National Stock Exchange of India and Varanasi District Administration jointly arranged a ‘Seminar on Investor Awareness and SME IPOs

Bengaluru, 29 May 2025 – India’s leading stock exchange, the National Stock Exchange (NSE), in collaboration with the Varanasi District Administration, successfully conducted an interactive seminar on “Basics of Capital Market” and a workshop on “SME IPO – A Promising Avenue for Fund Raising” on May 29, 2025. This seminar aimed at introducing participants to the fundamentals of the securities market, witnessed enthusiastic participation from a diverse group, including state government officials, corporate professionals, pensioners, MSME promoters, traders, entrepreneurs and senior students. The event commenced with a ceremonial lamp lighting and was attended by several eminent officials, including Shri S. Rajalingam, Divisional Commissioner of Varanasi; Shri Himanshu Nagpal, Chief Development Officer of Varanasi; Shri Manoj Kumar, Executive Director of SEBI; Shri Ankit Sharma, Chief Regulatory Officer of NSE and Shri Umesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner of Industries, Varanasi.

Shri Himanshu Nagpal, Chief Development Officer, Varanasi said “We are taking focused efforts to enhance investor awareness and support the growth of SMEs in Varanasi. Today’s interactive workshop, held in collaboration with NSE, aimed to educate investors on the fundamentals of investing and safeguarding against fraud, while also encouraging eligible SMEs to explore capital markets for expansion. Listing on the NSE Emerge platform offers our SMEs the opportunity to gain greater visibility and global credibility. We are committed to guiding them through the fundraising process and helping them realize the long-term benefits of stock exchange listing.”

Shri Manoj Kumar, Executive Director, SEBI said: “At SEBI, we continue to prioritize enhancing transparency, protecting investor interests and promoting investor awareness in the securities market. Initiatives like these are part of our ongoing efforts to build a more informed investor base and foster trust in the capital market ecosystem. We have been actively working with exchanges to take financial education to the grassroot level. These initiatives are already making a measurable impact by empowering investors and encouraging greater participation in the formal financial system. We are also focused on strengthening the SME ecosystem by facilitating better access to public participation. This is possible only by creating awareness around alternative fund-raising avenues for them by accessing the capital markets through Initial Public Offerings (IPOs).”

Shri Sriram Krishnan, Chief Business Development Officer, NSE said: “Our firm commitment to advancing financial literacy, empowering investors, skilling students and raising awareness among MSMEs is at the heart of this initiative. Our collaboration with Varanasi District Administration marks a significant step in extending this vision. Through initiatives such as investor awareness programs, guidance on fundraising via the NSE Emerge platform, we are working to build a well-informed ecosystem for investors and corporates to thrive in today’s evolving financial landscape.”

Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Varanasi District Administration (VDA) on March 10, 2025, a joint initiative has been launched to enhance financial literacy and facilitate fund raising for MSMEs. As part of this collaboration, NSE, with the support of VDA, will undertake a series of activities aimed at promoting financial awareness and investor education across the region. The partnership also seeks to guide MSMEs in accessing capital through the NSE Emerge platform. The workshop held today marked the first of such initiatives under this MoU.

From April 2024 to March 2025, NSE conducted 14,679 Investor Awareness Programs across all 36 states & Union Territories in 14 languages, reaching more than 8 lakh participants. Also, 619 companies from various sectors are listed on NSE Emerge platform and have collectively raised over INR 17,244 Cr. The total market capitalization of these companies is approximately INR 1,80,000 Cr.