The Depositories Act, 1996 (Act No. 22 of 1996) is an act of the Parliament of India. It provides the legal framework for the regulation of depositories in India, which hold securities in dematerialized (electronic) form, and for matters related to them.
It aims to simplify securities ownership transfer, reduce paperwork, and enhance transparency and investor trust in the securities market.
It is amended by various acts over the years, which includes the following: