DP ID stands for Depository Participant Identification, which is a unique 8-digit code assigned to a Depository Participant (DP) by the Depository. A Depository Participant is a financial entity such as a bank or broker that acts as an intermediary between the investor and the Depository. The DP ID is used to identify the DP and is a subset of the unique Demat account number. The Demat account number is a combination of the DP ID and the Beneficiary Owner (BO) ID of the Demat account holder. The DP ID is typically the first 8 digits of the 16-digit Demat account number and represents the Demat account opening institution. It is important to note that the Demat account number and DP ID are not the same.