Events As a celebration of the International Literacy Day, NCAER and the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA), Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India, in collaboration with Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), University of Delhi, organised the IEPFA-NCAER Investor Education and Protection Annual Conference 2026-27 on the theme, “Building Financially Resilient Youth: Sustainable Digital Financial Literacy and Investor Protection towards Viksit Bharat,” on 8 September 2026, at the SRCC Auditorium, University of Delhi.
The conference brought together senior policymakers, economists, financial sector experts, and academicians to deliberate on the importance of digital financial literacy, financial resilience and investor protection in an increasingly technology-driven financial ecosystem.
The welcome address at the conference was delivered by Professor Simrit Kaur, Principal, SRCC, University of Delhi, who highlighted the importance of financial awareness among the youth and emphasised the role of educational institutions in enabling students to navigate the increasingly complex financial and digital environment.
Delivering the inaugural address, Dr Prabodh Seth, Former Member, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, pointed to the need for integrating financial awareness and responsible financial behaviour into the educational ecosystem. He focused on the key role of universities and colleges in educating young people to make informed choices relating to savings, investments, credit and digital financial services. In his special address, Mr. Suresh Goyal, Director General, NCAER, lauded the collaboration between NCAER and IEPFA for information dissemination, research and policy engagement in strengthening investor education and protection, and promoting financial resilience among investors to enable them to withstand economic and financial shocks. The Guest of Honour, Professor R. P. Tulsian, Chairman, Committee for the Promotion of Financial Literacy, University of Delhi, stressed that financial literacy should be an integral part of youth development to hone their ability to take responsible financial decisions.
Delivering the keynote address, on behalf of Mr Sumit Garg, CEO, IEPFA, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India, Lt. Col. Aditya Sinha, General Manager, IEPFA, suggested that wider access to digital financial services must be accompanied by greater awareness of investor rights, cyber risks, online frauds, and grievance redressal mechanisms.
Moderating the panel discussion, Dr C. S. Mohapatra, IEPF Chair Professor, NCAER, accentuated the role of digitalisation in fuelling rapid transformation of India’s financial ecosystem, wider access to formal financial services, and growing participation in financial markets. He emphasized that while However, since digitalisation has also increased exposure to cyber fraud, and given rise to misinformation, impulsive financial decisions, and behavioural biases, investor education must move beyond merely promoting awareness of financial products towards developing behavioral skills needed for making rational and responsible financial decisions. He also emphasised that the vision of Viksit Bharat cannot be realised without ensuring the financial well-being and resilience of its citizens. Lt. Col. Sinha focused on the growing risks associated with cyber fraud, phishing, impersonation and other forms of digital financial crime, underscoring the criticality of safe digital practices. Mr H. R. Khan, Former Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India, spoke on the evolution of India’s financial system and the importance of financial stability and consumer protection in a rapidly digitising economy. Mr Chanchal Sarkar, Economic Adviser, Department of Economic Affairs, underlined the contribution of household financial resilience in inclusive and sustainable economic growth, and the role of savings, informed investment decisions, and responsible participation in financial markets as well as an enabling policy environment in protecting investors and strengthening the financial position of households. Ms Himani Lath, Former Manager, NSDL, Financial Literacy Expert and SMART Trainer, SEBI, pinpointed the need for promoting an understanding of financial planning, savings, investment choices, risk assessment, and investor protection mechanisms.
The panel discussion was followed by an interactive question-and-answer session with students and participants of the conference.