Market Brief: SEBI-NSDL Investor Protection Drive The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) have launched a high-visibility outreach campaign to safeguard retail investors. The initiative uses over **1,000 branded auto-rickshaws** as mobile awareness hubs across major cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, and Patna. These vehicles feature prominent QR codes that link directly to the **SEBI Check** portal and the **Saathi** mobile app. Fighting Digital Fraud The campaign addresses a sharp rise in sophisticated financial crimes. Recent data highlights that banking fraud values surged **30% year-on-year** in the first half of the current fiscal, reaching **₹21,515 crore**. By encouraging a "SEBI Check" before any transaction, the regulator aims to normalize the verification of UPI IDs and bank details of the **4,940 registered stock brokers** and other market intermediaries. Market Context This push for vigilance comes during a period of intense market volatility. On February 13, 2026, the **BSE Sensex** plummeted by **1,048 points**, closing near **82,850**, while the **Nifty 50** fell below the **25,500** mark. Investor wealth saw a single-day erosion of approximately **₹7.02 lakh crore**, primarily driven by a sell-off in the IT and metal sectors. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth over **₹7,395 crore** during the session. Verification Tools Investors are urged to use official channels to confirm the "Fit and Proper" status of entities. The digital payment ecosystem continues to expand rapidly, with UPI volumes hitting **19 billion transactions** monthly and daily values nearing **₹90,000 crore**. To further this cause, SEBI has also introduced a multilingual, AI-enabled calling pilot. Authenticated calls for this program originate exclusively from the number **1600-313-384** to prevent spoofing and ensure investor security.