National Securities Depository Limited - History

History

Although India had a vibrant capital market which is more than a century old, the paper-based settlement of trades caused substantial problems such as bad delivery and delayed transfer of title. The enactment of Depositories Act in August 1996 paved the way for establishment of National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL), the first depository in India. It went on to established infrastructure based on international standards that handles most of the securities held and settled in de-materialised form in the Indian capital markets.

NSDL has stated it aims are to ensuring the safety and soundness of Indian marketplaces by developing settlement solutions that increase efficiency, minimise risk and reduce costs. NSDL plays a quiet but central role in developing products and services that will continue to nurture the growing needs of the financial services industry.

In the depository system, securities are held in depository accounts, which are similar to holding funds in bank accounts. Transfer of ownership of securities is done through simple account transfers. This method does away with all the risks and hassles normally associated with paperwork. Consequently, the cost of transacting in a depository environment is considerably lower as compared to transacting in certificates. In August 2009, number of Demat accounts held with NSDL crossed one crore.

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