SEBI Social Media Rules for Research Analysts: Display and Disclosure (2026)
Social media is where most Research Analysts find clients now, and it is where SEBI is watching hardest. The rules are clear: show who you are, do not promise returns, and keep education separate from tips. Get those three right and you can grow an audience without becoming the next enforcement headline.
Note: General information, not legal advice. Some social-media rules are recent and contested in detail; confirm the exact wording against the current SEBI circulars before relying on it.
Display your registration, everywhere you post
SEBI requires regulated entities and their agents to display their registered name and registration number on the social media handles they use to reach investors. This is not optional and it is easy to verify, which makes it a quick finding if you skip it. Put your registration number in your bio, pin a post with your full registration details and standard disclaimer, and add it to the channel description. Make it visible without anyone having to ask.
Every public post is an advertisement
The moment you post publicly, the SEBI advertisement code applies. That means no assured or guaranteed returns, no superlatives like โbestโ or โsure-shotโ, no cherry-picked performance, and the required risk disclaimers. A registered RA can absolutely share research views, but they have to carry the disclosures and they cannot promise outcomes.
Keep education and tips apart
SEBI has been sharpening the line between teaching and recommending. The reported position is that genuinely educational content should stay away from live calls, and may only reference prices that are at least three months old. The exact wording has moved around, so confirm it against the current circular, but the direction is clear: if you want to educate, teach with old, settled examples; if you want to recommend, do it inside your registered, disclosed research, not as a free public tip.
Keep a record of what you posted
Posts get edited and deleted. If a question comes up later about what you said and when, you want your own record. Keep an archive of your public research posts the same way you keep your client notes. The analysts who get into trouble usually cannot show what they actually posted; the ones who are fine can produce it on demand.
FAQ
Do Research Analysts have to show their SEBI registration number on social media?
Yes. SEBI requires regulated entities and their agents to display their registered name and registration number on the social media handles they use to reach investors. Pin it, put it in your bio, and include it in the channel description so it is visible without scrolling.
Can a Research Analyst give buy and sell calls on YouTube or Twitter?
Public posts are treated as advertisements and have to follow the SEBI advertisement code: no assured returns, no superlatives, no misleading performance claims, and proper disclaimers. A registered RA can share research views with the required disclosures, but the moment a post promises returns or hides risk it crosses the line.
Is there a limit on quoting prices in education content?
SEBI has tightened the line between education and recommendation. Reports indicate that purely educational content should avoid live tips and may only reference prices that are at least three months old. Confirm the exact wording against the current SEBI circular before you build it into your content rules.
What happens if I get social media compliance wrong?
SEBI has acted hard against misleading finfluencer content, including large impound orders. For a registered RA the risk is both regulatory and reputational. The safe stance is to post research with full disclosures, keep records of what you posted, and never imply guaranteed gains.