Think Before You Click: SEBI’s #SEBIvsSCAM Campaign Targets Fake Apps, Deepfakes, and Dubious Tips

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has launched a nationwide investor awareness campaign titled #SEBIvsSCAM, aimed at educating investors about various types of financial scams and how to safeguard themselves. This initiative is part of SEBI’s ongoing commitment to protect the retail investors from such scams in the securities market. Under SEBI’s guidance and regulatory oversight, the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. (NSE) has rolled out a comprehensive investor protection drive to support this campaign.

The campaign comes at a critical time when digital financial frauds are on the rise, with fraudsters using increasingly sophisticated and deceptive methods to target investors. From fake trading apps and deepfake videos to unregistered investment advisors and misleading stock tips on social media, scammers are exploiting technology and denting investor’s trust. Many individuals fall prey to schemes promising guaranteed returns/unusually high returns, pump-and-dump tactics, dabba trading, fraudulent foreign portfolio investment offers, etc—often resulting in significant financial losses.

#SEBIvsSCAM seeks to raise public awareness, promote safe investing habits and empower investors to make informed decisions. By spotlighting common scams and offering guidance, the campaign aims to help investors recognize warning signs, verify sources and report suspicious activities—ultimately contributing to a more secure and transparent financial ecosystem.

To ensure maximum outreach, NSE, under the aegis of SEBI will leverage a mix of media platforms including television, radio, print, digital and social media. We will also spread the Investor Awareness messages through Investor Awareness Programs which are done through physical, digital and hybrid modes. This multi-channel approach is designed to reach investors across urban and rural areas, in multiple languages and through formats that are accessible and engaging to diverse audiences.

Investor Advisory: Stay Alert, Stay Protected

• Do not fall for promises of assured or fixed returns in the securities market. Such offers are illegal and misleading.
• Avoid unsolicited messages from unknown sources. Always verify information through official websites such as SEBI, NSE or the concerned company.
• Do not download unregulated apps or join chat groups offering investment advice.
• Engage only with SEBI-registered intermediaries or research analysts. Verify their credentials at: https://www.sebi.gov.in/sebiweb/other/OtherAction.do?doRecognised=yes
• Download trading apps only from SEBI-registered trading members via official app stores. Verify apps https://www.nseindia.com/trade/members-compliance/list-of-mobile-applications
• Transfer funds only to registered client bank accounts of your stockbroker. Verify account details at https://enit.nseindia.com/MemDirWeb/form/tradingMemberLocator_beta.jsp
• From October 1, 2025, investors will be able to make payments to SEBI-registered intermediaries using a standardized UPI handle format (e.g., abc.brk@validbank) .
• Report any fraudulent activity at www.cybercrime.gov.in or call the Cybercrime Helpline at 1930. For investor support, contact NSE at 1800 266 0050.

Issued in public interest by the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd under the aegis of Securities and Exchange Board of India.

NSE and Odisha Govt Sign MoU to Enhance Financial Literacy Through Investor Awareness Programs and Student Skilling in the BFSI Sector Across Odisha

India’s leading stock exchange, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Government of Odisha signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance Financial Literacy through Investor Awareness Programs and to implement the Student Skilling Programs for the youth across Odisha.

This MOU was exchanged between Shri Sriram Krishnan, Chief Business Development Officer, NSE and Shri Prashant Kishore Mohapatra, Special Secretary, Govt. of Odisha in the distinguished presence of Suryabanshi Suraj, Hon’ble Minister of State(I/C), Higher Education, Sports & Youth Services, Odia language, Literature & Culture, Govt. of Odisha, today at Bhubaneshwar.

As part of the understanding, NSE with the support of the Government of Odisha shall conduct awareness drive through seminars, camps, knowledge sessions, road shows, workshops to spread financial literacy and investor awareness. This MoU also aims to empower the youth with industry-relevant skills and enhance their employability in the BFSI sector.

Odisha has an expanding financial ecosystem and it is imperative to empower the students, investors and corporates. This understanding embraces various fabrics of the financial ecosystem targeting various stakeholders. This multifaceted MoU is a step towards enhancing financial literacy, promoting investor awareness and fostering empowerment of the existing and new investors. Additionally, the MoU focuses on preparing youth with essential skills through NSE’s Student Skilling Program—an initiative aligned with the central government’s vision of unlocking human capital and enabling both employability and self-employment in the BFSI sector.

Shri Suryabanshi Suraj, Hon'ble Minister of State(I/C), Higher Education, Sports & Youth Services, Odia language, literature & Culture, Govt. of Odisha said, "The Government of Odisha is proud to partner with NSE to drive financial literacy, investor awareness and student skilling in our region. This MoU is not just about expanding financial knowledge; it is about empowering our students with the knowledge and skills they need with respect to financial sector. Together, we are creating a robust financial ecosystem that will pave the way for sustainable growth in Odisha”.

Shri Sriram Krishnan, Chief Business Development Officer, NSE said, “Our collaboration with the Government of Odisha highlights our shared dedication of boosting financial literacy and empowering investors. Through initiatives like investor awareness programs and the Student Skilling Program, we are fostering a well-informed community for both seasoned and new investors. Moreover, we are also committed to equipping the youth of Odisha with the vital skills needed to thrive in today's ever-evolving financial landscape.”

From April 2024 to March 2025, NSE conducted 14,679 Investor Awareness Programs across all 36 states & Union Territories in 14 languages, reaching more than 8 lakh participants. Under the Student Skilling Program more than 7500 students have been trained across various states.

NSE Crosses 22 Crore (220 Million) Total Investor Accounts

The National Stock Exchange of India marked another milestone in April 2025, with the total number of investor accounts i.e., Unique Client Codes (UCCs) surpassing 22 crore (220 million), a sharp increase within just six months of crossing the 20-crore mark (200 million) in October 2024.

Separately, the number of unique registered investors stands at 11.3 crore (As of March 31st, 2025), having crossed the 11 crore (110 million) mark on January 20th, 2025.

An investor may maintain accounts with different brokers, resulting in multiple client codes. Maharashtra leads with the highest number of investor accounts at 3.8 crore, followed by Uttar Pradesh (2.4 crore), Gujarat (1.9 crore), and Rajasthan and West Bengal at approximately 1.3 crore each. Together, these states account for nearly 49% of total accounts, while the top ten states contribute roughly three-fourths of the overall count.

The benchmark Nifty 50 Index has delivered a strong 22% annualized return over the past five years while Nifty 500 Index has delivered a 25% annualized return, demonstrating significant wealth creation for investors during this period. NSE’s Investor Protection Fund (IPF), increased by over 23% year-on-year to Rs 2,459 crore as of March 31, 2025.

Shri Sriram Krishnan, Chief Business Development Officer, NSE said, “India’s investor base continues to expand rapidly, with over 2 crore new accounts added in just six months—a clear reflection of strong investor confidence in India's growth trajectory despite global economic headwinds. This surge has been driven by accelerated digital transformation and the increasing adoption of mobile trading, which have made capital markets more accessible to investors across tier 2, 3, and 4 cities. The growth also highlights the success of focused initiatives to deepen retail participation, including widespread financial literacy programs and streamlined KYC processes. As participation broadens across a range of instruments— Equities, ETFs, REITs, InvITs, and Bonds—this milestone signals a maturing financial ecosystem where technology is playing a pivotal role in democratizing investment opportunities.”

NSE Listed Indian Companies’ Market Capitalization Surpass USD 5 Trillion

The market capitalization of Indian listed companies on NSE surpassed USD 5 Trillion (Rs 416.57 trillion) on May 23, 2024. On the same day, the Nifty 50 Index touched an all-time high of 22,993.60 The Nifty 500 index also touched an all-time high of 21,505.25 today indicating that growth in equity market is not restricted to only the large, capitalized stocks.

The journey of market capitalization of Indian listed companies from to USD 2 trillion (July 2017) to USD 3 trillion (May 2021) took about 46 months, USD 3 trillion to USD 4 trillion (December 2023) took about 30 months and the latest USD 1 trillion addition took only about 6 months. The top 5 companies by market capitalization are Reliance Industries Limited, TATA Consultancy Services Limited, HDFC Bank Limited, ICICI Bank Limited and Bharti Airtel Limited.

In the last 10 years, Nifty 50 index has delivered 13.4% returns (Total price index CAGR). During the same period, domestic mutual fund assets under management (Equity and Debt) increased by 506% from Rs 9.45 trillion end of April 2014 to Rs 57.26 trillion end of April 2024. The Foreign Portfolio investors (FPIs) assets under management (Equity and Debt) increased by 345% from Rs 16.1 trillion end of April 2014 to Rs 71.6 trillion at the end of April 2024.

Growth in market capitalization is not restricted to the top companies but is observed across stocks. The constituents of Nifty 100 index now account for 61% of market capital as compared to 74.9 % of total market capital as of April 2014. The resource mobilization by corporates including the Small and Medium Enterprise in the primary market has been encouraging and has provided an effective alternative mechanism in addition to the traditional methods of fund raising.

Liquidity in secondary market has also improved significantly in Capital Market Segment. The equity segment’s daily average turnover has increased by over 4.5 times from Rs 17,818 crores in FY15 to Rs 81,721 crores in FY24.

The achievement of this milestone is a testament of the vision outlined for the Amrit Kaal which includes a technology-driven and knowledge-based economy with strong public finances, and a robust financial sector.

Exchange has recently launched derivatives on the Nifty Next 50 index. With this launch, Exchange has provided derivatives on 3 broad market indices namely the Nifty 50 Index, Nifty Next 50 Index and Nifty Midcap Select Index giving a fair representation of large and liquid mid-capitalization segment of the market.

Shri Sriram Krishnan, Chief Business Development Officer, NSE said, “I would like to thank the Government of India, Securities Exchange of Board of India, and Reserve Bank of India for supporting the capital market ecosystem with progressive regulatory frameworks. I congratulate listed companies, trading members, investors, and all other stakeholders on achievement of this important milestone.

Increase in the latest USD 1 trillion in market capitalization in very short time of around 6 months only reposes the faith of investors in the Indian economy in the years to come. NSE as a Market Infrastructure Institution will continue to thrive and provide the best-in-class market infrastructure and a robust platform for investors as well as for resource mobilization for issuers, thereby supporting the important aspect of capital formation in the country.”

India’s 1st NGO Focused on Girls’ Education to Get Listed on the Social Stock Exchange of the NSE

Educate Girls ‘rings the bell’ as India’s 1st NGO focused on girls’ education to get listed on the Social Stock Exchange

The event was hosted by the National Stock Exchange under the leadership of Shri Ashishkumar Chauhan, Managing Director & CEO, National Stock Exchange (NSE), and attended by Dr. Harish Ahuja, Head, Sustainability, Products & Strategy Development (Carbon & Power Markets), Investor awareness/Service, Primary Markets Relationships, National Stock Exchange (NSE), and Gayatri Nair Lobo, CEO, A.T.E. Chandra Foundation

In a pioneering step towards bridging the gender gap in education in India, Educate Girls, a leading non-profit organisation, announced its listing on the Social Stock Exchange (SSE) of the National Stock Exchange (NSE). Marked by a bell-ringing ceremony, the event distinguished Educate Girls as the first organisation dedicated to girls' education to be listed on the SSE. Educate Girls is among the first 10 NGOs listed on this innovative platform, alongside SGBS Unnati Foundation, Ekalavya Foundation, and Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement, who have also embraced the SSE to further their missions.

Preceding the listing was the successful issue of Educate Girls’ Zero-Coupon Zero-Principal (ZCZP) bonds. These ZCZP bonds aimed to raise funds to mobilise over 7,000 marginalised children for enrolment, retention, and enhance learning outcomes in foundational literacy and numeracy in some of the most remote, rural, and educationally backward villages of Bahraich district, in northeastern Uttar Pradesh at the Indo-Nepal border.

The bell-ringing ceremony witnessed the participation of supporters of girls’ education. Notable supporters include EdelGive Foundation, Zerodha, and A.T.E. Chandra Foundation. The event was attended by Dr Harish Ahuja, Head, Sustainability, Products & Strategy Development (Carbon & Power Markets), Investor awareness/Service, Primary Markets Relationships, National Stock Exchange (NSE) who congratulated Educate Girls and the entire team. He appreciated the innovative use of technology and predictive algorithms by Educate Girls for social impact.

"A listing on the Social Stock Exchange is a significant milestone, not just for Educate Girls, but for every girl fighting for her right to education. With the SSE listing, we are setting a precedent that opens many doors for focused investments towards creating gender equality in education. We are immensely proud to be at the heart of carving out the path towards an equitable future,” said Safeena Husain, Founder and Board Member, Educate Girls.

“The SSE initiative is an innovative financial avenue endorsed by the Honourable Finance Minister, aimed at connecting social enterprises with impact investors. We are excited to be one of the first 10 NGOs to be listed in this initiative, which unlocks new possibilities for nation building. The introduction of Educate Girls into this network reflects a maturing ecosystem that values social returns on investment, setting a benchmark for future listings,” said Maharshi Vaishnav, CEO of Educate Girls.

As Educate Girls continues to champion the cause of accessible education for all girls, this listing on the SSE is a call to action for investors and policymakers to view education through a lens of sustainability and social impact. The success of this initiative is a testament to what can be
achieved when innovation is harnessed to serve humanity’s most pressing needs.

About Educate Girls

Educate Girls is a non-profit that collaborates with state governments and mobilises village communities for girls' education in India's rural and educationally backward areas in alignment with the ‘Right to Education Act’ and “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao.” Since 2007, in partnership with state governments, Educate Girls has mobilised over 18 lakh girls for school enrolment in over 29,000 villages of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. Website – www.EducateGirls.ngo

NSE Warns Investors Against Deepfake Videos of Its CEO Recommending Stocks

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has issued a warning to caution investors, advising them to be wary of deepfake videos featuring its chief executive offering stock recommendations. These videos appear to have been created using advanced technologies to mimic the voice and facial expressions of NSE CEO Ashishkumar Chauhan.

"We have observed the use of face / voice of Shri Ashishkumar Chauhan, PID & CEO NSE and NSE logo in a few investment and advisory audio and video clips falsely created using technology," said NSE in an official press release.

NSE officials are not authorized to endorse or engage in any stock-related activities. This alert comes amid a backdrop of thriving equity markets and a surge in retail investor participation. Regulators have expressed concerns about the potential misuse of social media platforms by financial influencers to attract investors. Remember to verify information from official sources and exercise caution when encountering investment advice online.

Such videos seem to have been created using sophisticated technologies to imitate the voice and facial expressions of Shri Ashishkumar Chauhan, PID & CEO of NSE.

Investors are hereby cautioned not to believe in such audio and videos and not follow any such investment or other advice coming from such fake videos or other mediums. It may be noted that NSE’s employees are not authorised to recommend any stock or deal in those stocks.

Additionally, NSE makes efforts requesting these platforms to take down these objectionable videos, wherever possible.

As per NSE’s process, any official communication is made only through its official website www.nseindia.com, and the Exchange’s social media handles - Twitter: @NSEIndia, Facebook: @NSE India, Instagram: @nseindia, Linkedln: @NSE India, YouTube: NSE India.

Everyone is requested to verify the source of communication and content which is sent out on behalf of NSE and to check the official social media handles.

All investors are requested to take note of the same and verify the information coming from NSE or its officials from its website www.nseindia.com as the official information.

Investors & the public at large are advised to take note of the above.

 

National Stock Exchange and Uttarakhand Govt Sign MoU To Enable The State's SMEs Raise Funds via IPOs

Also discussed, issuances of Sustainability Linked Bonds towards financing infrastructure and development projects. 

India’s leading stock exchange, National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Government of Uttarakhand have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to spread awareness amongst MSMEs of the state for fund raising via IPO mechanism using NSE SME Platform - Emerge.

A team of Senior officials of Uttarakhand Government led by Hon’ble Chief Minister, Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, visited NSE, Head Office at BKC, Mumbai today.

The MoU was exchanged between the Government of Uttarakhand and National Stock Exchange on 6th November 2023 at NSE BKC office, Mumbai. As part of the understanding, NSE with the support of the Government of Uttarakhand, will conduct awareness drive through seminars, MSME camps, knowledge sessions, road shows, workshops to guide corporates across the state for fund raising on NSE Emerge platform and handhold the companies in the listing process.

In addition to the customa5ry bell ringing ceremony, a high-level meeting was held among Uttarakhand Government & NSE officials in the presence of Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami and Shri Ashishkumar Chauhan, Managing Director & CEO, NSE. During the meeting various issues including the launch of Sustainability Linked Bonds/Green bonds, Outcome funding on Social Stock Exchange (SSE), generating employment opportunities for rural and urban youth, opportunities in the sector of Power trading and Investor Awareness Sessions across the state were discussed.

Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, Government of Uttarakhand, said: “The Dev Bhoomi of Uttarakhand is a spiritual land brimming with natural destinations including rivers, glaciers and multiple such attractions. I congratulate the Directorate of Industries (MSME) of the Government of Uttarakhand for signing a MoU with the National Stock Exchange to encourage and support the MSMEs of our state and enable them to pursue the capital market for growth opportunities. As a part of the MOU, we shall jointly conduct awareness sessions for the MSMEs to help them understand the process of fund raising and the benefits of listing on the stock exchange and providing financial literacy programs for youth of the state. We envision launch of Sustainability Linked Bond / Green Bond for infrastructure projects.”

Shri Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD & CEO, NSE said, “Today, at NSE BKC Office, Government of Uttarakhand and National Stock Exchange have entered in a MoU to collaborate and support the growth of MSMEs via NSE Emerge, an alternative fund-raising platform for MSMEs. NSE Emerge enables SMEs to raise capital in an efficient manner and increase their visibility through the listing on the stock exchange.in collaboration with the Government and provide a walk-through of the fund-raising process. We urge the state MSMEs to come forward and avail the new source of financing through NSE Emerge. We are also committed to work with the state government to facilitate issuance of Sustainability Linked Bonds, Outcome funding on Social Stock Exchange (SSE), generating entrepreneurship opportunities for rural and urban youth, opportunities in the sector of Power trading and Investor Awareness Sessions across the state. We look forward for long term association with Government of Uttarakhand for exploring new opportunities under financial market development activity.”

National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) is the world’s largest derivatives exchange by trading volume (contracts) as per the statistics maintained by Futures Industry Association (FIA) for calendar year 2022. NSE is ranked 3rd in the world in the cash equities by number of trades as per the statistics maintained by the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) for calendar year 2022. NSE was the first exchange in India to implement electronic or screen-based trading. It began operations in 1994 and is ranked as the largest stock exchange in India in terms of total and average daily turnover for equity shares every year since 1995, based on SEBI data. NSE has a fully integrated business model comprising exchange listings, trading services, clearing and settlement services, indices, market data feeds, technology solutions and financial education offerings. NSE also oversees compliance by trading, clearing members and listed companies with the rules and regulations of SEBI and the exchange. NSE is a pioneer in technology and ensures the reliability and performance of its systems through a culture of innovation and investment in technology.

For more information, please visit: www.nseindia.com

NSE Launches 13 New Commodity Derivatives Contracts on October 16, 2023

National Stock Exchange (NSE) is pleased to announce the launch of 13 new commodity derivatives contracts on October 16, 2023. With this launch, NSE offers 28 products in the Commodity Derivatives Segment.

The 13 new derivatives contracts include:

• ‘Option on Futures’ on Gold 1kg Futures, Gold Mini Futures, Silver Mini Futures, Copper Futures and Zinc Futures
• Gold Guinea (8 grams) Futures, Aluminium Futures, Aluminium Mini Futures, Lead Futures, Lead Mini Futures, Nickel Futures, Zinc Futures and Zinc Mini Futures

Over the last few days, the Exchange has launched 6 new derivatives contracts:

1. WTI Crude Oil – Mini Futures and Options on Futures contract
2. Natural Gas – Mini Futures and Options on Futures contract
3. Silver – Mini Futures and Micro futures contracts

The Exchange already had commodity contracts on Gold 1kg Futures, Gold Mini Futures, Gold Petal Futures (1 gram), Silver 30 Kg futures, Silver 30 Kg Option on Goods, WTI Crude Oil Futures, Natural Gas Futures, Brent Crude Oil Futures and Copper Futures.

The Exchange has seen increased interest from participants in its Commodity Derivatives Segment, with the launch of new products, particularly the derivatives on WTI Crude Oil and Natural Gas. Participation is observed from diverse categories of participants including Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) and Domestic Mutual funds.

The Exchange has set up dedicated teams to provide ease of onboarding for new trading members, segmental enablement for existing trading members and other operational process such as algorithmic trading approvals for providing ease and seamless experience.

Shri Sriram Krishnan, Chief Business Development Officer, NSE said: “We are pleased to announce expansion of our product offerings in the Commodity Derivatives Segment. With the launch of 13 new products today, futures and options on all key products in Energy, Bullion and Base Metals category are available on NSE platform. This will enable participants to efficiently manage their risk across commodities on the exchange platform.”

National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) is the world’s largest derivatives exchange by trading volume (contracts) as per the statistics maintained by Futures Industry Association (FIA) for calendar year 2022. NSE is ranked 3rd in the world in the cash equities by number of trades as per the statistics maintained by the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) for calendar year 2022. NSE was the first exchange in India to implement electronic or screen-based trading. It began operations in 1994 and is ranked as the largest stock exchange in India in terms of total and average daily turnover for equity shares every year since 1995, based on SEBI data. NSE has a fully integrated business model comprising exchange listings, trading services, clearing and settlement services, indices, market data feeds, technology solutions and financial education offerings. NSE also oversees compliance by trading, clearing members and listed companies with the rules and regulations of SEBI and the exchange. NSE is a pioneer in technology and ensures the reliability and performance of its systems through a culture of innovation and investment in technology.

For more information, please visit: www.nseindia.com

NITIE and NSE Join Hands for Academic/Research Collab in Economics & Finance Including FinTech

The National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE), India’s leading stock exchange, and the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) Mumbai, one of the leading business schools in the country offering education, training and industrial consultancy in the field of Engineering Management signed an MoU for academic and research collaboration in the field of Finance and Economics.

NITIE was formerly known as National Institute for Training in Industrial Engineering, and is a graduate business school under Ministry of HRD, Government of India. It has been ranked 7th in the NIRF Ranking 2023 management category.

The NITIE & NSE MoU covers a wide range of activities including capacity building through design and development of courses in Finance & Economics, undertaking research in cutting edge areas including Fintech and organizing seminars, conferences, and symposia among others, with the underlying objective of creating an industry-ready talent pool by utilizing mutual capabilities.

NSE and NITIE will also collectively work towards contributing to the literature on financial market research in the country and promoting general financial market awareness and policy advocacy. The MOU was signed by Prof. Vivekanand Khanapuri, Dean (Sponsored Research & Industrial Consultancy), NITIE and Dr. Tirthankar Patnaik, Chief Economist, NSE on Thursday, June 22nd, 2023 at NSE’s headquarters in the presence of Shri. Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD & CEO of NSE and senior faculty members from NITIE.

On this occasion, Shri Ashishkumar Chauhan said: “Financial market education is pivotal for attaining greater financial inclusion in our country. The youth of today are the growth engines of our country and therefore require access to the best pedagogy that is designed to meet the current demands of the economy and provide the competency required to fulfill their career aspirations and achieve financial freedom. NSE is happy to collaborate with NITIE to work towards enhancing financial education in India that will the economy, markets and investors.”

Prof. Manoj Kumar Tiwari, Director, NITIE said “This is a momentous occasion for us as it will open newer learning opportunities for our students in the field of finance. The NSE would benefit from the in-depth knowledge and analytical abilities of the NITIE faculty and students. Moreover, the synergistic effects of this collaboration will help in building the right kind of talent pool that India’s ever-expanding financial sector requires. I am confident that the outcome of this association will be positive and mutually beneficial”.

NSE to Set Up Social Stock Exchange (SSE) As A Separate Segment

National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) received in-principle approval from the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on December 19, 2022, to set up a Social Stock Exchange (SSE) as a separate segment of the NSE.

Earlier, Hon'ble Finance Minister, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, in her Union Budget speech of 2019-20 had proposed creation of a Social Stock Exchange, under the regulatory ambit of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for listing social enterprises and voluntary organizations working for the realization of a social welfare objective, so that they can raise capital as equity, debt or as units like a mutual fund.

Government of India, through gazette notification has declared a new security “Zero Coupon Zero Principal (ZCZP)” under the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956. The new instrument ZCZP can be publicly or privately issued by Not for Profit (NPO) upon registering with the Social Stock Exchange segment of NSE to raise funds subject to fulfilment of eligibility criteria. Currently the regulations have prescribed the minimum issue size as Rs 1 crore and minimum application size for subscription at Rs 2 lakhs. Subscription to the ZCZP would be like a philanthropic donation.

Shri Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD & CEO, NSE said: “NSE has always played a pivotal role in capital formation for the country. We are working towards the launch of Social Stock Exchange as a segment on NSE. We believe this platform will immensely benefit the social enterprises contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals.”

About National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE):

National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) is the world’s largest derivatives exchange by trading volume (contracts) as per the statistics maintained by Futures Industry Association (FIA) for calendar year 2021. NSE is ranked 4th in the world in the cash equities by number of trades as per the statistics maintained by the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) for calendar year 2021. NSE was the first exchange in India to implement electronic or screen-based trading. It began operations in 1994 and is ranked as the largest stock exchange in India in terms of total and average daily turnover for equity shares every year since 1995, based on SEBI data. NSE has a fully integrated business model comprising exchange listings, trading services, clearing and settlement services, indices, market data feeds, technology solutions and financial education offerings. NSE also oversees compliance by trading, clearing members and listed companies with the rules and regulations of SEBI and the exchange. NSE is a pioneer in technology and ensures the reliability and performance of its systems through a culture of innovation and investment in technology.

For more information, please visit: www.nseindia.com

NSE Signs Mou with the First Fintech Accelerator, Finx Labs at IFSC, Gift City

A FinTech Startup Accelerator, to support growing Indian FinTech’s

Joint venture by DevX, Savvy, and Flexworx

MoU signed with NSE for collaboration

Aimed at driving growth and scaling in Fintech arena

Ahmedabad, August 27, 2021: FinX Labs today announced the opening of its startup accelerator and co-working space, the first of its kind within the IFSC (International Financial Services Centre) at Pragya, GIFT city (Gujarat International Finance-Tec City). FinX Labs is a joint venture by Jaxay Shah (MD, Savvy Infrastructure), DevX co-working & accelerator and Flexworx by Collated, that aims to provide a platform for budding entrepreneurs and give a boost to the startup ecosystem within the fintech space.

Inaugurated under the vision of Mr. Injeti Srinivas, Chairperson GIFT IFSCA, Mr. Tapan Ray, MD & Group CEO, GIFT City and Dipesh Shah, Head Development and International Relations, GIFT IFSCA; FinX Labs is proud to enter into MOU with NSE (National Stock Exchange) as a knowledge partner. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Jaxay Shah, MD Savvy Group, opined: “The GIFT IFSC was conceived precisely to act as a catalyst for ideas, ventures and endeavors that spur growth and harness synergies, propelling India’s standing in the international markets. FinX under the umbrella of IFSCA, will nurture fintech startups providing them with mentoring, funding, networking and access to global financial centres."

Emphasizing the need for collaboration, Mr. Ravi Varanasi, President, NSE Group said: "We believe this partnership will nurture fintech innovation to make GIFT City one of the foremost international hubs for breakthrough fintech products. Keen developmental approach of IFSC Authority is the catalyst in bringing about this transformation."

Voicing the views of the Startup ecosystem, Mr. Umesh Uttamchandani, Co-founder & CGO, DevX Co-working & Accelerator said: “It is the need of the hour for verticals to have segment-oriented accelerators to drive growth and provide every advantage possible. FinX labs is ideally positioned to mentor Fintech startups by handholding them with a structured framework and creating opportunities to scale. GIFT city is the obvious choice and ideal place to locate the Fintech accelerator with the ease of doing business and various financial incentives being offered like lower taxation numbers. We are sure that FinXlabs will help propel the Fintech startups forward."

Citing his views, Mr. Aniruddh Jhaveri, Partner at Flexworx quoted: “When we talk about dynamism we generally refer to startups or entrepreneurs, but we often forget that regulators also take the leap of faith alongside. The team at IFSCA is unparalleled and access to the regulatory sandbox is a wonderful way to test ideas under a controlled environment. FinX labs opens up a plethora of opportunities for businesses looking to setup shop in GIFT IFSC; give growing business a tint of agility with flexible plug and play infrastructure."

About NSE IFSC:

NSE IFSC is a wholly owned subsidiary of NSE. The trading at NSE IFSC Limited was launched on June 5, 2017 post receiving grant of recognition from SEBI. NSE IFSC has already launched trading in Indian and global stock derivatives, index derivatives, currency derivatives, depository receipts and non-agriculture commodity derivatives. SEBI & IFSC Authority has also permitted trading in wide range of products including equity shares of companies incorporated outside of India, debt securities of eligible issuers, interest rate derivatives and all categories of exchange traded products that are available stock exchanges in FATF/IOSCO compliant jurisdictions. In addition, the regulator has allowed FPIs to trade in commodity derivatives in GIFT IFSC.

For more information, please visit: www.nseifsc.com

About National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE):

National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) is the world’s largest derivatives exchange by trading volume (contracts) as per the statistics maintained by Futures Industry Association (FIA) for calendar year 2020. NSE is ranked 4th in the world in the cash equities by number of trades as per the statistics maintained by the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) for calendar year 2020. NSE was the first exchange in India to implement electronic or screen-based trading. It began operations in 1994 and is ranked as the largest stock exchange in India in terms of total and average daily turnover for equity shares every year since 1995, based on SEBI data. NSE has a fully-integrated business model comprising exchange listings, trading services, clearing and settlement services, indices, market data feeds, technology solutions and financial education offerings. NSE also oversees compliance by trading, clearing members and listed companies with the rules and regulations of SEBI and the exchange. NSE is a pioneer in technology and ensures the reliability and performance of its systems through a culture of innovation and investment in technology.

U Gro Capital to Become the 1st Fintech Lending Platform to Be Listed on Both Stock Exchanges Starting August 11

To get listed on the National Stock Exchange on August 11; was previously listed on Bombay Stock Exchange

Aims to expand access to a larger set of investors and broker network

U GRO Capital, a technology enabled small business lending NBFC, today announced that it will get listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on August 11. The company is listed on Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and with the NSE listing, the company aims to expand access to a larger set of investors and broker network. U GRO Capital’s fully paid-up 70,528,550 shares with face value of Rs. 10 each, symbol UGROCAP and series EQ, will be admitted to dealings on NSE.

U GRO Capital was instituted in 2017 by Mr. Shachindra Nath, with the buyout of Chokhani Securities Limited. This followed its re-capitalization and rebranding with a Tech-enabled MSME Lending Business model and diverse management team amassing 250 years of combined experience across the financial spectrum. The company has raised approximately INR 920 crore of capital from a diversified set of institutional investors like private equity funds and well-known family offices.

This model of acquiring a small, listed company and raising significant capital to build a FinTech platform was an industry first conceptualization. In most cases, the benefit of value creation through early-stage formation is only available to private investors. This distinctive model was adopted by U GRO Capital to provide the similar benefit to millions of retail investors in public markets.

The company is focused on addressing capital needs of small businesses operating in select eight sectors & Microenterprises by providing customized loan solutions. Towards the realization of the same, the company has built a distinctive technology architecture, a robust and highly efficient distribution channel. This has allowed the company to scale up to 34 branches across 9 states and serve over 9,000 MSME customers, within just three years of operations.

U GRO aspires to build an INR 20,000 Crores of asset under management in next five years and take approximately 1% market share of the outstanding MSME Credit in India by opening around 270 branches with an aim to serve over lacs of small business customers.

Mr. Shachindra Nath, Executive Chairman and Managing Director, U GRO Capital said -

We, at U GRO Capital, are delighted and consider getting listed on National Stock Exchange as a significant milestone. With this development, we aim to expand access to a larger set of investors and broker community. Our progress in three years has resonated well with our mission of solving the unsolved MSME credit gap. Continuing the momentum of achieving significant milestones as this, we plan to acquire 1% market share of the MSME lending business in India in the next five years, thereby creating value for our growing investor community.

U GRO Capital limited is a BSE listed, small business lending fintech platform. The Company is focused on addressing capital needs of small businesses operating in select eight sectors by providing customized loan solutions.

U GRO Capital’s mission is ‘Solve the Unsolved’ – Small Business Credit Need. U GRO Capital believes that the problem of small businesses can be solved by building deep expertise around core sectors of SMEs in India coupled with a data centric, technology-enabled approach.

The Company has raised ~INR 920 crore of capital from a diversified set of private equity funds like institutional investors and well-known family offices.

The Company strives to build a strong SME financing platform based on sectoral understanding supplemented by a fully integrated technology and analytics platform.

Sensex Plunges 10%, Trading Halts for 45 Mins

Equity benchmark Sensex sank nearly 3,000 points to hit its lower circuit limit in morning session on Monday, triggering a 45-minute trading freeze as coronavirus-led lockdowns across the world stoked fears of a massive global recession.

After opening 2,718 points lower, the BSE barometer plunged 2,991.85 points or 10 per cent to
26,924.11.

Similarly, the NSE Nifty fell 842.45 points, or 9.63 per cent, to 7,903.

As an automatic mechanism to freefall in the market, when an exchange plunges 10 per cent before 1 pm, trading is halted on stock exchanges for 45 minutes.

All Sensex components were trading in the red, with Axis Bank tanking up to 20 per cent, followed by ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank, Bajaj Finance, Hero MotoCorp and M&M.

According to traders, extreme lockdown measures taken by government in India and world over has put immense pressure in investor sentiment.

As the virus cases climbed, the central and state governments in the country decided to lock down 75 districts from where Covid-19 cases have been reported to break the chain of transmission, and the Health Ministry said states would earmark hospitals to exclusively treat coronavirus patients.

Putting in place a tighter framework to curb high market volatility, Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Friday announced revising market wide position limit for stocks in the derivatives segment, flexing dynamic price bands and other measures for one month starting from March 23.

These steps would limit short selling of shares as well as reduce volatility in individual stocks.

Stock exchanges and regulatory officials, however, dismissed suggestions about curtailment of trading hours in wake of the pandemic.

Bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Seoul plunged up to 4 per cent, while Tokyo was trading with gains.

The rupee too plunged 92 paise against US dollar to 76.12.

Meanwhile, Brent crude oil futures fell 3 per cent to USD 26.17 per barrel.

The number of global Covid-19 infections has shot past 3,00,000. Worldwide fatalities topped 14,000. Cases in India rose to 390 over the weekend, according to the Health Ministry. PTI

For Automated Trading of NSE India, Vela and PlusWealth Collaborate to Extend Metro Trading Platform

Vela, a leading independent provider of trading and market access technology for global multi-asset electronic trading, and PlusWealth Capital Management LLP, the stockbroking business of proprietary trading firm Plus Wealth, today announced the addition of the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) to Vela’s automated trading platform, Metro. The availability of NSE access is an extension of existing support provided by Vela to Plus Wealth’s proprietary trading business.

PlusWealth Capital Management is a registered member of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), active in multiple markets including cash equities, options, and futures, and is currently providing server hosting, market data and market access for global firms looking to trade the Indian markets. Vela’s Metro automated trading platform provides the options pricing, execution, risk management, and API extensibility tools to enable seamless integration and connectivity for clients that need access to NSE, locally and globally. A Chicago-based hedge fund will be the first to take advantage of this market on the PlusWealth solution leveraging Metro’s technology.

Gaurav Chhabra, Designated Partner at PlusWealth commented, “We are delighted to be working with Vela to make our expertise available to clients outside of India. We believe this integrated PlusWealth/Metro offering is quite unique as traders now have access to a market that traditionally has been very difficult to enter.”

Ollie Cadman, Chief Product Officer at Vela, said, “There has always been barriers and challenges for traders outside of India to gain entry into this market. With the availability of NSE on the PlusWealth and Metro combined platform, global clients have the benefit of an integrated technology and broker solution to simplify electronic trading.” Adding, “We are excited to onboard our first joint client and look forward to offering this convenience of NSE access to other Metro users in the options trading community.”

Vela’s Metro trading platform is a high-performance, server-based system supporting automated, algorithmic and click trading strategies that underpin buy- and sell-side trading requirements. Offering a complete solution for options pricing, execution, and risk management, Metro provides traders with access to all major US and European options markets on a single platform – and now Indian markets.

Who is Vela ?

Vela is a leading independent provider of trading and market access technology for global multi-asset electronic trading. Our software enables clients to rapidly access global liquidity, markets, and data sources for superior execution. We help firms successfully differentiate and innovate in an ever-changing, increasingly-regulated and fiercely-competitive landscape, while also reducing total cost of ownership.

Vela’s ticker plant, execution gateways, trading platform, and risk and analytics software deliver a unique, ultra-low latency technology stack to simplify and streamline electronic trading. We leverage the latest innovations in technology to deliver cutting-edge performance, features and reliability. Our modular stack provides access to a comprehensive set of trading, data and risk APIs and can be delivered as-a-Service from multiple co-location data centers globally.

With access to more than 250 venues, Vela provides global coverage across all major asset classes. Clients are supported by an award-winning team of technical and business experts available 24x7 from our multiple offices in the US, Europe, and Asia. Vela’s clients include traders, market makers, brokers, banks, investment firms, exchanges, and other market participants.

National Stock Exchange to Test E-Voting Using Blockchain Built by Matrix-backed Startup

National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE) is conducting tests to use blockchain for e-voting for listed companies on the Elemential Labs platform, announced the exchange on Thursday.

Elemential Labs which has built the blockchain for NSE's e-voting pilot, is a Mumbai-based blockchain startup that recently raised $1 million from investors led by Matrix Partners India, in April this year.

The test involves setting up a blockchain to connect the regulator with the company and the RTA during the voting process. Voting rights will be tokenised, thus making them easy to transfer and proxy. The test will be evaluated on the auditability of the actions on the chain as well as the ease of conducting the process using blockchain.

Sankarson Banerjee, CTO-Projects, NSE said, “The immutable nature of blockchain will ensure that every action taken by a network participant is transparent to the regulator. Additionally, the smart contract framework enables synchronisation of the vote count process between the company and the regulator in real time. These features will take us closer to an environment of improved corporate governance and compliance.”

The pilot, aimed at providing a highly transparent and low-risk solution for e-voting, would enhance transparency in the voting process. The blockchain will be built using the Elemential platform on the Hyperledger framework. The SI partner is NSE IT, which is in-charge of building and managing the front-end application.

In February, when National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) and a group of domestic banks collaborated on a know-your-customer (KYC) data trial involving blockchain, it was Elemential Labs that provided the technology for the trial.

Speaking about the blockchain-based e-voting pilot, Raunaq Vaisoha, CEO Elemential Lab said, “Blockchain enables a real-time, immutable trail of all activities for the regulator. This brings us a step closer to highly transparent and clear corporate governance, an operating standard that most companies aspire to."

It may be recalled that in June NITI Aayog and Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited (GNFC) joined hands work to towards implementing a Proof-of-Concept (PoC) application by using the blockchain technology to disburse fertilizer subsidy among farmers.

India’s first blockchain-based network went live in April this year, when three online bill-discounting exchange platforms -- eceivables Exchange of India (RXIL), A.TReDS, and M1xchange -- came together and implemented a solution for their operations to deter fraud.

In the same month, what could be called as the first attempt in India to design and develop a blockchain platform for e-governance, a $5 million blockchain project has been commissioned by central cybersecurity agency of India. For same, National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC) has engaged Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur to develop an indigenous blockchain architecture to be used in India's e-governance.

National Stock Exchange to Test E-Voting Using Blockchain Built by Matrix-backed Startup

National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE) is conducting tests to use blockchain for e-voting for listed companies on the Elemential Labs platform, announced the exchange on Thursday.

Elemential Labs which has built the blockchain for NSE's e-voting pilot, is a Mumbai-based blockchain startup that recently raised $1 million from investors led by Matrix Partners India, in April this year.

The test involves setting up a blockchain to connect the regulator with the company and the RTA during the voting process. Voting rights will be tokenised, thus making them easy to transfer and proxy. The test will be evaluated on the auditability of the actions on the chain as well as the ease of conducting the process using blockchain.

Sankarson Banerjee, CTO-Projects, NSE said, “The immutable nature of blockchain will ensure that every action taken by a network participant is transparent to the regulator. Additionally, the smart contract framework enables synchronisation of the vote count process between the company and the regulator in real time. These features will take us closer to an environment of improved corporate governance and compliance.”

The pilot, aimed at providing a highly transparent and low-risk solution for e-voting, would enhance transparency in the voting process. The blockchain will be built using the Elemential platform on the Hyperledger framework. The SI partner is NSE IT, which is in-charge of building and managing the front-end application.

In February, when National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) and a group of domestic banks collaborated on a know-your-customer (KYC) data trial involving blockchain, it was Elemential Labs that provided the technology for the trial.

Speaking about the blockchain-based e-voting pilot, Raunaq Vaisoha, CEO Elemential Lab said, “Blockchain enables a real-time, immutable trail of all activities for the regulator. This brings us a step closer to highly transparent and clear corporate governance, an operating standard that most companies aspire to."

It may be recalled that in June NITI Aayog and Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers & Chemicals Limited (GNFC) joined hands work to towards implementing a Proof-of-Concept (PoC) application by using the blockchain technology to disburse fertilizer subsidy among farmers.

India’s first blockchain-based network went live in April this year, when three online bill-discounting exchange platforms -- eceivables Exchange of India (RXIL), A.TReDS, and M1xchange -- came together and implemented a solution for their operations to deter fraud.

In the same month, what could be called as the first attempt in India to design and develop a blockchain platform for e-governance, a $5 million blockchain project has been commissioned by central cybersecurity agency of India. For same, National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC) has engaged Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur to develop an indigenous blockchain architecture to be used in India's e-governance.

NSE To Help Startups To Public for Raising Funds; Even in Growth Stage

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) said that it would facilitate startups in India to mobilise funds through a public issue even in growth stages.

Notably, there is a sideways way that some startups use to go public called a reverse merger into a public shell.

“We are committed to provide new age firms (start-ups) an ecosystem for raising equity capital in growth stages through a public issue,” said NSE Chief Executive Vikram Limaye at a tech conclave in Bangalore it organised to address funding issues of new age technology entrepreneurs.

Experts participating in the conclave preferred IPOs (Initial Public Offering) to raise funds for startups.

With an IPO, It may be a young company trying to generate some needed revenue or an established company that just waited to go public. Whether a company is trying to expand or just paying its debts, the bottom line is that companies seek an IPO to raise money.

Notably, when a company goes public its not just company that gets money but the employees too gets the benefits. Five years ago when Facebook went public, debuted at $38 per share, its the employees that struck rich by literally becoming millionaires on-paper.

Tech IPOs have minted millionaires, with stories of even janitors who worked at Google striking it rich after the company went public in 2004.

An Ex Stock Exchange Employee Launches Blockchain-Powered Cybersecurity Startup ‘Block Armour’

Narayan Neelakantan, a former chief information security officer at NSEiT, a subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSEIL), has decided to counter the alarmingly growing incidents of cybersecurity in the world by leveraging the power of the swiftly growing Blockchain technology. In order to do the same, he has recently launched a startup powered by blockchain technology for cybersecurity called Block Armour.

The startup will be effectively making use of blockchain and other emerging technologies of the world for the purpose of providing software-defined perimeter for digital signature based authentication for devices, data and humans in an effort to curb growing cybercrime cases in the digital world.

Based out of Mumbai, India, Block Armour's main aim is to counter cyber security challenges in bold new ways – smarter, faster and at a fraction of the current cost.

According to the startup's website, the recently launched startup will be starting by bringing together best IT security practices, cybersecurity insights and emerging technologies to provide a base for a new breed of identity management, rights management as well as a information integrity solutions. Their goals is to provide the world with easily deployable, scalable and cost-effective next-generation enterprise-grade cybersecurity.

The startup is also addressing the growing concerns over the security of Internet of Things devices and is working towards safeguarding connected devices and networks in the Internet of things (IoT).

Last year, Mirai, the malware had spread and infected internet-connected devices in over 177 countries all around the world, causing one of the worst denial of service cyberattacks that the world had experienced in the last few years. This particular incident had actually made a lot of IoT device owner vary of IoT.

According to an interview given by Neelakantan to Deal Street Asia, the concept of Block Armour had been under development for some months, during which the team had discussed the concept with a few experts within and outside their network so as to validate the concept. The startup is now launched and actively building the prototype. It is also looking to raise funds and is already in talks with venture capital firms to raise between $850k to $1.5m. The company is needs of funds so as to complete its prototype development, launch it in Beta, develop a few key partnerships on the way and make the solution reach early-adopters in key market segments.

Neelakantan believes that with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitching the country the concept of digital India, a blockchain based digital solution for cybersecurity like Block Armour has a huge potential to grow and prosper.

Sebi plans to relax startup listing norms by July

Here's a piece of news which can act as a huge breather for several budding Indian startups and entrepreneurs. Securities and Exchange Board of India or SEBI, as it is famously known, has decided to relax its startup listing norms by next month i.e. July.

These changes are expected to help the startups make a better use of this avenue for the purpose of raising funds, and will additionally be also providing an easier exit opportunity to the already existing investors including for the ones from abroad.

For the unaware, the startup listing platform is aimed at providing private equity players, domestic and foreign venture capital funds, and angel investors, who have invested in over 3,000 startups, with easy exit options.

According to industry sources, SEBI decided to make changes in the listing norms as the platform had failed to register even a single startup listing so far. SEBI is hoping that with its this tweaking of regulations, they will be successful in garnering more eyeballs from the startups and entrepreneurs.

Apparently, Sebi's board is most likely to discuss these changes next month in its board meeting.

SEBI's plan to make changes in its startup listing platform's norms were revealed by its chairman, UK Sinha, during his recent visit to US's Silicon Valley. Sinha had gone to the US to make investors there aware about India's Startup Industry's glorious growth trajectory.

"What we have noticed is that most of the companies that have got listed in past one year or so are in new technology sectors or are technology-driven businesses. This gives us an idea about the direction in which our economy is moving," said Sinha in a statement given to a Indian national daily.

Unfortunately, the Institutional Trading Platform (ITP) has failed to attract any startup ever since its adopted an easier set of disclosure and compliance requirements last year in August. The new rules allow startups to get listed on separate ITP of stock exchanges such as the NSE and BSE.

The notified rules stated that the minimum application size and minimum trading lot needs to be kept at Rs 10 lakh in order to make sure that it only attracts sophisticated, genuinely interested, and large investors.

In order to make things a little easier during the listing process, SEBI had also gone to the length of relaxing the mandatory lock-in period for promoters and other pre-listing investors to just 6 months, as against to the three years duration for other companies.

But, unfortunately nothing seemed to have work. "Not single company has got listed on this so far, although we formulated the rules after very very detailed consultation with the industry and market players. We are again looking at revising the norms as there have been some fresh suggestions from the industry," said Sinha.

According to Sinha, SEBI has decided to make the platform bounce back from the lull it has been recently experiencing and is even considering incorporating various suggestions that it has got from a number of Industry experts.

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