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NSE establishment was pivotal capital market reform: Motilal Oswal chief

Raamdeo Agrawal, cofounder and chairman of Motilal Oswal Financial Services, has highlighted the National Stock Exchange's establishment as a watershed moment that fundamentally transformed India's equity culture and investment landscape.

LSN India · 23 September 2026

NSE establishment was pivotal capital market reform: Motilal Oswal chief

The creation of the National Stock Exchange represented the most significant reform in India's capital markets, according to senior financial services executive Raamdeo Agrawal. Speaking on the subject of market evolution, Agrawal underscored how the NSE's establishment catalyzed a broader transformation across India's financial infrastructure and investor participation.

Agrawal's assessment reflects the NSE's pivotal role in modernizing equity trading practices in the country. Before its launch in 1994, India's securities markets faced significant structural limitations that constrained investor access and market efficiency. The exchange introduced electronic trading systems and transparent price discovery mechanisms that replaced earlier informal trading arrangements.

The NSE's introduction is credited with democratizing market participation and establishing standardized trading protocols across India. The establishment of such institutional infrastructure created conditions that encouraged retail and institutional investors to enter equity markets with greater confidence.

For Motilal Oswal Financial Services, which has operated within this reformed market environment, such foundational changes have shaped the company's growth trajectory. The evolution of India's capital markets continues to influence how financial services firms structure their operations and serve the investing public.