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<div type="image" title="For the unversed, trading in futures and options can be akin to setting their hard-earned money on fire" height="900" width="1200" msid="114064202" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;For the unversed, trading in futures and options can be akin to setting their hard-earned money on fire&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Once upon a time, there thrived a wild, wild land. Here, it was all about super high monetary stakes, lightning-fast trade deals, and bucketloads of money shifting hands every single second. This wilderness lured millions of individuals with the promise of super duper high returns. But, at what cost? Welcome to the unforgiving, ultra-risky wild west of <keyword id="19991165" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-equity-markets" source="keywords">Indian equity markets</keyword> called the <keyword id="145718" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Futures-and-Options" source="Orion">futures and options</keyword>. Here, everyone seems to just fly right through the bright red-flagged warnings of financial risks to earn even a fraction of these promised returns. Most burn themselves in the process, but carry on nevertheless, as if nothing ever happened. <h2>Chasing the cloudy profits</h2>The data conclusively proves that every 9 out of 10 individuals only lost their hard-earned money in this land. But hey, what do the numbers know? Some hide their losses out of shame, some out of fear. The proponents, meanwhile, proudly boast unusually high returns on their investments, some open social media channels while others encourage their friends and family to take the plunge. Naturally, news of this unstoppable and humongous en-masse migration to the F&amp;O (futures and options) town has reached sheriff <keyword id="19901201" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SEBI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="SEBI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="SEBI">SEBI</keyword>, galvanising them into action. After all, it was time to put a leash on this madness and save the common man. The inhabitants of this town doubled in the last 2 years, from 51 lakh in FY22 to 96 lakh in FY24—99.8% of whom were small and mid-income traders. But profits? Well, that's a different, rather completely absent story. <h2>Que Sera Sera, much?</h2>A recent report by SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) that studied profits and losses made by traders in the equity derivatives segment between FY22-24 exposed the mad mania of futures and options trading in India, especially since the pandemic. Per the report, 91.1% of individual traders, or about 73 lakh traders had only lost money trading in futures and options in FY24. Between FY 22-24, over 1 crore traders, or about 92.8% of individual traders, had lost Rs 2 lakh each. But once bitten, twice shy? Well, not in this case. More than 75% of individuals, who had only made losses trading in F&amp;O in FY22 and FY23, continued to trade vigorously in FY24 as well, without any changes in the bottom line, which remained deep in red and negative. So, then all these traders must be uber-rich, with tons of cash and not much care to spare? Nope. 76% of traders in the F&amp;O space in FY24 had an annual income of less than Rs 5 lakh. 2 years ago, their share stood at 71%. And their choice of poison? Options! In FY24, 60% of traders made losses trading in futures, but a whopping 91.5% burnt their funds trading in options. Mind you, futures are riskier than options. With futures, which require significant capital investment, the buyer and seller both are contractually bound to adhere to the pre-determined strike price of the futures or options contract, irrespective of whether the prevailing prices are higher or lower (and thus, resulting in losses for either the buyer or seller). With options, since this adherence ain't necessary, individuals end up taking debt to take highly leveraged positions while trading here. <h2>Scale of the explosion</h2>Anyone who trades even infrequently will tell you that a demat account is the mitochondria or powerhouse of the trading cell. As of August 2024, India had over 17.1 crore <keyword id="20957284" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="demat-accounts" source="keywords">demat accounts</keyword>, which are a prerequisite for trading in the markets. India is the 9th biggest country in the world, in terms of total demat accounts. Did you know that our demat accounts are at par with the entire population of Bangladesh? Talk about scale! Just 4 years ago, in March 2020, this number was a mere 4 crore. Naturally, the total F&amp;O turnover on both <keyword id="20004725" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NSE" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="NSE" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="NSE">NSE</keyword> and BSE has hit the roof, and also broken it. As of October 4, 2024, the total futures and options turnover on NSE stood at a massive Rs 4,78,27,27,750.30 crore. Good luck counting the thousands! <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Year </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Total Turnover (Both Futures and Options) (In Rs Crore) </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2020-21 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">64,36,03,951.51 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2021-22 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1,69,52,33,134.47 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2022-23 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">3,82,23,26,468.06 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2023-24 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7,99,27,67,152.43 </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table>Source : NSE Another metric that underlines the meteoric growth of trading in India is the collection of STT or <keyword id="20930760" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Securities-Transaction-Tax" source="keywords">Securities Transaction Tax</keyword>. As of September 2024, India's STT mop-up had gone past Rs 26,000 crore. Traders have to pay STT whenever they buy or sell any security in the market. So, more trading brings in more STT, and hence, more revenue for the government, so they're not really complaining. After all, this is certainly what they'd call enviable growth. As of August 2023, our STT collection stood at about Rs 21,599 crores. And in FY20-21, India's STT collection had been Rs 16,000 crore. If only our salaries also managed to grow at this rate! <h2>So, what's happening?</h2>Two things. One, it's the big bulls who are raking in all the moolah. And it's the younger lot (those aged under 30) who are propping them up for this. In FY24, 43% of individual traders in the market were less than 30 years of age. In just one year, this number has swelled by 12 percentage points from just 31% of individual traders. But who says ageing is bad? Wrinkles and silver hair seemingly have a propensity of incurring lesser losses in the market. In FY24, only 79% of traders aged above 60 years made losses, as compared to 93% of those aged below 30. Small and mid-income traders, which make up 98% of the total trader base, witnessed average losses per person of Rs 65,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh in FY24 in futures and options, respectively. The winner here? Clearly, the big bulls, who declared an annual income of over Rs 1 crore, ended up with average profits of Rs 96,000 per person this year. <h2>What’s the sheriff up to?</h2>The government has finally swung into action, hiking the STT rate for F&amp;O during this year’s budget. Effective October 1, 2024, the STT on futures stands at 0.02%, up from 0.0125%. For options, it was upped to 0.1% versus 0.0625% previously. Small margins, but huge impact oncoming. Says Puneet Sharma- CEO and Fund Manager at Whitespace Alpha, “SEBI aims to enhance market stability while safeguarding investor interests, reflecting the regulator's intent to balance risk management with market participation”. But this might come with its own share of challenges, too. “Stricter norms around leverage, transparency, and capital adequacy could limit the ability of investors to determine their own risk appetite, thereby stifling innovation in trading strategies. Over-regulation in an environment that thrives on strategic flexibility and creativity could dampen the market’s dynamism, affecting India's competitiveness in the global derivatives landscape”, he observes. SEBI recently came out with a set of guidelines that aim to thwart <keyword id="19972907" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail-investors" source="keywords">retail investors</keyword>' participation in futures and options and hinder them from taking undue risks. Here's a quick recap of what's to come for the residents of the F&amp;O town Margin Requirements: To battle the high volatility and chaos which is generally seen on expiry days(i.e the last mandated date, post which an option becomes invalid), SEBI will put in place an extreme loss margin (ELM) of 2% for all open short options on the day of expiry. Translation? Traders will need to pony up more cash upfront, leaving them with fewer funds to take on risky bets. It ain't a choice: No more of one expiry every single day! Going ahead, an exchange like BSE or NSE will just be able to offer weekly expiries, that too, only on one benchmark index, as opposed to an entire buffet it currently offers. At present, NSE offers weekly options contracts for its financial index, bank and midcap indices. But say goodbye to this, and hello to derivatives on only 1 index per exchange. Raising the bar: Effective November 30, 2024, the minimum contract value for index derivatives will be upped to Rs 15 lakh, from the present Rs 5-10 lakh. The hope is that by making it ultra-expensive to enter these trades, investors will be dissuaded from taking on risky trades. Pay upfront: Starting February 2025, those trading in options will have to pay the entire options premium upfront, even before their trades are executed. This is because options generally carry very high leverage, and paying a significant sum upfront can force traders to think twice. Invigilation Pro Max: Starting April 1 2025, to make sure that the number of positions for equity index derivatives does not slyly slip over the mandated limit, especially on expiry days when trade volumes are huge, the exchanges will have to take a minimum of 4 position snapshots randomly. The question is, will these injections of sobriety be enough to calm down the steroid-fed bull of the futures and options market in India? Well, only time and market turnover will tell! For more insights into the financial markets and business news, stay tuned to our site and social media handles. And don’t forget to subscribe to Business Insider India’s newsletters for your weekly dose of Simply Put! Disclaimer: The content on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. We recommend readers consult certified, qualified and registered advisors for professional and personalised financial advice.

SIMPLY PUT: SEBI is on a mission to take on the wild, wild west of futures and options in India. Here’s why, what, and how

The <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Congress" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Congress">Congress</keyword> party has levied fresh allegations against <keyword id="20914154" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="SEBI-Chairperson" source="keywords">SEBI Chairperson</keyword> <keyword id="19922107" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Madhabi-Puri-Buch" source="keywords">Madhabi Puri Buch</keyword>, calling her a perfect case of the office for profit. This refers to a position that brings some financial gain, or advantage to the office holder, which in this case was Buch's position as a whole-time member of <keyword id="19901201" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SEBI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="SEBI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="SEBI">SEBI</keyword>, and then post 2022, as the regulatory body's chairperson. In a press conference in New Delhi on Monday, Pawan Khera, Chairman, Media and Publicity Department, Congress, charged Buch of receiving regular income from private lender <keyword id="19900482" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ICICI-Bank" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="ICICI Bank" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="ICICI Bank">ICICI Bank</keyword> and <keyword id="47860" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ICICI-Prudential" source="Orion">ICICI Prudential</keyword>, India's second largest asset management company, all while being the whole-time member and later Chairperson of the capital markets regulatory body. "She (SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch) between 2017 and 2024 was taking regular income of Rs 16 crore 80 lakhs from ICICI Bank," alleged Pawan Khera, at the press briefing. The congress spokesperson also alleged that Buch received a total of Rs 16.80 crore between 2017-18 to 2023-24, from ICICI Bank, ICICI Prudential, <keyword id="20043663" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ESOPs" source="keywords">ESOPs</keyword>, and <keyword id="19948097" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="TDS" source="keywords">TDS</keyword> on ESOPs. According to the Congress' allegations, in 2017-18 the SEBI chief allegedly received Rs 2.06 crore from ICICI Bank as salary and Rs 7 lakh from ICICI Prudential. In 2018-19, she received Rs 4.71 crore from ICICI Bank, Rs 2.17 lakh from ICICI Prudential. In 2019-20, Rs 1.21 crore from ICICI Bank and Rs 2.17 lakh from ICICI Prudential. In 2020-21, she was alleged of having received Rs 4.64 crore from ICICI Bank and Rs 2.17 lakh ICICI Prudential. In 2021-22, Congress asserted that the salary stopped from ICICI Bank but she continued to receive Rs 2.17 lakh from ICICI Prudential, also same year she received ESOP and TDS on ESOP from ICICI Bank. In 2022-23, she was alleged to have received Rs 4.44 lakh from ICICI Prudential, in addition to ESOP and TDS on ESOP, In 2023-24, she was alleged to have received Rs 2.17 from ICICI Prudential. The Congress further alleges that during this period, Buch also drew a salary from SEBI as a whole-time member and later as the Chairperson. Khera further added that several probes on ICICI Bank were being adjudicated during this period when Madhabi Puri Buch was receiving income from the group. He also cited unnamed reports to claim that the SEBI chief has relaxed norms for the ICICI Bank. "The person sitting at the top of the regulator is taking salaries from another entity," Khera alleged, adding it was a perfect case of "office for profit". "So we want to know why you were taking your salary from ICICI despite being a full-time member of SEBI?," Khera asked what service she as the SEBI Chairperson provided the bank when she was part of SEBI. "This is a direct violation of Section 54 of SEBI. Therefore, if Madhabi Puri Buch has any shame, she should resign from her post," Khera added. The SEBI Chief is yet to react to the charges made by the Congress in Monday's news conference. Madhabi Puri Buch was a whole-time member of SEBI from April 5, 2017 to October 4, 2021. Then on March 2, 2022, Madhabi Puri Buch became the Chairperson of SEBI. Recently, US-based short seller Hindenburg Research made allegations against her accusing her of conflict of interest. Last month, Hindenburg Research alleged that SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch and her husband Dhaval Buch had stakes in "both the obscure offshore entities used in the Admoney siphoning scandal." Hindenburg Research said it has made the new allegations based on documents provided by a whistleblower and investigations carried out by other entities. Soon after, the SEBI Chairperson and her husband, in their personal capacity, issued a detailed statement rejecting the allegations. In the joint statement released to the media they said, "In the context of allegations made in the Hindenburg Report dated August 10, 2024, against us, we would like to state that we strongly deny the baseless allegations and insinuations made in the report. The same are devoid of any truth. Our life and finances are an open book. All disclosures as required have already been furnished to SEBI over the years. We have no hesitation in disclosing any and all financial documents, including those that relate to the period when we were strictly private citizens, to any and every authority that may seek them. Further, in the interest of complete transparency, we would be issuing a detailed statement in due course." "It is unfortunate that Hindenburg Research against whom SEBI has taken an Enforcement action and issued a show cause notice has chosen to attempt character assassination in response to the same," the statement from Madhabi Buch and her husband Dhaval Buch read.

Congress alleges SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch of office for profit

US short-seller <keyword id="20016892" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hindenburg-Research" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Hindenburg Research" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Hindenburg Research">Hindenburg Research</keyword> alleged that it suspects <keyword id="19901201" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sebi" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Sebi" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Sebi">SEBI</keyword>'s unwillingness to act against <keyword id="19955648" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Adani-Group" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Adani Group" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Adani Group">Adani group</keyword> may be because its head Madhabi Puri Buch had stakes in <keyword id="20311680" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="offshore-funds" source="keywords">offshore funds</keyword> linked to the conglomerate - an allegation slammed by the SEBI head as "baseless" while Adani group said it never had any commercial relations with Buch. Hindenburg alleged that Buch and her husband had undisclosed investments in obscure offshore funds in Bermuda and Mauritius, the same entities allegedly used by <keyword id="20283220" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vinod-Adani" source="keywords">Vinod Adani</keyword> - the elder brother of group chairman Gautam Adani - to round-trip funds and inflate stock prices. SEBI, in October 2020, began a probe into the shareholding structure of Adani group companies after red flags were raised over the high concentration of foreign holdings in the conglomerate's listed companies. An investigation was launched to determine if the foreign investors were genuine public shareholders or acting as fronts for the promoters. SEBI, last year had told a Supreme Court-appointed panel that it was investigating 13 opaque offshore entities that held between 14-20% across five publicly traded stocks of the conglomerate. It hasn't stated if the two probes have since been completed, something which Hindenburg used to attack the market regulator. Madhabi Puri Buch and her husband Dhaval Buch in a joint statement strongly denied the "baseless allegations and insinuations made in the report". The same, they said, "are devoid of any truth". "Our life and finances are an open book," they said. "It is unfortunate that Hindenburg Research against whom SEBI has taken an enforcement action and issued a show cause notice, has chosen to attempt character assassination in response to the same." Buchs further said they have no hesitation in disclosing any financial documents, including those that relate to the period when we were strictly private citizens, to any and every authority that may seek them. While the statement did not talk about the questions Hindenburg raised over SEBI probe, the duo promised to come out with a detailed response. Separately, Adani group in a regulatory filing called the allegations by Hindenburg as "malicious, mischievous and manipulative selections of publicly available information to arrive at predetermined conclusions for personal profiteering with wanton disregard for facts and the law." "The Adani Group has absolutely no commercial relationship with the individuals or matters mentioned in this calculated deliberate effort to malign our standing," it said. "We remain steadfastly committed to transparency and compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements". Rejecting the allegations, it said they were nothing but a "recycling of discredited claims that have been thoroughly investigated, proven to be baseless, and already dismissed by the Supreme Court in March 2023." "It is reiterated that our overseas holding structure is fully transparent, with all relevant details disclosed regularly in numerous public documents," Adani group said, adding Anil Ahuja was a nominee director of 3i investment fund in Adani Power (2007-2008) and, later, a director of Adani Enterprises until 2017. "For a discredited short-seller under the scanner for several violations of Indian securities laws, Hindenburg's allegations are no more than red herrings thrown by a desperate entity with total contempt for Indian laws," it added. Hindenburg on Saturday stated that the SEBI chairperson and her husband invested in offshore entities that were allegedly part of a fund structure managed by India Infoline, and in which Vinod Adani also had investments. These investments reportedly date back to 2015, well before her appointment as a full-time member of SEBI in 2017 and the subsequent elevation as chairperson in March 2022. It said the Bermuda-based Global Opportunities Fund, which allegedly was used by entities connected to Adani Group to trade in shares of group companies, had sub-funds. Buch and her husband were investors in one of these sub-funds in 2015. Citing "whistleblower documents", Hindenburg said, "<keyword id="22743118" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Madhabi-Buch" source="keywords">Madhabi Buch</keyword>, the current chairperson of SEBI, and her husband had stakes in both obscure offshore funds used in the Adani <keyword id="22743230" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="money-siphoning" source="keywords">money siphoning</keyword> scandal." SEBI, it claimed, has "shown a surprising lack of interest in Adani's alleged undisclosed web of Mauritius and offshore shell entities." Buch and her husband may have first opened their account with IPE Plus Fund 1 on June 5, 2015, in Singapore. IPE fund is a small offshore Mauritius fund set up by Vinod Adani director through India Infoline (IIFL), a wealth management firm with ties to the Wirecard embezzlement scandal. "Vinod Adani, brother of Gautam Adani, used this structure to invest in Indian markets with funds allegedly siphoned from over-invoicing of power equipment to Adani Group," claimed Hindenburg. Latching on to the Hindenburg allegations, Congress said the revelations only reinforced its demand for setting up a "joint parliamentary committee to investigate the full scope of the Adani mega scam" while the Trinamool Congress said the SEBI chairperson must resign. "This raises fresh questions about Gautam Adani's two 2022 meetings in quick succession with Ms Buch shortly after she became SEBI chairperson. Recall that SEBI was supposedly investigating Adani transactions at the time," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said. In January last year, Hindenburg Research, which in the past has shorted - or bet against - companies like electric truck maker Nikola Corp and Twitter, accused Adani Group of pulling "the largest con in corporate history" by using a web of companies in tax havens to inflate its revenue and manipulate stock prices, even as debt piled up. Though the conglomerate vehemently denied all allegations, the damning report sent the group's shares into a free fall, wiping out over USD 150 billion in market value of the 10 listed entities at their lowest point. Most of the 10 listed companies have since recouped the losses. After the Hindenburg report, the Supreme Court asked market regulator SEBI to complete its investigation and set up a separate expert panel to look into regulatory lapses. The panel did not give any adverse report on Adani and the apex court too stated that no other probe other than one being done by SEBI was required. On June 26 this year, SEBI in a show cause notice charged Hindenburg of "deliberately sensationalizing and distorting certain facts" as well as working with a New York hedge fund to make its bet. Hindenburg had responded to that saying it made just USD 4.1 million from its declared positions on Adani stocks and criticized the regulator for not focusing its investigation into the January 2023 report "providing evidence" of the conglomerate creating "a vast network of offshore shell entities" and moving billions of dollars "surreptitiously" into and out of Adani public and private entities. The group led by billionaire Gautam Adani, who was the world's third-richest man before Hindenburg, in an epic comeback strategy raised USD 15 billion in equity and debt, sold some assets, repaid loans that were raised pledging shares, reined in expenses, repaid some debt and refocused energies on core business. Adani is now ranked 12th richest in the world, one notch and USD 6 billion shy of rival billionaire Mukesh Ambani. The group has also made some acquisitions, buying cement company Sanghi Industries and the news agency IANS. Adani has insisted the Hindenburg report has not changed operations at his companies, which include ports, airports, renewable parks generating electricity from sunlight and wind energy, gas distribution, cement processors, data centers, and even apple farms. 360 One Wam Ltd, formerly known as IIFL Wealth Management Ltd, separately said IPE-Plus Fund 1, a fully compliant and regulated fund, was launched in October 2013 and operated until October 2019. "Throughout the fund's tenure, IPE-Plus Fund 1 made zero investments in any shares of the Adani Group either directly or indirectly through any fund," it said. "At its peak, the fund's Assets Under Management (AUM) reached approximately USD 48 million, with over 90% of the fund consistently invested in bonds." The fund, it said, was managed as a discretionary fund by the Investment Manager. "No investor had any involvement in the fund's operations or investment decisions. Mrs. Madhabi Buch &amp; Mr. Dhaval Buch's holdings in the fund were less than 1.5% of the total inflow into the fund." Hindenburg on Saturday alleged that just weeks before Buch's appointment to SEBI, her husband requested the transfer of their investments into his sole control, potentially to avoid any scrutiny related to her new regulatory role. The couple's investments were reportedly funneled through a complex, multi-layered offshore structure, raising questions about their legitimacy and purpose. On March 22, 2017, just weeks ahead of Buch's appointment as SEBI Wholetime Member, her husband, Dhaval Buch, wrote to Mauritius fund administrator Trident Trust. That communication was regarding his and his wife's investment in the Global Dynamic Opportunities Fund (GDOF), the US firm alleged. "In the letter, Dhaval Buch requested to"be the sole person authorized to operate the accounts", seemingly moving the assets out of his wife's name ahead of the politically sensitive appointment," Hindenburg alleged. Dhaval Buch is currently a senior advisor at Blackstone and at Alvarez &amp; Marsal. He also serves as a non-executive director on the Board of Gildan. "In a later account statement dated February 26, 2018, addressed to Madhabi Buch's private email, the full details of the structure are revealed: "GDOF Cell 90 (IPEplus Fund 1)". Again, this is the same Mauritius-registered "cell" of the fund, found several layers deep in a convoluted structure, reportedly used by Vinod Adani," Hindenburg alleged. From April 2017 to March 2022, while Buch was a Wholetime member and Chairperson at SEBI, she had a 100 % interest in an offshore Singaporean consulting firm, called Agora Partners, it alleged adding On March 16, 2022, two weeks after she was appointed SEBI Chairperson, she quietly transferred the shares to her husband. To date, SEBI has taken no action against these funds, it claimed. "If SEBI wanted to find the offshore fund holders, perhaps the SEBI Chairperson could have started by looking in the mirror," Hindenburg said. In response to requests from the Supreme Court to investigate the Adani matter, SEBI is said to have hit a wall unveiling the holders of the offshore funds. The Supreme Court said that while SEBI seemingly agreed with its concerns over who funded Adani's offshore shareholders, "it is evident that SEBI has drawn a blank in this investigation", the firm alleged.

Hindenburg target SEBI chief, she calls charges baseless, Adani says no commercial relationship with SEBI head

Market regulator <keyword id="19901201" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sebi" source="keywords">SEBI</keyword> has issued notice to fintech firm <keyword id="20253123" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="One97-Communications" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="One97 Communications" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="One97 Communications">One97 Communications</keyword>, which owns the <keyword id="19898109" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Paytm" source="keywords">Paytm</keyword> brand, for the employee <keyword id="20410988" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="stock-options" source="keywords">stock options</keyword> (<keyword id="20043663" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ESOPs" source="keywords">ESOPs</keyword>) allocated to MD and CEO <keyword id="20004114" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vijay-shekhar-sharma" source="keywords">Vijay Shekhar Sharma</keyword>, according to the company filing on Monday. In response to a query from stock exchanges, Paytm said the notice is not a new development, and it is in regulatory contact with the market regulator to make required representations. According to Paytm's financial year 2024 annual result filing, it had issued 2.1 crore employee stock options (ESOP) to Sharma in the financial year 2022. SEBI had issued a show cause notice to Paytm on ESOP issued to Sharma. "This is not a new development, as the Company had already made relevant disclosures on this matter in its financial results for the quarter and year ended March 31, 2024, as well as the quarter ended June 30, 2024. The Company is in regular communication with the <keyword id="19970553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="securities-exchange-board-of-india" source="keywords">Securities Exchange Board of India</keyword> (SEBI) and making necessary representations regarding this matter," Paytm said in response to a stock exchange query. The disclosure made on May 22 and July 19 said that Paytm has submitted its preliminary response and is in the process of seeking further information from the regulator in this regard. "Based on an independent legal opinion obtained by the management, it believes that the Company is compliant with the relevant regulations. Accordingly, there is no impact on the financial results for the year ended March 31, 2024," the filing said. Shares of One97 Communications Ltd, which owns the Paytm brand, on Monday dropped over 4% amid reports that SEBI has issued show-cause notices to Vijay Shekhar Sharma and board members who served during its IPO in November 2021 for alleged misrepresentation of facts. The stock tanked 4.41 % to settle at Rs 530.05 apiece on the BSE. During the day, it plunged 8.88 % to Rs 505.25. On the NSE, shares of the firm dropped 4.47 % to Rs 530. Intra-day, the stock tumbled 8.88 % to Rs 505.55. The company's market valuation declined by Rs 1,534.23 crore to Rs 33,731.56 crore. Earlier in the day, BSE sought clarification from One 97 Communications Ltd with reference to news that Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Paytm directors face SEBI show-cause notices over initial public offering (IPO) breaches, particularly on ESOPs allotted to MD and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma. In response to a query from stock exchanges, Paytm said the notice is not a new development, and it is in regulatory contact with the markets regulator to make required representations.

SEBI issues notice to Paytm on ESOPs given to CEO Sharma; firm says disclosure already made

US short-seller <keyword id="20016892" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hindenburg-Research" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Hindenburg Research" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Hindenburg Research">Hindenburg Research</keyword> has alleged that it suspects <keyword id="19901201" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sebi" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Sebi" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Sebi">SEBI</keyword>'s unwillingness to act against <keyword id="19955648" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Adani-Group" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Adani Group" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Adani Group">Adani Group</keyword> may be because of its head Madhabi Puri Buch had stakes in <keyword id="20311680" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="offshore-funds" source="keywords">offshore funds</keyword> linked to the conglomerate - an allegation that the SEBI head called "baseless" and an attempt of "character assassination". Hindenburg alleged that Buch and her husband had undisclosed investments in <keyword id="22746661" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="obscure-offshore" source="keywords">obscure offshore</keyword> funds in Bermuda and Mauritius, the same entities allegedly used by <keyword id="20283220" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vinod-Adani" source="keywords">Vinod Adani</keyword> - the elder brother of group chairman Gautam Adani - to round-trip funds and inflate stock prices. SEBI in October 2020 began a probe into the shareholding structure of Adani Group companies after red flags were raised over high concentration of foreign holdings in the conglomerate's listed companies. Investigation was launched to determine if the foreign investors are genuine public shareholders or acting as fronts for the promoters. SEBI last year had told a Supreme Court-appointed panel that it was investigating 13 opaque offshore entities that held between 14 per cent and 20 per cent across five publicly traded stocks of the conglomerate. It hasn't stated if the two incomplete probes have since been completed, something which Hindenburg used to attack the market regulator. Madhabi and her husband Dhaval Buch in a joint statement strongly denied the "baseless allegations and insinuations made in the report". The same, they said, "are devoid of any truth". "Our life and finances are an open book," they said. "It is unfortunate that Hindenburg Research against whom SEBI has taken an enforcement action and issued a show cause notice has chosen to attempt character assassination in response to the same." While the statement did not talk on the questions Hindenburg raised over SEBI probe, the duo promised to come out with a detailed response. Hindenburg on Saturday stated that the Madhabi and her husband invested in offshore entities that were allegedly part of a fund structure managed by India Infoline and in which Vinod Adani also had investments. These investments reportedly date back to 2015, well before her appointment as a whole-time member of SEBI in 2017 and the subsequent elevation as chairperson in March 2022. It said Bermuda-based Global Opportunities Fund, which allegedly was used by entities connected to Adani Group to trade in shares of group companies, had sub-funds. Buch and her husband were investors in one of these sub-funds in 2015. Citing "whistleblower documents", Hindenburg said, "<keyword id="22743118" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Madhabi-Buch" source="keywords">Madhabi Buch</keyword>, the current chairperson of SEBI, and her husband had stakes in both obscure offshore funds used in the Adani <keyword id="22743230" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="money-siphoning" source="keywords">money siphoning</keyword> scandal." SEBI, it claimed, has "shown a surprising lack of interest in Adani's alleged undisclosed web of Mauritius and offshore shell entities." The Buchs may have first opened their account with IPE Plus Fund 1 on June 5, 2015 in Singapore. IPE fund is a small offshore Mauritius fund set up by Vinod Adani through India Infoline (IIFL), a wealth management firm with ties to the Wirecard embezzlement scandal. "Vinod...used this structure to invest in Indian markets with funds allegedly siphoned from over invoicing of power equipment to Adani Group," claimed Hindenburg. Latching on to the Hindenburg allegations, Congress said the revelations only reinforced its demand for setting up a "joint parliamentary committee to investigate the full scope of the Adani mega scam" while the Trinamool Congress said the SEBI chairperson must resign. In January last year, Hindenburg accused Adani Group of pulling "the largest con in corporate history" by using a web of companies in tax havens to inflate its revenue and manipulate stock prices, even as debt piled up. After the Hindenburg report, the SC asked SEBI to complete its investigation and set up a separate expert panel to look into regulatory lapses. The panel did not give any adverse report on Adani and the apex court too stated that no other probe other than one being done by SEBI was required. On June 26 this year, SEBI in a show cause notice charged Hindenburg of "deliberately sensationalising and distorting certain facts" as well as working with a New York hedge fund to make its bet. Hindenburg had responded to that saying it made just USD 4.1 million from its declared positions on Adani stocks and criticised the regulator for not focusing its investigation into the January 2023 report "providing evidence" of the group creating "a vast network of offshore shell entities" and moving billions of dollars "surreptitiously" into and out of Adani public and private entities. Gautam Adani, who was the world's third-richest man before Hindenburg, in an epic comeback strategy raised USD 15 billion in equity and debt, sold some assets, repaid loans that was raised pledging shares, reined in expenses and refocused energies on core business. Adani is now ranked 12th richest in the world. The group has also made some acquisitions, buying cement company Sanghi Industries and the news agency IANS. Hindenburg on Saturday alleged that just weeks before Buch's appointment to SEBI, her husband requested the transfer of their investments into his sole control, potentially to avoid any scrutiny related to her new regulatory role. The couple's investments were reportedly funnelled through a complex, multi-layered offshore structure, raising questions about their legitimacy and purpose. On March 22, 2017, just weeks ahead of Buch's appointment as SEBI whole-time member, Dhaval wrote to Mauritius fund administrator Trident Trust. That communication was regarding his and his wife's investment in the Global Dynamic Opportunities Fund (GDOF), the US firm alleged. "In the letter, Dhaval requested to "be the sole person authorised to operate the Accounts", seemingly moving the assets out of his wife's name ahead of the politically sensitive appointment," Hindenburg alleged. Dhaval is a senior advisor at Blackstone and at Alvarez &amp; Marsal. He also serves as a non-executive director on the Board of Gildan.

After Adani, Hindenburg targets SEBI chief, she calls allegations baseless, character assassination

South Korean automaker <keyword id="19906087" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Hyundai" source="keywords">Hyundai</keyword>'s Indian arm is likely to file preliminary papers with Sebi shortly to raise at least USD 3 billion (around Rs 25,000 crore) through an <keyword id="19913114" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="initial-public-offering" source="keywords">initial public offering</keyword>, sources close to the development said on Friday. The company's initial public offering (<keyword id="19898327" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IPO" source="keywords">IPO</keyword>), if it goes through, would be the largest in India, surpassing LIC's share sale of Rs 21,000 crore. This development marks a significant milestone for the Indian industry, as it is the first automaker to go for an initial share sale in over two decades, after Japanese automaker Maruti Suzuki's listing in 2003. Earlier this week, electric two-wheeler company Ola Electric received capital markets regulator Sebi's clearance to raise funds through an IPO. Under the proposed IPO, <keyword id="20106368" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hyundai-Motor-India-Ltd" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Hyundai Motor India Ltd" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Hyundai Motor India Ltd">Hyundai Motor India Ltd</keyword> (HMIL), which is the second largest carmaker in India after Maruti Suzuki India, may dilute 15-20 per cent stake to raise funds in the range of USD 3.3-5.6 billion, sources said. They said the company is likely to file its papers with the regulatory body Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) soon. When contacted over the issue, HMIL company declined to comment. HMIL commenced operations in India in 1996 and currently, sells 13 models across segments. HMIL reported a 7 per cent year-on-year increase in total sales at 63,551 units in May 2024 against 59,601 units in the corresponding month last year. Domestic dispatch of vehicles to dealers saw a 1 per cent rise to 49,151 units last month from 48,601 units in the year-ago period. Exports of the vehicles grew 31 per cent in May to 14,400 units compared to 11,000 units a year ago.

Hyundai to soon file draft IPO papers with Sebi to raise about Rs 25,000 crore: Sources

Sebi on Thursday barred 31 entities, including actor <keyword id="20399" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="arshad-warsi" source="Orion">Arshad Warsi</keyword>, his wife <keyword id="995" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="maria-goretti" source="Orion">Maria Goretti</keyword> and promoters of <keyword id="11249" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="sadhna" source="Orion">Sadhna</keyword> Broadcast from the securities market in a case related to uploading misleading videos on YouTube channels recommending investors to buy the company's shares. The company's promoters who have been restrained from the securities market for their involvement are - <keyword id="1569219" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="shreya-gupta" source="Orion">Shreya Gupta</keyword>, Gaurav Gupta, Saurabh Gupta, Pooja Aggarwal and Varun Media. In addition, the regulator has impounded illegal gains to the tune of Rs 41.85 crore made by the entities after misleading videos were uploaded on YouTube channels. SEBI noted that Arshad Warsi has made a profit of Rs 29.43 lakh and his wife has earned a profit of Rs 37.56 lakh. The order came after <keyword id="6355630" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="securities-and-exchange-board-of-india" source="Orion">Securities and Exchange Board of India</keyword> (SEBI) received certain complaints wherein it was alleged that there was price manipulation and offloading of shares by certain entities in the scrip of television channel Sadhna Broadcast. The complaints alleged that misleading YouTube videos with false content about the company were uploaded to lure investors. Following this, the regulator conducted an examination during April-September 2022 and found a spurt in the price and volume of scrip of Sadhna between April and mid-July 2022. During the second half of July 2022, false and misleading videos about Sadhna were uploaded on two YouTube channels -- "The Advisor" and "Moneywise". These YouTube videos peddled false and misleading news to recommend that investors should buy the Sadhna stock for extraordinary profits, SEBI said in its interim order. Subsequent to the release of the misleading YouTube videos, there was an increase in the price and trading volume of the Sadhna scrip. The volumes appear to have been contributed by a large number of retail investors likely influenced by the misleading YouTube videos. During this period, certain promoter shareholders, key management personnel of Sadhna, and non-promoter shareholders offloaded a significant part of their holdings at inflated prices and booked profits. One of the misleading videos on these YouTube channels was that Sadhna Broadcast Ltd is going to be taken over by the Adani group. After the deal, the margins of the company will increase. In addition, there were other videos like the company is moving from TV production to movie production and a big American corporation has entered into a contract for Rs 1,100 crore to produce four devotional movies where the money will be brought in by the American investor but the rights will remain with Sadhna. SEBI has classified these 31 entities into categories -- creator of YouTube channels (Manish Mishra), net sellers/ promoters and profit makers (NSs), Volume Creators (VCs) and information carriers (ICs). Arshad Warsi and his wife come in the category of Volume Creators. SEBI noted that these 31 entities collectively helped create trading volumes and interest in the scrip, spread false and misleading YouTube videos, and hence induced unsuspecting investors to buy the Sadhna scrip at elevated prices, thereby prima facie violating the provisions of PFUTP (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices) rules. Collectively, NSs and some of the VCs have booked extraordinary profits as a result of this scheme. "I note that the elaborate modus operandi adopted by the Noticees (31 entities) including the egregious misuse of patently false and misleading YouTube videos, had led to drastic increase in the number of small shareholders (from 2,167 to 55,343 shareholders), who ended up buying shares from the noticee net sellers and volume creators at inflated price," SEBI Whole Time Member Ananth Narayan G said in his 58-page order. Accordingly, the regulator has barred these 31 entities "from buying, selling or dealing in securities either directly or indirectly, in any manner whatsoever until further orders". Also, all the entities have been directed not to dispose of any assets, whether movable or immovable including money lying in bank accounts except with the prior permission of SEBI until the impounded amount is deposited in the escrow account. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/rcap-resolution-nclat-allows-lenders-plea-for-another-round-of-bidding/articleshow/98356569.cms">RCap resolution: NCLAT allows lenders' plea for another round of bidding</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/rural-consumption-on-a-decline-as-farmers-income-continues-to-remain-under-stress/articleshow/98358312.cms">Rural consumption on a decline as farmers’ income continues to remain under stress</a>

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SIMPLY PUT: SEBI is on a mission to take on the wild, wild west of futures and options in India. Here’s why, what, and how

Ira Alok Puranik

Congress alleges SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch of office for profit

ANI

Hindenburg target SEBI chief, she calls charges baseless, Adani says no commercial relationship with SEBI head

PTI

SEBI issues notice to Paytm on ESOPs given to CEO Sharma; firm says disclosure already made

PTI

After Adani, Hindenburg targets SEBI chief, she calls allegations baseless, character assassination

PTI

Hyundai to soon file draft IPO papers with Sebi to raise about Rs 25,000 crore: Sources

PTI

SEBI bans Sadhna Broadcast's promoters, actor Arshad Warsi, others from securities mkt

PTI

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