NSE Gets Final Nod From SEBI To Launch Social Stock Exchange

Leading bourse NSE on Thursday said it has received final approval from markets regulator SEBI to set up a Social Stock Exchange (SSE) as a separate segment on its platform. The final clearance was received on February 22, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) said in a statement.

The Social Stock Exchange segment will provide new avenue for social enterprises to finance social initiatives, provide them visibility and bring in increased transparency in fund mobilisation and utilisation by social enterprises. "To bring in awareness, we have been conducting various events and hand holding social enterprises currently at various stages of onboarding on the exchange," NSE MD and CEO Ashishkumar Chauhan said.

Also, he has urged social enterprises to get in touch with the NSE to understand the mechanism and benefits from registering and listing on the social stock exchange segment. Under the rules, any social enterprise, Non-Profit Organization (NPOs) or For-Profit Social Enterprises (FPEs), that establishes its primacy of social intent can get listed on SSE segment. 

For eligible NPOs, the first step for onboarding starts with the registration on the Social Stock Exchange segment. Post listing, NPOs can initiate the fund mobilisation process by issuance of instruments such as Zero Coupon Zero Principal (ZCZP) through a public issue or private placement.

Currently the regulations have prescribed the minimum issue size as Rs 1 crore and minimum application size for subscription at Rs 2 lakh for ZCZP issuance. For FPE, the process of issue and listing of securities would be same as applicable for issue and listing of securities under the extant processes of the exchange - -- based on eligibility criteria for the main board, SME Platform or innovators growth platform, as applicable in addition to the criteria provided to be eligible as Social Enterprises.