Introduction
Indian financial markets have grown rapidly in the last few years. As a result, a large number of new investors are entering these markets to make profits by trading in stocks, commodities, currencies, and derivatives. This, in turn, has created a rise in the demand for Demat and trading accounts in India. These accounts are compulsory for everyone willing to invest in the stock markets or their derivatives.
You can open your Demat account with any stockbroker registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). However, to open a Demat account, you may have to pay a certain amount to your stockbroker. Additionally, it may levy a brokerage charge every time you transact through your Demat account.
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Hence, you must research and select a stockbroker offering the lowest brokerage rates in India. This will ensure that the costs involved in your share trading are minimal. Below is a list of the top stockbrokers in India with the lowest brokerage charges.
Motilal Oswal
Motilal Oswal is one of India's best discount brokers with the lowest brokerage rates. It was awarded the best local brokerage firm (India) in Asia Money Brokers Poll 2021. Besides, it has received 100+ awards for excellent stockbroking services and has served more than 5 million customers so far.
With Motilal Oswal, you can open your online Demat account completely free. All you have to do is enter a few basic details on the website. You won’t have to pay Annual Maintenance and Admin Charges for the first year. Using your Demat account with Motilal Oswal, you can invest in stocks, mutual funds, Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), and many more instruments.
You will have to pay a flat brokerage fee of Rs. 20 per lot of equity and derivatives trading. The delivery of stocks is free. To know the exact brokerage, you can use a brokerage calculator.
Kotak Securities
Kotak Securities is another top stockbroker in India with highly affordable brokerage rates. You can open a Demat account with Kotak Securities and invest in stocks, mutual funds, Futures and Options, Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), and IPOs. More than 3.9 million customers have already joined this stockbroking platform.
With Kotak Securities, you can choose from multiple brokerage plans as per your requirements. Although the account opening is free, you may have to a subscription charge as per the plan you’ve chosen. The usual brokerage charges are Rs. 20 for intraday trades, 0.25% of the trading amount for equity delivery, and Rs. 20 per order for F&O.
Angel One
Angel One is India's largest full-service retail stockbroker in terms of active clients. The company claims to have served more than 1 crore happy customers till now. You can open a Demat account for free with Angel One and enjoy highly competitive account maintenance and brokerage charges.
The delivery of stocks is lifetime free. For intraday trading, you will have to pay a flat fee of Rs. 20 per order or 0.05% of the order value, whichever is lower. For F&O trading, you will have to pay a flat brokerage fee of Rs. 20 per executed order. However, the rates differ for Non-Resident Indian (NRI) investors.
Zerodha
Zerodha is one of the largest stock brokers in India, contributing to more than 15% of all retail orders for stocks, IPOs, mutual funds, F&O, currency derivatives, bonds, and government securities. It received The Economic Times Startup of the Year Award in 2020.
You can open a Demat account with Zerodha and enjoy free delivery of stocks for a lifetime. For intraday and F&O trades, you will have to pay a flat brokerage fee of Rs. 20 per order or 0.03% of the order value, whichever is lower. Investing in all direct mutual fund investments is free.
The bottom line
It’s crucial to choose the right stockbroker while opening your Demat account. Opting for the stockbroker that offers the lowest brokerage rate in India allows you to minimise your investing expenses and, subsequently, maximise your profit margins. However, the brokerage rate should not be the sole factor influencing your decision. You should also look at other things, such as the stockbroker’s reputation, whether its investing platform is user-friendly, etc.
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