Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey has emphasised the need for greater financial literacy and investor protection, citing an almost eightfold increase in investor participation in West Bengal over the past decade.
Addressing a Regional Investor Seminar for Awareness (RISA), organised by the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) under SEBI’s aegis in Kolkata, Pandey said the state’s investor base had grown from approximately 12 lakh in 2015 to nearly 90 lakh. West Bengal also has around 43 lakh unique mutual fund investors, with assets touching Rs 3.65 lakh crore at the end of FY 2025-26.
Referring to SEBI’s Investor Survey, he noted that although 63 per cent of households were aware of at least one securities-market product, only 9.5 per cent participated in the market. He highlighted safeguards such as Aadhaar-based e-KYC, folio locking and simplified nominations, while warning against fraudulent trading apps, cloned websites and deepfakes.
Kolkata remains significant, given the growing regional investor base and mutual fund penetration. Greater awareness and investor confidence could further encourage retail participation in West Bengal’s financial markets.
Pandey also highlighted Project Jagrook, launched on October 5, 2026. Its Bengali-language campaigns recorded nearly 22 lakh views, while over 3.7 crore Bengali WhatsApp messages were delivered during the first two campaigns. The seminar also featured discussions on corporate bond market reforms and retail investor participation.