CDSL kicks off
Ideathon inviting students to reimagine investor education and engagement for
Atmanirbharta
Chennai, November 19th, 2025: Central
Depository Services (India) Limited (“CDSL”), Asia’s first listed depository
and the trusted custodian of over 16.7 crore demat accounts, has launched its
first-ever Ideathon, an innovation challenge for students. The Reimagine
Ideathon is an initiative under the flagship 3rd Edition of CDSL’s
Annual Reimagine Symposium.
The Ideathon aims to engage young
innovative minds in designing solutions that transform how India learns,
invests, and grows - to make market participation more responsible and inclusive.
The depository ecosystem secures the
assets of over 21 crore investor demat accounts. There remains a huge potential
to further deepen participation in the securities market and strategically
address the barriers preventing citizens from benefitting from this growth
story.
Building on similar initiatives by
regulators such as SEBI and RBI, CDSL joins the effort to encourage young
innovators to contribute their perspectives to bringing more people into the
financial fold.
The initiative seeks to democratize
market access by enhancing investor education, and conscious and responsible
participation at scale. Participants are open to explore solutions utilizing
avenues of their choice, whether through gamification, behavioral nudges,
communication, design, technology or community-building. The solution should
reflect three core principles: Empowerment, Inclusion, and Trust.
“Reimagine Ideathon is a celebration of
responsible innovation. In the ever-evolving market landscape, technology
serves as a catalyst and flywheel of trust that empowers investors with the
right tools and insights. The securities market must be intuitive, inclusive,
and accessible to every investor, and this Ideathon reflects CDSL's commitment
to nation building and to strengthening the vision of an Atmanirbhar investor.
An educated investor is a protected investor; empowered to make informed
decisions that reflect their aspirations. We invite students to participate in
shaping that future.” said Mr. Nehal Vora, Managing Director & CEO,
CDSL.
The Ideathon will reward innovation and
creativity, with a total prize pool of ₹11.5 lakh, including ₹5 lakh for the
winning idea, ₹3 lakh and ₹2 lakh for the runners-up, and ₹75,000 each for the
fourth and fifth positions.
Registrations for the Ideathon 2025
will open on 19th November 2025. Teams of up to four students and one
mentor (from the same institute) can participate. More details on problem
statement, evaluation, and timelines are available at https://ideathon.cdslindia.com/.
