Market Structure
What is Demat Account?
A demat (dematerialized) account holds securities in electronic form in India, mandatory for trading stocks, bonds, ETFs, and mutual funds on NSE and BSE.
Formula
Opened through a Depository Participant (broker) linked to NSDL or CDSL. Requires PAN, Aadhaar, and bank account.
How to Interpret
India has crossed 18+ crore demat accounts, reflecting massive retail participation growth. Demat account growth rate is a proxy for new investor inflows into Indian markets.
Typical Ranges
Annual maintenance: ₹0-300. Most discount brokers (Zerodha, Groww) offer free demat accounts.