New Delhi, Jan 3 : Investor awareness is the strongest foundation for Gujaratâ??s growing investor base, said Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD & CEO of the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE).

Speaking at an Investor Awareness Programme (IAP) in Gujaratâ??s Rajkot, the MD & CEO of the stock exchange said that the initiative can empower citizens and caution them against fraud.

"At NSE, we believe that informed investors make better decisions, which contribute to long-term economic wealth creation. Through initiatives like this Investor Awareness Programme, we aim to empower citizens with the right knowledge, caution them against frauds, and help them participate safely in Indiaâ??s growth story,â?? Chauhan said.

The event aimed to enhance financial literacy, promote responsible investing, and strengthen investor awareness, according to a statement from the NSE.

Gujarat has about 1.1 crore registered investors, making it the thirdâ??largest state by investor base with an 8.7 per cent share of Indiaâ??s total investors and a 10â??year compound annual growth rate of over 17 per cent in the number of investors. About 11 lakh new investors were added in 2025, and Rajkot accounted for more than 55 per cent of new registrations in the state.

About 28 per cent of investors from Gujarat are women, higher than the national average of 25 per cent.

The programme witnessed enthusiastic participation from new and existing investors, professionals, and students. NSE has conducted over 16,000 Investor Awareness Programmes in FY25-26, so far reaching 8.3 lakh participants across the country.

These initiatives span students, women entrepreneurs, rural investors, armed forces personnel, and first-time investors, the statement said.

Sessions included the foundation of financial and securities markets, suitable financial products, rights and responsibilities of investors, grievance redressal mechanisms, fraud and scam prevention, etc.

Recently, SEBI has introduced the â??SEBI Checkâ?? mechanism, where investors can either scan a QR code or manually enter the bank details of any SEBI-registered intermediary to check if the UPI ID or bank account is authentic.

/IANS