Investor Charter.

Vision.

To follow highest standards of ethics and compliances while facilitating the trading by clients in securities in a fair and transparent manner, so as to contribute in creation of wealth for investors.

Mission.

• To provide high quality and dependable service through innovation, capacity enhancement and use of technology.
• To establish and maintain a relationship of trust and ethics with the investors.
• To observe highest standard of compliances and transparency.
• To always keep 'protection of investors' interest' as goal while providing service.
• To ensure confidentiality of information shared by investors unless such information is required to be provided in furtherance of discharging legal obligations or investors have provided specific consent to share such information.

Services provided to investors.

Services provided to investors by stockbrokers include the following:

• Execution of trades on behalf of investors.
• Issuance of Contract Notes.
• Issuance of intimations regarding margin due payments.
• Facilitate execution of early pay-in obligation instructions.
• Periodic Settlement of client's funds.
• Issuance of retention statement of funds at the time of settlement.
• Risk management systems to mitigate operational and market risk.
• Facilitate client profile changes in the system as instructed by the client.
• Information sharing with the client w.r.t. relevant Market Infrastructure Institutions (MII) circulars.
• Provide a copy of Rights & Obligations document to the client.
• Communicating Most Important Terms and Conditions (MITC) to the client.
• Redressal of investor's grievances.

Rights of investors.

As an investor with a SEBI-registered stockbroker, you have the following rights:

• Ask for and receive information from a firm about the work history and background of the person handling your account, as well as information about the firm itself (including website providing mandatory information).
• Receive complete information about the risks, obligations, and costs of any investment before investing.
• Receive a copy of all completed account forms and rights & obligation document.
• Receive a copy of 'Most Important Terms & Conditions' (MITC).
• Receive account statements that are accurate and understandable.
• Understand the terms and conditions of transactions you undertake.
• Access your funds in a prescribed manner and receive information about any restrictions or limitations on access.
• Receive complete information about maintenance or service charges, transaction or redemption fees, and penalties in form of tariff sheet.
• Discuss your grievances with compliance officer / compliance team / dedicated grievance redressal team of the firm and receive prompt attention to and fair consideration of your concerns.
• Close your zero-balance accounts online with minimal documentation.
• Get the copies of all policies (including Most Important Terms and Conditions) of the broker related to dealings of your account.
• Not be discriminated against in terms of services offered to equivalent clients.
• Get only those advertisement materials from the broker which adhere to Code of Advertisement norms in place.
• In case of broker defaults, be compensated from the Exchange Investor Protection Fund as per the norms in place.
• Trade in derivatives after submission of relevant financial documents to the broker, subject to broker's adequate due diligence.
• Get warnings on the trading systems while placing orders in securities where surveillance measures are in place.
• Get access to products and services in a suitable manner even if differently abled.
• Get access to educational materials of the MIIs and brokers.
• Get access to all the exchanges of a particular segment you wish to deal with unless opted out specifically as per Broker norms.
• Deal with one or more stockbrokers of your choice without any compulsion of minimum business.
• Have access to the escalation matrix for communication with the broker.
• Not be bound by any clause prescribed by the brokers which are contravening the regulatory provisions.

Activities of stock brokers with timelines.

The following timelines apply to standard activities undertaken by stockbrokers as part of client servicing.

DOs and DON'Ts for investors.

The list below is provided as guidance to investors and is not exhaustive. Additionally, investors may refer to DOs and DON'Ts issued by the Market Infrastructure Institutions (MIIs) on their respective websites from time to time.

Grievance redressal mechanism.

The process for investor grievance redressal works as follows. You may also refer to the dedicated Escalation Matrix page for designated contacts at each level.

Online Dispute Resolution (ODR).

If the investor is not satisfied with the resolution provided by the market participant, the investor has the option to file a complaint or grievance on the SMARTODR platform for resolution through online conciliation or arbitration. The steps are:

• Investor approaches the market participant for redressal of the complaint.
• If not satisfied, the investor may either escalate the complaint on SEBI SCORES, or file a complaint on SMARTODR for online conciliation and arbitration.
• Upon receipt of complaint on SMARTODR, the relevant MII reviews and endeavours to resolve the matter within 21 days.
• If not amicably resolved, the matter is referred for conciliation.
• The conciliator endeavours for amicable settlement within 21 days, extendable by 10 days with consent of the parties.
• If conciliation is unsuccessful, the investor may request that the matter be referred for arbitration.
• The arbitration process is to be concluded by the arbitrator(s) within 30 days, extendable by 30 days with consent of the parties.

Handling of investor's claims in case of default.

In case a Trading Member (TM) or Clearing Member (CM) defaults, the following steps are carried out by the Stock Exchange for the benefit of investors:

• A circular is issued to inform about declaration of the stockbroker as a defaulter.
• Information of the defaulter stockbroker is disseminated on the Stock Exchange website.
• A public notice is issued informing declaration of the stockbroker as a defaulter and inviting claims within the specified period.
• Intimation is sent to clients of the defaulter stockbroker via emails and SMS to facilitate lodging of claims within the specified period.

The following information is available on the Stock Exchange website for investor reference:

• Norms for eligibility of claims for compensation from the Investor Protection Fund (IPF).
• Claim form for lodging claim against the defaulter stockbroker.
• FAQ on processing of investors' claims against defaulter stockbrokers.
• Provision to check online status of the client's claim.
• Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for handling of claims of investors in cases of default by brokers.
• Claim processing policy against defaulter / expelled members.
• List of defaulter / expelled members and public notices issued.

Vision & mission.

Towards making the Indian Securities Market — transparent, efficient, and investor-friendly — by providing a safe, reliable, transparent and trusted record-keeping platform for investors to hold and transfer securities in dematerialised form.

• To hold securities of investors in dematerialised form and facilitate their transfer, while ensuring safekeeping of securities and protecting the interest of investors.
• To provide timely and accurate information to investors with regard to their holding and transfer of securities held by them.
• To provide the highest standards of investor education, investor awareness and timely services so as to enhance investor protection and create awareness about investor rights.

About the depository and the DP.

Services provided by the DP, with timelines.

Description of the basic services provided by the depository through DealDepot, with the expected timelines for processing after receipt of proper documents.

Note: 'T' refers to the trade day. Timelines apply once all required documents are received in good order.

Value-added & special services.

Beyond the core services above, depositories offer pledge, hypothecation, internet-based services and other facilities through their participants. These include the following.

• Value-added services
  • Basic Services Demat Account (BSDA) — for eligible individuals; no AMC if holdings stay below the prescribed threshold.
  • TPIN facility to authorise debits without a Power of Attorney.
  • Transposition cum dematerialisation.
  • Distribution of cash and non-cash corporate benefits — bonus, rights, IPOs, dividends.
  • Stock lending, demat of NSC / KVP, demat of warehouse receipts.
  • Delivery of securities to and from the clearing system on behalf of buying and selling brokers.
• Consolidated Account Statement (CAS)
  CAS is issued 10 days from the end of the month for months where there were transactions, and on a half-yearly basis if there were no transactions.
• Digitalised facilities
  Depositories offer the following digital and self-service facilities to demat account holders through their DPs:

  • e-Account opening (online KYC).
  • Online execution of instructions — Speed-e (NSDL) and Easiest (CDSL).
  • Gift transfers between demat accounts.
  • e-DIS / Demat Gateway with TPIN authorisation.
  • e-CAS (electronic Consolidated Account Statement).
  • Online demat account closure.
  • Monthly Statement of Transactions (SOT).
  • e-Voting on resolutions of investee companies.

Rights of investors (demat account).

As the holder of a demat account with a SEBI-registered DP, you have the following rights in addition to the broker-side rights set out in Section 04.

• Receive a copy of the KYC and copies of all account-opening documents.
• Maintain a demat account with no minimum balance requirement.
• Open a demat account with no charge for account opening.
• Open more than one demat account in the same name with a single DP or with multiple DPs.
• Receive a copy of any Power of Attorney (PoA) you grant. PoA is not a mandatory requirement as per SEBI / Stock Exchanges. You have the right to revoke any authorisation granted, at any time.
• Receive periodic statements of account from the DP. If you observe any discrepancy, take it up with the DP immediately; if the DP does not respond, escalate to the depository.
• Create a pledge, hypothecation or any other interest or encumbrance on your demat holdings.
• Give standing instructions for the crediting of securities to your demat account.
• Freeze or de-freeze your demat account, or specific securities or quantities of securities, held in the account.
• Approach the DP, the Depository or SEBI for redressal of grievances within prescribed timelines.
• Cast votes on resolutions proposed by investee companies through the depositories' internet-based e-Voting platform.
• Receive complete information about charges and fees. Any tariff agreed upon shall not increase unless a written notice of not less than 30 days is given to you.
• Indemnification for any loss caused due to negligence of the depository or the participant.
• Opt out of the depository system in respect of any security.
• Receive transaction alerts directly from the depository on your registered email and mobile.

DOs and DON'Ts (demat account).

The list below is provided as guidance to demat account holders and is not exhaustive. It is in addition to the broker-side guidance in Section 06.

Grievance & conciliation (DP).

The grievance redressal flow for demat-related complaints mirrors the broker flow described in Sections 07 and 08, with a depository-specific entry point at the second level.

Complaints lodged directly with the depository shall be resolved within 21 days. The conciliation, escalation and arbitration steps follow the same SMARTODR framework described in Section 08, including the 21-day conciliation window (extendable by 10 days) and the 30-day arbitration timeline (extendable by 30 days).

Special circumstances — termination of the DP.

Depositories may terminate a participant's registration in two circumstances: (i) when the participant no longer meets the eligibility criteria or other grounds set out in the bye-laws (such as suspension of trading membership by a stock exchange), or (ii) when the participant voluntarily surrenders its participation. In either case, your securities remain on the depository's books in your name.

Code of conduct for the participant.

As a depository participant, DealDepot commits to the following code of conduct. These commitments are binding on us and inform every interaction we have with you in our DP capacity.

• Abide by the provisions of the SEBI Act, 1992, the Depositories Act, 1996, any rules or regulations framed thereunder, and circulars, guidelines or directions issued by SEBI from time to time.
• Adopt appropriate due-diligence measures in onboarding clients and in the conduct of depository business.
• Implement a proper risk-management framework and observe good governance practices.
• Take appropriate measures towards investor protection and education.
• Treat all applicants and account holders in a fair and transparent manner; not discriminate between equivalent clients.
• Promptly inform SEBI of any violations of the SEBI Act, the Depositories Act, rules, regulations, circulars, guidelines or directions by any issuer or issuer's agent.
• Take a proactive and responsible attitude towards safeguarding the interests of investors and the integrity of the depository's systems and the securities market.
• Maintain confidentiality of investor information unless disclosure is required to discharge a legal obligation or where the investor has given specific consent.
• Be responsible for the acts and omissions of our employees in respect of the conduct of our DP business.
• Endeavour to introduce best business practices in our operations.

NSE investor advisories.

Three advisories from NSE, reproduced here for convenience. The originals are linked at the end of each section.