Sebi preparing fresh round of reforms in IPO market, short-selling rules: Chairman

Market regulator Sebi is preparing a fresh round of reforms covering IPO disclosures, SME listings, corporate bond trading and the use of artificial intelligence in financial markets, Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey said on Thursday, as the regulator looks to simplify compliance and strengthen investor protection.

Speaking at the Financial Express Modern BFSI Summit 2026 in Mumbai, Pandey said Sebi is undertaking a comprehensive review of the Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements (LODR) framework to make regulations more contemporary and streamlined.

The regulator is also reviewing the SME IPO framework to help genuine enterprises raise capital while protecting investors.


The proposed changes come at a time when India's capital markets have expanded sharply, bringing more retail investors and companies into the system. According to Pandey, India's market capitalisation has increased nearly fivefold over the past decade to Rs 472 lakh crore, while the country now has more than 15 crore unique investors and mutual fund assets of Rs 83 lakh crore.

IPO disclosures and SME rules under review

Pandey said Sebi has already proposed stronger monitoring of issue proceeds to improve transparency and accountability in how companies use money raised from investors. "We are undertaking a comprehensive review of the Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements (LODR) framework to make it more contemporary and streamlined," he said.

Further proposals will focus on simplifying compliance and improving the ease of doing business while maintaining investor protection standards.

The SME IPO framework is another area under review. Pandey said the objective is to make it easier for genuine enterprises to access capital while ensuring adequate protection for investors participating in smaller public issues.

The regulator has already taken several steps to reduce compliance burdens. These include discontinuing 52 overlapping mutual fund reports and notices, simplifying compliance reporting for stockbrokers and rationalising penalties across exchanges.

Under the GARUDA framework, the regular timeline for launching alternative investment fund schemes has been reduced from 30 days to 10 working days. Eligible funds catering to accredited investors can launch immediately upon filing.

Tokenised bond trading and AI sandbox

Sebi is also working on measures to deepen India's corporate bond market, including a new market-making framework intended to improve secondary-market liquidity.

Pandey said the regulator is developing a framework for Fixed Income Channel Partners, which could widen retail participation through regulated online bond platforms.

Another major initiative involves Demat 2.0, which uses distributed ledger technology to explore the issuance, settlement and servicing of tokenised corporate bonds.

The regulator is now planning the second phase of the project, which would enable secondary-market trading of tokenised corporate bonds.

According to Pandey, the initiative could improve liquidity, reduce settlement risks and provide investors faster access to funds.

Sebi is also exploring an AI Sandbox, where financial market participants could test artificial intelligence applications in a controlled environment. The proposed facility would allow the regulator to assess risks, develop safeguards and provide greater regulatory certainty to innovators.

Working groups have also been constituted to develop a technology roadmap for market infrastructure institutions, covering trading, clearing, settlement, surveillance and cybersecurity.

Short-selling and securities lending reforms

The regulator is reviewing the frameworks governing short-selling and Securities Lending and Borrowing to improve liquidity and price discovery in the cash market. Sebi has also proposed net settlement of funds for mutual fund schemes to lower funding costs and improve settlement efficiency.

For foreign investors, the regulator is looking at simpler digital onboarding, KYC procedures and documentation requirements.

Pandey said existing measures such as SWAGAT-FI, digitally signed Powers of Attorney and netting of funds for foreign portfolio investor transactions are intended to make market access easier.

Disclosure: This article has been written by Podishetti Akash, who is not a SEBI-registered Research Analyst or an Investment Adviser. Podishetti Akash and his ‘relative(s)’ (as defined under Section 2(77) of the Companies Act, 2013) do not hold any financial interest in the companies mentioned in this article as of the date of publication. The views/recommendations mentioned in this article, wherever applicable, are those of the respective SEBI-registered Research Analyst/brokerage and have been reproduced/reported with due attribution. They should not be construed as the views or recommendations of The Economic Times Digital or the journalist. Readers are advised to consider the original research report and make their investment decisions based on their own assessment. Brokerage disclosures here.