New Delhi, Aug. 20 -- Adjudication proceedings initiated by India's market regulator fell to a decade low in fiscal year 2026, as stronger compliance systems and a more targeted approach to enforcement reduced the need for formal penalty proceedings.

Fresh adjudication proceedings taken up by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) fell to 135 in FY26 from 204 a year earlier, according to Mint's analysis of Sebi data. It stood at 249 in FY16. The number of adjudication orders passed against registered intermediaries declined to 88 in FY26 from 116.

The decline comes as listed companies and market intermediaries have strengthened compliance, surveillance and internal controls, while Sebi appears to be directing more of its enfo...