SEBI Opens Local Office in Chandigarh to Expand Investor Outreach

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has expanded its regional presence with the opening of a local office in Chandigarh, aimed at strengthening investor outreach and serving market participants across Punjab, Haryana and the Union Territory.

Sebi Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey inaugurated the office on Monday, the capital markets regulator said in a statement.

The Chandigarh office will function under the administrative control and jurisdiction of Sebi's Northern Regional Office in New Delhi. The move is expected to bring the regulator closer to investors and market participants in the three jurisdictions and facilitate easier access to its services.

One of the key responsibilities of the new office will be redressal of investor grievances against listed companies and various market intermediaries. It will also undertake initiatives to promote investor education and financial literacy among investors in the region.

The office will further engage with issuers and other stakeholders in the capital markets. Its areas of focus will include Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Social Stock Exchanges, Municipal Bonds and Corporate Bonds, Sebi said.

The regulator added that the Chandigarh office would perform other functions as and when they are delegated to local offices.

The establishment of the office comes as Sebi continues efforts to deepen investor awareness and improve engagement with stakeholders beyond major financial centres. Greater regional presence can help investors and market participants access regulatory assistance and information more conveniently.

Sebi is the statutory regulator responsible for overseeing India's securities and capital markets. It regulates market intermediaries, protects investor interests and works to promote the development and orderly functioning of the securities market.

The Chandigarh office will therefore serve as a local point of engagement for investors, listed entities and other market participants in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, while remaining under the supervision of Sebi's Northern Regional Office in New Delhi.