In a significant step towards enhancing the transparency and security of financial transactions, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has announced that all registered intermediaries — including brokers and mutual fund companies — must adopt a verified UPI handle with the ‘@valid’ suffix from October 1, 2025.
SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey, addressing reporters, stated, “This system will help ensure smooth, secure, and transparent financial transactions.” The move is aimed at enabling investors to transfer funds only to authorized and certified institutions.
Under this new rule, each intermediary will be assigned a unique UPI handle. For instance, if a brokerage firm is registered as ‘abc’, its designated UPI ID will be formatted as abc.bkr@validhdfc. To assure investors that the transaction is legitimate, a green triangle with a thumbs-up icon will appear during payments made to these verified handles.
This regulation is expected to cover nearly 8,000 intermediaries. While intermediaries are required to shift to the new UPI format, individual investors can continue using their existing UPI IDs. The transaction limit through UPI remains unchanged at ₹5 lakh per day.
To further strengthen investor protection, SEBI will introduce a new tool called ‘SEBI Check’. This feature will allow users to verify the authenticity of a UPI ID either by manually entering the ID or scanning a QR code before proceeding with any transaction.
SEBI emphasized that this initiative is part of its broader effort to build a safe and trustworthy investment environment. Investors are urged to utilize only official UPI handles and make use of tools like ‘SEBI Check’ to avoid fraudulent activities. The regulator has appealed to the public to embrace this system to enhance the safety and reliability of digital financial operations.