Digital Dividend: How the youth invest

 IN A NATION where over 65 per cent of the population is under 35, India’s youth are flipping the script on investing. Gone are the days of staid fixed deposits and gold bricks; Gen Z and millennials are charging into equities, crypto, and alternative assets with the zeal of social media natives. A 2025 Zerodha report reveals that 58 per cent of new demat accounts belong to those under 30, fuelled by apps like Groww and Upstox that make trading as easy as swiping right.

Smartphones are their gateways. Platforms like Zerodha Coin and Paytm Money have democratised mutual funds, with SIPs (systematic investment plans) surging 120 per cent year-on-year among 18-25-year-olds, according to AMFI data. “It’s not gambling; it’s data-driven,” says Aarav Sharma, a 24-year-old Bengaluru techie who allocates 40 per cent of his `50,000 monthly salary to index funds tracking Nifty 50. Influencers on YouTube and Instagram—think CA Rachana Phadke—dispense bite-sized wisdom, blending memes with market analysis to hook 100 million+ young viewers.

Crypto remains a thrill ride despite RBI’s watchful eye. CoinDCX reports 40 per cent user growth in 2025, with the youth parking 10-15 per cent portfolios in Bitcoin and Ethereum amid global ETF approv­als. Yet, they’re diversifying: real estate via REITs like Embassy Office Parks appeals to urban dreamers, offering rental yields without the `1 crore down payment.

Social media and podcasts like The Ranveer Show shape mindsets, emphasising financial independence over parental pensions. Tier-2 cities like Lucknow and Jaipur see a boom, with women investors up 25 per cent, thanks to schemes like Sukanya Samriddhi. But chal­lenges loom—inflation at 5.5 per cent, job market volatility post- 2024 layoffs, and over 30 per cent lacking emergency funds, warns a Motilal Oswal survey.

Experts predict India’s youth will drive `100 lakh crore into markets by 2030, as per NITI Aayog. With UPI integrations and AI robo-advisers, they’re building empires from hostels. As Priya Mehta, 22, a Mumbai student-investor quips, “Gold was grandma’s game; we’re playing for freedom.” This generation isn’t just investing—it is chiselling India’s $5 trillion economy.