Demat account

In India, shares and securities are held electronically in a dematerialized (or Demat) (/dimæt/;) account, instead of the investor taking physical possession of certificates. A Demat account is opened by the investor while registering with an investment broker (or sub-broker). The Dematerialized account number is quoted for all transactions to enable electronic settlements of trades to take place. Every shareholder will have a Dematerialized account for the purpose of transacting

Access to the Dematerialized account requires an internet password and a transaction password. Transfers or purchases of securities can then be initiated. Purchases and sales of securities on the Dematerialized account are automatically made once transactions are confirmed and completed.

For example: delivery failures caused by signature mismatch, postal delays and loss of certificate during transit. Further, it eliminates the risks associated with forgery and due to damaged .

India adopted the Demat System for electronic storing, wherein shares and securities are represented and maintained electronically, thus eliminating the troubles associated with paper shares. After the introduction of the depository system by the Depository Act of 1996, the process for sales, purchases and transfers of shares became significantly easier and most of the risks associated with paper certificates were mitigated.

In 1996, trading began on NSE for shares held in demat account form. It was the beginning of a new paperless trading stock market trading environment. If an investor buys a share today, it gets credited to the investor's account in two days. Today, shares get transferred to the investor's demat account.

Demat account for shares and securities with Business purpose

The benefits of demat are as follows:

The depository system helps in reducing the cost of new issues due to lower printing and distribution costs. It increases the efficiency of the registrars and transfer agents and the secretarial department of a company. It provides better facilities for communication and timely service to shareholders and investors.

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