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How to buy shares in India for beginners?

Investing in shares is highly popular investment arena for Indian investors and can be extremely fortuitous endeavour when done properly. This article answers the question on how to buy shares in India for beginners and also covers the topic about different types of shares to invest in India for a beginner.

How to Buy Shares in India?

  • Choose a brokering platform
  • Set up your trading and Demat accounts
  • Get a PAN card
  • Specify the particular exchange (ex. Bombay Stock Exchange)
  • Let the broker close the deal

Choose Your Brokering PlatformChoose shares in India

Since it is not possible to directly visit the stock exchange and buy or sell stocks/shares like any other commodity on the market, it becomes necessary to hire the services of brokers. Brokers are the professionals authorized to buy and sell on the stock markets. Brokers can be licensed individuals, registered companies and even online agencies accredited by Securities and Exchanges Board of India (SEBI), the board which regulates and administers the shares market. So, if you are really interested in learning how to buy shares in India, it is recommended that you get a broker. You can consult individual brokers who are reputable and are reliable in the business of how to buy shares in India, or you can also approach various broking companies which are licensed to trade and deal in securities in the stock markets. Furthermore, if you are proficient in internet and online transactions, you can also learn how to buy shares in India through online broking companies like IndiaBulls or Kotak Securities.

Brokers would help you fill a form and would require items and documents like passport size photographs, proof of residential address and also a valid proof of identity. The next step on would then be to open two types of accounts for you. One of the accounts is a trading account and the second is called a Demat account. The difference in these types of accounts is that a trading account is basically concerned with on how to buy shares, while a Demat account is meant to hold the stocks or shares.

Set Up Your Trading and Demat Accounts

The sole purpose of a Demat account is to hold the stocks or shares bought in your name and these details will also reflect in your stock portfolio. It is impossible to hold shares in physical form or to simply store stocks physically, so these stocks have to be converted to a Dematerialized or Demat state. This specialized account stores the shares you have acquired from the markets through your brokers in your name. Also, the sale of your stocks will be from this account and it will reflect in your Demat account statements that you get at regular intervals.

On the other hand, buying and selling of shares you intend to acquire or sell will however require a Trading account. In layman’s terms for someone still learning to know how to buy shares in India, a trading account is like an intermediary who facilitates the buying and selling. Usually this is the responsibility of your broker. Whether you decide to use an individual broker, a broking firm or online broking agencies, both the Demat and Trading accounts will be opened simultaneously as they are both important requirements in knowing how to buy shares in India for.

Get a PAN Card

PAN cardAnother mandatory step in learning on buying shares in is getting a Permanent Account Number (PAN). PAN is a 10-digit alphanumeric number issued by the Income Tax Authorities under the supervision of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). It is a unique key which is assigned to an individual and is mandatory for taxation purposes. The primary purpose of a PAN card is for checkmating financial transactions carried out by individuals.

Buying and selling shares in India

For professional guidance on how to buy/sell shares in India, you need to inform your broker about what quantity of which share you wish to buy and most importantly, at which price. If you use an online broker helping with buying shares in India, you can also place your order via their customer care lines, so that when the share reaches that price, your broker will make the transaction on your behalf. The same applies to selling of shares. Your sell order will be processed by your broker when the share eventually attains that price.  The buy and sell orders are valid for a specific period, usually less than 48 hours. If the buy or sell price is not reached within that time frame, the order is cancelled and you’ll need to place a new order.

Buying and selling of shares in India takes place in two exchanges namely: Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE) only. Beginners interested in learning on how to buy shares in India need to specify the particular exchange to their brokers, as the prices of shares at the two exchanges usually differ.

Types of Shares in India

There are various types of shares in India. Some common types of shares in India include preference shares and equity shares. However, equity shares  are the most popular types of shares in India. Equity shares are types of shares in India that can come with variations like shares with Differential Voting Rights (DVRs). Though not very popular, DVRs are traded on both the BSE and the NSE.

Equity shares

Also called ordinary shares, majority of the types of shares in India traded on the stock exchanges are equity shares. Equity shares are offered at different face values and owners of equity shares are entitled to dividends, voting rights and other benefits as shareholders.

Shares with Differential Voting Rights

More popularly called DVRs, these types of shares in India offer voting rights that may not be the same as those of equity shareholders. As compared to equity shares, shares with DVRs are often traded at lower values – most times, they could be just 10% of the voting rights of regular equity shareholders. However, DVRs are types of shares in India that tend to attract higher dividends.

Preference Shares

The third of the types of shares in India, are the preference shares. These types of shares in are named so because owners of preference shares usually have rights to dividends ahead of ordinary shareholders. For preference shares, a fixed dividend is declared annually, whereas in equity shares, dividends are declared based on the profits of the company.

Most Popular Types of Shares in India

Of all the aforementioned types of shares in India, only the equity shares are the most preferred and accessible. Equity shares are also freely listed and frequently traded on the stock exchanges in India.