The share of colocation trading surged to an all-time high of 39.3% in January, marking a 313-basis point (bps) month-on-month (MoM) increase. This also resulted in an annual share of 36.1% for FY25 (April 2024–January 2025), the highest recorded for a full year. Meanwhile, Direct Market Access (DMA) gained traction, rising by 21 bps MoM to 7.1%, reflecting increased institutional participation. On the other hand, mobile trading declined by 90 bps MoM to 20.7% in January, though its annual share rose significantly from 1.1% in FY15 to 20.9% in FY25, demonstrating a decade-long shift towards digital trading.
A key trend that has shaped the market is the rise of algorithmic trading. In FY15, algorithmic trades accounted for 37% of the cash market turnover, but this figure has now surged to 53% in FY25, signaling the growing reliance on automated strategies among traders and institutions.
Colocation trading also made significant inroads into the equity derivatives market, with its share rising by 25 bps MoM to 60.4%. Mobile trading saw a similar uptick, increasing by 30 bps MoM to 18.7%. These gains came at the expense of traditional trading channels such as CTCL/Neat Terminal, Internet-Based Trading (IBT), and DMA, all of which saw marginal declines.
In equity futures, colocation remained the dominant trading mode, contributing 50.9% of turnover, while equity options saw a colocation share of 53.1%. Notably, mobile trading accounted for 24.7% of equity options turnover and 8.6% of equity futures, maintaining its position as a key trading channel despite a slight MoM decline. DMA, favored by institutional investors, reached 8.2% in equity options and 17.3% in equity futures.
The long-term trend in algorithmic trading remains striking. From 50% of total notional turnover in equity derivatives in FY15, its share has now surged to 70% in FY25, highlighting the growing sophistication and automation of the Indian financial markets.
Within stock options, DMA reached its highest monthly share since March 2019, rising to 12.2% (+154 bps MoM). Meanwhile, mobile trading in index options hit a record high of 26%, solidifying its position as the second most preferred trading mode.
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