Just a week after Taiwan overtook India to become the world’s fifth-largest equity market by capitalisation, South Korea has now leapfrogged India to claim the sixth position, pushing India down to seventh place globally, according to Bloomberg data.
South Korea’s total market capitalisation has surged 88% to $5.04 trillion so far in calendar year 2026, fuelled by a sharp rally in semiconductor majors Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. In contrast, India’s market capitalisation has declined 8.4% to $4.84 trillion during the period. Taiwan’s market capitalisation has risen 58% to $5.15 trillion.
The slide in India’s ranking comes amid sustained foreign portfolio investors (FPI) selling. FPIs have sold Indian equities worth $27.2 billion (Rs 2.54 lakh crore) in 2026 so far. Since January 2025, cumulative outflows have reached $46 billion (Rs 4.2 lakh crore).
Consequently, cumulative net FPI equity investments in India since 1993 have fallen to Rs 7.3 lakh crore – the lowest level since 2016.
The global artificial intelligence boom has boosted demand for semiconductors, benefiting Taiwan and South Korea, which dominate global chip manufacturing and memory-chip production.
V K Vijayakumar, chief investment strategist at Geojit Investments, said Taiwan and South Korea’s stock market gains have been driven by a high concentration of semiconductor companies.
“TSMC now accounts for nearly 45% of Taiwan’s market capitalisation, while Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix together contribute around 50% of South Korea’s market cap. These are unprecedented and mind-boggling numbers. The AI trade and the dominance of Taiwan and South Korea in semiconductors and memory chips have powered a remarkable market rally over the past year,” he said.
However, Vijayakumar cautioned that the rally may not be sustainable. “There is a growing perception that a bubble is forming in AI-related stocks,” he added.
Reflecting the divergence in market fortunes, South Korea’s benchmark Kospi index has more than doubled, rising 109% so far in 2026, while Taiwan’s Taiex has gained 57.3%. In comparison, India’s Sensex and Nifty have declined 12.4% and 10.1%, respectively.
Analysts attribute the underperformance of Indian equities to a combination of global trade uncertainties stemming from US tariff measures, the US-Israel-Iran conflict, and persistent FPI outflows.
India, a major importer of crude oil, has been particularly vulnerable to the spike in Brent crude prices. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted global commodity supply chains, fuelling inflation concerns and raising worries about India’s trade balance.
Arun Kejriwal, founder of Kejriwal Research and Investment Services, said Indian markets have remained under pressure over the past year even as South Korean equities have witnessed a strong rally.
“A significant part of this divergence can be attributed to heavy FPI selling in Indian equities. However, one should not read too much into the change in rankings. What is important is the easing of geopolitical tensions and the resolution of supply disruptions in crude oil and edible oils. Once these issues are addressed, Indian markets can return to a recovery path,” he said.
Source: FinancialExpress

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