How do you start trading as a beginner in India?
To start trading as a beginner in India, you need three things: a PAN card, a demat and trading account, and a bank account you can fund through UPI or net banking. This guide walks through what each of those actually means, how much money you realistically need, how the main Indian trading apps compare, and what to know about tax before you place your first trade. No experience required.
01 The basics
What does it actually take to start trading in India?
Every route into Indian markets runs through the same three checkpoints.
First, a PAN card, which is the identity number the tax authority and every broker use to track your trades. Second, a demat and trading account, opened as a pair, which is where your holdings sit and where your buy and sell orders get placed. Third, a bank account linked to that trading account, funded through UPI, IMPS, or net banking, so money can move in and out.
None of this requires walking into a branch. Most Indian brokers open accounts fully online, with identity checks done over video or through Aadhaar-based e-KYC, still the standard onboarding route since a 2019 SEBI circular. Demat KYC itself requires PAN (mandatory), Aadhaar or an alternate photo ID and address proof, bank proof, a signature specimen, and a photograph; income proof is only required to activate F&O trading. A demat account is mandatory for retail equity holding and trading, a SEBI mandate effective 31 March 2019, held with depositories NSDL and CDSL. What changes between providers is the account-opening cost, the paperwork required for a few edge cases, and how quickly the account gets activated.
It helps to know what each piece is actually for before you open anything.
PAN card
A 10-character identity number issued by the Income Tax Department. Every demat account, trade, and tax filing in India is tied to it.
Demat account
An electronic account that holds your shares and other securities, the same way a bank account holds cash.
Trading account
The account linked to your demat account that you actually use to place buy and sell orders. The two work as a pair.
02 The account
How does a demat account work, and how is trading on Cronos app different?
A demat account exists because Indian markets stopped issuing paper share certificates decades ago.
When you buy a share, it is credited to your demat account in electronic form, held by a depository (NSDL or CDSL) through your broker. Your trading account is what talks to the exchange, your demat account is what holds the result. KYC ties both to your PAN, and once a trade settles, the shares show up in your demat holdings and the cash moves out of your linked bank account.
What is a stock exchange?
Where orders are matched and prices are set. Read this to understand where your demat account sends your trades.
Cronos app works on a different structure. Instead of a custodian holding your assets on your behalf inside a demat-style account, it is non-custodial, meaning you hold your own assets directly rather than a third party holding them for you. That is a structural difference in who holds what, not a claim that one model is better than the other. Alongside tokenized stocks, Cronos app also gives access to crypto and other asset classes from the same account, whereas a standard demat and trading account pair is built around listed securities.
03 Funding your first trade
How much money do you actually need, and how do UPI/bank transfers work?
There is no fixed entry price to start trading in India.
The real minimum is set by two things: what the broker requires to activate the account, and what a single share of whatever you want to buy actually costs that day. Think in rupees you can afford to fund and hold, not in a "$100 to start" framing borrowed from US guides, since Indian funding rails and account minimums do not map onto that.
Funding itself is the easy part. UPI is the fastest way to move money into a trading account for most people, usually settling in seconds. Net banking and IMPS work as backups, and some brokers also support NEFT for larger transfers. Whichever rail you use, the money lands in your linked bank account first and then gets earmarked for trading, it does not sit inside the broker's own account.
This is also where buying power comes in. A platform offering leverage lets a smaller deposit control a larger position, which changes what a limited amount of money can access without changing the actual price of what you are buying. Cronos app offers up to 10x buying power in India, on top of covering tokenized stocks, crypto, and other assets from one account.
04 Compare your options
Zerodha vs Groww vs Upstox vs Angel One vs Cronos app, what's actually different?
The four names that come up most when Indians look for a broker are Zerodha, Groww, Upstox, and Angel One.
All four give you a demat and trading account for Indian-listed stocks and mutual funds, and all four support UPI funding. Where they start to differ is account-opening cost, minimum funding expectations, and whether the platform extends past Indian equities into other asset classes. The table below is mechanics only, not a ranking, since exact fees and minimums change and should be checked directly with each provider before you commit.
Zerodha: Account opening ₹0 (₹500 for NRI/offline HUF/corporate); Minimum funding none published; Indian listed stocks yes; Other asset classes mutual funds; Leverage broker-set margin limits; UPI yes; Custody custodial (demat).
Groww: Account opening ₹0; Minimum funding none published; Indian listed stocks yes; Other asset classes mutual funds; Leverage broker-set margin limits; UPI yes; Custody custodial (demat).
Upstox: Account opening free; Minimum funding none published; Indian listed stocks yes; Other asset classes mutual funds; Leverage broker-set margin limits; UPI yes; Custody custodial (demat).
Angel One: Account opening ₹0; Minimum funding none published; Indian listed stocks yes; Other asset classes mutual funds, insurance, plus access to US stocks and ETFs through a partnership with Vested (fractional investing from $1, no stated minimum, under RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme); Leverage broker-set margin limits; UPI yes; Custody custodial (demat).
Fees and charges as of 27 July 2026. Check each provider's current pricing page before acting on these figures.
05 Taxes, in plain terms
Is trading profit taxed in India?
Yes. Profit from selling listed shares in India is taxed as either short-term or long-term capital gains, and which one applies depends on how long you held the position before selling.
Short-term capital gains on listed equity held under 12 months are taxed at a flat 20% under section 111A, and long-term capital gains on listed equity held 12 months or more are taxed at 12.5%, with a ₹1.25 lakh annual exemption (FY 2026-27, per the Union Budget presented 1 Feb 2026). Frequent intraday trading can also be treated differently from delivery-based trades depending on your activity, which is another reason to check your specific situation rather than assume a single rule covers everything.
This section is descriptive, not advice. Your actual tax outcome depends on your income bracket, trading frequency, and other factors specific to you.
06 Get started
How to place your first trade
Once the account and funding pieces are in place, starting is a short, repeatable sequence.
Open your account
Choose a broker or platform, complete the online application with your PAN and basic details.
Complete KYC
Verify your identity through video or e-KYC, linking your PAN and bank account.
Fund via UPI
Transfer money into your linked bank account and route it to your trading account through UPI.
Place your first trade
Choose what you want to buy and confirm the order.
Track it
Check your holdings and any open positions regularly rather than checking prices constantly.
None of these steps require prior trading experience, and none of them commit you to a specific broker for life. Once you understand the account, funding, and tax mechanics above, the platform you choose comes down to what you want access to. If that includes tokenized stocks, crypto, and other assets from a single mobile account with buying power built in, that is what Cronos app is built around, alongside the standard Indian broker route.
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FAQ
How much money do I need to start trading in India?
There is no fixed minimum. What you need covers the broker's account-opening requirement, if any, plus enough to buy at least one share or fractional position of whatever you are trading. Check current minimums directly with the broker or platform you choose, since these vary and change.
Do I need a demat account to trade, or can I trade without one?
To buy and hold Indian listed shares through a traditional broker, yes, you need a demat and trading account pair. Platforms built on a non-custodial model work differently: you hold your own assets rather than a broker's depository holding them for you, so a demat account is not part of that structure.
How can a student start trading with a small budget?
Start by opening an account with low or no minimum funding requirement, fund it through UPI in an amount you can afford to hold, and use fractional or smaller-value positions where the platform allows it. Treat it as learning the mechanics first, not as a way to generate quick income.
Is profit from trading taxed in India?
Yes, gains from selling listed shares are taxed as short-term or long-term capital gains depending on your holding period, and intraday activity can be treated differently again. The exact rates and thresholds change, so confirm the current rules and check your specific situation with a tax professional.
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