January 2026: NSE's busiest month in over a year
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) just had its busiest month in over a year, with equity cash turnover soaring to ₹23.9 lakh crore in January 2026—a clear sign that trading activity is heating up again.
A big shift in the trading landscape
The report said trading activity was heavily concentrated in a small group of stocks and ETFs; the combined turnover of the top 10 traded securities rose sharply in January.
Average daily turnover in the cash segment rose 24% year-on-year (vs January 2025), while the average trade size hit a 56-month high—so fewer trades, but much bigger bets.
Volatility and big bets drive the action
A lot of it comes down to volatility. The Nifty 50 index swung by 5.5% during January as everyone watched for news about a US-India trade deal.
Daily trading volumes rose by nearly 30% month-on-month; average daily turnover in the cash segment climbed 27% MoM and equity futures ADT rose 29% MoM.
Plus, top stocks and gold/silver ETFs saw huge jumps in activity as traders chased quick moves and price swings.