Sebi launches Project Jagrook, warns investors against finfluencers and anonymous tips

Sebi Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey on Monday cautioned investors against anonymous tips, finfluencers and exaggerated claims of returns, as the markets regulator launched a nationwide investor-awareness initiative, Project Jagrook.

Quoting the findings of Sebi's investor survey, Pandey also said it highlighted a gap between awareness and actual participation in the securities markets.

Emphasising the need for investor education, he advised investors not to invest merely because someone recommended it or because "everyone else is investing".

"Invest because you understand. That is Project Jagrook. That is 'Samajh Se Investing Simple'," he said during his address at Panjab University during the launch of Project Jagrook.

Asserting that over the last decade, India's capital markets have become deeper, broader and more accessible, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) chairman cautioned investors, "Beware of investment frauds, use regulated products, channels and entities, not anonymous tips or finfluencers or exaggerated claims on returns.”

Invest only in products you understand. Start early and stay invested so compounding has time to work and diversify, he advised.

Our securities market is more democratic and accessible than ever. But access alone is not enough. Investors must also be informed, he said.

“That is why investor education is market infrastructure. Strong markets need not only exchanges, clearing corporations, and depositories but also informed participants. Project Jagrook seeks to build on that principle," he stated.

The Sebi chief said Project Jagrook seeks to demystify the securities market. "We want to explain concepts without unnecessary jargon. We want investors to understand before they act," he outlined.

The campaign will be carried out in English, Hindi and 11 regional languages, including Punjabi, he said.

“We will use television, print, radio, cinema, outdoor media, digital platforms, social media, OTT, WhatsApp and physical engagement,” he added.

Project Jagrook brings Sebi, stock exchanges, depositories, the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) and the National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) together under a coordinated investor education framework, he said.

Highlighting Sebi’s investor survey findings, Pandey said while 63 per cent of households were aware of at least one securities market product, only about 9.5 per cent participated.

Further, only 36 per cent of investors had high or moderate knowledge of securities markets.

The survey also showed a marked urban-rural divide, with participation at 15 per cent in urban areas compared with six per cent in rural India, Pandey highlighted.

“Fewer than one per cent of those surveyed had attended an investor-awareness programme. Yet 91 per cent of those who attended found it useful," Pandey said.

He said the challenge was not merely the availability of information but its reach.

Project Jagrook will therefore focus on communicating in familiar languages and using platforms preferred by people, including social media, mobile applications, television and digital advertising.

He said investor education will be taken to universities through its MUST programme (Mentoring of University and College Students through Trainers), under which teachers, staff and senior students will be trained as partner trainers.

For rural areas, the regulator will work with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj to take financial literacy, awareness about regulated products and fraud-prevention messages to the last mile.

We will also partner with state governments and local citizen-centric channels to widen investor literacy. The National Securities Market Awareness Curriculum, supported by the free Sebi Investor Awareness Test, will provide a common but adaptable framework for investor education, he said.

Pandey also spoke about reforms concerning capital markets over the past decade, saying that market capitalisation rose from Rs 95 lakh crore in 2016 to around Rs 472 lakh crore now with a CAGR of around 17 per cent.

As far as public markets are concerned, the IPO listing timeline was reduced from T+6 to T+3 working days and the rights issue process was compressed to about 23 working days, he said.

India became the first major market in the world to move to T+1 settlement and the first country to introduce interoperability between clearing corporations. We strengthened protection of investor assets through pledge-repledge, upstreaming of client funds and direct payout of securities, he added. ​ On mutual funds, he said assets under management (AUM) have increased from Rs 12 lakh crore in FY16 to around Rs 87 lakh crore, registering a 10-year CAGR of about 21 per cent.