Ananth Narayan

Government Official

Indian Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Quick Info

ProfessionGovernment Official
NationalityIndian
Date of Birth18/05/1969
Age57 years
BirthplaceKolkata, West Bengal, India

Latest News about Ananth Narayan

09/10/2025

Ananth Narayan ended his three-year term as a Whole-Time Member of SEBI after serving in a senior regulatory role that included leading the high-profile Jane Street probe. His departure marked the transfer of that investigation as his term concluded. The case had drawn significant attention because it centered on alleged trading practices in India’s equity derivatives market and the regulator’s response to them.

07/2025

As a Whole-Time Member of SEBI, Ananth Narayan was part of the action that restricted Jane Street from operating in Indian markets and froze alleged unlawful profits of about Rs 4,843 crore. The order said the firm used trading strategies that manipulated market conditions in expiry-day derivatives trading, causing losses to retail investors. SEBI said its team tracked thousands of trades to identify the pattern of activity.

01/2026

Ananth Narayan spoke publicly about the need for India’s equity derivatives market to develop longer-tenure contracts. He argued that the market’s heavy reliance on very short-dated expiries weakens hedging and price discovery, and said more mature contract structures would better support market depth and stability.

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Bio/Wiki

Full NameAnanth Narayan Gopalakrishnan
ReligionHinduism

Physical Stats & More

Height173 cm
Eye ColorLight Brown
Hair ColorSalt and Pepper

Educational Qualification(s)

SchoolKendriya Vidyalaya, West Bengal
College/University
  • Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
  • Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow
Degrees
  • Bachelor in Technology in Electrical Engineering (1987-1991)
  • Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management (1991-1993)

Personal Life

Marital StatusMarried

Family

FatherGopala Krishnan

Career

OverviewAnanth Narayan has had a prominent career in finance, regulation, and academia. He began his professional journey in banking with Citibank in 1993 and worked there until 2005. Following this, he took on leadership positions at Deutsche Bank (2006) and Standard Chartered Bank (2009-2017), ultimately becoming the Regional Head of Financial Markets for ASEAN and South Asia, managing foreign currency, interest rates, commodities, derivatives, and debt capital markets businesses across 12 countries. He later served as an Associate Professor at SP Jain Institute of Management and Research before joining SEBI as a Whole-Time Member.
Significant Roles
  • Joined Mirae Asset Financial Group as an additional director in 2018
  • Served on the board of YES Bank as an RBI-nominated additional director in 2020
  • Took charge as a Whole-Time Member of SEBI on 10 October 2022, overseeing key regulatory functions
  • Took charge as a Whole-Time Member of SEBI on 10/10/2022, overseeing key regulatory functions
Notable Achievements
  • Banned Jane Street from Indian markets due to illegal trading practices
  • Advocated for investor education and risk awareness in public forums
  • Banned Jane Street from Indian markets in July 2025 due to illegal high-frequency and expiry-day trading strategies that resulted in significant losses for retail investors, with SEBI freezing Rs 4,843 crore in alleged illegal profits
  • Led SEBI's cross-functional team that tracked thousands of trades minute by minute to identify patterns of price movements linked to Jane Street's options exposure
  • Led SEBI's investigation into Jane Street's trading practices in Indian equity derivatives markets
  • Issued an interim order in July 2025 restricting Jane Street from Indian markets and freezing alleged unlawful gains

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Born in Kolkata, West Bengal.
2. Awarded the Director’s Gold Medal during his post-graduation at IIM, Lucknow for exceptional performance.
3. Has served on various advisory committees established by SEBI and the Reserve Bank of India.
4. Enjoys playing poker, especially Texas Hold'em, with friends.
5. Famous for his whiteboard reminder in his office: 'First, do no harm.'
6. As the only SEBI board member with relevant experience in financial markets trading, was uniquely positioned to understand the complexities of Jane Street's trades.
7. Serves as an independent director on the boards of several organisations, including SBI Capital Markets, National Stock Exchange (NSE) Clearing Ltd, NSE IFSC Gift City, Care Ratings Ltd, Clearcorp Dealing Systems, and Dvara Research.
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