Fintech

Can Zerodha be India’s Robinhood?

Pratik Bhakta

July 08, 2021 | 5 Min Read

Robinhood’s IPO plans have brought the focus on Indian broking startups. But there exist several stark differences between the US and Indian stock markets, and even between Robinhood and India’s largest broking startup Zerodha. What will it take for Indian startups to replicate Robinhood’s success?

Stock broking startup Robinhood is set to go public at an expected valuation of $40 billion. Started in 2013 by two Stanford graduates, it stands among the top three broking platforms in the US with more than 18 million funded accounts, a feat achieved in just six years.

More than half of the customers who opened accounts with Robinhood between 2015 and 2021 were first-time traders, according to the company’s draft prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 1.

That’s a template several Indian broking startups such as Zerodha, Upstox, Paytm Money and Groww too follow.

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