Archive · 12 Sep 2026
Smaller Firms Seek Larger Share Amid Auditor Churn
Companies choose auditors to check their financial reports.
The data compares large auditing firms with smaller ones.
In FY26, smaller firms audited 40.6% of the Nifty 500 companies.
Big Six firms audited 66% of them.
These numbers overlap because some companies had more than one auditor.
In FY16, smaller firms audited 49.7% of the companies studied.
Big Six firms audited 56.1% at that time.
The two comparisons are not exactly the same because the newer study covered 500 companies, while the older one covered 312.
Prime Database found that 40.6% of Nifty 500 companies used non-Big Six auditors in FY26.
Big Six firms audited 66% of Nifty 500 companies in FY26.
Some companies had multiple auditors, so the percentages overlap.
In FY16, smaller firms audited 49.7% of companies, while Big Six firms audited 56.1%.
The FY26 figures cover 500 companies, compared with 312 in the FY16 analysis.
- Who
- Nifty 500 companies, smaller audit firms, and Big Six audit firms.
- What
- The share of companies audited by smaller firms and Big Six firms has varied over the past decade.
- When
- The comparison covers FY16 and FY26.
- Where
- The companies are members of the Nifty 500; no specific location is stated.
- Why
- The data was presented to show changes in auditor composition over time; the articles do not state the reason for those changes.
- Research firm
- Prime Database
- FY26 non-Big Six share
- 40.6% of Nifty 500 companies
- FY26 Big Six share
- 66% of Nifty 500 companies
- FY16 smaller-firm share
- 49.7% of the companies studied
- FY16 Big Six share
- 56.1% of the companies studied
- FY26 sample size
- 500 companies
- FY16 sample size
- 312 companies
- Percentage overlap
- Some companies had multiple auditors