SEBI Records Surge in Settlements, Secures Rs 860 Crore in FY25
- SEBI received 703 settlement applications in FY25, up from 434 in FY24, collecting over Rs 860 crore in settlement and disgorgement charges.
- 533 new appeals were filed with the Securities Appellate Tribunal, with 422 disposed of; majority related to fraudulent and unfair trade practices.
- SEBI’s DTR dues increased to Rs 77,800 crore, up from Rs 76,293 crore in the previous year.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has seen a significant increase in the number of settlement applications in 2024-25, reflecting a growing preference among companies and individuals to resolve disputes without lengthy court battles.
According to SEBI’s latest annual report, the regulator received 703 settlement pleas during the year, up sharply from 434 pleas in the previous financial year. Out of these, 284 cases were resolved through settlement orders, while 272 applications were either rejected, withdrawn, or returned.
Through the settled cases, SEBI collected Rs 798.87 crore in settlement charges along with Rs 64.84 crore in disgorgement charges, marking a significant revenue contribution. The settlements covered a wide range of violations, including insider trading, fraudulent trading, issues with Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), mutual funds, and Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs).
The settlement mechanism allows entities accused of violating securities laws to close cases by paying a fee and meeting certain conditions, instead of engaging in prolonged litigation.
In parallel, SEBI also handled a large number of appeals during the year. A total of 533 new appeals were filed before the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) in FY25, compared with 821 in FY24. Of these, 422 appeals were disposed of, with the majority dismissed. Around 73% of appeals were rejected, 5% allowed, 10% upheld with modifications, 5% remanded, and 7% withdrawn. Notably, 62% of these appeals were related to violations of the Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices Regulations, 2003.
At the same time, SEBI’s 'difficult-to-recover' (DTR) dues rose to Rs 77,800 crore by March 2025, up from Rs 76,293 crore in March 2024, highlighting ongoing challenges in recovering certain outstanding dues.
This data underscores SEBI’s active role in promoting compliance, encouraging early resolution of disputes, and ensuring effective enforcement in India’s securities market.
