New Delhi, Oct 5 (IANS) As India’s capital market industry has become deeper, broader and more accessible over the past decade, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey on Monday warned investors and traders to avoid anonymous tips by finfluencers and unrealistic return claims.
Addressing an event marking the launch of SEBI’s Project Jagruk at Panjab University, Pandey said more households are now investing in capital markets and have access to products that barely existed a decade ago.
“Households are also directing larger amounts of savings into securities market instruments,” he said, adding that systematic investment plans (SIPs) have emerged as one of the simplest investment avenues for retail investors.
Highlighting the expansion of the market ecosystem, Pandey said SEBI rationalised mutual fund scheme categories, capped costs and introduced smaller-ticket SIPs to widen participation.
He said India’s market capitalisation has quadrupled to around ₹472 lakh crore over the last decade, while foreign portfolio investor (FPI) assets have increased from ₹22 lakh crore to ₹78 lakh crore.
According to Pandey, SEBI introduced a simplified FPI framework that streamlined digital onboarding and helped improve ease of doing business for overseas investors.
The regulator has also broadened the range of market participants and products by bringing in investment advisers, ESG rating providers and new financing channels for startups and infrastructure projects, he said.
Pandey said India’s capital market framework has evolved from primarily supporting domestic investment to positioning the country as a potential base for global fund management activity.
He added that access to capital markets has widened through SME IPO platforms, while the IPO listing timeline has been reduced from T+6 to T+3 working days.
On market infrastructure reforms, Pandey said India was the first market to test T+1 settlement and among the first to allow interoperability between clearing corporations.
In the debt market, he said online bond platforms have been introduced to expand access to corporate bonds, while green, sustainable and municipal bonds have created additional avenues for raising capital.
Pandey said products such as Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) and commodity derivatives have helped investors, businesses and producers manage risks and monetise assets more efficiently.
He also noted that SEBI has strengthened cybersecurity reporting requirements as market participation and digitisation have grown.
“Over the last decade, India’s capital markets have become deeper, broader and more accessible,” according to him.
“The framework has evolved to make these products accessible to a wider segment of investors,” he adds.
–IANS
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