01 September 2010
According to the Depositories Act, 1996, an investor has the option to hold shares either in physical or electronic form .The process of converting the physical form of shares into electronic form is called dematerialisation or in short demats. The converted electronic data is stored with the depository from where they can be traded. It is similar to a bank where an investor opens an account with any of the depository participants. Depository participant is a representative of the depository .The DP maintains the investors securities account balances and intimates him about the status of holdings.
Procedure for converting the physical shares into electronic form.
To convert the shares into electronic form the investor should open an account with any of the depository participants. For opening an account the investor has to fill up the account opening form. An account number (client ID) will be allotted after signing the agreement which defines the rights and duties of the DP and the investor wishing to open the account. The client ID along with the DP ID gives a unique identification in the depository system. Any number of depository accounts can be opened.
After opening an account with the DP the investor should surrender the physical certificates held in his name to a depository participant. These certificates will be sent to the respective companies where they will be cancelled after dematerialization and will credit the investors account with the DP. The securities on dematerialisation will appear as balances in the depository account. These balances can be transferred like the shares held in physical form. Dematerialised shares are in the fungible form and do not have any distinctive or certificate numbers .The securities in the demat can again be converted into physical form which is called as rematerialisation.
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