India’s Securities and Exchange Board has banned popular YouTuber Rabindra Balu Bharti and asked him to return the Rs 9.5 crore that his venture earned running YouTube channels that gave stock investment advice to unexperienced investors. SEBI has restricted them from participating in the securities market till April 2025.
Rabindra Bharti’s company Rabindra Bharti Institution reportedly had over 19 lakh subscribers on YouTube where he gave stock recommendations, investment advice, and execution services. Bharti has also been accused to leveraging his social media follower count to promote risky investments. The company did not have SEBI registration and reportedly failed to disclose associated high risks to its followers.
The company has also been accused of applying unethical practices, like selling multiple investment plans to individual investors, without informing them about the risks.
