Why in news?

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) launched the Nifty 500 Ahimsa Index on July 10, 2026. This is India's first thematic index focused exclusively on animal cruelty-free companies, arriving weeks after BSE's similar Saatvik 100 Index launched on June 17, 2026.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• National Stock Exchange: Structure, Role and Regulatory Framework
• About Ahimsa Index
• Who Is Included and Excluded?
• Comparison with BSE's Saatvik Index
• Significance for Investors

National Stock Exchange: Structure, Role and Regulatory Framework

• The National Stock Exchange (NSE) is India's premier stock exchange and a core pillar of the country's financial system.
• Established in 1992 and operational from 1994, it was set up to bring transparency, efficiency, and nationwide access to securities trading.
• Headquartered in Mumbai, NSE replaced India's earlier manual trading system with a fully automated, screen-based platform.
• Legal Status and Recognition
  • NSE is a regulated stock exchange, officially recognised under the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956.
  • It offers trading across multiple asset classes:
    • Equities (shares)
    • Derivatives (futures and options)
    • Currency and commodity products
    • Debt securities
  • It is owned by major financial institutions, banks, and insurers, and operates under the regulatory oversight of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
• Organisational Structure
  • Ownership -Key shareholders include major public institutions such as LIC, SBI, ICICI Bank, and GIC.
  • Management -NSE is run by a Board of Directors, supported by executive leadership and functional departments covering trading, clearing, settlement, and surveillance.
  • Regulatory Oversight - SEBI regulates NSE under multiple statutes, including the Companies Act, the SEBI Act, the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, and the Depositories Act.
  • Clearing, Settlement and Depository Services - Clearing and settlement functions are handled by NSE Clearing Limited; Depository services are provided through the National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL).
• Governing Legal Framework
  • NSE's functioning is governed by four key legislations:
    • Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956
    • Companies Act, 2013
    • SEBI Act, 1992
    • Depositories Act, 1996

About Ahimsa Index

• The Nifty 500 Ahimsa Index tracks top 500 NSE companies whose business practices align with the principle of "Ahimsa" (non-violence).
• It gives investors a way to invest specifically in companies that avoid activities harming animals.
• This marks a shift from conventional ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) investing, which focuses on carbon emissions and governance metrics, toward a values-based screening rooted in Indian philosophical traditions.
• The index was developed jointly by NSE Indices and the Ahimsagain Foundation, a non-profit established in November 2024 by ethical finance advocates.
• Selection Framework
  • Companies are evaluated using the Ahimsa Investment Movement (AIM) framework, which classifies firms into three bands:
    • Green band: Fully compliant with animal-cruelty-free criteria
    • Orange band: Partial compliance
    • Red band: Non-compliant
  • Only green-band companies are included in the index.

Who Is Included and Excluded?

• The index includes leading companies from IT services, automobile, real estate, and healthcare sectors.
• Notable exclusions include:
  • Most Reliance Group companies (except Reliance Power)
  • Pharmaceutical companies using animal testing
  • All commercial banks and major NBFCs
  • Dairy, meat, poultry, and leather companies
  • Fashion brands, retail chains, and cosmetics companies using leather or wool

Comparison with BSE's Saatvik Index

• BSE's Saatvik 100 Index, launched earlier, has a broader mandate. It screens against animal cruelty, addictive or toxic products, and generally harmful or violent business activities.
• The near-simultaneous launch of two thematic ethical indices by India's major exchanges signals a new direction in India's capital markets — screening companies through indigenous philosophical lenses rather than only global ESG frameworks.
  • Global ESG frameworks are structured guidelines that help companies measure and report their performance on Environmental, Social, and Governance factors.
  • Environmental: Tracks a company's impact on nature, including greenhouse gas emissions, waste management, energy efficiency, and water use.
  • Social: Evaluates how a company treats people, covering labor practices, workplace health and safety, diversity, and community relations.
  • Governance: Assesses corporate leadership, executive pay, business ethics, internal controls, and shareholder rights.

Significance for Investors

• Expected to serve as a benchmark for asset managers.
• Likely to enable new passive investment products such as ETFs and index funds.
• Reflects a broader trend of younger, values-conscious investors entering capital markets.
• Market analysts note it will take time for mutual funds to build products around this theme, but see long-term growth potential.

Conclusion

• NSE's Ahimsa Index reflects a maturing Indian capital market willing to root ethical investing in home-grown philosophical concepts rather than borrowed frameworks.
• As younger, values-driven investors enter the market, such indices could reshape how corporate responsibility is measured and rewarded in India.