POST-COVID TRANSFORMATION IN RETAIL INVESTOR BEHAVIOUR:THE ROLE OF DIGITAL TRADING PLATFORMS IN INDIAN STOCK MARKET GROWTH

Abstract

This research study examines how retail investors in Pune India shifted their trading behavior after COVID-19 while showing how digital trading platforms functioned as critical elements that helped investors access stock markets. The study collected primary data through structured questionnaires which were completed by 130 respondents during the period from January to April 2024. The study demonstrated that people now prefer to use app-based zero-commission fintech platforms which include Zerodha and Groww and Upstox instead of traditional branch-based brokerage services. The research shows that users who adopt digital platforms for their investments have developed new methods for making investment decisions and building investment portfolios and determining how often they invest and learning about financial matters. The paper analyzes these behavioral changes through the lens of two major factors which include pandemic-related monetary policies and the expansion of digital public infrastructure systems that utilize UPI and Aadhaar-eKYC and the SEBI regulatory changes. The research study presents new empirical data from a Tier-1 Indian city which contributes to the growing field of research about how fintech services enable financial access for all. The research identifies key areas that need development in investor protection policies which should be implemented during the post-pandemic period.