Women cut FD exposure from 45% to 20%, raise equity MF share to 32%: report

75-90% of women investors now hold through market corrections rather than exiting in panic. Around 55% selectively add capital during market dips, reflecting growing conviction

Indian women investors are rapidly shifting away from traditional “safety-first” portfolios, with allocations to fixed deposits falling from around 45% to 20% over the past five years, while equity mutual fund exposure has risen from about 10% to 32%, according to a report by Equirus Wealth. 

 

The study, based on insights from around 55,000 women investors and more than 100 relationship managers over five years, found that 75–90% of women investors now hold through market corrections rather than exiting in panic, while about 55% selectively add capital during market dips. 

 

Equity mutual fund exposure has risen from about 10% to 32%, according to the report by Equirus Wealth. Alternative investments such as Portfolio Management Services (PMS) and Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) are also gaining traction, with allocations increasing from roughly 3% to about 7%.

 

 

According to the report ,Artificial Intelligence may dominate global investment conversations, but Indian women investors are adopting it cautiously — using it primarily as research and learning tool rather than for autonomous investment decisions.

 

The findings also point to a structural shift in behaviour — from product-led investing to disciplined, allocation-driven portfolio frameworks. What it reveals is not incremental progress—it is a structural reinvention of how women engage with capital, mapping shifts in portfolio construction, risk perception, macro awareness, advisor relationships, and legacy planning.

 

“Indian women investors are becoming more informed, confident and strategic in shaping their financial futures. Over the past five years we have seen a clear shift from buying individual financial products to building structured portfolios anchored around asset allocation and long-term goals. Technology, including AI, is beginning to play a role in the learning and research process — but disciplined frameworks and human judgement continue to guide investment decisions," said Ankur Punj MD- Business Head, Equirus Wealth.

 

Key Findings from the Five-Year Study:

Fixed Deposits have seen their share in portfolios drop from 45% to 20% over five years, while Equity Mutual Funds have surged from 10% to 32%. Alternatives (PMS/AIF) have grown from a negligible 3% to 7%.

 

Five years ago, the dominant pattern among Indian women investors was familiar: fixed deposits, gold, and property—the classic ‘safety-first’ portfolio. Today, the same cohort has migrated toward allocation-led, goal-mapped portfolios that include equity mutual funds, structured debt products, AIFs, PMS, and in some cases, global equities and private markets.

 

The study finds that 35–50% of women investors either do not use AI tools or use them selectively, primarily for learning, monitoring and research insights. Importantly, final portfolio decisions continue to rely on human judgement and advisor guidance rather than automated recommendations.

 

Today, 75–90% of investors hold or review their investments during market corrections rather than exiting in panic. At the same time, around 55% selectively add capital during market dips, reflecting growing conviction and a longer-term approach to investing.

 

Another trend identified by the report is the growing adoption of “bucket thinking” in portfolio construction.

 

Instead of purchasing isolated financial products, investors are increasingly organising portfolios into distinct buckets aligned with financial goals such as safety, growth, liquidity and legacy. 

 

This approach shifts the focus from asking “Which product should I buy?” to “What role should this asset play in my portfolio?”, with investment decisions guided by allocation frameworks rather than short-term market movement. 

 

The report also found that intergenerational wealth transfer is becoming a key priority, with 75–90 per cent of respondents actively discussing legacy planning to ensure future beneficiaries inherit not just capital but also financial discipline. 

 

Among high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth women investors in particular, succession planning and family governance structures are emerging as central elements of wealth management strategies.