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Mumbai: Infomerics Valuation and Rating Pvt Ltd—a credit rating agency registered with Sebi—found itself under the microscope after Sebi and the Reserve Bank of India teamed up for a joint inspection. They dug into the company’s records from January to December 2021 and didn’t like what they saw.
The inspectors pulled up a laundry list of problems: the team used the wrong rating models, messed with model weightages, and couldn’t seem to apply the maker-checker system consistently. On top of that, they ran into sloppy data entry and randomly switched off important parameters that are key for reliable ratings.
Things got worse when regulators noticed Infomerics hadn’t kept its non-rating activities separate from its rating business—a basic rule meant to avoid conflicts of interest and protect the integrity of the ratings. All this led Sebi to slap the company with a show cause notice in October 2023.
Fast forward to 2024. Infomerics decided to settle. They filed a settlement application, basically hoping to put the whole thing behind them without admitting they did anything wrong—or right, for that matter. Sebi agreed, but set some ground rules.
The company had to bring in outside experts for a full audit of its rating models. This wasn’t just a quick check—it covered everything from how they keep records and validate data, to their software controls, governance, and testing. On top of that, Infomerics needed to launch a big third-party training program for everyone involved in rating work, making sure the staff actually understood what regulators expect from them.
Once Infomerics wrapped up the audit and rolled out the training, they sent their compliance reports to Sebi and paid a settlement fee of Rs 65.25 lakh. After that, Sebi closed the proceedings, as confirmed by Sudeep Mishra, the Designated Authority.
Even so, Sebi left the door open. If Infomerics slips up again or if any hidden problems come to light, Sebi can reopen the case.
