Stocks in your Demat account are termed your Demat holdings. Having a Demat account is mandatory if you trade shares electronically and store them in the dematerialised form. If you hold shares in the physical form, they can be converted into electronic form.

What does my Demat holding statement have in it?

The Demat account and holdings statement will give you a detailed overview of the shares that you have transacted over a given timeframe and their values. This helps you get the information related to all your transactions made at a given point in time. Accessing your Demat holding statement is a one-stop-shop to get answers for all your transaction-related queries.

Is it mandatory to have a Demat account to trade shares?

Yes, it is mandatory to have a Demat and Trading account to trade shares on a delivery basis in India. Without a Demat account, you will not be able to store shares in the electronic format. You can open and operate a Demat account with a depository participant such as banks and brokers registered with National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) or Central Depository Services (India) Limited (CDSL). 

How to download a Demat account statement?

You can download your Demat account statement in the following ways:

Directly from the central depositories

In India, there are two central depositories, NSDL and CDSL. You can directly download your Demat account statement from either of the depositories, depending on the registration of your broker. You can log on to their website and key in your Demat account number to access your Demat account statement. 

From the broker with whom you maintain a Demat account

Brokers have a trading platform through which you could place your buy and sell orders. The same platform would provide you with a facility to view or download your account statement. You will have to log in to your trading account, and you will notice an option to access your account statement on the dashboard. 

Viewing or downloading your Demat account statement is a simple task. You just have to log on to the website of a central depository or your broker and use your credentials to access your Demat account statement. You may need to have your Demat account statement to file your income tax return.