Chennai, 13 January (H.S.) : The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairman, Tuhin Kanta Pandey, announced a monumental surge in domestic investor participation during the 15th International Capital Market Convention (ICMC 2026).

Addressing the inaugural session in Chennai, organized by the Association of National Exchanges Members of India (ANMI), the Chairman noted that the number of unique investors has jumped from 43000000 in the 2020 fiscal year to 137000000.

This significant growth reflects a deeper financial inclusion and rising trust in the Indian capital markets. In the first nine months of the current financial year alone, 170000 crore was mobilized through 311 initial public offerings, bringing the total equity mobilization to over 380000 crore.

During the convention, which was themed Tech, Trade and Trust, the SEBI chief emphasized that technology is central to easing compliance while simultaneously strengthening investor protection. He outlined key upcoming reforms including the Stock Brokers Regulations 2026, simplified reporting via a common platform, and a revised framework to address technical glitches.

Authorities highlighted that SEBI is increasingly deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Supervisory Technology (SupTech) tools to enhance real-time supervision, detect market abuse, and combat cyber fraud. The Chairman asserted that while technology fundamentally reshapes the markets, trust remains the indispensable foundation for resilient and secure growth.

The event also featured insights from prominent industry leaders including National Stock Exchange (NSE) CEO Ashishkumar Chauhan and BSE Managing Director Sundararaman Ramamurthy. They discussed the importance of maintaining liquid, well regulated, and technology driven markets for long term wealth creation.

Nehal Vora, MD and CEO of CDSL, pointed out that the existence of over 154700000 demat accounts is a strong indicator of investor confidence, further aided by digital systems now accessible in 23 Indian languages.

The convention concluded with a collective emphasis on aligning innovation with market integrity to ensure India remains a globally competitive capital market ecosystem.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary