Amid rising investor interest, Sebi mulls regulating online bond platforms

At a time when more and more investors, particularly non-institutional players, are using online bond platforms, there is a need for a regulatory framework for such platforms, a consultation paper by the Securities and Exchanges Board of India said. 

“...they (online bond platforms) do not come under any regulatory purview i.e. the platform providers are not registered with any regulator. This has given rise to a need to guide and regulate these platforms in order to bring about, inter-alia, regulatory oversight, common standard practices, investor redress mechanism etc,” the consultation paper, which was uploaded on the SEBI’s website on Thursday said. 

The increasing interest in online bond platforms over the last couple of years has stemmed from dwindling returns on fixed deposits amid a regime of record low interest rates and greater penetration of the internet, the paper said. 

The consultation paper has proposed regulations to address the risks flagged by the regulator. 

Public comments will be accepted till August 12, the Sebi said.