Archive · 27 Aug 2026
How Zerodha and Groww Built India’s New Investment Fortunes
Zerodha and Groww are online services that help people invest their money.
Zerodha made trading cheaper and easier for ordinary investors.
Its customer base grew from 30,000 people in 2013 to more than 17.5 million.
Groww began by offering mutual funds and later added stocks, ETFs, IPOs, and other products.
Millions of Indians are moving some money from bank deposits into investments.
This growth has made the founders of both companies very wealthy.
However, some investors lose money on risky trades.
Rising household debt, including debt linked to digital lending apps, is another concern.
Zerodha grew from 30,000 clients in 2013 to more than 17.5 million today.
Groww reported 16.9 million active users and nearly $38 billion in assets as of June 2026.
Zerodha lowered investing costs and complexity through online trading and reduced brokerage rates.
Zerodha’s founders, Nithin and Nikhil Kamath, have a combined net worth of $9.9 billion.
Retail investing is expanding in India, but speculative losses and rising household debt remain concerns.
- Who
- Zerodha, Groww, their founders, and India’s growing population of retail investors.
- What
- The expansion of two digital investment platforms and its effect on India’s wealth and financial-services landscape.
- When
- Zerodha was founded in 2010 and Groww in 2016; Groww’s reported user and asset figures are as of June 2026.
- Where
- India’s online brokerage and retail investment market.
- Why
- Lower-cost technology made investing more accessible, while rising retail participation shifted household money toward equity markets and wealth management.
Access and Wealth Creation
Investor Risks and Financial Pressure
Effect of digital platforms
Access and Wealth Creation
Zerodha and Groww lowered costs, reduced complexity, and expanded access to investing products for retail customers.
Investor Risks and Financial Pressure
Greater access can expose inexperienced investors to speculative trading and losses.
Household financial shift
Access and Wealth Creation
More Indian households are moving money from bank deposits toward equity markets and wealth management.
Investor Risks and Financial Pressure
The investment boom is occurring alongside rising household debt, partly fueled by digital lending apps.
Business growth model
Access and Wealth Creation
Zerodha’s decision to grow through its own revenues helped it become one of India’s most profitable fintech companies.
Investor Risks and Financial Pressure
The wider growth of financial services does not eliminate the risks faced by retail investors or indebted households.
- Zerodha clients
- More than 17.5 million
- Groww active users
- 16.9 million as of June 2026
- Groww total assets
- Nearly $38 billion as of June 2026
- Zerodha founders’ combined net worth
- $9.9 billion for Nithin and Nikhil Kamath
- Groww founder’s net worth
- $1.1 billion for Lalit Keshre
- Zerodha founding year
- 2010
- Groww founding year
- 2016