The linkage between NSE (NSE.co.in) and NSDL is aimed at leveraging on the three lakh hits per day strength of the NSE site to spread the message of the depository. The NSDL site, a later entrant, currently witnesses about 6,000 hits per day. The linkage enables an entrant to a site to get to another site by merely clicking an icon.

"In a rising market, with investors keen to know scrip prices on a real time basis, the NSE site is a rage. We felt that it would be nice if investors could also be given an insight into the depository by going to the site. It would apart from spreading awareness about the depository also enable investors to go to the depository site without having to log on to depository site address," said NSE MD RH Patil. As forthe depository, the advantage is in enabling its site users to access market related details while on the same site. "We have been receiving good feedback from investors through our site. We want to reach out to more through the Net and have hence developed a linkage with the NSE site," said NSDL MD CB Bhave.

Bhave, who has laid major emphasis on technology, has also forged Net linkages with all the depositories of the Asia-Pacific region to enable investors in India get a feel of international trends in the world of settlement and clearing of trades.

"The world over, settlement of securities takes place only in the electronic form. We in India are heading towards that stage as well. We felt it necessary to keep Indian investors abreast of the changes that are taking place globally. We in the Asia-Pacific group on depositories have decided to enhance co-operation between depositories of the region and we have found the Net an able ally in doing so," said Bhave, who is the current chairman of theAsia-Pacific Central Securities Depository group.

The 13 depositories which have been linked to the NSDL site are from countries in Australia (Depository Austra Clearing), China (Shanghai Securities Clearing and Registering Corporation and Shenzen Securities Clearing Corporation Ltd), Hong Kong (Hong Kong Securities Clearing Corporation), Japan (Japan Securities Clearing Corporation an Japan Securities Depository), Korea (Korea Securities Depository), Malaysia Malaysian Central Depository), New Zealand (Reserve Bank of New Zealand) Pakistan (Central Depository Company of Pakistan), Phillipines , Taiwan and Thailand.