₹2,000 to ₹20,000 cr saved! Nithin Kamath reveals how Zerodha’s zero brokerage on equity delivery helped investors

Discount brokerage firm Zerodha's found and CEO Nithin Kamath in a post on social media platform X highlighted the impact of trading costs and how it eats into your profits. In a post on X, the 45-year-old entrepreneur said that Zerodha clients have saved anywhere between ₹2,000 to ₹20,000 crore as equity delivery brokerage over the last 10 years.

"Over the 10 years of being free, our clients have saved between ₹2000 and 20,000 crores as equity delivery brokerage," Kamath said. It was in December 2025, almost 10 years ago that the broking firm decided to wave off brokerage for equity delivery. Before that, it charged the lower of 0.1% or ₹20.

He said that while a 0.5% brokerage may seem small, investors tend to forget the total cost can go up quickly if one's strategy involves executing a few trades in a month.

Under Pressure

Kamath further highlighted that while there is extreme pressure to tweak the stance amid declining option trading volumes, Zerodha has stuck to its stance.

"It's been around 10 years since we waived off brokerage for equity delivery. Even though there is extreme pressure to change the stance, given option trading volumes are down significantly, we've stuck with this so far," Kamath said in a post on X.

In a light-hearted but insightful addition, Kamath also clarified the meaning of "Zerodha" – it’s not about "Zero" plus brokerage, as many might assume, but rather "Zero" plus "Barriers" (in Sanskrit).

The decision to waive off brokerage for equity delivery therefore aligns with the company's philosophy and mission, as it aimed at reducing the barriers to entry in the stock market and helping clients retain more of their investment gains.

In a blog post linked to the tweet, Kamath added that he is a big supporter of low-cost products like ETFs and index funds as they help save costs.

"I’m a big proponent of low-cost ETFs and index funds, so much so that the Zerodha AMC is especially focused on these products. But what boggles my mind is that a decent number of investors know the benefits of low-cost ETFs but still pay up to a 0.5 % brokerage. This is just percentage blindness in action. The whole point of ETFs is to save costs, but the brokerage on such transactions is already 1-5x the expense ratio of these ETFs! So keep an eye on your costs!" he added.

Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, and not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.