Ownership trends in corporate India 2001 – 2011 evidence and implications

Abstract

The first decade of the new millennium saw dramatic changes in the ownership patterns in major listed corporations in India. Two developments were striking: promoters especially in the domestic private sector bolstered up their holdings to assure continued entrenchment; and institutional investors significantly increased their holdings especially in the private sector management controlled companies segment. In both cases, these increases were achieved at the cost of retail non-institutional shareholders whose holdings correspondingly recorded a steep fall. This paper documents this evidence, seeks to identify their underlying rationale and assess their implications for corporate equity investment and governance in the country.