SEBI and NSDL hold investor awareness program in city

SEBI and NSDL hold investor awareness program in city

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Feb 26, 2012: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL), the first and largest depository of India, jointly organized an investor awareness program at Hotel Ocean Pearl on Feb 25 Saturday to enhance public awareness on capital market. 

Officers of NSDL and SEBI, hailing from Mumbai and Chennai, presided over the event, which presented an excellent opportunity for investors and interact with them and gain knowledge on capital market. 

SEBI Regional Manager Suresh B. Menon and NSDL Vice President Nithin Ambure were the chief guests of the event. While Mr. Ambure delivered the keynote address, Mr. Menon delivered the inaugural address, in which he said that this awareness program is an effort on the part of SEBI and other depositories to educate people. He also presented a PowerPoint presentation on the evolution of the capital market in India during the last 20 years, the challenges before it, and how it could withstand the financial crisis. 

Speaking about the SEBI, he said that the government launched this body in 1992 in response to a need to establish an independent stock market regulatory body to oversee work related to the capital market. He said that the reforms brought about by SEBI in the capital market were chiefly responsible for the transformation of the capital market in India and protected the country from the global financial crisis. 

Stating that, although India has a population of 120 crore, only 1 crore 19 lakh people have a DMAT account, indicating that Indian’s are not financially literate. 

In his keynote address, Nithin Ambure spoke about depository systems and DMAT accounts and explained how a DMAT account can be opened. He said that, in spite of the market being low, NSDL witnesses 1 lakh new DMAT accounts every month, which means that India’s capital market is stable. 

V. Ramesh, the deputy chief executive of the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), spoke on mutual funds and said that they function better as long-term investments. He also spoke on the advantages of systematic investment plan (SIP). 

Manjith Singh, the executive director of Bangalore Stock Exchange, conducted the session on investing in capital markets. Stating that India has several prudent savers, but not investors, he urged people to get involved in the capital market. He also spoke of the advantages of having diversified investments. 

An interactive session was also held, during which investors asked questions and interacted with the resource persons.