by Admin - 2025-07-25
India's financial markets have seen the rise of several legendary traders who have made fortunes through disciplined strategies, deep market understanding, and risk management. From stock market veterans to young prodigies, these traders have inspired millions.
In this article, we explore the top 10 traders in India, their trading styles, and key achievements. We also provide a comparison table to highlight their differences.
| Name | Primary Style | Market Segment | Famous For | Trading Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rakesh Jhunjhunwala | Position/Swing Trader | Equity | Timing big market cycles | Contrarian, value-based timing |
| Radhakishan Damani | Value + Short-term | Equity | Shorting during the Harshad Mehta era | Conservative, long-term orientation |
| Porinju Veliyath | Value + Opportunistic | Small & Mid-Caps | Small-cap multi-bagger picks | Bottom-up contrarian trading |
| Sudarshan Sukhani | Technical Trader | Nifty, Bank Nifty | Short-term momentum trading | Chart patterns, indicators (RSI, MACD) |
| Raamdeo Agrawal | Value Trader-Investor | Large-cap Equity | "QGLP" framework | Deep research + valuation-based entry |
| Vijay Kedia | Momentum + Value | Mid-caps, growth stocks | Finding early winners | Market sentiment + fundamental overlay |
| Nemish Shah | Silent Value Strategist | Equity (All Caps) | Decades-long picks | Research-based, patient entries |
| Ashish Kacholia | Growth + Tactical | Mid-caps | Trading momentum in quality businesses | Frequent churn with long bias |
| Premji & Associates | Strategic Allocation | Broad Equity Exposure | Diversified, sectoral calls | Hybrid of fundamentals and systems |
| Nithin Kamath | Quant/Systematic | Derivatives, Options | Building Zerodha through trading | Risk-adjusted, low-leverage trading |
Often called the "Big Bull of India," Jhunjhunwala started trading in 1985 with Rs 5,000, managing to turn them into a multibillion-dollar investment portfolio. He is known primarily for his long-term investments, but as he started his trading career, he built his first fortune mainly through short-term trades, mainly contained within cyclical stocks.
Style: Long-term value investing
Famous For: Turning Rs 5,000 into Rs 30,000+ crores
Key Holdings: Titan, Tata Motors, Crisil
Damani is the founder of DMart. He began his career short selling during the 90s and the height of the Harshad Mehta bull run. He is known and respected because he has a very conservative and patient trading style. His movement from a trader to the creator of a retail business shows us the strength of compounding and vision.
Style: Value investing, contrarian bets
Famous For: Building DMart (Avenue Supermarts)
Key Holdings: DMart, VST Industries
Porinju, a fund manager and outspoken market analyst, is renowned for identifying small companies that go unnoticed but end up becoming multi-baggers. He combines a trading attitude with value investing, timing entrances and exits according to market sentiment as well as fundamentals.
Style: Small & mid-cap investing
Famous For: Multi-bagger picks in small caps
Key Holdings: Kitex Garments, SEL Manufacturing
A household name on Indian financial TV, Sukhani is a full-time technical trader and founder of s2analytics.com. His strategies are based on technical chart patterns and momentum indicators. He is among India’s most influential short-term traders.
Style: Technical trading, swing trading
Famous For: CNBC-TV18 market commentary
Key Strategy: Candlestick patterns, trend analysis
Before becoming a value-based investor, Raamdeo Agrawal, co-founder of Motilal Oswal, engaged in speculative trading in his early trading career. However, his “QGLP” (Quality, Growth, Longevity, Price) framework came from years of understanding market cycles and trading psychology.
Style: Fundamental investing, growth stocks
Famous For: Co-founding Motilal Oswal Financial Services
Key Holdings: Bajaj Finance, HDFC Bank
Kedia is a self-made trader turned investor. He has made a lot of wealth riding new themes and investing in companies well in advance. While he is primarily a long-term investor nowadays, he made much of his wealth doing the hard work of distilling the short to medium-term movement in the market.
Style: Contrarian investing, mid-cap stocks
Famous For: Early investments in Atul Auto, Aegis Logistics
Key Strategy: "SIP" (Study, Invest, Patience)
Nemish Shah, a co-founder of Enam Group, has avoided the spotlight but is regarded as a quiet fortune builder thanks to his astute stock selections. His approach combines market timing with in-depth fundamental examination.
Style: Arbitrage, event-based trading
Famous For: Co-founding Enam Holdings
Key Strategy: Merger arbitrage, special situations
Ashish Kacholia is regarded as the "whale of midcaps" and is referenced as a seasoned investor-trader that puts emphasis on investing in small, unknown companies with high-growth potential. It is clear that his portfolio churn recognizes disciplined short- to medium-term trading of fundamentally sound counters.
Style: High-growth small & mid-cap stocks
Famous For: Multi-bagger picks like NIIT, Tanla Platforms
Key Strategy: Early entry in emerging sectors
The family office of Azim Premji, this fund mixes investment with strategic portfolio allocation. While not traders per se, they have adopted a quantified trading strategy to diversify holdings into midcaps and long-term themes with opportunistic entries.
Style: Institutional investing, hedge fund strategies
Famous For: One of India’s largest hedge funds
Key Holdings: ITC, Axis Bank
Early in his career, Kamath was a trader, and he utilized the money he made from trading to launch Zerodha. He discusses ideas on systemic trading, retail investor behavior, and risk-adjusted returns.
Style: Algorithmic & high-frequency trading
Famous For: Turning Rs 50,000 into Rs 10+ crores in 5 years
Key Strategy: Quantitative models, derivatives trading
1. No Single Path to Success
Some started with technicals, others with fundamentals. What worked was consistency, not the method alone.
2. Risk Management is Key
All of them stress the importance of managing risk—even at the cost of missing profit.
3. Adapt and Evolve
From floor trading to algorithmic systems, the ability to evolve with market structure is a common trait.
4. Stay Educated
Even seasoned veterans like Kamath or Agrawal continue to study markets—books, global trends, and new tools.
The best traders in India are thinkers, students, strategists, and stock pickers. Each of them has something to teach us about the market, whether it be Sukhani's technical demands, Kamath's structured methods or Jhunjhunwala's emphasis on India's growth and potential.
Together, their experiences have provided a masterclass in patience, discipline, market psychology, and having the conviction to put your money where your beliefs are.
Top 10 Most Influential Traders in India
Date: 2025-07-25Top Brokers Offering Lifetime Free Demat Accounts
Date: 2025-07-23Scalping Trading: Meaning, Working and Strategies
Date: 2025-06-10Investment Strategies in the Stock Market for Beginners
Date: 2025-05-31Lowest Brokerage Charges for F&O Trading
Date: 2025-05-21High Dividend Paying Stocks in India 2025
Date: 2025-05-15What Is Options Trading? A Beginner's Guide
Date: 2025-05-12Best Demat Accounts in India in 2025
Date: 2025-04-2510 Best SIP Plans for 1000 Per Month
Date: 2025-03-24