SEBI Chief Tuhin Kant Pandey: Focus on Simplifying KYC for NRIs to Boost Market Participation

Tuhin Kant Pandey, head of SEBI, India's securities market regulator, said that his focus is on simplifying and securing the KYC process to increase participation of non-resident Indians (NRIs) in the Indian stock market. The SEBI chief stated that there is still a lack of awareness about the stock market in the country.

Addressing the BFF Capital Market Confluence 2025 in Mumbai, Tuhin Kant Pandey said that SEBI has simplified the KYC process, but it needs to be made even easier for NRIs. He said, "We have come a long way in terms of creating awareness among investors." We have simplified the KYC process, and transactions are approved upon completion. However, we need to further simplify it for NRIs to increase their participation in the stock market. This is our focus.

The SEBI chief said that a recent nationwide survey revealed that 63 percent of people are aware of securities products, but only 9.5 percent actively participate. A slightly higher 15 percent of people are active in the stock market in urban areas, while only 6 percent are active in rural areas. The survey also revealed that only 36 percent of investors have more or fair knowledge about the stock market, indicating a lack of awareness among people.