Uncertainty Grips Investors, 70% Opt Out Of Any Non-essential Purchase

Mumbai, June 11: After 78 days of lockdown imposed across India, to contain the spread of COVID-19, uncertainty has gripped majority of the citizens. This was revealed in a survey carried out by IndiaLends, a digital lending platform. 

The nationwide survey of nearly 5,000 respondents threw up no surprises as 94 per cent said they would have to be extra careful about how they spend their money in the next few months; 84 per cent said they were cutting back on spending; and 90 per cent expressed concern about their savings and financial future.

The economic uncertainty and the state of individual finances has also impacted investment with 76 per cent of the respondents (retail investors) stating they were in no position to consider fresh investments at this time.

Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services said, “The retail investor has become a strong backbone against the hot money poured by the Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) in the Indian capital market. The retail money invested in Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) of Mutual Funds (MFs) stood strong against the frequent inflows and outflows of FPI money”. 

He explained that there hasn’t been a major impact on SIP inflows. However, with people losing jobs or facing severe salary cuts, their behaviour toward spending and investment in financial products may take a hit and result in increasing the market volatility. “Currently, the rally we saw in the domestic market is completely driven by the liquidity provided by the FPIs,” he said.

The average SIP book of Indian MFs is around Rs 8,500 crore per month. This is the amount Indian retail investors collectively invest in equity market through MFs. This works out to around Rs 1 lakh crore (roughly $13-14 billion) on an annual basis. Depending on the sentiment and other factors, FPIs too invest a similar amount in Indian markets annually.

The survey has also revealed that the pandemic has severely affected the financial health of salaried and professional individuals with 82 per cent of respondents saying they are struggling to make the ends meet.

Significantly, the survey also revealed that respondents would not be averse to taking a loan to tide over the present crisis — nearly 72 per cent said they would opt for a personal loan in the immediate future to meet high-priority expenses such as debt repayment, essentials and medical, education fees, home repairs and renovation. 

Gaurav Chopra, Founder and CEO, IndiaLends, said, “The pandemic has changed the way we all function, affecting our physical, mental, emotional and financial well-being. Salaried individuals and professionals, in particular, are coping with the potential burden of job losses and pay-cuts. The impact on their income and savings has seen a growth in demand for retail loans.”

As far as savings and investment into financial products is concerned, Chopra felt investing into stock market was a sentiment driven thing. Currently the market has recovered as there is a tremendous liquidity chasing a very few stocks. However, the broader market is quiet and calm. With the job losses and pay cuts becoming widespread, the future is becoming even more uncertain as revival will take longer time till any vaccination for COVID-19 arrives. Till then people will have to live with uncertainty and chaos, he added.  

FUTURE TENSE*

*Source: IndiaLends

As evident from the table above, 40 per cent of respondents said their focus on expenses for essential items would increase, while over 70 per cent said they would spend less on non-essentials including entertainment, luxury and lifestyle in the post-COVID period.