EY, KPMG, Deloitte among top 10 auditors by number of companies audited in FY26
EY Group retained its top position by auditing 187 companies in FY26, registering a 3% growth from 182 companies in FY25. KPMG Group recorded a sharp 11% volume growth, rising to 157 companies, while Deloitte Group held the third spot with 131 companies, down slightly from 137 in the previous fiscal.
They were followed by GT Group (125), BDO Group (97), PWC Group (82), Singhi Group (52), KGS & Alliance Group (47), Lodha & Co (27) and CNK & Associates LLP. Among these firms, CNK & Associates LLP emerged as the fastest-growing firm in the top 10, jumping 41% to audit 24 companies in FY26.
Top auditors in terms of market capitalisation of companies audited
While volume signifies market reach, market capitalisation metrics underscore the financial scale of the corporations these auditors oversee. In FY26, KPMG Group led by market capitalisation share, auditing companies that constitute 15.67% (Rs 71,14,060 crore) of the total market capitalisation of all companies covered in Prime Infobase’s report.
Also read: Big Six tighten grip on India’s audit market despite mandatory rotation
EY Group followed closely at 15.35% (Rs 69,73,130 crore), with Deloitte Group capturing 13.94% (Rs 63,31,111 crore). Together, KPMG, EY and Deloitte command nearly 45% of the total market capitalisation of these listed entities. The Big Six institutional audit groups’ collective share reached 61%, while the global Big Four firms accounted for 51% of the entire market capitalisation.Only 25 audit firms managed portfolios of 10 or more listed companies. Conversely, 649 audit firms audited just a single listed company. Meanwhile, the trend of joint audits saw a minor contraction. In FY26, the number of companies deploying joint auditors fell to 164 (7% of 2,436 listed companies) from 170 (8% of 2,240 companies) in FY25. Of the 164 companies adopting joint audits in FY26, 119 belonged to the private sector and 45 were public sector undertakings (PSUs) or public sector banks (PSBs).
In FY26, 71 instances of mid-term cessations (resignations or terminations) were recorded across 68 companies, up from 58 instances in 55 companies during FY25. Additionally, 22 auditors across 22 companies resigned after completing their FY26 audit assignments despite having additional years left in their designated tenures. Year-on-year auditor changes were recorded across 323 companies transitioning from FY25 to FY26.
The tenures of 1,030 auditors across 997 companies are scheduled to expire in the ongoing FY27. Of these, 385 auditors (across 381 companies) will complete a tenure of 10 years.
Also read: Why is the market rising today?
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times.)
20
584226
20
20
