Bengaluru, 6th August 2025 – The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) ideated the concept of MEGA Regional Investor Seminars for Awareness aiming to foster investor education and awareness in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities through collaborative efforts of Market Infrastructure Institutions along with SEBI. This program caters to the needs of potential investors and existing investors in the securities market on encouraging them to invest responsibly.
Mega RISA is one among the many investor friendly initiatives taken by SEBI which include Securities Market Trainer-Investor awareness program (SMART IAPs), SEBI Check & Validated UPI Handles, Saarthi App, Centralized Fee Collection Mechanism (CeFCoM), Standardized Contract Notes, Grievance Redressal Mechanisms (SCORES 2.0 and ODR), National Financial Literacy Quiz (NFLQ), opening of the special window only for re-lodgment of transfer deeds etc.
SEBI in partnership with the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) (lead MII), today hosted the Mega RISA (Regional Investor Seminar for Awareness) under the inspiring theme “Smart Pettubadi – Surakshithmaina Future Vairy”, advocating smart investments toward a secured future. The Mega RISA was attended by over 800 existing and potential investors with 70% women participation.
The Chief Guest for the Mega RISA was Shri G. Ram Mohan Rao, Executive Director, SEBI. In his keynote address, Shri G. Ram Mohan Rao underscored SEBI’s unwavering commitment to financial literacy and investor protection. He highlighted the importance of informed decision-making in light of rapidly evolving market dynamics. Shri Rao also cautioned the audience not to fall prey to scamsters and fraud perpetrators. Investors should do their own due diligence and trade through SEBI registered intermediaries only. The Guest of Honour for today was Shri M.N. Harendhira Prasad, IAS, Visakhapatnam District Collector & District Magistrate.
The Mega RISA saw instrumental and strategic guidance from Smt. Deepti Agrawal, Chief General Manager, SEBI and valuable contribution from Shri Krishna Kanth Patel, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Admin), Visakhapatnam.
Key Highlights & Expert Engagements of the Mega RISA:
The Mega RISA included a panel discussion on “Understanding Personal Finance to Achieve Financial Independence”, a presentation on “The New-Age Cyber Frauds & Scams – How to Prevent Them”, a session on “SEBI Investor Awareness Test & Recent Developments” and financial planning session “Money Matters: Financial Planning for Financial Freedom”.
In order to engage the participants and enable active participation, a Financial Quiz was conducted which was followed by stalls put up by NSE and Market Infrastructure Institutions, offering guidance to investors.
Investor Trends:
- Registered investors in AP surged from 15.81 lakh (FY 2020) to 51.37 lakh (FY 2025), reaching 53.72 lakh by June 2025 (FY 2026). However, the state’s share of the pan-India investor base slightly declined from 5.1% to 4.6% over the period.
- AP ranked 9th among India’s top 25 states for new investors registered, with 59000 new investors registered in June 2025.
- Female participation rose from 20.3% in FY 2023 to 23.5% in FY 2026, approaching India’s national average of 24.5%.
All of this underscores the critical need for targeted awareness initiatives like Mega RISA to mobilize an investor-ready, fraud-resilient investing community.
SEBI’s Proactive Role:
Under campaigns such as #SEBIVsSCAM, SEBI continues to champion investor empowerment through public outreach, digital education, and strategic partnerships. The successful implementation of Mega RISA in Visakhapatnam is a testament to that ongoing commitment.
