SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch highlighted the regulator’s growing use of AI to speed up processes, including faster approvals and IPO clearances. Speaking at AMFI’s Annual Board Meeting, she noted that SEBI has a dozen AI projects, half focused on quicker approvals.
At the FICCI conference, Buch shared that AI now handles 80% of processing tasks, including public documents like REIT and InvIT reports, enhancing efficiency while ensuring thorough review for investors.
The Finance Ministry warns of potential global stock market corrections and their spillover effects amid fears of recession, geopolitical tensions, and policy rate cuts. While concerns exist about uneven rainfall impacting farm output and slowing auto and FMCG sales, positives include low oil prices and steady GDP growth at 6.7% in Q1FY25.
The ministry expects stronger public expenditure and agricultural support in the second half of the fiscal year, affirming India’s macroeconomic stability despite global uncertainties.
SEBI’s new unified distilled filing format (UDiFF) reduces reporting requirements for trading members, clearing members, and depository participants by 90%, cutting daily filings from 200 to 23.
This will save an estimated ₹200 crore over five years, enhance ease of doing business, lower costs for fintechs, and improve operational efficiency. The new system also streamlines MII information flow and ensures seamless transitions without extra costs.
India’s drug regulator found over 50 drugs, including batches of popular antacids and paracetamol, to be substandard or fake, as per its August report. Notable affected drugs include Alkem’s Pan-D, Hetero’s Cepodem, and Sun Pharma’s Pantocid. Investigations are underway into counterfeit batches of other medicines, including Sun’s Pulmosil and Glenmark’s Telma H.
This comes as India works to restore confidence in its pharmaceutical industry following past controversies involving Indian-made cough syrups linked to child deaths abroad.
SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch emphasized the mutual fund industry’s key role in financial inclusion and wealth creation, calling it SEBI’s “elder son” at AMFI’s annual meeting. She praised the industry’s stewardship code for amplifying retail investors’ voices and highlighted initiatives to grow the bond market and use AI to streamline processes.
Buch announced new investor education initiatives, including an essay competition and traveling kiosks to raise awareness across communities.
SEBI has reduced the listing timeline for public issues of debt securities and NCRPS from six to three working days, effective voluntarily from November 2024 and mandatory from November 2025.
This change aims to provide faster access to funds. SEBI also streamlined the application process, requiring individual investors to use UPI for amounts up to ₹5 lakh, and reduced the public comment period and subscription period for public issues.
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