Demat Account in India 2026: How to Open One, Charges to Know, and Which Broker Suits You

To open a demat account in India in 2026, you need your PAN, Aadhaar (linked to PAN), bank details and a quick video KYC. Opening is free by SEBI rule, and you can finish the whole demat account opening india process online in about 15 minutes with brokers like Zerodha, Groww or Angel One. The real cost is not the opening, it is the yearly and per-trade charges, so pick the broker that fits how often you trade.

First, know the two broker types. A full-service broker (like ICICI Direct or HDFC Securities) gives you research, advice and a branch, but charges more. A discount broker (like Zerodha, Groww or Angel One) gives you a clean app and very low fees, but little hand-holding. Most new investors do well with a discount broker.

Next, the charges. The Annual Maintenance Charge (AMC) is what you pay each year to keep the account open. It runs about ₹240 to ₹300 a year at Angel One and Zerodha, while Groww charges zero AMC. For resident individual accounts opened on or after 1 June 2026, the first year AMC is free. There is also a small depository transaction charge of about ₹15 to ₹20 plus GST every time you sell shares from your demat.

If you are a small investor, look at a Basic Services Demat Account (BSDA). SEBI gives you zero AMC if your holdings stay up to ₹4 lakh, and only ₹100 a year plus GST for holdings between ₹4 lakh and ₹10 lakh. You can hold securities worth up to ₹10 lakh, and you can have only one BSDA against your PAN with your name as first holder.

On brokerage, equity delivery (buy and hold) is often cheap or free. Zerodha charges zero on delivery, while Groww and Angel One charge ₹20 or 0.1%, whichever is lower. For intraday and F&O, all three charge about ₹20 per order. So a long-term investor saves most with low or zero delivery brokerage, while an active trader should focus on the per-order fee.

One more rule for 2026: a new single-holder account opened on or after 1 September 2026 must either add a nominee or formally opt out, so keep nominee details handy. This is general information, not advice. Check the official broker and SEBI pages before you act.

Buy and hold? Pick zero delivery brokerage and use a BSDA. Trade often? Compare the ₹20 per-order fee and AMC.