



Securities Markets Code: Regulatory impact assessments can improve Sebi’s rule-making
India’s capital markets have grown at a remarkable speed. Retail participation has surged, institutional capital has deepened and technology has transformed intermediation. Regulation has expanded alongside.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) today administers over 44 principal regulations and 13 statutory rules, supplemented by more than 2,700 circulars (including master circulars), guidelines, FAQs, general orders and frequent amendments. These span listed companies, intermediaries, managers of portfolio management schemes, mutual funds and alternate investment funds, apart from rating agencies, disclosure norms, takeovers, insider trading, stock exchanges, clearing corporations and depositories. Each framework evolves constantly, often with multiple changes in a single year.
Regulatory evolution is inevitable. As products, risks and market structures evolve, regulation must keep pace. But accumulation raises a sharper question: Are we adding rules or improving outcomes? The answer lies in embedding regulatory impact assessment (RIA) into rule-making.
Regulation is essential. Markets face information asymmetry, agency conflicts and systemic risk. Investor protection and integrity are non- negotiable.
But regulation is also an economic intervention. It imposes costs, alters incentives and shapes competition. Disclosure mandates require systems, personnel and audit trails.
Governance mandates reshape board behaviour and liability exposure. Entry norms determine who participates. These effects compound.Frequent amendments amplify this burden.
Read on livemint.com