India demat accounts rise by 33 lakh in August

India saw a significant surge in retail investor participation in August, with approximately 33 lakh new demat accounts opened. This marks the highest monthly increase since January 2026, bringing the total number of demat accounts to 23.77 crore.

Market experts attribute this growth to the high activity in the primary market, specifically the influx of Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). During August, 23 IPOs raised 22,448 crore rupees, while two offers-for-sale (OFS) transactions raised 31,660 crore rupees. The trend is further driven by strong returns in mid-cap and small-cap segments; while the Nifty 50 saw a decline, the Nifty Smallcap 100 recorded a gain of approximately 14%.

Data from NSDL and CDSL indicates that while the total account count has risen sharply, the number of unique investors is estimated to be around 13.5 crore, as individual investors often maintain multiple accounts to apply for IPOs.