SEBI Launches AI-Driven Campaign for Validated UPI and “SEBI Check” to Protect Digital Investors
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure | SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) | National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)
SEBI is deploying advanced artificial intelligence to proactively protect retail investors from rising financial fraud in the digital ecosystem. On February 13, 2026, SEBI initiated a nationwide campaign to encourage the use of the “SEBI Check” tool and the adoption of Validated UPI Handles for all capital market transactions.
As part of the multilingual outreach initiative, being rolled out on a pilot basis, a sample of individual investors will receive informational calls about the SEBI Check Tool, validated UPI handle and related frequently asked questions.
This initiative aligns with the government’s broader #AIforAll principle, leveraging India’s 2.5x global AI skill penetration to strengthen market integrity and enhance the “trust architecture” of the digital economy.
Key Pillars of the SEBI Investor Protection Campaign
AI-Driven Proactive Outreach: Utilizing automated calling systems to deliver time-sensitive security alerts and educational content directly to investors.
The “SEBI Check” Tool: Promoting a centralized verification platform where investors can instantly validate the registration status of investment advisors and brokers.
Validated UPI Mandate: Transitioning toward the use of “Validated UPI Handles” to ensure that funds for IPOs and secondary market trades are only transferred to legitimate, SEBI-recognized entities.
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Synergy: Integrating SEBI’s safety tools with the existing Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to provide a seamless, fraud-resistant transaction experience.
Real-Time Fraud Mitigation: Enabling the AI system to identify and warn users about “digitally walled” or unverified investment schemes that lack architectural interoperability with official oversight systems.
Policy Relevance
The 2026 campaign represents a transition from reactive regulation to “Algorithmic Protection”, positioning SEBI as a global pioneer in using AI to safeguard the world’s fastest-growing retail investor base.
Enhancing Market Trust: Promoting the SEBI Check tool reduces the information asymmetry that scammers exploit, directly supporting the goal of a $5 trillion formal economy.
Reducing Financial Inclusion Risks: By securing the UPI ecosystem, SEBI ensures that rural and first-time investors—who form a significant part of India’s young workforce—can participate in capital markets with minimal risk of fraud.
Leveraging Kinetic Enablers: The use of AI bots demonstrates the practical application of India’s 3rd place global AI vibrancy ranking, moving beyond theoretical R&D into high-impact citizen services.
Building a “Responsible AI” Template: The campaign serves as a primary use-case for the National Program on Artificial Intelligence, specifically the “Responsible AI” pillar, by using technology to protect vulnerable populations.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can SEBI collaborate with NPCI to automate the ‘SEBI Check’ warning directly within the UPI app interface for all capital market-related payment requests?
Follow the full news here: SEBI: Launch of AI-Driven Calling Campaign to Promote SEBI Check