Mumbai, October 8, 2025: “SEBI’s focus on digital transformation, such as e-KYC, simplified onboarding, and mobile-first investment platforms, has led to investor participation rising to 134 million over the past five years,” said Shri Tuhin Kanta Pandey, Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). He was speaking at a panel discussion on ‘Leveraging Technology in Securities Market while Mitigating Risk’ at the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2025, being held at the Jio World Centre, Mumbai, from October 7 to 9. GFF 2025 is organised by the Payments Council of India (PCI), the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and the Fintech Convergence Council (FCC).
Several technology-led initiatives such as Investor Risk Reduction Access Platform and a Unified Investor App have strengthened investor protection and market efficiency, he said, adding that it has led to consolidated access to holdings, transaction history, e-voting, and proxy advisory recommendations. “Grievance resolutions too have been streamlined with Digital Locker and an upgraded SEBI Complaints Redressal System (SCORES),” he added.
GFF 2025 is supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology; the Department of Economic Affairs and the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance; the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry; New, Emerging and Strategic Technology Division, the Ministry of External Affairs; the Reserve Bank of India (RBI); the Securities and Exchanges Board of India (SEBI), the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA).
The session was moderated by Mr. Uday Kotak, Founder, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and the other panelists were Mr. Tuang Lee Lim, Assistant Managing Director, Monetary Authority of Singapore, and Dr. Marlene Amstad, Chairperson, FINMA – Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority.
Talking about market efficiency, Shri Pandey highlighted India’s transition to the T+1 settlement that has shortened the financial transaction settlement cycle, making it one of the fastest globally. He also drew attention to the expansion of Application Supported by Blocked Amount (ASBA) through UPI for secondary markets, ensuring safer and smoother transactions.
SEBI, he said, has reduced compliance burdens while enhancing transparency through the increased use of advanced analytics and AI-based models to detect complex manipulation patterns and network-based fraud. He also spotlighted the importance of cybersecurity and operational resilience, and emphasised the need for continuous learning, adapting, and anticipating to mitigate risks.
Shri Pandey said that the future of India’s capital markets depended on collaboration between regulators, market infrastructure institutions, intermediaries, and fintech innovators. “The collaboration between fintech innovation and regulatory foresight will determine not just how fast we grow, but how safely we grow,” he added.
About Payments Council of India (PCI)
The Payments Council of India (PCI) was formed under the aegis of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (PCI) in the year 2013 catering to the needs of the digital payment industry. The Council was formed inter-alia to represent the various non-banking payment industry players, and to address and help resolve various industry-level issues and barriers that require discussion and action.
The council works with its 180+ members, encompassing over 90% of the industry to promote payments industry growth and to support our national goals of ‘Cashless Society’ and ‘Growth of Financial Inclusion’ which is also the Vision Shared by the RBI and the Government of India. PCI represents the complete digital payments ecosystem of India through its various committees representing different sectors.
About Fintech Convergence Council (FCC)
Established in 2018, the Fintech Convergence Council (FCC) is an industry body representing the collective voice of fintech companies in India. Since its inception, FCC has evolved into a leading platform with a diverse membership of over 200 fintech entities across key segments including digital lending, wealth, insurance, digital financial services, RegTech, and credit bureaus.
FCC’s core mission is to address sector-specific challenges and provide a unified platform for dialogue within the broader BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance) ecosystem. The council actively engages with regulators and policymakers to help shape progressive policy frameworks and promote a balanced approach to innovation and compliance.
In addition to policy advocacy, FCC also focuses on knowledge sharing, strengthening consumer education, and promoting responsible finance through awareness-building initiatives on customer protection, digital literacy, and best practices in fintech.
By: Sandhya Bharti
