Mumbai : 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/.