Don’t panic, stay invested: NSE’s Harish Ahuja advises retail investors amid global market volatility

Amid ongoing global market volatility linked to the US-Israel-Iran conflict, Harish K Ahuja, Head of Sustainability, Power and Carbon Markets, Listing and Social Stock Exchange at the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE), has urged retail investors to exercise patience and avoid panic selling.

Speaking on recent market movements, Ahuja highlighted that the correction is not limited to India but is part of a broader global trend.

“Most of the exchanges around the world are seeing a correction of 7 to 10 percent. And this is part of the up and down market,” he said.

Addressing retail investors directly, Ahuja advised against reacting impulsively to volatility. “My advice to retail investors: don’t panic. Be patient, you are an investor, not a trader,” he said.

He further noted that India’s market fundamentals remain strong despite short-term fluctuations.

“My understanding of the Indian market, India is growing. GDP growth, inflation, most of the indicators, be it industrial growth, power consumption, Indian fundamentals are very positive,” Ahuja said.

Emphasizing the scale and resilience of Indian markets, he added, “India has seen the highest number of IPOs in the world. We are one of the largest exchanges in terms of number of unique investors and unique accounts.”

He also stressed the importance of long-term investment. “Investing means, to me, the definition of investing is that you buy a stock once, at least for the next five to ten years, not look at the stock every day,” he said.

Ahuja further said that patience is key to benefit from market growth.

“I think I am always positive about the market because I am a patient investor. Once you are patient, once you understand the fundamentals of the economy and the country as a whole, you should not panic.”

According to him, disciplined and long-term investors are likely to be rewarded despite short-term geopolitical uncertainties.