Have basic thumb rules of investments as quick guide. A) long term view. B) cherry pick funds which best from good, better and average. C) don't be impetient. D) have an advisor, traderji has enough to help you, listen to all, do what suits you. E) don't just buy on tips, a little birdy told in your ears and stock will double in x days, it never happens. people who advice you dump stocks they have to you. F) don't love or hate any stock or fund. loving x stock may eat all your capital and ignoring y may hamper your multifold profits. jahan dekho mauka wahan maaro chauka. G) buy in gloom, sell in boom or buy when others fear and sell when others are greedy. I) don't ever forget gravitational rule. all that goes up will come down. miss the bus, wait for other, dont jump in already running buses. If market is going up, it will come down, one day. A company selling it's capital can be overvalued upto an extent and after which market needs excueses to fall down.
Now that you learnt some basic rules, go through valuereserch site, moneycontrol's mutual fund section and keep visiting here on traderji. All you need is a broker, i would suggest fundsindia as it's free, has loads of interative features and has good coustmer support for novice investors. Other thing you can do is go to karvy or cams office at your place and apply for funds via cheque/ecs payment.
Mutual funds right now don't need demat a/c so opening a share trading a/c with some broker just for mutual funds is wastage of money, fundsindia/cams/karvy/uti will suffice your needs. 1st you need to have a pan card and than a "kyc" certificate. pan card can be made via karvy/cams at a fee levied by govt, don't pay extra penny, just 94 bucks, an adress proof and a photo id. kyc can be done easily free of cost at any cams/karvy/ilfs/uti office and takes 10-15 days to update. fundsindia provides you kyc update at no cost. Once your a/c is opened you can start investing.
You have 2 ways to invest, lumpsum or SIP. SIP is monthly or quartly payment of fixed amount for a specific tenure, lumpsum you pay once in a bluemoon. And with this above rules of investment have to be followed. Any more help, feel free to ask.