Demat account additions hit 9-month high in October as IPO boom draws investors
In October 2026, new demat account additions reached a nine-month high, driven by strong IPO activity. NSDL and CDSL reported adding nearly 3.36 million accounts during the month. The total number of demat accounts at the end of October was approximately 244 million. The increase in account openings was mainly influenced by the successful launch of several public issues.
Demat account additions surged to a nine-month peak in October, fueled by a booming IPO market and attracting investors to the stock exchange. The National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) and Central Depository Services Limited (CDSL) together registered nearly 3.36 million new demat accounts in October, marking the highest monthly increase since January 2026.
At the end of the month, the cumulative demat accounts stood at approximately 244 million. It is important to note that this figure does not reflect unique investors, as individuals can possess multiple accounts. As of September, the estimate of unique investors was around 136.6 million, according to National Stock Exchange (NSE) data.
The surge in demat account openings is primarily attributed to the robust primary market activity, with multiple public issues capturing the attention of retail investors. October witnessed the busiest IPO activity of 2026, with 13 issues, including the Jio Platforms IPO - India's largest ever, raising a record ₹44,507 crore. Sunny Agrawal, head of fundamental equity research at SBICAPS Securities, explained that IPO listings, along with smaller issues, have contributed to the increase in demat account openings.
Additionally, growing interest in gold and silver exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has encouraged retail investors to open demat accounts, as they can purchase these products through the secondary market using a demat account.
The recent market rally, with the Sensex rising 2% and Nifty gaining 1.9% in October, coincided with the uptick in demat account additions. However, broader market segments, which typically witness higher retail participation, experienced underperformance.
Written by urgent.news from The Economic Times - Top News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
