On Wednesday, January 19, Ajay Tyagi, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), announced the launch of Saa₹thi, a mobile application that aims to educate investors and empower them with knowledge about the securities market.
The purpose behind the app is to create proper awareness about the securities market among investors, especially considering the fact that many new investors have entered the market, and the fact that they are mobile-friendly.
Earlier, speaking at the World Investor Week, Tyagi had spoken about the significance of investor awareness events and how it was important to help investors, especially the new and young ones, so that they make a well-informed decision. He warned investors against false promises or guarantees and unwanted advice.
The Saa₹thi app is expected to teach basic concepts of the securities market, mutual funds (MFs), trending market developments, trading and settlements, KYC process, investor grievances redressal mechanism, etc. With the manifold growth in complexities in the securities market, the app is expected to provide further momentum to investor education and awareness programmes.
The app is available in English and Hindi. As its use grows, other Indian languages will be added. The app has Android and iOS versions and can be downloaded from Google Play Store and Apple App Store, respectively.
Given the high interest among investors, especially new investors, a lot of unsolicited advice is being put up on social media and messaging platforms such as YouTube and WhatsApp. To curb this menace, the market regulator recently punished six people for illegally providing stock advice on social media platforms such as Telegram and Twitter. Sebi imposed a fine of Rs 2.84 crore on the six individuals involved in the scam. No person, firm or other entity is permitted to provide market-related advice, for example on stocks or mutual funds, if not registered with Sebi.
Investors should learn from or take advice from genuine sources only. Before following the guidance of any individual or group, investors should check if they are registered with Sebi or not. Do not follow any guidance from non-Sebi-registered entities in terms of investment. Investors can use the Saa₹thi app and other genuine initiatives and platforms to get information and learn.
