STRENGTHENING TRUST IN THE STOCK MARKET

Securities and Exchange Board of India's 210th board meeting, held on June 18, 2025, saw the approval of a series of amendments designed to enhance various facets of market regulation and governance. Some of these changes were long overdue, while others—though technical—have the potential to quietly reshape market operations. The reforms are designed to simplify compliance processes, enhance transparency, and promote greater ease of doing business across the capital market ecosystem. Shivanand Pandit discusses in detail.

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Tuhin Kanta Pandey, the newly appointed Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), has clearly outlined regulatory reform as a key focus of his leadership. Backing words with action, he has initiated concrete steps to simplify, streamline, and modernise the regulatory framework. In a significant move, SEBI's 210th board meeting held on June 18 saw the approval of a series of amendments designed to enhance various facets of market regulation and governance. Some of these changes were long overdue, while others—though technical—have the potential to quietly reshape market operations. The regulatory revisions target various stakeholders, including Promoters, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), Merchant Bankers, Investment Funds, and Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs). Finalised after public consultations conducted in April and May 2025, the reforms are designed to simplify compliance processes, enhance transparency, and promote greater ease of doing business across the capital market ecosystem.

Although some of the changes may appear procedural at first glance, they carry the potential to significantly influence how India’s capital markets operate. The reforms touch upon multiple areas, including disclosure requirements, compliance obligations, and governance standards, each aimed at making the system more transparent, efficient, and business-friendly. SEBI's recent measures not only reinforce trust in the stock market ecosystem but also signal a conscious shift away from past criticisms of regulatory overreach and micromanagement.

Different strokes of SEBI