Central Depository Services (India) Limited (CDSL) has launched Reimagine Ideathon 2.0, inviting students nationwide to develop solutions to strengthen financial literacy, investor awareness and cyber safety. The initiative, launched during World Investor Week 2026, offers a total prize pool of ₹11.5 lakh for the top five teams.
The programme aligns with the Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI) Project Jagrook and the campaign theme ‘Samajh Se Investing Simple’. It also complements SEBI’s Mentoring of University/College Students by Trainers (MUST) initiative, which promotes structured securities market education on campuses.
The policy challenge is to translate financial awareness into informed participation. SEBI’s Investor Survey 2025 found that around 3.21 crore households, or 9.5% of India’s estimated 33.72 crore households, invest in securities market products, while 63% are aware of at least one such product. India’s demat account base has crossed 23 crore. Meanwhile, government data cited by CDSL reported ₹22,495 crore in cyber fraud losses during 2025, with 76% of reported financial losses linked to fake investment and trading scams.
CDSL Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Nehal Vora said investor education should help people verify information, understand risks and rewards, and make confident decisions. CDSL has also partnered with Amar Chitra Katha to reach younger audiences.
Students may propose applications, websites, chatbots, games, simulations, awareness campaigns, community models or AI-enabled assistants. A multidisciplinary jury chaired by S. Ramadorai, former TCS chief executive and managing director and former BSE chairperson, will assess innovation, user experience, impact, feasibility, scalability, accessibility, data protection and presentation clarity.
Registrations opened on October 7, 2026. The first edition attracted over 1,000 registrations from nearly 100 institutions across 21 states and two Union Territories. Details: https://ideathon.cdslindia.com/.
