PFRDA Conducts Outreach Event on StAR NPS & National Pension System for Mutual Fund Distributors in Kolkata

Kolkata, August 7, 2026: The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) organised an Outreach Event for Mutual Fund Distributors (MFDs) on StAR NPS & National Pension System (NPS) in Kolkata today. The programme brought together Mutual Fund Distributors, industry stakeholders and ecosystem partners to create awareness about the StAR NPS platform, strengthen the role of Pension Agents in expanding pension coverage, and promote greater adoption of the National Pension System across the country.

Shri S. Ramann, Chairperson, PFRDA, highlighted the importance of building a robust and inclusive pension ecosystem by leveraging technology and trusted distribution networks. He emphasised that expanding pension coverage requires greater accessibility, simplified onboarding and stronger last-mile outreach. He further added, ”We have set ourselves a clear goal, growing non-government NPS subscribers from 90 lakh to 35-40 crore in five years. I believe the digital rails we are building, Star NPS with BSE and Tatkal NPS with NPCI, will do for pensions what UPI has already done for payments. We have tripled distributor commission since October and moved pension fund licensing to a continuous, on tap system, which has already drawn interest from major banks and mutual fund houses. Our conservative schemes have delivered 9.2 to 9.3 percent annual returns over fifteen years, a track record I am proud to put before every Indian household. Atal Pension Yojana has shown us that scale is achievable, with 10 crore people joining through bank and RRB networks. I am confident NPS can now build on that same distribution strength through digital onboarding.”

Shri Ashutosh Singh, MD & CEO, BSE Index Services Pvt. Ltd., highlighted the role of technology in strengthening pension accessibility and simplifying the subscriber onboarding journey. He said, “Retirement planning in this country cannot wait until 55 or even 45. It should begin at 30 or earlier, and every mutual fund distributor in this room has the opportunity to become a retirement planning advisor too. That is why partnering with PFRDA on Star NPS means so much to us at BSE. We built Star MF into one of the most trusted platforms for mutual fund access, and we have now overhauled it into MF 2.0, cutting client authentication from three OTPs to just one and simplifying UCC and FATCA compliance through bulk upload. We have carried that same philosophy into Star NPS, making client and agent onboarding simple and scheme selection intuitive. Our team will walk you through a live demo today, and I would urge everyone to share honest feedback so we can strengthen this platform the same way we strengthened Star MF over the years.”

The platform enables a fully digital onboarding journey through electronic data capture, CKYC and DigiLocker-based verification, direct remittance of subscriber contributions to the Trustee Bank, and seamless integration with Central Recordkeeping Agencies (CRAs) for instant PRAN generation. The direct settlement mechanism eliminates fund pooling and manual reconciliation at the PoP level, improving operational efficiency while ensuring transparency, security and a better subscriber experience.

The outreach programme featured presentations on the National Pension System and the StAR NPS platform, followed by a dedicated session on the role of Mutual Fund Distributors as Pension Agents. Certificates were also distributed to Mutual Fund Distributors onboarded as Pension Agents, recognising their participation in expanding the reach of the National Pension System. An interactive Open House session enabled participants to engage with PFRDA officials and industry experts on various aspects of the pension ecosystem.

PFRDA reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with Points of Presence, Mutual Fund Distributors and other stakeholders to strengthen pension awareness, expand retirement coverage and make pension services more accessible through technology-enabled initiatives. The Authority will continue to undertake similar outreach programmes across the country to further deepen pension penetration and support India’s vision of building a financially secure and pension-inclusive society.