How to open a demat account online

Before you start

Have these ready and the application will go in one sitting. Switching between apps mid-flow to find a document is the #1 cause of half-finished applications.

• PAN card — the number, not the physical card.
• Aadhaar with the registered mobile number active (Aadhaar OTP is mandatory).
• Bank cancelled cheque or recent statement — name, account number and IFSC must all be visible.
• Passport-size photo — front-facing, taken against a clear background.
• Signature on a blank white sheet of paper — used at e-sign and matched against your bank signature.
• Income proof — only if you plan to activate F&O. Salary slip, latest ITR or 6 months of bank statements all work.

Step-by-step online opening

The flow is broadly identical across SEBI-registered discount brokers (Zerodha, Groww, Upstox, Dhan, Angel One). Full-service brokers add a couple of extra confirmations but the spine is the same.

Step 1 — Sign up and verify mobile + email

Open the broker's account-opening page. Enter your mobile and email; both get a one-time code that you punch in to confirm. This creates a half-baked application — you can resume it later from where you stopped, which is useful if you have to pause for a document.

Step 2 — PAN + Aadhaar e-KYC

Enter your PAN. The broker pings the income-tax database to verify the name. Then you authorise an Aadhaar fetch via UIDAI OTP — your name, DOB, address and photo come back automatically into the application. Confirm everything matches.

If your Aadhaar mobile is not current, you have to update Aadhaar first at a UIDAI centre — there is no online workaround for this. About one in five online applications stall here.

Step 3 — Bank details + supporting documents

Add the bank account you want linked. Upload the cancelled cheque (or a bank statement). Your bank account name must match your PAN exactly — even punctuation differences can fail. Joint accounts and minor accounts have separate flows; pick the right one if applicable.

Upload the passport photo and the signature. Phone cameras are fine — well-lit, no shadow, no glare on the paper.

Step 4 — In-person verification (IPV) video

SEBI requires the broker to verify you are a real person, not a bot or a stolen document. The IPV is usually a 5–10 second selfie video where the app reads out a code and you read it back. Some brokers ask you to show the PAN card to camera. Steady hands, good light, clear background — first take is usually fine.

Step 5 — e-Sign the agreement

You receive the account-opening agreement (the demat + trading services agreement). It is signed using Aadhaar e-sign — an OTP confirms the signature and the document is digitally sealed. The e-sign is legally equivalent to a wet signature under the Information Technology Act, 2000.

Step 6 — Wait for activation

The application now sits with the broker and the depository (CDSL or NSDL). Activation is typically 1–3 working days. You receive client ID, user ID and a password reset link by email. After resetting the password and setting up 2FA, you are ready to log in and trade.