At the same time, the survey also suggested broadening the long-term debt markets by liberalising the investment norms for insurance and pension funds and said that the government could consider a guarantee mechanism for credit enhancement of long-term infrastructure debt.
Experts say the robust filing suggests the second half of the year will see large-scale issuances, provided the markets remain supportive.
Markets regulator Sebi has ordered the attachment of bank accounts and shares and mutual fund holdings of fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi to recover dues totalling Rs 5.35 crore. The latest decision has been taken after Choksi failed to pay the fine imposed on him in October 2022 by Sebi in a case pertaining to indulging in fraudulent trading in the shares of Gitanjali Gems Ltd. Choksi, who was the chairman and managing director as well as part of the promoter group of Gitanjali Gems, is the maternal uncle of Nirav Modi, both of whom are facing charges of defrauding state-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) of more than Rs 14,000 crore.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), the market regulator, has said, in a submission to the Supreme Court, that it is "enquiring" into the allegations made by American short-seller Hindenburg Research against the Adani Group of companies and its impact on the markets. In the same matter, the central government has agreed to form an expert committee to strengthen the regulatory regime in order to ensure that market investors are protected. The Supreme Court had last week suggested an expert committee to look into the allegations and had asked the Centre for its response.
The manpower requirement will be met with the officers from FMC (both cadre and deputation) and by new hiring.
India's four listed Real Estate Investment Trusts (Reits) collectively distributed 13 per cent more funds to their shareholders in fourth quarter of financial year 2024-25 (Q4FY25) at Rs 1,553 crore on year, reflecting the growing strength of the sector fuelled by strong leasing activity, especially from Global Capability Centres (GCCs).
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) might relax the disclosure norms around rumour verification to help smooth implementation and ease compliance amid pushback from India Inc, said people in the know. The rule has been notified following amendments to the Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements (LODR) by Sebi. However, its implementation has been deferred until February.
Market regulator Sebi does not expect a large number of foreign portfolio investors to be impacted by the new beneficial ownership disclosure norms, according to sources. The norms are set to come into effect from February 1 and against this backdrop, the equity market has witnessed significant volatility, with the benchmark Sensex crashing over 1,000 points on Tuesday after shedding early intraday gains. The sources in the know said FPIs which may be required to provide enhanced disclosures are expected to be significantly less than estimated in the consultation paper and the Sebi board note of October 2023.
In its reply to the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said urgent action was warranted against the promoters of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) in the alleged fund diversion case to safeguard the management and protect investors and other stakeholders. It termed the applications made by Essel Group Chairman Subhash Chandra and ZEEL managing director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Punit Goenka as "completely false and misleading" in its response submitted to SAT on June 17. "We have a situation before us where the chairman emeritus and the MD and CEO of this large listed company are involved in a myriad of different schemes and transactions through which vast amounts of public money belonging to listed companies are diverted to private entities owned and controlled by these persons.
Sebi to consider changes in start-up listing norms
Sebi has asked exchanges to appoint independent auditors to conduct forensic audit of these firms for verification, including their credentials/financials.
Social stock exchange (SSE) saw its first listing on Wednesday, with SGBS Unnati Foundation becoming the first entity to take this route to avail financing. The foundation - engaged in vocational training of youth - raised Rs 1.8 crore from four investors. These include brokerage firm Zerodha and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard).
Startup may get some relation from Sebi for listing firms.
The Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) on Thursday questioned market regulator Sebi's credibility on completing its investigation within a stipulated time in the Zee Entertainment Enterprises' (ZEEL) matter. SAT was hearing Zee's plea against Sebi's order baring Zee Entertainment Enterprises' Punit Goenka and Subhash Chandra from holding any key managerial positions in the company and other organisations for allegedly siphoning off funds of the media firm. "There is no certainty that these eight months won't be extended. ...past record of Sebi is that they have always extended it (investigation).
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has for the first time proposed to regulate online platforms offering fractional ownership in real estate, a model already popular in countries like the United States and UAE. In a consultation paper floated recently, the capital markets regulator stated that such fractional ownership of real estate assets was proposed to be brought as MSM (micro, small, medium) REITs under Sebi (Real Estate Investment Trusts) Regulations. This model allows investors to own a fraction or a small share in a real estate asset like buildings and office spaces, which could include warehouses, shopping centres, conference centres.
Delhi-based electric vehicle (EV) ride-hailing firm Evera Cabs, which grabbed headlines after acquiring 500 cars from the now-defunct cab service BluSmart, is stepping up its presence in the EV cab segment. The company is aiming for revenue of Rs 100 crore in the ongoing financial year (2025-26), up from Rs 18 crore in 2024-25.
The queue for mutual fund (MF) licences has thinned down due to quick clearances by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) alongside applications being withdrawn amid regulatory changes. There were, at the end of September, only two pending MF applications: By AngelOne and Unifi Capital. By comparison, there were 11 applications lying before the market regulator at the start of calendar year 2023.
Sebi had asked all listed cos to mandatorily appoint at least one woman director.
The market regulator's newly proposed selection criteria for the over Rs 400-trillion-a-day futures and options (F&O) market could pave the way for the entry of popular stocks such as Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India, Jio Financial Services, Zomato, Paytm, DMart, and Adani Energy into the derivatives segment. The Indian derivatives market, which accounts for most of the trading volumes, could see big churn with over two dozen exits from the current list of 182 stocks due to an upward revision in the eligibility thresholds.
Capital markets regulator Sebi Chairman U K Sinha advocated the listing of bourses and greater competition among exchanges.
A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court for initiation of contempt proceedings against the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), alleging it has violated the timeline for completing the investigation and submitting its report on the allegations of stock price manipulation by the Adani group. An application has been filed by PIL petitioner Vishal Tiwari saying that despite the deadline given to the SEBI it has failed to comply with the direction of the court and has not submitted the final conclusion/report as was directed by the court. It said by the order dated May 17, 2023, the apex court directed SEBI to submit its report till August 14, 2023.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has proposed to put a stop to the practice of certain directors occupying permanent board seats at listed companies. The regulator has suggested that the directorship of any individual serving on the board should be subject to periodic approval from shareholders, at least once in five years. In a discussion paper issued on Tuesday, Sebi said a few promoters enjoyed permanency on the board, giving them an undue advantage, prejudicial to the interests of public shareholders.
Markets regulator Sebi on Monday barred Essel Group chairman Subhash Chandra and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) MD and CEO Punit Goenka from holding the position of a director or key managerial personnel in any listed company for siphoning off funds of the media firm. The case pertains to Chandra, who was also the chairman of ZEEL during the alleged violation, and Goenka having abused their position as directors or KMPs of a listed company for siphoning off funds for their own benefit. In its interim order, Sebi noted that Chandra and Goenka alienated the assets of ZEEL and other listed companies of Essel Group for the benefit of associate entities, which are owned and controlled by them.
The initial public offering (IPO) lane will be busy next week, with four main-line companies, including Leela Palaces Hotels & Resorts operator Schloss Bangalore Ltd and Aegis Vopak Terminals tapping the primary market to raise over Rs 6,600 crore collectively.
The greater the post-listing gains, the higher the number of investors looking to sell.
An expert committee appointed by the Supreme Court said it cannot conclude any regulatory failure around Adani Group's stock rallies, and that Sebi has "drawn a blank" in its probe into alleged violations in money flows from offshore entities into the conglomerate. But the six-member panel said there was an evidence of a build-up in short positions on Adani Group stocks ahead of the report of US-based short seller Hindenburg Research, and profiting from squaring off positions after prices crashed post-publication of the damning allegations. "At this stage, taking into account the explanations provided by Sebi, supported by empirical data, prima facie, it would not be possible for the committee to conclude that there has been a regulatory failure around the allegation of price manipulation," the panel said in the report submitted to the Supreme Court.
Sebi on Thursday sent a notice to fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi asking him to pay Rs 5.35 crore in a case pertaining to fraudulent trading in the shares of Gitanjali Gems Ltd and warned of arrest and attachment of assets as well as bank accounts if he fails to make the payment within 15 days. The demand notice came after Choksi failed to pay a fine imposed on him by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi). Choksi, who was the chairman and managing director as well as part of promoter group of Gitanjali Gems, is the maternal uncle of Nirav Modi.
DGH director general V K Sibal objected to Hardy, which holds 10 per cent stake in RIL-operated D3 and D9 blocks, making 'an unwarranted, unethical and premature announcement that is bound to mislead' and influence share price. Sibal on May 29 wrote to Securities and Exchange Board of India chairman C B Bhave asking the market regulator to take up with its counterpart in London the unauthorised statement made by Hardy about its assessment of reserves in the two blocks.
Under the new norms, 75 per cent shares can be reserved for institutional investors
The merger of ZEE Entertainment and Sony has reached an advanced stage of completion, and the issues faced by promoters with Sebi should not become a problem for the company, debarred ZEEL MD Punit Goenka has said in a letter to employees, according to sources. Goenka, who along with his father Subhas Chandra, was denied any interim relief against a Sebi order that barred them from holding the position of director or key managerial post in any listed company, in the letter ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) staff asserted that the merger of Culver Max (earlier known as Sony Pictures Networks India) is at a very important juncture. With the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) restricting him from holding a directorial or key managerial position in a listed company, Goenka told the employees that the ZEEL board has constituted an interim committee of senior executives to ensure smooth operations and day-to-day functioning.
The International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA) plans to operationalise the framework for direct listing of companies at International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) exchanges by the end of the year, said Chairperson K Rajaraman. He added that the amendments would be notified within three months. Further, the GIFT City regulator is also considering the launch of separate payments system regulations - similar to that of the real time gross settlement (RTGS) for banking within a few months.
The scrutiny is expected to be over this month itself.
Without naming Adani group specifically, the capital markets watchdog said in a statement that unusual price movement in the stocks of a business conglomerate has been observed in the past week.
The boardrooms of India's large listed companies are steadily expanding as corporate governance standards tighten and regulatory compliance rises. Boards of Nifty 100 companies boasted an average of 10.52 members as of FY24, compared to 9.86 in FY21 and 10.48 in FY23, according to the fifth edition of Excellence Enablers' Survey on Corporate Governance, an initiative led by M Damodaran, former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi).
The Supreme Court said on Friday it may consider granting three more months to SEBI for concluding its probe into the allegations of stock price manipulation by the Adani group and lapses in regulatory disclosure, and listed a batch of PILs and plea by the market regulator on May 15. A bench of Chief Justices DY Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala said the court registry has received the report of the apex court-appointed Justice (retd) A M Sapre committee on the issue and would like to hear the matter on Monday after perusing the findings of the panel. "We will go through the report in the meantime.
The Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) has stayed the ban imposed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Samir Jain, vice-chairman and managing director of Bennett, Coleman & Co (BCCL), his wife Meera Jain, and six others. BCCL owns news media organisations The Times of India, and The Economic Times. Last month, the regulator had refrained Jain from accessing the securities market for allegedly violating minimum public shareholding (MPS) norms in PNB Finance and Industries (PNBFIL) and Camac Commercial Company (CCIL), which are listed on the Calcutta Stock Exchange.
BSE had been planning to list on the exchange for a while and had approached Sebi for permission to list without an initial public offer. Sebi also has to formalise norms for regulating self-listed companies. Some BSE members were keen on the listing of the exchange so that they could sell their shares.
This would help investors to get a fair understanding of the companies, Sebi chairman, C B Bhave said while launching independent equity research by Crisil in Mumbai on Tuesday.
Alternative investment funds (AIFs) have crossed Rs 5 trillion in terms of funds raised, while the investment commitments have surpassed Rs 12 trillion for the first time as of September, according to data released by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi).
The Securities and Exchange Board of India Sebi on Monday made it mandatory for companies seeking listing of corporate bonds and other debt instruments to maintain adequate security cover for them at all times.
