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LIC Portfolio Rejig: Insurance behemoth, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), which is also the biggest domestic institutional investor, reduced its stake in several prominent large-cap names during the recently concluded March quarter, according to data compiled by primeinfobase.com.
During the quarter under review, LIC’s share in NSE-listed stocks declined marginally to 3.71% as on March 31, 2026, from 3.72% in value terms, as the Indian stock market witnessed a steep selloff due to the Middle East war that resulted in a steep spike in crude oil prices.
Stocks belonging to the banking and metal & mining space were among the top names wherein LIC reduced its stake the most in terms of value of shares sold.
Topping the chart is State Bank of India (SBI) as LIC sold 4,22,25,994 shares of the PSU lender in the March quarter worth almost ₹4,626 crore. The stock remained rangebound during this period.
It was followed by ICICI Bank as LIC offloaded 2,57,04,000 shares of India's second-biggest private lender, amounting to ₹3,450 crore. HDFC Bank also featured on the list. LIC sold HDFC Bank stocks worth ₹1145 crore or a total of 1,32,43,043 shares.
Another financial stock, Piramal Finance, featured on this list as LIC brought its stake below 1% in the company. It cannot be ascertained if India's biggest DII exited the stock or holds a residual share, as companies are mandated to release the names of only those shareholders that own at least 1% or more.
Coal India, Tata Steel and SAIL were among the names from the metal and mining space that saw serious selling by LIC.
Primeinfobase.com's data shows that Coal India saw the third-highest sales in terms of value as LIC sold 3,26,33,791 shares worth ₹1431 crore. Meanwhile, SAIL and Tata Steel stocks amounting to ₹849 crore and ₹715 crore were also offloaded.
Grasim Industries, Britannia and L&T were also among the top stocks wherein LIC reduced stakes in Q4.
On the other hand, value buying was visible by LIC in IT stocks such as TCS, Infosys and HCL Technologies. All three IT names were on LIC's radar even as they declined 15-25% during the March quarter amid a selloff in the sector due to concerns around AI-led disruptions.
LIC bought TCS shares worth ₹2,143 crore, Infosys shares worth ₹1,897 crore and HCL Technologies shares worth ₹1,399 crore.
Auto counters such as Hyundai and Maruti Suzuki were also among the top 10 stocks purchased by LIC in the March quarter. LIC added Hyundai stocks amounting to ₹1,390 crore and Maruti stocks amounting to ₹1,374 crore.
Among the top two stocks that saw the highest purchases include Bajaj Finance and Bharti Airtel, with ₹2167 crore and ₹2153 crore shares bought, respectively.
Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
Saloni Goel has over nine years of experience as a business journalist, with a strong track record of covering the financial markets. Over the course of her career, she has reported extensively on global and domestic equities, IPO market activity, commodities, and broader macroeconomic trends. Her reporting reflects a keen eye for detail, data-driven analysis, and the ability to spot emerging themes early.<br> At Mint, Saloni has been part of the markets team for nearly two years, where she currently works as Chief Content Producer. In this role, she plays a key part in shaping market coverage, driving editorial strategy, and ensuring timely, accurate, and insightful reporting across. She has been closely involved in breaking news coverage and in crafting stories that help decode the complex financial developments.<br> Before joining Mint, Saloni worked with some of India’s leading business newsrooms, including The Economic Times and Business Standard. Throughout her career, she has worn multiple hats—ranging from reporting and editing to contributing in-depth features and identifying new storytelling formats and market trends.<br> Her experience in fast-paced digital newsrooms has given her an edge in simplifying complex market concepts without losing analytical depth. Outside of work, Saloni enjoys reading books and spending time with her pet.
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