Zerodha Securities (legacy entity)
Zerodha Securities was the registered corporate name of the stockbroking entity within the Zerodha group prior to its formal renaming as Zerodha Broking Limited. The two names refer to the same legal entity, identified by a single Corporate Identity Number (CIN) in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs records. The renaming represented a branding consolidation rather than a restructuring of the entity’s regulatory registrations, shareholding, or business operations.
This article documents the legacy Zerodha Securities name period and the transition, to allow readers encountering historical references to the older name in regulatory filings, court records, or archival media to understand the continuity of the entity.
Context of the name change
When Zerodha was incorporated on 15 August 2010, it was registered under a name that included “Securities”, consistent with the naming convention used by most contemporary Indian stockbroking companies. The suffix “Securities” has traditionally been used in the names of SEBI-registered stockbrokers (for example, ICICI Securities, Motilal Oswal Securities, and Edelweiss Securities), reflecting the entity’s core business in securities transactions.
As the Zerodha group expanded beyond pure stockbroking to encompass depository participant services, direct mutual fund distribution, education, and affiliated products, the founders chose to rename the primary entity to “Zerodha Broking Limited” to more precisely describe its function (brokerage) rather than the broader asset class category (securities). The name “Zerodha” had by this point become a recognised brand independent of any suffix, and the renaming also reduced confusion between the broking entity and other Zerodha group entities.
Regulatory continuity
Under Indian company law, a name change does not alter the legal identity of a company. The CIN number, registered office, directors, shareholders, and all regulatory registrations remain unchanged. All SEBI certificates, NSE and BSE memberships, CDSL and NSDL depository participant registrations, and any SEBI enforcement orders issued under the Zerodha Securities name are legally binding on and carried by the same entity now known as Zerodha Broking Limited.
Clients who opened accounts during the Zerodha Securities period hold the same accounts at Zerodha Broking Limited. No re-registration of accounts was required.
Historical references
Researchers consulting SEBI orders, NSE trading member records, or court filings from the period 2010 to the date of the name change may encounter the Zerodha Securities name. These records should be read as referring to the entity currently known as Zerodha Broking Limited.
Similarly, early media coverage of Zerodha from 2010 to approximately 2013-2015 may use the Zerodha Securities name. The name change appears to have been effected within the first five years of operation, though the exact date of the ROC approval of the name change can be verified through the Ministry of Corporate Affairs MCA21 portal.
See also
References
- Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Company master data, Zerodha Broking Limited (formerly Zerodha Securities). MCA21 portal.
- Securities and Exchange Board of India. Registration records for Zerodha Broking Limited (INZ000031633).
- Registrar of Companies, Karnataka. Name change approval documentation (internal ROC records).