Grahak Mitra

How to check whether an investment advisor or platform is SEBI-registered (India)

Written and verified by the Grahak Mitra research team — an independent project documenting digital consumer self-help in India.

Last updated: 2026-07-11

Before you trust anyone with your money, check whether they are SEBI-registered: SEBI (the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the market regulator) publishes public lists of registered intermediaries — investment advisers, research analysts, and brokers — that you can look up on the SEBI website. An "advisor", "sir", or platform that promises tips or returns but has no registration you can verify is a serious red flag. But be clear on what this check is and isn't: registration is a floor, not a guarantee — it does not promise you will make money or that you can't be let down.

This page tells you how to verify a registration and how to read what it means. It does not tell you where to invest, and it does not recommend any advisor, platform, or product — that is your decision, and no page can make it safe for you.

How to check registration

  1. Ask for the exact registered name and registration number. A genuine intermediary states its SEBI registration plainly. Someone who dodges the question, gets annoyed, or sends a certificate you "don't need to check" is telling you something.
  2. Go to the SEBI website yourself. Type sebi.gov.in into your browser directly — don't use a link the person sends you, which could point to a look-alike page. SEBI publishes searchable public lists of registered investment advisers, research analysts, and brokers.
  3. Match the details, not just the name. Confirm the registered name, the number, and that the registration is current — and that they match the person or entity actually asking for your money. Scammers borrow a real registered firm's name or number; a name that "sounds right" is not a match.
  4. Treat "no verifiable registration" as a stop sign. If you can't find them on SEBI's lists, or the details don't match, do not send money. An unregistered "advisor" promising returns is one of the clearest scam tells — see how to recognise an investment or trading scam.
  5. If a registered intermediary is involved and something goes wrong, use SEBI SCORES. Grievances against a SEBI-registered intermediary go to SEBI SCORES (scores.sebi.gov.in). If you were defrauded by an unregistered scam, that is a cyber-crime matter — call 1930 and file at cybercrime.gov.in.

What registration does — and does NOT — tell you

Registration DOES tell youRegistration does NOT tell you
The intermediary is on SEBI's public list and is subject to SEBI's rules and oversight.That you will make money. No legitimate investment guarantees returns.
You have a real grievance route (SEBI SCORES) if something goes wrong.That the investment is safe, low-risk, or right for you.
The person or entity is who they claim — if the name and number actually match SEBI's records.That a registered intermediary can never lose your money or make a bad call — they can.
That an "advisor" with no verifiable registration is a red flag to walk away from.That registration alone is a reason to invest. It is a floor to clear, not a recommendation.

The honest bottom line

Checking SEBI registration is a floor, not a guarantee: it rules out a whole class of impostors and gives you a real complaint route, but a registered intermediary can still lose you money, and registration does not promise profit or safety. No legitimate investment guarantees returns. Verify registration before you trust anyone — and even then, treat any promise of assured or "no-loss" profit as a scam, whoever is making it.

Was this helpful? (anonymous — no sign-up, nothing stored about you)

Official sources (verify everything here — and you can act directly through them)