Remember the scene at the trading floor of any exchange back in the early 2000s? Hundreds of telephones ringing incessantly and brokers answering multiple phone calls at the same time. Investors and traders were always on a rush to reach their brokerages to get a deal executed for them without wasting time.

It was often a put-off for new entrants to securities trading with little or no expertise in the market. If an investor wanted to buy, say, 50 shares of a company, he would have to place the buy order with his broker. If the investor placed a limit order, the broker had to confirm the limit price, the length of time the order would be open, the account in which the shares would be purchased, and so on. Before requesting the broker to trade, the investor had to conduct his own research and also trust his broker completely. Exorbitant fees were charged by many brokers which would lead to high trading fees.

For call and trade, as well as other trading-related operations, an investor had to physically visit the broker’s office every time.

Cut to the present day. You’re at the comfort of your living room and at ease with your laptop or smartphone. The digital age has bridged the gap in expertise and accessibility with the ease of trading. An increasing number of investors are turning to their brokers’ online securities trading platforms for investing on their own.

For investors or traders, the internet trading platforms act as a centre with a variety of tools. The investor may use the dashboard to place buy and sell orders, market, limit, stop, stop-loss, and stop-limit orders, check the status of an order; see real-time stock prices, read company news, and see a list of securities presently owned.

Another advantage of online trading is the increased speed with which transactions may be conducted and concluded, as there is no need to copy, file, or enter paper-based documentation into an electronic format. The online system also allows investors to view their investment statements, confirmation statements, and investment tax forms. Most cheap brokerages that are bank-affiliated give their digital clients even more convenience by connecting their bank accounts to their investing accounts. This allows an investor to quickly move funds between accounts at the same financial institution.

Popular trading platforms like Zerodha Kite, Upstox Pro, Angel Speed Pro, and Trade Eye provide a platform for online securities trading, real-time market data, and convenient tools for charting to make the process quick and easy to understand. The simple-to-use interface makes people like Raj interested in securities trading without having in-depth knowledge prior to investment.

The market share for online traders are increasing fast. Because its fundamental costs, different expenditures, and other expenses have been reduced, the online securities exchange industry is now poised to take its due place in the corporate world. People who interact with online sites are most likely to have access to brokerage platforms, and as a result, online securities trading will continue to grow in popularity because of its accessibility and demand.

As a result, internet stock trading is a world of fintech that is accessed by millions of customers who have the freedom to pick what goods or services they want. In terms of expansion and growth, the online trading industry has a tremendous influence on other firms. Individuals have become more interested in the securities market as their savings options have dwindled as a result of the low interest rate environment amid pandemic.

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New Retail Investor 44.7 lakh in FY21

New Individual Investors 142 lakh in FY21, with 122.5 lakh CDSL accounts and 19.7 lakh NSDL accounts

Share of Individual Investors 45% of market turnover

Road Ahead

• According to an SBI study, markets have steadily improved, with the Sensex rising from 28,265 at the start of April to above 52,000. As a result, in the second half of FY21, more money was invested in equities and mutual funds
• The BSE Sensex’s market capitalisation is now 1.8 times what it was a year ago