More Indians can buy a share of the market today than at any point in history. Whether they are investing with a plan is a different question — and a newer category of research-backed model portfolios is trying to answer it.
India’s demat account base has crossed 21 crore (NSDL and CDSL combined data, October 2025) — the highest in the country’s history. Discount brokers, mobile-first onboarding, and a wave of first-time investors have made buying stocks easier than ever. By almost any measure of access, Indian retail investing has arrived.
Access, though, was never really the hard part. What happens after someone opens that demat account — whether they hold through a downturn, follow a plan, or get pulled into whatever is trending that week — is a separate and much harder problem. It is also the problem a newer investing category, the model portfolio, is built to address.
What is a model portfolio?
A model portfolio is a researched basket of stocks constructed around a defined strategy — with named securities, defined weightages, a benchmark, a stated investment horizon, and a scheduled review process. The investor buys and holds the shares in their own demat account; the research team that built the model publishes updates and rebalancing actions as market conditions change.
The distinction matters. A collection of stocks accumulated over the years — one from a video, one from a friend, two because a sector was booming — is not the same thing as a portfolio. A model portfolio replaces that series of one-off decisions with a single, documented process.
How it differs from mutual funds and stock tips is key. Unlike mutual funds, where investors hold units and have less control, or tips that lack transparency, model portfolios follow a research-driven process with clear rationale for each action, helping investors stay disciplined and informed.
For most of the last two decades, retail investors have effectively had two options. Mutual funds offer diversification and professional management, but investors hold fund units rather than the underlying shares, giving up direct visibility and control for convenience. Direct stock-picking offers full control, but demands the research, portfolio construction and rebalancing discipline that a professional would otherwise provide.
Model portfolios follow a research-based, disciplined process for selection and rebalancing, giving investors a sense of stability and control over their investments.
Streetfolio’s approach: philosophy-led investing
Streetfolio, a platform from Bengaluru-based Streetgains Technologies Private Limited (SEBI-registered Research Analyst, Reg. No. INH000017082), is built around this category. Its model portfolios are each anchored to a figure from Indian itihasa — Arjuna for focus, Bhima for momentum — used as behavioral anchors that define each portfolio’s temperament, risk level, and time horizon.
Core elements of the model:
- Direct ownership: shares stay in the investor’s own demat account at all times. Streetfolio provides the research and rebalancing guidance; the investor retains final execution control.
- SEBI-registered research: portfolios are constructed and periodically rebalanced by SEBI-registered Research Analysts using fundamental, technical, and macroeconomic assessment and defined risk parameters. As market conditions change, subscribers receive transparent, research-backed buy and sell actions — with clear rationale to foster confidence and reduce uncertainty in decision-making.
- Subscription access: research-backed portfolios are offered on a transparent subscription starting at about ₹12 a day on annual plans.
Who builds them — and how is this regulated?
In India, model portfolios are created by SEBI-registered Research Analysts, ensuring a regulated, trustworthy approach that builds investor confidence.
“The core issue in retail equity investing today isn’t access — it’s execution and discipline,” said Santhosh Kumar V, Founder & CEO of Streetgains Technologies. “Investors are constantly pulled toward short-term speculation instead of being equipped with a long-term framework. When volatility strikes, a plan without conviction panics. A grounded philosophy stays disciplined.”
Who should consider model portfolios?
In practical terms, the model changes what an investor is deciding. Instead of asking “which stock should I buy today,” the question becomes “which portfolio — and which philosophy — fits how I want to invest.” That framing suits first-time investors who want a research-backed starting point, experienced investors whose holdings have accumulated without structure, and working professionals who want equity exposure without having to watch the market daily.
Whether it suits a given investor depends on their goals, risk appetite, and time horizon. Model portfolios are one option among several, not a replacement for advice tailored to individual circumstances — and like all equity investing, they carry market risk.
