New Delhi, April 15 (NationPress) In a pivotal move, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at leveraging telecom intelligence to enhance the integrity of India’s financial landscape, according to an official announcement made on Wednesday.

This collaboration seeks to bolster the partnership between both organizations in addressing the exploitation of telecom resources for fraudulent activities in the securities market and investment-related deceptions.

The statement from the Communications Ministry highlighted that this strategic alliance represents a significant advancement towards a more integrated approach between telecom oversight and financial market regulation.

The agreement focuses on establishing a systematic data-sharing framework designed for the prompt identification and interruption of illicit activities.

As part of this initiative, the DoT will provide the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) to SEBI, facilitating the identification of mobile numbers associated with dubious behaviors through comprehensive analyses.

Additionally, the Mobile Number Revocation List (MNRL) will be shared automatically, allowing SEBI-regulated entities, such as brokers and asset management firms, to confirm that investor accounts are linked solely to legitimate and active mobile connections.

In a reciprocal arrangement, SEBI will contribute insights related to telecom resources connected to accounts involved in cyber fraud, impersonation, or money laundering, enabling rapid responses in the telecommunications sector.

DoT’s Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP), which currently connects over 1,400 stakeholders, will facilitate this exchange of intelligence by allowing real-time sharing of actionable data across institutions.

This collaboration is particularly essential as India’s digital investment environment continues to expand rapidly. By merging telecom intelligence with market monitoring systems, the MoU signifies a shift from reactive measures to proactive prevention, as noted in the statement.

The Financial Fraud Risk Indicator, which utilizes information from DoT’s Chakshu facility under the Sanchar Saathi initiative, as well as contributions from financial institutions and law enforcement agencies, will serve as an early warning mechanism to identify potentially fraudulent mobile connections before they can be exploited for financial scams.

This partnership builds on the solid groundwork established by DoT’s ongoing efforts. Under the Sanchar Saathi initiative, over 8.8 million fraudulent mobile connections have already been terminated using ASTR technology. The implementation of the FRI has helped avert financial losses amounting to approximately ₹2,300 crores in the last ten months.