Investing used to be a two-part puzzle – deciding what to buy and then figuring out how to buy it.
Opening a trading account involves paperwork and branch visits. Investments in government securities were largely linked to institutions or experienced market participants. Even something as simple as starting a mutual fund investment often involves filling out forms and waiting for the process to be completed. However, over the past decade, those barriers have steadily declined.
Today, an investor can complete KYC digitally, open a demat account online, start a SIP in a matter of minutes, buy exchange-traded funds through a smartphone or invest directly in government securities. The underlying investments have not changed but the way people access them has. This change has been significant in reshaping the participants in India’s financial markets.
According to the Economic Survey 2025-26, India added 23.5 million demat accounts during FY26 (till December 2025), taking the total number to over 216 million. The number of unique investors in the country has also crossed 120 million, while there are 59 million unique investors in the mutual fund industry, including 35 million investors beyond Tier-I and Tier-II cities.
These are not just milestones for the financial sector. He suggests that investing is becoming more geographically diverse and more widely accessible than it was just a few years ago. Technology is playing a central role in that change, not by reshaping investment, but by simplifying participation.
The investment itself has not changed. It is a journey.
Think about some of the biggest changes investors have seen over the past two decades. Online brokerage reduces the need for physical paperwork. Mutual fund platforms have made systematic investing easy. Digital gold enables investors to purchase small amounts without worrying about storage. RBI’s Retail Direct initiative gave individuals a direct route to invest in government securities without going through traditional intermediaries.
Each of these developments solved a different problem, but they had the same purpose: to reduce friction. Technology has not changed what government bonds represent or how mutual funds work. Instead, it has made these products easier to find, understand, and access.
Regulatory reforms have reinforced this change. Earlier this year, SEBI introduced measures to simplify many investor service requests by enabling direct credit of securities into the demat accounts of investors. In applicable cases, the processing timeline is expected to be reduced from approximately 150 days to approximately 30 days, improving the overall investor experience without altering the underlying investment framework. This combination of digital infrastructure and regulatory modernization has gradually shifted the focus to easing access to ownership.
convenience changes behavior
Simplifying investing not only saves time, but it can also impact the way people invest. An example of this is the rise of systematic investing. Instead of trying to predict short-term market moves, many investors now choose to invest a fixed amount every month through systematic investment plans (SIP). The process is largely automated, requiring little intervention after initial setup.
This trend is continuously gaining momentum. According to the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), the monthly SIP contribution reached ₹31,781 crore in June 2026, while the number of active SIP accounts reached 9.78 crore. At the same time, SIP assets increased ₹17.70 lakh crore, which is about 21.5% of the total assets under management of the mutual fund industry.
That partnership has led to the growth of a broader industry. As of June 30, 2026, the assets under management of the Indian mutual fund industry stood at 9.5 percent ₹82.22 trillion, almost six times larger than a decade ago. Total mutual fund folios reached 27.86 crore, reflecting the growing investor base across the country.
Importantly, these figures do not suggest that technology has made investing risk-free. Market volatility continues, and investment decisions still need to be carefully considered. What technology has done is remove many of the practical barriers that might once have discouraged participation.
From financial products to a wide range of investment opportunities
The idea of improving access is now extending beyond traditional investment products. Retail investors today can choose from listed equities, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, government securities, REITs, InvITs and many other regulated investment vehicles through digital platforms.
What these products have in common is not that they offer similar returns or have similar risks, but that is not the case. The common thread is access. Digital platforms have made it easier to compare products, complete onboarding, execute transactions and monitor investments from a single interface. Investors who previously had limited exposure to the financial markets now have a wide range of options available to them.
The next phase of this evolution is beginning to focus on asset classes that have historically required large capital commitments. Some technology-based platforms are exploring ways to improve access to these opportunities through digital onboarding and partial participation, where permitted under applicable legal and regulatory frameworks. The aim is not to create new asset classes, but to make participation in existing asset classes more accessible than traditional ones.
With more doors to open, it can be difficult to choose the right one
Better access has changed the investing experience in another important way. For many, the challenge is not starting now. This is deciding where to invest.
A decade ago, the average retail investor had a relatively limited menu of options. Today, the same investor can build a portfolio through digital platforms that includes equities, debt funds, exchange-traded funds, government securities, REITs, InvITs and other regulated products.
That wider choice is undoubtedly a positive, but it also increases the importance of understanding what lies behind each investment. Technology can make it easier to purchase an investment, however, it cannot explain whether it matches a person’s financial goals, liquidity needs or risk tolerance. This is where access and financial literacy need to grow together.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has repeatedly emphasized investor awareness as retail participation has expanded, encouraging investors to understand products, assess risks and rely on regulated channels when making investment decisions. As accessibility continues to improve, making informed decisions becomes as important as the technology that enables it.
Access is becoming part of the investment story
The conversation around investment has traditionally focused on performance. Which asset gave the highest returns? Which sector performed better? Which strategy worked best? Those questions remain relevant, but another trend is quietly gaining momentum. Increasingly, innovation is focused on making access to established asset classes easier rather than creating entirely new ones.
Listed REITs are an example. Introduced in India in 2019, they allow investors to participate in income-generating commercial real estate through listed securities without directly purchasing office buildings or managing tenants. By mid-2026, India has five listed REITs on Indian stock exchanges, reflecting the gradual growth of the country’s listed real estate investment market.
The same principle is visible elsewhere also. RBI’s Retail Direct platform provides direct access to government securities to individuals, digital platforms have simplified investing in mutual funds and ETFs and online brokerage has reduced the operational effort involved in purchasing listed shares.
Each innovation has expanded access to a pre-existing asset class. The underlying investment remains the same. The way to participate has become simple.
Ownership is no longer the only way to participate
This sweeping shift is changing the way investors think about ownership. In many areas of daily life, technology has gradually shifted the focus from owning a property to accessing a service when needed. Investment in some areas of the financial ecosystem is beginning to reflect a similar pattern.
Instead of requiring individuals to commit large amounts of capital to participate in each opportunity, technology is enabling investment structures that can lower entry barriers, digitize transactions and improve transparency subject to applicable regulatory frameworks.
Commercial real estate is one area where this growth is more visible. Investing directly in institutional-quality commercial property was out of reach for most retail investors due to the capital required. Listed REITs have already increased access to this market, while new technology-enabled platforms are exploring additional ways to improve access through digital onboarding and fractional participation where permitted.
Platforms like Alt DRX are part of this broader change. Rather than introducing a new asset class, they explain how technology can ease access to areas of the real estate market that have historically been difficult for individual investors to participate in due to high entry costs.
That differentiation is important. The story is not about replacing traditional investing or suggesting that one asset class is better than another. It is about providing investors access to a broader opportunity set, allowing them to make choices based on their financial goals, investment horizon and risk appetite.
The next chapter will probably be about inclusion
Technology has already changed the investment process. Opening an account, completing KYC, transferring money and tracking investments have become much faster and more convenient than a decade ago. The next step may be less about digitalizing existing processes and more about broadening participation.
As more asset classes become accessible through regulated digital channels and technology continues to reduce operational barriers, investors are likely to have more choices than in any previous generation. This is undoubtedly a positive development.
Also, more choice brings more responsibility. Easy access does not eliminate investment risk, nor does it diminish the importance of diversification, due diligence or understanding how investing works.
Technology can open doors. Deciding whether to follow through and which opportunities deserve a place in the portfolio will always be an investor’s responsibility.
Note to reader: This article has been produced by HT Brand Studio on behalf of the brand and has no journalistic/editorial involvement with Hindustan Times.
