Outlook Business Desk
Sebi has prohibited stock market influencer Avadhut Sathe and his academy from the securities market and ordered recovery of ₹546.16 crore.
Avadhut Sathe is a Pune-based market influencer who trained retail traders through affordable courses offered in Hindi, Marathi and English. He grew popular among first-time and small-town investors by positioning himself as a mentor emphasising discipline, mindset and confidence in trading.
Sebi’s multi-year probe found that Sathe and his academy showcased only profitable trades to promote courses. The regulator said he created a system encouraging participants to trade specific stocks, providing buy-sell suggestions under the guise of education, amounting to unregistered investment advisory.
Sebi said the academy collected ₹601.37 crore from over 3.37 lakh investors while providing unregistered advisory and research services. Sathe and his academy were held jointly liable for unlawful gains of ₹546.16 crore, which the regulator has now ordered them to return.
Sebi barred Sathe and his academy from participating in the securities market. The regulator also ordered two entities to stop all unregistered advisory activities, avoid using live market data, and refrain from publicising trading performance or profits of themselves or their course participants.
Sathe began his career in the software industry with Hexaware Technologies and later worked abroad in Singapore, Australia and the United States. His interest in markets grew during this time. After early gains and losses, he quit IT in 2007 to focus entirely on trading and teaching.
In 2008, Sathe held his first seminar with just 12 participants. His Avadhut Sathe Trading Academy later expanded nationwide, offering a four-month flagship course for around ₹18,000, including live trading, technical analysis, mentorship and opportunities for trained students to become volunteer trainers.
Sathe’s energetic and emotional style earned him wide social media attention. His YouTube channel surpassed one million subscribers. He combined trading discipline with motivational messages, attracting first-time investors from smaller towns seeking guidance and mentorship.
The action against Avadhut Sathe and his academy is one of the biggest enforcement moves against a stock market influencer, according to the Economic Times. With ₹546.16 crore ordered for recovery and a market ban, the case warns unregistered educators and highlights risks for retail investors.