Demat account additions pick up on D-Street rebound

Demat account additions in India picked up in June as market sentiment improved after geopolitical concerns eased, taking total accounts to 231.5 million (CDSL at 186 million, NSDL at 45.6 million). The fastest growth in four months followed the sharp market decline triggered by the US-Iran conflict in late February, with January alone adding 3.6 million accounts as the Nifty 50 touched a lifetime high of 26373.2. Renewed retail interest across mid- and small-cap segments, along with anticipated NSE and Jio IPOs encouraging new account openings, is broadening market participation beyond direct equities into ETFs, bonds and primary market issuances.