What Does Zerodha Mean? Nithin Kamath Explains

Nithin Kamath, co-founder of Zerodha, shared a milestone update on X, highlighting the impact of Zerodha’s zero brokerage policy on equity delivery trades. Despite industry pressure, the brokerage firm has maintained this stance for over a decade.

"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 posted.

Massive Savings for Investors

Kamath revealed that Zerodha’s equity delivery clients have saved between Rs 2,000 crore and Rs 20,000 crore in brokerage fees over the past 10 years.
 

The latest data further supports this claim. The chart shared by Zerodha estimates investor savings under different brokerage models. If a 0.3% fee without a cap had been applied, total savings would have been around Rs 21,305 crore. Under a 0.1% brokerage model, the savings stand at Rs 7,101 crore, while with a cap of Rs 20 per trade, investors saved Rs 2,195 crore.

Zerodha's Growing Impact

The chart also shows a significant increase in savings over time. By 2025, investors are projected to save Rs 7,126.8 crore under the 0.3% model, Rs 2,375.6 crore under the 0.1% model, and Rs 624.8 crore under the capped model.

More Than Just ‘Zero Brokerage’

Kamath clarified a common misconception about Zerodha’s name, stating, “Zerodha = Zero + Barriers (Sanskrit), not Zero + brokerage.” This reinforces the company’s vision of making investing more accessible.
Despite challenges, Zerodha continues to stand firm on its zero-brokerage policy, ensuring long-term benefits for Indian investors.