The Calcutta Stock Exchange (CSE), one of India’s oldest stock exchanges founded in 1908, is now preparing for a voluntary exit from its stock exchange license. Trading at CSE was suspended by SEBI in April 2013 due to regulatory non-compliance, marking the start of its long decline.
Recently, the exchange submitted an exit application to SEBI, and the regulator has appointed a valuation agency to complete the exit process. Shareholders approved the exit proposal on April 25, 2025. After approval, CSE will operate as a holding company, while its subsidiary CSE Capital Markets will continue broking activities as a member of NSE and BSE.
As part of the exit process, SEBI has cleared the sale of CSE’s three-acre property to the Srijan Group for Rs 253 crore. The exchange’s troubles began following the Rs 120-crore Ketan Parekh-linked scam, which triggered a payment crisis and defaults among brokers.
To support employees, CSE has introduced a Voluntary Retirement Scheme with a one-time payout totaling Rs 20.95 crore. Currently, the exchange has 1,749 listed companies and 650 registered trading members.
The voluntary exit marks the end of a long chapter for CSE, allowing it to focus on broking through its subsidiary while winding down its historical exchange operations.
