As many as 1,459 block deals were executed across the BSE and NSE during August, with a combined value of ₹98,353 crore, according to data sourced from PRIME Database. The monthly tally was more than double the ₹48,454 crore recorded in July and significantly higher than the ₹68,298 crore seen in June.
August’s block deal activity accounted for nearly a fourth of the ₹4.03 lakh crore worth of such transactions recorded in 2026 so far.
The month also emerged as the third-highest on record for block deal activity. The highest monthly tally was recorded in March 2017, when block deals worth ₹2.32 lakh crore were executed, followed by June 2024, when transactions totalled around ₹1.01 lakh crore.
| Month | No. of deals | Amount (₹ crore) |
|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | 1,042 | 23,148 |
| February 2026 | 1,122 | 38,885 |
| March 2026 | 1,463 | 35,782 |
| April 2026 | 1,103 | 27,005 |
| May 2026 | 1,041 | 63,440 |
| June 2026 | 1,429 | 68,298 |
| July 2026 | 1,341 | 48,454 |
| August 2026 | 1,459 | 98,353 |
Source: PRIME Database
The size of the transactions underscores the strong appetite in the secondary market. Around 10 block deals worth at least ₹2,000 crore each were executed in August, cumulatively accounting for about ₹26,000 crore.
Among the largest transactions was TPG Inc.’s sale of nearly 7% in Aster DM Quality Care, which fetched around ₹4,451 crore. The global alternative asset manager sold about 87 crore shares through its affiliate Centella Mauritius Holdings at an average price of ₹766.17 per share on the NSE on August 19.
Similarly, promoter Prudential Corporation Holdings sold a 2% stake in ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company for around ₹3,030 crore.
Pilani Investment and Industries Corporation, an Aditya Birla Group entity, raised ₹2,896 crore by selling around 25 lakh shares of UltraTech Cement. Resilient Asset Management B.V. offloaded a 3% stake in One97 Communications for nearly ₹2,950 crore, while SoftBank affiliate SVF II Lightbulb (Cayman) sold a 2.6% stake in Lenskart Solutions for approximately ₹2,888 crore on August 24 on the BSE.
Despite the sharp increase in activity, the 2026 tally remains below the record ₹6.41 lakh crore seen in 2024 and ₹5.84 lakh crore in 2025. This comes even as the Nifty 50 has declined around 8% so far this year, compared with gains of about 10% in each of the previous two years.“The surge in bulk deals can be partly attributed to strong institutional liquidity, particularly the robust monthly inflows into mutual funds, which are prompting fund managers to deploy capital,” said Pranav Haldea, Managing Director of PRIME Database Group.
Haldea added that while frontline stocks and indices may not be performing well, several other segments of the market have rallied in recent months. For sellers, valuations also need to be attractive enough to make monetising their holdings worthwhile.
The data also shows that block deal activity has picked up sharply since May, with monthly deal value averaging around ₹69,000 crore over the period.
The surge in secondary-market transactions comes alongside strong activity in India’s equity capital markets, including primary issuances, offers for sale (OFS) and qualified institutional placements (QIPs).
Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have also participated in several of these transactions, with FPI buying exceeding $2 billion in August, providing another source of demand for shares being offered by existing investors.
