FPIs withdraw Rs 31,575 crore from equities in April on US tariff jitters

Foreign investors have pulled out Rs 31,575 crore from the country's equity markets so far this month, in the wake of turbulence emanating from sweeping tariffs imposed by the US on most nations, including India.

This came following a net investment of Rs 30,927 crore in the six trading sessions from March 21 to March 28. This infusion helped reduce the overall outflow for March to Rs 3,973 crore, according to data from the depositories.

Compared to previous months, this marks a notable improvement. In February, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) took out Rs 34,574 crore, while in January, the outflow was even higher at Rs 78,027 crore. This shift in investor sentiment highlighted the volatility and evolving dynamics in global financial markets. 

According to the data, FPIs pulled out Rs 31,575 crore from Indian equities between April 1 and April 11.

With this, the total outflow by FPIs has reached Rs 1.48 lakh crore so far in 2025.

"The turbulence in global stock markets following President Trump's reciprocal tariffs has been impacting FPI investments in India too," VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments, said.

He believes that a clear pattern in FPI strategy will emerge only after the ongoing chaos dies down.

"In the medium term FPIs are likely to turn buyers in India since both the US and China are heading for an inevitable slowdown as a result of the ongoing trade war. Even in an unfavourable global scenario India can grow by 6 per cent in FY26. This, along with better earnings growth expected in FY26, can attract FPI investments into India once the dust in the market settles down," he added.

Vinit Bolinjkar, Head of Research, Ventura, said the ongoing sell-off in Indian equities is driven by macro and geopolitical risk led by tariffs slapped by the US government.

However, the country's strong macro fundamentals remain intact. Robust domestic demand and ongoing trade realignment continue to position India favourably for the long term, he added.

Apart from equities, FPIs took out Rs 4,077 crore from debt general limit and withdrew Rs 6,633 crore from debt voluntary retention route.