Investment Behaviour of Indian Investors : Gender Biasness

There are number of studies which favor the existence of gender bias in investment patterns. Most of the studies conclude that women invest more conservatively than men (Yao, R. & Hanna, S.D., 2005) and that the women are more risk averse (Julie R. Agnew, 2005). Some studies also contend that women are less confident about their investment decisions and earn less return in compare to men (Barber B and Odean T., 2001). In this context, this paper aims to study whether these gender differences really exist in India. Using NCAER household survey report, the paper examined the household investing and saving patterns of Indian investors. The gender difference has been studied in terms of their risk tolerance viz their risk bearing capacity, risk perception i.e. how they assume risk within different constraints, time horizon for investment, preference for investment alternatives among the vast number of alternatives available in the Indian capital market etc. We also examined the factors which influence the investment behavior of women such as age, level of education, their marital status, income, dependency etc