Role of regulators and necessary compliances

Financial Investments
Irshad Mushtaq

Prior to investing one’s hard-earned funds, it is crucial for every investor to have a thorough understanding of certain key questions. What exactly is the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)? What roles do entities such as the National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL), Central Depository Services Limited (CDSL), the National Stock Exchange (NSE), and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) play in the investment landscape? What is the purpose of the Central Know Your Customer (CKYC) process, and why is it deemed necessary? Additionally, why is direct communication through email and SMS to clients’ registered mobile and email addresses required? Furthermore, what is the rationale behind the prohibition of third-party cheques in clients’ trading accounts, and why is it important to engage only with SEBI-registered brokers or members? Why are Ponzi and pyramid schemes considered fraudulent, and why are high and assured returns viewed as deceptive traps in the Indian context? Additionally, what are the viewpoints of the financial minister regarding Ponzi schemes? It is always advisable to invest only through a SEBI-registered stockbroker, a bank registered with the RBI, or to obtain insurance exclusively through an IRDA-registered insurance company; entities offering high returns without these registrations are engaging in fraudulent activities through Ponzi and pyramid schemes. Prohibiting cash transactions and allowing only mapped bank transactions in the stock market is a fundamental practice, and having a nominee in a demat account is essential. Furthermore, why are hot tips not considered a suitable investment strategy? Taking the time to fully understand these concepts and complying with the established laws of the Government of India is crucial before making any investment decisions in order to avoid involvement in illegal schemes.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is the regulatory body for the securities market in India, overseeing and regulating the functioning and activities of stock exchanges and other securities markets. Its primary role is to protect the interests of investors and maintain the integrity of the market.

The National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) and Central Depository Services Limited (CDSL) are the two central depository agencies in India, responsible for holding securities in an electronic form. They play a crucial role in facilitating the seamless settlement of trades and the transfer of securities.

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) are the two primary stock exchanges in India. They provide a platform for trading in securities, including equities, derivatives, and debt instruments, and play a crucial role in price discovery and liquidity in the market.

The Central Know Your Customer (CKYC) process is a mandatory requirement for all financial institutions to verify the identity of their clients. It is aimed at preventing money laundering, terrorist financing, and other illegal activities by ensuring that customers’ identities are verified and their risk profiles are assessed.

Direct communication through email and SMS to clients’ registered mobile and email addresses is required to ensure that investors receive timely and accurate information about their investments and transactions. This helps in enhancing transparency and reducing the risk of fraud and misinformation.

The prohibition of third-party cheques in clients’ trading accounts is aimed at preventing unauthorized transactions and ensuring that the funds are sourced from the investor’s verified bank account. This helps in preventing fraud and unauthorized access to the investor’s funds.

It is important to engage only with SEBI-registered brokers or members to ensure that the investment activities are conducted in compliance with the regulatory requirements and that investors’ interests are protected.

Ponzi and pyramid schemes are considered fraudulent as they involve using new investors’ funds to pay off earlier investors, with the promise of high returns. Such schemes eventually collapse when there are no new investors to sustain the payouts, leading to significant financial losses for the participants.

High and assured returns are viewed as deceptive traps in the Indian context as they often involve high levels of risk and are usually offered by entities that are not registered with SEBI or other regulatory bodies. The financial minister has expressed concerns about the proliferation of Ponzi schemes and has emphasized the need for stricter regulations and enforcement to protect investors from such fraudulent activities.

In conclusion, it is essential for investors to have a clear understanding of the regulatory framework and compliance requirements before making any investment decisions. By engaging with SEBI-registered entities and following the established laws and regulations, investors can safeguard their funds and avoid falling victim to illegal schemes and fraudulent activities in the market.

 The author is the founder of MI Securities and business partner of Sharekhan in Srinagar. He can be reached at irshad@bp.sharekhan.com

BK NEWS

Sopore, Nov 24: J&K Bank Branch Chinkipora Sopore on Thursday organized a day-long Customer Awareness Program and Financial Literacy Camp. At the request of the local community, a programme was organised in the villages of Rampora and Rajpora, Dangerpora Sopore, Baramulla.

Mohammad Yaqoob Kaloo (Branch Head) presided over the programme assisted by Sameer Gojwari (Manager Credit), and Tawseef Ahmad (Recoveries & Follow-up). Dr Ashraf Ahmad (Veterinary Department), Dr Farooq Ahmad (Veterinary Department), Jahangir Ahmad (Horticulture Department), and Parviaz Ahmad (Khidmat Centre Warpora Sopore) attended the event as well. Several established unit holders under various government-sponsored programmes backed by J&K Bank graced the occasion and motivated the young to pursue the road of entrepreneurship/start-ups.

Yaqoob Kaloo opened the discussion by introducing J&K Bank and its mission of ‘Serving to Empower’ the youth of the country in general and the UT of J&K in particular, followed by the product line provided by the bank for youth development and upliftment to pursue entrepreneurship as a vocation and be job creators rather than job seekers. He introduced the audience to a plethora of government-sponsored programmes for unemployed youth, as well as the role of banks, notably J&K Bank, in establishing these policies through funding and linking the government and the unemployed youth for economic improvement and balance.

PMEGP, MUMKIN, Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi), DAY-NULM, DUDM, Tejaswini, KCC for Agriculture and allied etc schemes  were discussed.

In addition, Sameer Gojwari emphasised the need for clarity of ideas, followed by thorough project reports on the sort of activity in which youth desire to grow their careers.

“Make in India concept needs to be replicated and implemented in every corner of the country wherein “produce and use local must be too vocal” to put the revolution in deep rural areas,” he said.

The J&K economy is opening up to the rest of the globe, and consumption is expanding in line with per capita and disposable family incomes. To meet that need, a large percentage of it is imported from neighbouring states, which might otherwise be produced in the J&K region. Projects in the pink revolution (meat), white revolution (milk and dairy goods), blue revolution (fish farming), green revolution (agricultural and associated products), and biproducts can breathe new life into the economy and reduce the region’s reliance on tourism and the apple industry. Aspiring entrepreneurs should develop ventures where raw materials are readily available, and the initial consumer should be the region’s native population, leading to profit generation in the early stages of the project with fewer chances of failure.

Youth were encouraged, and the role of J&K Bank in financing sustainable and future-oriented initiatives that prospective entrepreneurs may have in mind was reaffirmed.

Tauseef Ahmad emphasised the need for timely payment of interest dues.

“Once the project is funded and the trajectory is established, the crucial measures that must be taken care of when handling the finance part and its repayment,” he explained.

“It is visible where interest helps in managing leverage ratios can lead to downfall if not managed and paid well in time thus affecting the credit score initially and can lead to blacklisting in the long run which is no option in the modern-day world where in the entire economy and business revolves round the banking sector,” he added.

Parvaiz Ahmad focused on the digital aspect and paperwork linked to various credit products, as well as the online submission of applications for government schemes, and promised to assist ambitious entrepreneurs in this sector.

Yaqoob Kaloo presented a vote of thanks to people from both villages for coming out in large numbers despite the harsh winter. The Chair offered full financial assistance to the young who want to pursue entrepreneurship as a career and have unique ideas for repairing and rebuilding lost crafts and skills that were previously appreciated across the world.

ABRAR UL MUSTAFA

abrarwrites@gmail.com

The essence of any business or industry sector lies in constant change and improvement. This demands to be done in the technology, business model, business policy and strategy and several distinct aspects. Banking is no oddity. This industry has faced multiple setbacks in the recent past. Rising bad debts, cyber-frauds, ineffectual governance, dilution of kernel business and so on have crippled the sector. Consequently, the road ahead is uncertain, and the tunnel is dark. Banking strategies need a timely overhaul if we want the newest and the best avenues to open for this vast enterprise. Change in planning is needed to achieve change in profits.

A strategy is a plan. It is the overall aim of an organisation. It is a carefully crafted roadmap that may be followed to achieve the desired results and lead an organisation to the avenues of prosperity and profit. An avenue is a road we want to take to. It is the desired destination. The milestone we would want to cross. Careful planning is the key to reach the set avenues.

Keeping in view the ongoing banking scenario and the reasons behind the downfall of this great industry, let’s discuss new strategies in banking avenues. Let’s suggest, understand and choose novel strategic ideas.

1. Technology: Yes. Technological up-gradation is a plan that never gets out of fashion. Technology keeps changing like the weather. Any tech upgrade of last year is obsolete this season. Last year, we used to insert a debit card into a swipe machine to shop. This year we just wave our debit card over a POS machine, say hi to the equipment and the transaction is done. Needless to say that technology is the backbone of the banking system. The updated the technology, the better the banking. The strategies we form should adopt technology as one of the central elements of the strategic portfolio. Tech must be at the core of all strategic advancements. The strategists should think of any blueprint they want to put in on the lines of its technological specifications and doctrine. Test each strategy on the scale of technology.

It is important that we don’t remain reluctant to go for the concepts of Cognitive Technology. Cognitive Tech is the application of computers for doing those tasks that only a human being could do. These are the products of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Examples of AI that could be imposed in banking are Blockchain, Robotics and Process Automation. Blockchain is the process of systematically collecting data in blocks and giving it a chronological order and eventually obtaining insightful information. Blockchain is the same technological interface that lies at the spine of Cryptocurrency. Banks should wholeheartedly embrace these marvels of Cognitive Technology to usher new avenues.

2. Back to basics: Traditional banking was the best in terms of focus and specialisation. A banker had to appraise a loan applicant and lend. He had to accept people’s deposit. The difference between the interest earned and interest paid was his profit. As simple as that. The traditional banker was specialised in his business. Unfortunately, today, we have to lend, accept deposits, sell insurances, promote government schemes and what not. Today’s banker is caught between core business and these associated party products. A bank has been reduced to a departmental store where you find everything. And a banker has been reduced to a puppet in the hands of the administrators of social security products and owners of private insurance companies. It is the high time that banking be limited to core banking. Let’s do what we do best. We are masters of banking and not jacks of insurance trades. The model strategy would be to revisit our business model and revise what we are doing. We should go back to our basics and strengthen the basic pillars of our business in accordance with the current trends.

3. Collaborate to innovate: Today, the world has transformed. So has the business of banking. It is time to collaborate and develop networks. The strategy here would be to collaborate with FinTech companies, E-commerce marketplaces and so on. The idea is to make a shift from that traditional Brick-and-Mortar model to Banking as a Service (BAAS) model. Here, third-party financial and technological start-ups connect with banks. This is done with the help of technology, automatic linkages and collaboration. This model is promising as it is likely to offer personalised offers of various products to consumers. Nowadays, a number of banks in the advanced nations have adopted and collaborated with tech giants. This has been done under the concept of Logging as a Service (LAAS). To simply explain, LAAS is an IT architectural model wherein data and logs from different servers and sources are centrally ingested and analysed. In our discussion, logs and data from banks are collected and analysed so as to offer products to customers. This gives rise to a win-win situation for both tech firms and banks.

4. Open doors to Open Banking: In India, we have networked with Insurance companies. It gives us a commission. In many developed countries like the US, banks have been adopting the strategy of ’Open Banking’. It means linking with third-party service providers via Application Programme Interface (API). Here, customer’s data is shared with third-party service providers in a technical and systematic environment. This is of course done with the customer’s consent. Now what makes it different is the perfection in the identification of the customers’ needs. The data—comprising transaction pattern, account details, etc—is analysed and studied in such a way that the real product needs of a client are understood and proposed. It increases the chances of a sale. There is a spectrum of benefits in it: Customised offerings, Credit solutions, Futuristic Banking, Digital Agility, Wider client base and so on. Open Banking is the future of banking.

5. Alter to Attract: There was a time when Bank Deposits were the first choice when it came to investment. Today, the case is a complete opposite. Now, Bank FDs and RDs are the last choices. Mutual Funds and other investment options have diluted the attraction of Bank Deposits. It is the high time that we think of new strategies. Let’s alter our FDs and RDs in such a way that they provide better returns. We still enjoy the advantage of customer trust. These instruments are not risky. Let’s expand their returns by shaping the product bundle in contemporary ways. The strategy to open trending avenues is to make our deposits desirable investment druthers. Link them with the market like Mutual Funds or Gold Bonds. This, linked with the bank’s name, would make them a prefered investment choice and ensure competent returns.

6. Secure everything and everyone: Cyber Security issues, fraudulent transactions, skimming, phishing, calling scams and newest assaults have been robbing people of their hard-earned money. Cyber breaches are harsh actuality. Although, banks have been borrowing every trick in the bag to prevent it, but there has been not a hundred per cent success. It is required that cybersecurity is given all the more significance. No other strategic avenue is going to help unless and until security issue is resolved once for all.

Postscript

Banking is such a vast industry. The need of the hour is to change the strategies and open new avenues. Being technically relevant, partnering with others, ensuring cybersecurity, switching to APIs, BAAS and LAAS, revisiting our core products, embracing Open Banking and making our investment options attractive, are the keys to unlock the avenues of business and prosperity.

The author is MBA, NET, IBPS. He works as Manager Scale-II in the Middle Management of a reputed PSU Bank. The views are personal