From ownership to access: How technology is rewriting the rules of investing

India added 23.5 million demat accounts during FY26 (up to December 2025), reaching over 216 million total accounts.

The country crossed 120 million unique investors, including 59 million unique mutual fund investors, with 35 million from beyond Tier-I and Tier-II cities.

Technology reduced barriers to investing through digital KYC, online demat account opening, and smartphone-based trading.

The RBI's Retail Direct initiative enables individuals to invest directly in Government Securities without traditional intermediaries.

The Economic Survey 2025–26 reported that investing is becoming more geographically diverse and accessible across India.