- Union Finance Minister urged SEBI to remain vigilant against AI-driven cyber threats in finance
- She warned a single cyber attack could disrupt markets and erode public confidence nationally
- AI is increasing the speed, adaptability, and scale of cyberattacks on financial infrastructure
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged the Securities and Exchange Board of India to stay exceptionally vigilant against rapidly evolving AI-driven cyber threats, warning that even a single successful attack could have far-reaching consequences for India's financial markets.
Speaking at SEBI's 38th Foundation Day event in Mumbai, Sitharaman said cyber security remains the most pressing emerging challenge for market infrastructure institutions.
“A single successful cyber attack on a major exchange, a depository, a clearing corporation or a large broker could disrupt markets on a national scale, erase wealth, and shake public confidence in ways that take years to rebuild,” she said.
SEBI must also be ready to meet emerging challenges and the most pressing of these, in my view, is cybersecurity.
— Nirmala Sitharaman Office (@nsitharamanoffc) April 25, 2026
A single successful cyberattack on a major exchange, depository, clearing corporation, or large broker could disrupt markets at national scale, erase wealth, and… pic.twitter.com/Ys2vhDTw1j
She flagged how artificial intelligence is amplifying the scale and sophistication of cyber risks.
“AI-led tools are making cyber attacks faster, more adaptive, scalable, and in some cases, more autonomous in execution,” Sitharaman noted, adding that threats now range from automated vulnerability discovery and software supply-chain attacks to coordinated intrusions that evolve in real time to evade detection.
The Finance Minister emphasised that the pace of defence must outstrip the speed of attack.
“The tools of attack are evolving at high speed, and the tools of defence must evolve even faster,” she said, while acknowledging SEBI's cybersecurity and cyber resilience framework implemented in April 2025 as a solid foundation.
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Sitharaman also raised concerns over the surge in fraudulent investment content online, including deepfake videos impersonating public figures. She called for stronger investor awareness campaigns across platforms and languages, along with rapid-response systems to take down misleading content.
On the occasion, the minister launched SEBI's investor awareness drive ‘Mission Jagrook' and lauded initiatives such as the Data Analytics and Digital Forensics Laboratory and the “SEBI Check” tool, which enables investors to verify payment details of registered intermediaries before transferring funds.
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