021 3.76 236.51
2022 -16.50 220.78
2023 20.47 263.38
2024 0.05 286.24
2025 -18.65 296.78
2026* -24.03 259.37
Source NSDL | *Data as on 31st May 2026 | AUC is of equity investment only | AUC refers to Assets under custody | How is XIRR calculated – We have assumed FPIs invested an
initial amount equivalent to their equity AUC as of 31 December 2012 in the Nifty 100 USD Index. Thereafter, annual net FPI equity flows (inflows/outflows) are assumed to be
invested or redeemed on 31 December of each respective year. All calculations are performed in USD terms using the Nifty 100 USD Index 15
What do they own
16
FPIs reduce equity ownership, but expand their stock presence
While overall FPI ownership has declined, FPIs are now present across a larger number of stocks than
ever before
Top 10% largest companies account for ~84% of India’s total market cap, but form
~92% of FPI holdings
FPI allocation to mid-caps has steadily increased from 12% in Dec-22 to 18% in Dec-25
5% 6% 7% 6%
12% 15% 16% 18%
Source: CLSA 19
FPIs are gradually rebalancing among sectors
Within Nifty 500, FPIs have reduced weight in financials, energy & IT, while increasing exposure to consumer
discretionary, communication services & industrials
Mar-21 Mar-26
39.5
32.6
12.7
11.3
9.9 9.9
7.1 8.0 7.0 7.9 7.4 6.9 5.9 6.5
5.2 4.6 4.7 4.6 5.4
2.9
Financials Cons. Disc Industrials Energy Materials IT Healthcare Comm Cons. Others
Services Staples
Source NSE - India Ownership Report March 2026 | Comm – Communication | Cons – Consumer | Disc –Discretionary 20
When do they enter and exit
21
Journey of FPIs in India
Net Inflow Net Outflow
Source CDSL | QE - Quantitative Easing | Net inflow & Outflow include – Equity, Debt and Hybrid flows 22
FPI allocations are shaped by relative macro and market
attractiveness
Risk
04 Appetite (Risk-On / Risk-Off) Regulatory & Index Inclusion
RBI has provided relaxation on restriction in investment by FPI in
During geopolitical tensions & trade uncertainty, global investors corp debt securities, SEBI reduced compliance for FPI investing only
shift capital from emerging markets to safer haven assets. in Indian govt bonds. India’s inclusion in global benchmarks* has
brought passive flows.
In Apr 2025 US tariff escalation & Feb 2026 West Asia conflicts led to FPI
JP Morgan GBI-EM inclusion (Sep 2023) triggered a 4x surge in FPI debt inflows
outflows
Source Internal * MSCI EM Index, JPM GBI-EM bond index, FTSE EMGBI bond index etc EM – Emerging Markets 23
When do they move? – Relative valuations
In 2025 opportunities emerged in undervalued markets (e.g., China/Hong Kong’s rebound), or in sectors
with more certain growth drivers (e.g., AI-driven tech), India’s high valuations became a significant barrier
100%
FPI Outflow -1.64 Lakh Cr
FPI Outflow -0.33 Lakh Cr
80%
60%
40%
FPI Inflow 2.41 Lakh Cr
20%
FPI Inflow 0.83 Lakh Cr
0%
-20%
Jun-08
Dec-08
Dec-20
Aug-10
Jun-14
Dec-14
Aug-16
Aug-22
Mar-06
Feb-11
Mar-12
Feb-17
Mar-18
Feb-23
Mar-24
Oct-06
Jan-10
Oct-12
Jan-16
Oct-18
Jan-22
Oct-24
May-07
Nov-07
Jul-09
Apr-13
Nov-13
Jul-15
Apr-19
Nov-19
May-20
Jul-21
Apr-25
Nov-25
May-26
Sep-11
Sep-17
Sep-23
PE Premium/Discount Average
30000
5
20000
4
10000
3
0
%
2
-10000
1
-20000
-30000 0
Mar-23
Mar-22
May-22
Nov-22
May-23
Nov-23
May-24
Nov-24
Jul-22
Jul-23
Mar-24
Apr-24
Jul-24
Mar-25
May-25
Nov-25
Jul-25
Mar-26
May-26
Dec-21
Apr-22
Jun-22
Dec-22
Apr-23
Jun-23
Dec-23
Jun-24
Dec-24
Apr-25
Jun-25
Dec-25
Apr-26
Aug-22
Jan-22
Feb-22
Sep-22
Oct-22
Jan-23
Feb-23
Aug-23
Sep-23
Oct-23
Aug-24
Jan-24
Feb-24
Sep-24
Oct-24
Aug-25
Jan-25
Feb-25
Sep-25
Oct-25
Jan-26
Feb-26
Debt Flows India US Yield Differential (RHS)
(INR Cr)
Source NSDL | India US Yield differential is the difference between 10 Yr G Sec Yield Inida and 10 Yr G Sec Yield US | Data as on 31st May 2026 25
When do they move? - Change in INR
A sustained depreciation of the INR erodes FPIs returns, contributing to outflows & vice versa
CY Change in INR vs USD Nifty 100 TRI Return FPI Returns (USD) Equity FPI Flow(in Lakh Cr)
2008 -18.66% -53.07% -61.83% -0.53
2009 3.79% 84.88% 91.89% 0.83
2010 4.17% 19.28% 24.26% 1.33
2011 -15.88% -24.93% -36.85% -0.03
2012 -2.76% 32.51% 28.85%
2013 -11.50% 7.89% -4.52%
2014 -2.27% 34.88% 31.82%
2015 -4.51% -1.26% -5.72%
2016 -2.40% 5.01% 2.49%
2017 6.30% 32.88% 41.25% 0.51
2018 -8.40% 2.57% -6.05% -0.33
2019 -2.18% 11.83% 9.40%
2020 -2.76% 16.08% 12.88%
2021 -1.26% 26.45% 24.86%
2022 -10.25% 4.94% -5.81% -1.21
2023 -0.40% 21.24% 20.76%
2024 -2.93% 12.95% 9.64%
2025 -4.78% 10.24% 4.97% -1.64
2026 -5.73% -7.51% -12.81% -2.24
25
-25
-75
-125
NBFC/IL&FS crisis High Valuation + muted West Asia
High crude oil prices Covid War + Fed hikes → EM derating earnings + global risk Crisis
-175
Jan-22
Jan-23
Jan-24
Mar-21
Aug-16
Aug-17
Aug-18
Oct-21
Oct-22
Oct-23
Aug-24
Aug-25
Nov-25
Nov-15
May-16
Nov-16
May-17
Nov-17
Dec-18
Mar-19
Dec-19
Mar-20
Dec-20
Nov-24
May-25
May-26
May-18
Apr-22
Apr-23
Apr-24
Feb-16
Feb-17
Feb-18
Jun-19
Jun-20
Jun-21
Feb-25
Feb-26
Sep-19
Sep-20
Jul-22
Jul-23
Source NSDL | Data as on 31st May 2026 27
Myth vs Reality
28
Do FPIs control the Indian market ?
FPI Outflow
CY FPI Equity Flow (In Cr) Nifty 100 TRI Nifty Midcap 150 TRI Nifty 500 TRI
2008 -52,987 -53.07% -64.94% -56.54%
2009 83,431 84.88% 113.87% 90.96%
2010 1,33,260 19.28% 20.07% 15.27%
FPI driven market 2011 -2,714 -24.93% -31.01% -26.40%
2012 1,28,361 32.51% 46.69% 33.48%
When FPI sold 2013 1,13,134 7.89% -1.28% 4.82%
market delivered
2014 97,059 34.88% 62.67% 39.30%
negative returns
2015 17,801 -1.26% 9.70% 0.22%
2016 20,563 5.01% 6.53% 5.12%
2017 51,252 32.88% 55.73% 37.65%
2018 -33,014 2.57% -12.62% -2.14%
2019 1,01,122 11.83% 0.62% 8.97%
2020 1,70,262 16.08% 25.56% 17.89%
2021 25,752 26.45% 48.16% 31.60%
Market is changing
2022 -1,21,439 4.94% 3.91% 4.25%
Outflows remain but 2023 1,71,107 21.24% 44.61% 26.91%
return turn positive 2024 -191 12.95% 24.46% 16.24%
2025 -1,64,041 10.24% 5.98% 7.76%
2026* -2,24,063 -7.51% 1.53% -4.83%
Source – NSDL, ACE | Absolute returns | *Data as on 31st May 2026 29
Do FPIs control the Indian market ?
100
80
60
40
~130 Bn USD
20
-20
-40
Source Internal | MOSL | Above tax amendment is applicable wef 1st April 2026 32
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