Context:
Sebi Proposes Sachetisation of Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs).
Systematic Investment Plan (SIP)
A Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) is a method of investing where you regularly invest a fixed amount of money at set intervals (like monthly) into a mutual fund scheme, essentially allowing you to average out the cost of your investment by buying units when the market is high and low, benefiting from the power of compounding over time. It’s a disciplined way to build wealth gradually instead of making a single lump-sum investment.
Overview of the Proposal
- Objective: Sebi has proposed allowing SIPs with a minimum monthly investment of ₹250 to make mutual fund investments more accessible, especially for lower-income segments.
- Analogy to Sachets: Similar to how shampoo sachets made the product accessible to rural and low-income consumers, Sebi aims to open up investment opportunities for people in Tier-III towns and rural areas.
Current Situation vs Proposed Change
- Current SIP Minimum
- Most SIPs currently require a minimum of ₹500 per month.
- New SIP Feature
- The proposal would allow SIPs starting at ₹250 per month, enabling investors to have up to three sachet SIPs at a low cost from different schemes.
Potential Benefits
- Broader Outreach
- The change is aimed at reaching underpenetrated geographies and income groups, particularly in rural and lower-income urban areas, where access to equity products is limited.
- Affordability
- A lower SIP ticket size is expected to make the investment product more affordable for a larger section of the population, especially for individuals at the bottom of the rural and lower-income urban pyramid.
Constraints for Asset Management Companies (AMCs)
- Transaction Charges
- Each ₹250 SIP might incur a transaction charge of ₹2, which is about 0.8% of the total amount. This could be higher than the expense ratio of direct investments in mutual funds.
- Distribution Costs
- AMCs will need to create distribution networks to reach these target audiences, raising their costs further. Promotion and publicity of schemes will also be challenging without additional funds.
Profitability Concerns
- Big AMCs
- Larger AMCs could use sachet SIPs as a loss leader to penetrate new markets, possibly leading to reduced profitability in the short term.
- Smaller AMCs
- Smaller funds may struggle to compete due to higher operating costs, potentially resulting in market asymmetry where big AMCs dominate.
Regulatory Considerations
- Subsidies
- Sebi could consider offering initial subsidies to support the scheme, but long-term subsidies could distort the market.
- Cost Reduction
- Sebi might focus on reducing transaction costs for AMCs rather than providing long-term subsidies, ensuring the feasibility of sachet SIPs while balancing the interests of all stakeholders.
