Executive Summary

India's securities market is at an inflection point. We are among the world's fastest growing economies, with immense growth opportunity in the securities market ahead of us. Reimagine Ideathon invites student innovators (teams of up to four students and 1 faculty mentor) to design bold, practical ideas that make investing simple, engaging, and empowering for every Indian – across diverse geographies, languages, and demographics. Grounded in behavioural insight, we are seeking ideas that build confidence, reduce inhibitions, and deepen trust enabling more households to benefit from India's growth story.

At its heart, this is a call to empower and motivate investors to take charge of their financial journey – transforming today's informed actions into tomorrow's security and resilience. The goal is to help investors build confidence and develop an informed understanding of product suitability aligned with their unique needs and aspirations. Your ideas should turn awareness into action, hesitation into confidence, and learners into truly Atmanirbhar Investors.

This will happen over the course of three rounds:

1. Screening Round: Submit a PDF with clear sections on the Idea, Challenges, Risks & Assumptions and Business Impact. Refer to Entry Submission Form on the website https://ideathon.cdslindia.com

2. Round 1: Present your idea in a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation to the Jury over Video Conference.

3. Round 2: Finalists will be invited to present their idea to the Jury in-person, in Mumbai. A working prototype/demonstration will be preferred, howere, not mandatory.

Remember

• Cite all sources and follow the Bottom Line Upfront and Keep It Short & Simple principles.
• Ideas will be judged on innovation, functionality, behavioural impact, scalability, and clarity.
• Please refer to the FAQs on the website https://ideathon.cdslindia.com.

PART A: Background & Problem Statement

Background

As one of the world's largest securities market, India now faces its most exciting opportunity: turning scale into real investor empowerment. With 337 million households and a rapidly expanding appetite beyond metro cities, the opportunity to bring millions more into the financial fold has never been greater. With 207 million demat accounts across 32 million households already engaged, India is laying the foundation for a truly inclusive investing culture, one that is expanding rapidly.

CDSL's data reveals an incredible and complex landscape:

• 80% of demat accounts are from Tier II and beyond cities, showing strong interest outside metros.
• Yet only 20% of accounts belong to women, revealing a persistent gender gap.
• As of October 31, 2025, the youngest demat account holder is 31 days old, a striking indicator of the steadily decreasing age of the country's investor base.
• Most households continue to prioritize capital preservation over returns, indicating a cautious investment mindset.

These inferences signal both opportunity and challenge. While access has expanded, behavioural and informational barriers continue to limit wider participation.

This Ideathon challenges you to reimagine investor education and engagement through your chosen combination of innovation, technology, and design thinking - to inspire responsible participation, simplify complexity, and enable Atmanirbharta in investing.

Earlier in 2025, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the regulatory authority for India's securities market, conducted a nationwide survey to gain insights into investor behaviour and preferences. The findings spotlight several key areas, which you may explore as part of this Ideathon.

• Breaking the Barriers - What stops people from investing? Is it fear, confusion, or lack of trust?
• Powering the Motivators - What encourages people to invest? Is it seeing others invest, easy tools, goals, or fun learning?
• Closing the Gaps - Why do people stop investing? Is it market ups and downs, bad experiences, or not seeing value?
• Sparking the Nudge - What pushes people to make smart money choices? Is it life goals, reminders, challenges, or rewards?

Your Challenge

You are invited to imagine bold ideas that changes how India learns about, invests in, and grows through the financial markets - making investing more responsible, inclusive, and rewarding for everyone.

The goal is to help more people become smart and responsible investors. How you do it is up to you: through creative design, smart technology, simple communication, or building strong communities.

Your idea should reflect three core values:

• Empowerment - helping investors make informed, independent decisions.
• Inclusion - making investing accessible to everyone, no matter their gender, location, language, ability, or financial background.
• Trust - building confidence through simplicity, transparency, and responsible investing.

Make sure your idea works for people across India, for example, by using local languages, including people with disabilities, or helping both new and experienced investors understand which products and strategies suit them best.

Please refrain from submitting ideas that include stock tips, investment advice, or buy/sell recommendations, as such submissions will not be considered for evaluation. This challenge is about helping investors learn and make their own informed decisions.

Part B: Evaluation

Evaluation

All submissions will be evaluated by a multi-disciplinary Jury who will be looking for ideas which embody the following:

Dimension	Criteria	Description
Innovation & Creativity	Innovation	Originality of the idea
	Technical Complexity	Technology proposed
Functionality & Inclusion	User Experience (UX) & User Interface (UI)	Quality of design, ease of navigation, and user engagement
	Functionality	How effectively the idea performs its intended tasks
Behavioural Insight	Impact & Usefulness	Practical value and relevance to users or society
Feasibility & Strategic Clarity	Feasibility	How well the idea addresses the problem and how realistic it is to implement
	Viability	Potential for adoption, and handling of risk and limitations
	Clarity of Presentation	Presentation skills, conviction, and spirit of innovation

The jury will prioritize ideas that are innovative & actionable, aspirational & ethical, and capable of driving measurable change.

There will be extra points for "out-of-the-box" thinking. So put your thinking caps on!!!

Expected Outcomes

Winning ideas may focus on:

• Simplifying financial literacy and easing investor anxiety.
• Promoting responsible, long-term investing behaviour.
• Making investor education engaging, inclusive, and measurable.
• Encouraging participation among new and diverse investor segments.
• Building enduring trust in India's securities market.

Deliverables and Stages

Screening Phase

• Objective: Submit a concise and compelling overview of your idea in the prescribed format. Please refer to Entry Submission Form on the website https://ideathon.cdslindia.com.
• Screening will be done basis the key parameters mentioned in Part B - Evaluation. The decision of the Jury will be final.
• Format: Maximum 3 pages, PDF format (prepared in any document editor such as MS Word, Open Office, etc.)

Disclaimer: Use of AI tools is permitted solely as an aid to enhance your idea. By submitting, you confirm that your idea is not substantially generated by AI and reflects original human input.

Round 1: Jury Presentation

Please Note: Shortlisted teams will be informed on their registered email ID

• Objective: Shortlisted teams to present their idea over video conferencing.
• Format: Present your idea to the Jury through a 20-minute using PowerPoint presentation over Video Conference.

Use your imagination on how you want to showcase your idea to the Jury.

Round 2: Final Demonstration

Please Note: Finalists will be informed on their registered email ID

• Objective: Finalists to demonstrate how your idea works.
• Deliverable: In-person presentation in front of Jury, in Mumbai. A working or demonstrable prototype such as App, Website, Chatbot, Dashboard or any other format that best demonstrates your idea would be preferable but not mandatory.

Please refer to FAQs on website https://ideathon.cdslindia.com for any pertinent questions. However, if you have questions beyond FAQ, or simply wish to say hello!, please reach out to us on [email protected].

1. Definitions
   • 1.1 Any reference to "Organizer" in these Terms and Conditions shall mean "Central Depository Services (India) Limited".
2. Eligibility
   • 2.1 Participation is open exclusively to students who have completed their class 12^th standard and currently enrolled in accredited academic institutions in India.
   • 2.2 Each team must consist of a faculty mentor and a maximum of 4 student members from the same institution to be a part of the team.
     • 2.2.1 One team member shall be nominated as the Team Leader.
   • 2.3 Participants are required to produce their valid student ID card which may be checked at any time by the Organizer.
   • 2.4 Individuals who are immediate relatives of employees of CDSL shall not be eligible to participate in the Ideathon.
3. Registration
   • 3.1 Registration must be completed via the official portal before the published deadline.
   • 3.2 Late entries will not be accepted.
   • 3.3 Incomplete or false information during registration may result in disqualification.
   • 3.4 Team composition must be finalized at the time of registration and cannot be modified thereafter.
4. Event Format
   • 4.1 The Reimagine Ideathon will be conducted in a hybrid format:
     • 4.1.1 Screening Phase (Online): Submission of idea as a concept paper.
     • 4.1.2 Round 1 - Jury Presentation & Mentoring Round (Online): Presentation of idea using a PPT over Video Conference by the shortlisted teams.
     • 4.1.3 Round 2 - Final Demonstration (Offline): Final round at the designated venue for shortlisted teams.
   • 4.2 Teams shortlisted for Round 2 shall bear their own boarding, lodging, and travel expenses. We would recommend participants to coordinate with their educational institutions for travel and lodging arrangements.
   • 4.3 Venue details for Round 2 - Final Demonstration will be communicated in advance.
   • 4.4 The Organizer reserves the right to modify the event structure, schedule, or format if required.
5. Code of Conduct
   • 5.1 Participants are expected to maintain a respectful, inclusive, and professional environment throughout the event.
   • 5.2 Harassment, discrimination, or inappropriate behaviour of any kind will result in immediate disqualification.
   • 5.3 Plagiarism or submission of pre-existing solutions will result in disqualification.
6. Project development guidelines
   • 6.1 Use of publicly available open-source libraries, APIs, and tools is permitted, provided proper attribution is maintained.
   • 6.2 Use of AI tools is permitted solely as an aid to enhance ideas. By submitting an idea, the participants represent and warrant that the idea is not substantially generated by AI and reflects original human input.
   • 6.3 Final submissions at each stage (Screening Phase/Round 1/Round 2) as applicable must include all required materials (e.g. concept paper, presentation, documentation, code repository) as communicated by CDSL which must be submitted before the designated deadline for the corresponding stage.
7. Intellectual Property
   • 7.1 Participants represent and warrant that their submissions are original and do not infringe upon any third-party intellectual property rights. Participants shall be solely responsible for obtaining all necessary rights, licenses, and permissions for any third-party materials incorporated into their submissions.
   • 7.2 The Organizer shall be the sole and exclusive owners of all intellectual property rights associated with the Reimagine Ideathon as an event, including but not limited to its name, branding, format, structure, promotional content, and any materials or content created by the Organizer in connection with the event. All copyrights, trademarks, service marks, logos, and other proprietary rights relating to the Reimagine Ideathon and any content forming a part thereof or displayed therein shall vest exclusively in the Organizer, worldwide and in perpetuity. Participants shall not use, reproduce, or distribute any such content or branding without the prior written consent of the Organizer.
   • 7.3 Organizer shall not be liable for any unauthorized use or infringement by third parties unless the same is adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction to be solely on account of negligence of the Organizer.
   • 7.4 Screening Phase and Round 1 - Jury Presentation & Mentoring Round:
     • 7.4.1 Participants shall retain full and exclusive ownership of all intellectual property rights in the submissions, including but not limited to source code, designs, documentation, and any other related materials.
     • 7.4.2 In case of any doubt/s, or concerns or dispute/s regarding the originality and/or infringement of any third-party intellectual property rights of the submissions made by the Participant to the Organizer, Organizer shall have the final discretion to decide the same.
     • 7.4.3 By participating and submitting, each participant grants the organizer a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide right to display, publish, and communicate their submissions for non-commercial promotional purposes with due credit and to evaluate and use the idea for internal purposes.
   • 7.5 Round 2 - Final Demonstration:
     • 7.5.1 The provisions under this Clause 7.5 shall apply exclusively to participants who qualify for Round 2 of the Ideathon. Notwithstanding anything contained in Clause 7.4, all intellectual property rights in their submissions shall be governed solely by this Clause 7.5.
     • 7.5.2 The Participant hereby irrevocably and explicitly agrees that all intellectual property rights in the submissions including any enhancements, modifications, or derivatives of earlier work, shall be assigned and vest exclusively with CDSL upon submission.
     • 7.5.3 Participants hereby irrevocably assign to Organizer all rights, titles, and interest in and to such submissions, including any associated intellectual property rights, without any further compensation.
     • 7.5.4 Participants agree to execute all documents and take all actions reasonably necessary to give effect to such assignment and to enable Organizer to fully use, adapt, reproduce, publish and/or develop the submissions for any purpose, including but not limited to commercial, promotional, strategic, or institutional use.
8. Data Privacy
   • 8.1 By registering for the Reimagine Ideathon, participants consent to the collection and use of their Personally Identifiable Information (such as name, contact details, academic information, and submissions) for event-related purposes including communication, evaluation, and promotion.
   • 8.2 Organizer will handle all data securely and may share it with authorized partners solely for organizing and conducting the event. Personally Identifiable Information will be retained for a reasonably necessary period to facilitate event operations and subsequent outreach activities, after which it will be securely disposed of in accordance with applicable laws.
   • 8.3 Media captured during the event may be used for promotional purposes unless participants opt out in writing.
9. Prizes
   • 9.1 Prizes will be awarded as per the sole discretion of the Jury and the Organizer.
   • 9.2 Prize categories and amounts may be modified as per the discretion of the Organizer.
   • 9.3 The decision of the Jury regarding the evaluation of entries and prize distribution shall be final and binding. No correspondence or appeal will be entertained.
   • 9.4 Prizes may be subject to applicable taxes.
   • 9.5 Participants are advised to be cautious of individuals falsely claiming to represent the Organizer or making unauthorized assurances regarding prizes or outcomes.
   • 9.6 Prizes will be disbursed, subject to verification of participant details and compliance with these Terms and Conditions.
   • 9.7 Prizes shall be directly awarded to the participating team(s) in recognition of their performance and achievements during the Ideathon and not to any affiliated institution or third party.
10. Liability and Indemnity
    • 10.1 Organizer shall not be held liable for any personal injury, loss, or damage incurred during any phase of the event.
    • 10.2 Participants are responsible for the safety and security of their own equipment and personal belongings during the in-person round.
    • 10.3 Participants agree to indemnify and hold harmless Organizer, its affiliates, partners, and representatives against any claims, damages, or liabilities arising out of their participation or submissions.
11. Disqualification or Withdrawal
    • 11.1 The Organizer reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any participant or team that violates these Terms and Conditions or engages in any form of misconduct, unethical behaviour, or activity that may adversely affect the integrity or fairness of the event.
    • 11.2 Teams may voluntarily withdraw from participation by notifying the Organizer in writing before the submission deadline.
    • 11.3 Disqualification or withdrawal will result in forfeiture of any prizes or recognition.
    • 11.4 If any participant within a team is found ineligible on the ground of not being a student, the Organizer may disqualify the entire team, resulting in forfeiture of all prizes and recognition.
    • 11.5 If, on the day of Round 2 – Final Demonstration, a participant's student ID card is found to differ from the identification submitted during registration, the Organizer reserves the right to disqualify that participant and their entire team, with all associated prizes and recognition forfeited.
12. Miscellaneous
    • 12.1 The Organizer reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions at any time.
    • 12.2 The Organizer shall not be responsible for any delay, modification, or cancellation of the event due to circumstances beyond their reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, pandemics, government restrictions, strikes, technical failures, or other force majeure events.
    • 12.3 In the event that any prize, award, or benefit is granted to a participating team(s) based on information, representations, or conduct that is subsequently determined to be inaccurate, misleading, fraudulent, or in violation of the Ideathon rules or any applicable law, the Organizer reserves the right to revoke, reclaim, or require the return of such prize, award, or benefit. The participating team shall, upon written notice, promptly return the prize or its equivalent monetary value, and the Organizer may pursue any additional remedies available under law or equity.
    • 12.4 These Terms and Conditions, along with the registration form, and event communications, constitute the entire agreement between the participants and Organizer with respect to the Reimagine Ideathon.
    • 12.5 These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India. Any dispute or claim arising under or in connection with the event shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts at Mumbai.
    • 12.6 All official communications, notifications, or updates relating to the event shall be made through the contact details of the Team Leader provided at the time of registration.