CDSL Q1 FY27 Results: Net Profit Rises 15% to ₹118 Crore, Demat Accounts Cross 18.59 Crore

Central Depository Services Limited (CDSL), India's largest securities depository by number of registered demat accounts, reported its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2027, posting strong year-on-year growth in both profitability and total income.

Financial Performance

CDSL recorded a consolidated net profit of approximately ₹118 crore in Q1 FY27, representing a 15% increase compared to the corresponding quarter in the previous fiscal year. Total income for the quarter also rose by 15% year-on-year, reflecting continued growth in the depository's core operations and transaction-based revenue streams.

The company's revenue is primarily driven by account maintenance fees, transaction charges, and other depository-related services offered to market participants including brokers, investors, and issuing companies. As India's capital markets have seen a sustained influx of retail investors over recent years, depositories like CDSL have benefited from a growing base of accounts generating recurring fee income, making account additions a closely watched metric for the company's revenue trajectory.

Demat Account Milestone

As of the latest reporting period, the total number of demat accounts registered with CDSL has surpassed 18.59 crore (approximately 185.9 million). This marks a significant milestone for the depository, underscoring sustained retail investor participation in India's capital markets. India's overall demat account count has grown multi-fold over the past few years, driven by increased retail interest in equities, mutual funds, and IPO subscriptions, as well as the proliferation of digital onboarding through discount brokers.

CDSL operates under the regulatory framework of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and facilitates the holding of securities in electronic (dematerialized) form. It competes with the National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) in the Indian depository services market. CDSL has held the position of the largest depository by registered accounts, having previously overtaken NSDL, and its market share in new account additions remains a competitive focal point between the two depositories.

Background

Established in 1999 and headquartered in Mumbai, CDSL became the first depository in India to be listed on a stock exchange when it debuted on the BSE in 2017. The company is traded on the BSE under the ticker symbol CDSL.

The original report was published by CNBC-TV18.