We have audited the standalone financial statements of Central
Depository Services (India) Limited ("the Company"), which
comprise the Balance sheet as at March 31, 2026, the Statement of
Profit and Loss, including the statement of Other Comprehensive
Income, the Cash Flow Statement and the Statement of Changes
in Equity for the year then ended, and notes to the standalone
financial statements, including a summary of material accounting
policies and other explanatory information.

In our opinion and to the best of our information and according
to the explanations given to us, the aforesaid standalone financial
statements give the information required by the Companies
Act, 2013, as amended ("the Act") in the manner so required
and give a true and fair view in conformity with the accounting
principles generally accepted in India, of the state of affairs of
the Company as at March 31, 2026, its profit including other
comprehensive income, its cash flows and the changes in equity
for the year ended on that date.

Basis for Opinion

We conducted our audit of the standalone financial statements
in accordance with the Standards on Auditing (SAs), as specified
under section 143(10) of the Act. Our responsibilities under those
Standards are further described in the 'Auditor's Responsibilities
for the Audit of the Standalone Financial Statements' section of our
report. We are independent of the Company in accordance with the

'Code of Ethics’ issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of
India together with the ethical requirements that are relevant to
our audit of the financial statements under the provisions of the
Act and the Rules thereunder, and we have fulfilled our other ethical
responsibilities in accordance with these requirements and the
Code of Ethics. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained
is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion
on the standalone financial statements.

Key Audit Matters

Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional
judgment, were of most significance in our audit of the
standalone financial statements for the financial year ended
March 31, 2026. These matters were addressed in the context
of our audit of the standalone financial statements as a whole,
and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do not provide a
separate opinion on these matters. For each matter below, our
description of how our audit addressed the matter is provided
in that context.

We have determined the matters described below to be the key
audit matters to be communicated in our report. We have fulfilled
the responsibilities described in the Auditor's responsibilities for
the audit of the standalone financial statements section of our
report, including in relation to these matters. Accordingly, our
audit included the performance of procedures designed to
respond to our assessment of the risks of material misstatement
of the standalone financial statements. The results of our audit
procedures, including the procedures performed to address the
matters below, provide the basis for our audit opinion on the
accompanying standalone financial statements.

Information Other than the Financial Statements
and Auditor's Report Thereon

The Company's Board of Directors is responsible for the
other information. The other information comprises the
information included in the Annual report, but does not include
the standalone financial statements and our auditor’s report
thereon. The Annual report is expected to be made available to
us after the date of this auditor’s report.

Our opinion on the standalone financial statements does not
cover the other information and we do not express any form of
assurance conclusion thereon.

In connection with our audit of the standalone financial
statements, our responsibility is to read the other information
and, in doing so, consider whether such other information is
materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our
knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be
materially misstated.

When we read the Annual report, if we conclude that there is a
material misstatement therein, we are required to communicate
the matter to those charged with governance.

Responsibilities of Management and Those
charge with governance for the Standalone
Financial Statements

The Company's Board of Directors is responsible for the matters
stated in section 134(5) of the Act with respect to the preparation
of these standalone financial statements that give a true and fair
view of the financial position, financial performance including
other comprehensive income, cash flows and changes in equity
of the Company in accordance with the accounting principles
generally accepted in India, including the Indian Accounting
Standards (Ind AS) specified under section 133 of the Act read
with the Companies (Indian Accounting Standards) Rules, 2015,
as amended. This responsibility also includes maintenance of
adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions
of the Act for safeguarding of the assets of the Company and
for preventing and detecting frauds and other irregularities;
selection and application of appropriate accounting policies;
making judgments and estimates that are reasonable and
prudent; and the design, implementation and maintenance
of adequate internal financial controls, that were operating
effectively for ensuring the accuracy and completeness of the
accounting records, relevant to the preparation and presentation
of the standalone financial statements that give a true and fair
view and are free from material misstatement, whether due to
fraud or error.

In preparing the standalone financial statements, management
is responsible for assessing the Company's ability to continue
as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to

going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting
unless management either intends to liquidate the Company or
to cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so.

Those charged with governance are also responsible for
overseeing the Company's financial reporting process.

Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the
Standalone Financial Statements

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about
whether the standalone financial statements as a whole are
free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or
error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion.
Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not
a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with SAs
will always detect a material misstatement when it exists.
Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered
material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably
be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken
on the basis of these standalone financial statements.

As part of an audit in accordance with SAs, we exercise
professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism
throughout the audit. We also:

• Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the
standalone financial statements, whether due to fraud or
error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to
those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and
appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of
not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is
higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve
collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations,
or the override of internal control.

• Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the
audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate
in the circumstances. Under section 143(3)(i) of the Act, we
are also responsible for expressing our opinion on whether
the Company has adequate internal financial controls with
reference to financial statements in place and the operating
effectiveness of such controls.

• Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used
and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related
disclosures made by management.

• Conclude on the appropriateness of management's use of the
going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit
evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists
related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt
on the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. If we
conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required
to draw attention in our auditor's report to the related
disclosures in the financial statements or, if such disclosures

are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are
based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our
auditor's report. However, future events or conditions may
cause the Company to cease to continue as a going concern.

• Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the
standalone financial statements, including the disclosures,
and whether the standalone financial statements represent
the underlying transactions and events in a manner that
achieves fair presentation.

We communicate with those charged with governance regarding,
among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the
audit and significant audit findings, including any significant
deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.

We also provide those charged with governance with a statement
that we have complied with relevant ethical requirements
regarding independence, and to communicate with them all
relationships and other matters that may reasonably be thought
to bear on our independence, and where applicable, related
safeguards.

From the matters communicated with those charged with
governance, we determine those matters that were of most
significance in the audit of the standalone financial statements
for the financial year ended March 31, 2026 and are therefore
the key audit matters. We describe these matters in our auditor’s
report unless law or regulation precludes public disclosure
about the matter or when, in extremely rare circumstances, we
determine that a matter should not be communicated in our
report because the adverse consequences of doing so would
reasonably be expected to outweigh the public interest benefits
of such communication.

Report on Other Legal and Regulatory
Requirements

1. As required by the Companies (Auditor's Report) Order,
2020 ("the Order"), issued by the Central Government of
India in terms of sub-section (11) of section 143 of the Act,
we give in the "Annexure 1" a statement on the matters
specified in paragraphs 3 and 4 of the Order.

2. As required by Section 143(3) of the Act, we report, to the
extent applicable, that:

(a) We have sought and obtained all the information and
explanations which to the best of our knowledge and
belief were necessary for the purposes of our audit;

(b) In our opinion, proper books of account as required
by law have been kept by the Company so far as it
appears from our examination of those books;

(c) The Balance Sheet, the Statement of Profit and Loss
including the Statement of Other Comprehensive
Income, the Cash Flow Statement and Statement of
Changes in Equity dealt with by this Report are in
agreement with the books of account;

(d) In our opinion, the aforesaid standalone financial
statements comply with the Accounting Standards
specified under Section 133 of the Act, read with
Companies (Indian Accounting Standards) Rules,
2015, as amended;

(e) On the basis of the written representations received
from the directors as on March 31, 2026 taken on
record by the Board of Directors, none of the directors
is disqualified as on March 31, 2026 from being
appointed as a director in terms of Section 164 (2) of
the Act;

(f) With respect to the adequacy of the internal financial
controls with reference to these standalone financial
statements and the operating effectiveness of such
controls, refer to our separate Report in "Annexure
2" to this report;

(g) In our opinion, the managerial remuneration for the
year ended March 31, 2026 has been paid/provided
by the Company to its directors in accordance with
the provisions of section 197 read with Schedule V to
the Act;

(h) With respect to the other matters to be included in
the Auditor's Report in accordance with Rule 11 of the
Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014, as amended
in our opinion and to the best of our information and
according to the explanations given to us:

i. The Company has disclosed the impact of
pending litigations on its financial position in
its standalone financial statements - Refer Note
34 to the standalone financial statements;

ii. The Company did not have any long-term
contracts including derivative contracts for
which there were any material foreseeable
losses;

iii. There were no amounts which were required
to be transferred to the Investor Education and
Protection Fund by the Company.

iv. a) The management has represented that, to the

best of its knowledge and belief, no funds have
been advanced or loaned or invested (either

from borrowed funds or share premium or any
other sources or kind of funds) by the Company
to or in any other person(s) or entity(ies),
including foreign entities ("Intermediaries"),
with the understanding, whether recorded in
writing or otherwise, that the Intermediary
shall, whether, directly or indirectly lend or
invest in other persons or entities identified in
any manner whatsoever by or on behalf of the
Company ("Ultimate Beneficiaries") or provide
any guarantee, security or the like on behalf of
the Ultimate Beneficiaries;

b) The management has represented that,
to the best of its knowledge and belief, no
funds have been received by the Company
from any person(s) or entity(ies), including
foreign entities ("Funding Parties"), with the
understanding, whether recorded in writing
or otherwise, that the Company shall, whether,
directly or indirectly, lend or invest in other
persons or entities identified in any manner
whatsoever by or on behalf of the Funding
Party ("Ultimate Beneficiaries") or provide any
guarantee, security or the like on behalf of the
Ultimate Beneficiaries; and

c) Based on such audit procedures performed
that have been considered reasonable and
appropriate in the circumstances, nothing has
come to our notice that has caused us to believe
that the representations under sub-clause (a)
and (b) contain any material misstatement.

v. The final dividend paid by the Company during
the year in respect of the same declared for the
previous year is in accordance with section 123
of the Act to the extent it applies to payment of
dividend.

As stated in note 14.4 to the standalone
financial statements, the Board of Directors
of the Company have proposed final dividend
for the year which is subject to the approval
of the members at the ensuing Annual General
Meeting. The dividend declared is in accordance
with section 123 of the Act to the extent it applies
to declaration of dividend.

vi. Based on our examination which included
test checks, the Company has used accounting
software for maintaining its books of account
which has a feature of recording audit trail
(edit log) facility and the same has operated
throughout the year for all relevant transactions
recorded in the software (refer Note 48 to the
financial statements). Further, during the
course of our audit we did not come across any
instance of audit trail feature being tampered
with. Additionally, the audit trail has been
preserved by the Company as per the statutory
requirements for record retention.

For S.R. Batliboi & Co. LLP

Chartered Accountants
ICAI Firm Registration Number: 301003E/E300005

per Pikashoo Mutha

Partner

Membership Number: 131658
UDIN: 26131658ELNHFT5064

Place of Signature: Mumbai
Date: May 2, 2026