Mumbai: Central Depository Services (India) Limited (CDSL), Asia’s first listed depository and custodian of over 16.7 crore demat accounts, has officially launched the Reimagine Ideathon, its first nationwide innovation challenge for students under the 3rd Edition of the Annual Reimagine Symposium.
The Reimagine Ideathon has been introduced to encourage fresh thinking on how investor education, financial engagement, and market participation can become more inclusive and accessible for Indians.
Reimagine Ideathon: Transforming Investor Education and Financial Inclusion
The Reimagine Ideathon focuses on attracting young innovators to design solutions that rethink how India learns about financial markets, invests with confidence, and participates responsibly in the country’s economic growth.
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CDSL, which safeguards assets across more than 21 crore investor demat accounts, believes the initiative will help address existing barriers that prevent wider involvement in the securities market.
The launch is aligned with previous innovation-driven initiatives championed by financial regulators such as SEBI and RBI. Through the Reimagine Ideathon, CDSL aims to strengthen collective efforts to deepen financial literacy and broaden participation in India’s investment ecosystem.
Focus on empowerment, inclusion, and trust
Participants are encouraged to develop ideas using any medium of their choice – including gamification, behavioural nudges, design, technology solutions, communication strategies, and community-building frameworks. All submissions must strongly reflect the Ideathon’s core values: Empowerment, Inclusion, and Trust.
CDSL Managing Director & CEO Nehal Vora said the Reimagine Ideathon stands as a celebration of responsible innovation that supports an intuitive and inclusive securities market.
He emphasised that technology continues to play a key role in enabling investor protection and empowering citizens with the tools needed to make informed decisions. He added that the initiative reinforces CDSL’s commitment to building an Atmanirbhar investor community.
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Prize pool of ₹11.5 lakh and registration details
The Reimagine Ideathon features a total prize pool of ₹11.5 lakh, including ₹5 lakh for the top idea, ₹3 lakh and ₹2 lakh for the next two winning entries, and ₹75,000 each for the fourth and fifth positions.
Registrations for the Reimagine Ideathon 2025 will begin on 19 November 2025. Teams comprising up to four students and one mentor from the same institution are eligible to participate. Detailed guidelines, timelines, and evaluation criteria are available on the official Ideathon portal.
