The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE), under the aegis of SEBI, organised a Regional Investor Seminar for Awareness (RISA) in Kolkata recently, emphasizing financial literacy, informed investing and investor protection under the theme “Samajh Se Investing Simple”.
Addressing the seminar as Chief Guest, Shri Tuhin Kanta Pandey, Chairman, SEBI, highlighted the significant growth in investor participation in West Bengal. The number of investors has increased nearly eightfold, from approximately 12 lakh in 2015 to around 90 lakh.
The state also has approximately 43 lakh unique mutual fund investors, with mutual fund assets of nearly ₹3.65 lakh crore at the end of FY 2025–26.
Referring to SEBI’s Investor Survey, he noted thatwhile 63% of households were aware of at least one securities-market product, only around 9.5% participated in the market, highlighting the need for greater financial education.
The Chairman outlined investor protection measures, including Aadhaar-based e-KYC, mutual fund folio locking, direct payout of securities into demat accounts and simplified nomination processes. He also highlighted that, effective 1 November 2026, direct mutual fund plans would appear as the default option on asset management companies’ digital platforms.
Cautioning against fraudulent trading applications, cloned websites, deepfakes and misleading social media groups, he stressed the importance of verifying intermediaries and payment channels through initiatives such as SEBI Check and validated UPI handles.
Highlighting Project Jagrook, SEBI’s nationwide investor awareness initiative launched on 5 October 2026, the Chairman emphasised expanding financial literacy through regional languages and digital outreach. Bengali-language campaign content recorded nearly 22 lakh views, while over 3.7 crore WhatsApp messages in Bengali were delivered across India during the first two campaigns.
The seminar also featured a panel discussion on corporate bond market reforms and retail investor participation, alongside interactive investor awareness activities.
National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) began its operations in 1994 and was India’s first electronic trading exchange. It was the world’s largest derivatives exchange by trading volume in 2025, as per FIA statistics.
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