📍 Why Broken Markets Matter to Indian Investors The Hidden Risk Behind the “Stay Invested” Mantra Most Indian investors are told — and rightly so — that time in the market beats timing the market. But here’s the truth few talk about: “Time works only when the market works.” 🇮🇳 Has India Ever Had a 'Broken Market' Phase? Yes — though not as prolonged as Japan or China, India has had multi-year periods of poor or flat returns. 1. 📉 Sensex: 1992–2003 — A Flat Decade With a Tech Mirage After the Harshad Mehta scam in 1992, Indian equity markets entered a long period of underperformance, policy uncertainty, and limited global investor interest. 📉 Long-Term View: From 1992 to 2003, the Sensex declined from ~4,500 to ~3,000. That’s negative nominal returns over 11 years — not counting inflation or opportunity cost. ⚠️ The Exception: 1999–2001 IT Boom and Bust Amid this stagnation, there was a brief spike during the global Dotcom bubble: ...