DoT and SEBI Sign MoU to Counter Telecom-Linked Financial Frauds

21 Apr 2026 CW Team

Under the arrangement DoT will share the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator to help identify mobile numbers associated with suspicious patterns and will provide the Mobile Number Revocation List automatically to SEBI and regulated entities including brokers and asset managers. SEBI will reciprocate by supplying information on telecom resources linked to accounts involved in cyber fraud, impersonation and money mule activities so that swift action can be taken in the telecom domain. The intelligence exchange will operate through DoT's Digital Intelligence Platform which connects more than 1,400 stakeholders and supports real time dissemination of actionable information.

The initiative is intended to shift responses from reactive enforcement to proactive prevention by integrating telecom intelligence with market surveillance systems. The Financial Fraud Risk Indicator will draw on inputs from DoT's Chakshu facility under Sanchar Saathi, financial institutions and law enforcement agencies to act as an early warning system for potentially fraudulent mobile connections. Under Sanchar Saathi more than 8.8 mn fraudulent mobile connections have been disconnected using ASTR and its deployment helped prevent financial losses of approximately Rs23 bn in the past ten months.

Going forward the MoU will facilitate the development of standard operating procedures for coordinated action and enable the institutional sharing of red flag indicators to improve response times. Continued engagement and adaptive mechanisms will be pursued to counter evolving cyber threats and to strengthen investor protection. Officials view the collaboration as a step to enhance trust in the digital and financial ecosystem.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance cooperation in tackling the misuse of telecom resources in securities market frauds and investment scams. The agreement was signed by Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, Deputy Director General of the AI and Digital Intelligence Unit at DoT, and Sandip Pradhan, Whole Time Member at SEBI, in the presence of Deb Kumar Chakrabarti, Member (Services) of the Digital Communications Commission. The partnership aims to establish channels for intelligence exchange between telecom authorities and financial market regulators. Under the arrangement DoT will share the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator to help identify mobile numbers associated with suspicious patterns and will provide the Mobile Number Revocation List automatically to SEBI and regulated entities including brokers and asset managers. SEBI will reciprocate by supplying information on telecom resources linked to accounts involved in cyber fraud, impersonation and money mule activities so that swift action can be taken in the telecom domain. The intelligence exchange will operate through DoT's Digital Intelligence Platform which connects more than 1,400 stakeholders and supports real time dissemination of actionable information. The initiative is intended to shift responses from reactive enforcement to proactive prevention by integrating telecom intelligence with market surveillance systems. The Financial Fraud Risk Indicator will draw on inputs from DoT's Chakshu facility under Sanchar Saathi, financial institutions and law enforcement agencies to act as an early warning system for potentially fraudulent mobile connections. Under Sanchar Saathi more than 8.8 mn fraudulent mobile connections have been disconnected using ASTR and its deployment helped prevent financial losses of approximately Rs23 bn in the past ten months. Going forward the MoU will facilitate the development of standard operating procedures for coordinated action and enable the institutional sharing of red flag indicators to improve response times. Continued engagement and adaptive mechanisms will be pursued to counter evolving cyber threats and to strengthen investor protection. Officials view the collaboration as a step to enhance trust in the digital and financial ecosystem.

Equipment

21 Apr 2026

India CE Industry Ends FY26 on a Steady Recovery Path

India’s construction equipment industry closed FY26 on a stable note, reflecting measured resilience and gradually improving momentum. Total sales in Q4 FY26 rose 4 per cent year on year to 42,906 units, extending the recovery seen over the past two years.Domestic demand for the full year remained under pressure, declining 7 per cent, but exports provided strong support. Overall exports grew 31 per cent, while non-OEM exports increased 13 per cent, highlighting sustained demand from overseas markets.March 2026 further underlined the recovery, with sales rising 6 per cent year on year and 13 ..

Infrastructure Urban

21 Apr 2026

Leaders Question FIR Against Anil Agarwal

Several industry and public figures have questioned the FIR filed against Anil Agarwal following the boiler accident in Chhattisgarh, while also expressing condolences over the loss of lives and calling for a thorough investigation.Naveen Jindal said the tragedy was deeply painful and stressed that compensation, livelihood support for affected families and a fair probe were essential. He also questioned naming Agarwal in the FIR before completion of the investigation.Kiran Bedi urged restraint, saying investigations should focus on learning lessons and strengthening systems rather than prematu..

Infrastructure Urban

21 Apr 2026

Tier 2, 3 Cities Drive 66% of New D2C Orders

Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities accounted for 66 per cent of new direct-to-consumer (D2C) orders in FY 2026, according to a new analysis by Unicommerce.The report said buyers from smaller cities also contributed 60 per cent of incremental gross merchandise value (GMV) in FY 2026 compared with FY 2025, highlighting rising demand beyond metro markets.Overall, India’s D2C segment recorded strong growth, with order volumes rising 33 per cent and GMV increasing 32 per cent year-on-year. The findings are based on more than 400 million order items processed through brand websites on Unicommerce’s Uniwar..