SEBI’s Bond Central: A Gateway to India’s Corporate Bond Market

Bonds are loans that investors make to companies (or the government) in exchange for regular interest payments and return of principal at maturity. In simple terms, bonds can offer steady, predictable income – think of it like a fixed deposit, but often with higher yields. For years, India’s vast bond market ($2.69 trillion by end-2024) has been dominated by banks and institutions, leaving ordinary investors with limited access. To change this and effectively democratize this market, akin to the equity markets, SEBI (the market regulator) has launched Bond Central, a one-stop portal that makes corporate bond information easy and free to find. In this article, we explain what Bond Central is, why it was launched, and how it helps everyday investors discover bond opportunities, with clear examples and analogies for beginners.

What is Bond Central?

Bond Central is essentially a centralized online database for corporate bonds. Launched by SEBI in February 2025, it was developed with the OBPP Association (Online Bond Platform Providers) and major institutions like NSE, BSE, NSDL, and CDSL. It brings together data on all listed corporate bonds – such as issuer details, coupon (interest) rates, maturity dates, and credit ratings – into a single searchable website. It's like a Google or Wikipedia for corporate bonds, making it easy for investors to find all they need without jumping between multiple sources.

This portal is also completely free to use, unlike many data providers who charge subscription fees. According to SEBI, it serves as “a single, authentic source of information on corporate bonds… accessible free of cost.” 

Why Launch Bond Central? (India’s Bond Market in Context)

India’s bond market is enormous, yet underutilized by retail investors. Each year, over ₹20–22 lakh crore worth of bonds are issued, with about ₹8–10 lakh crore from corporates. Despite this, retail investors contribute barely 4% to the corporate bond market, starkly lower than their 30% presence in equities.

Why? A combination of high minimum investment amounts, poor discoverability, and a lack of awareness has historically discouraged retail participation.SEBI began lowering this to ₹10,000 to increase accessibility. But the bigger challenge was marketing: retail investors often didn’t even know what bonds were available.

Bond Central is part of a broader SEBI initiative under the “Bonds for Viksit Bharat” mission. It intends to raise awareness and trust by giving the public easy access to verified bond information, just like stock exchanges provide for equities.

It’s also important to distinguish between listed and unlisted bonds and Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs). Listed bonds are traded on recognized stock exchanges, offering more transparency, regulatory oversight, and liquidity. In contrast, unlisted bonds are sold directly by issuers, often with higher risk and lower visibility. Bond Central currently displays only listed corporate bonds and exchange-listed and regulated NCDs, which helps investors make informed choices from a universe of vetted, visible instruments.

How Bond Central Helps Investors

Bond Central adds tremendous value for retail investors:

• Unified Listings: All exchange-listed corporate bonds are shown together. No need to search NSE, BSE, or platform-specific inventories.

• Comparison Tools: Compare yields across corporate and government bonds. This helps beginners decide whether the higher return of a corporate bond is worth the risk.

• Document Access: See issuer documents, credit ratings, and term sheets in one place. All disclosures are standardized and easy to interpret.

• Standard Format: Information is presented in a consistent style across bonds, reducing confusion.

• Educational Tools: For newcomers, Bond Central has a section with FAQs, bond guides, and search filters based on criteria like maturity and interest.

For instance, a first-time investor can filter bonds that offer 8%+ yield and mature in under 3 years. The platform does the sorting. This removes a big barrier for beginner investors: information overload.

SEBI’s Push to Market Bonds

SEBI is not just building tools – it’s also marketing bonds to the public. Through partnerships with OBPP platforms and financial literacy campaigns, it wants to replicate the success of campaigns like "Mutual Funds Sahi Hai".

Platforms like Equirize and others under OBPP have also pledged to promote Bond Central through tutorials, webinars, and integration into their interfaces. Aditi Mittal, chairperson of OBPP Association, mentioned in media interviews that “For India’s corporate bond market to reach its full potential, investors need clarity, confidence, and accessibility. Bond Central delivers on all three fronts. By offering a consolidated platform with investor-friendly features, we are ensuring that Corporate Bonds and NCDs become as easy to invest in as any other asset class.”

The marketing push includes:

• Public service campaigns

• Press releases and media outreach

• Workshops and school-level awareness programs

Together, SEBI and its partners are hoping to create a retail bond culture in India.

Get Started with Equirize

Bond Central is a game changer. It empowers new investors to enter the corporate bond market with confidence and clarity. For the first time, India has a central, verified, and user-friendly source for bond discovery.

If you’ve ever felt unsure about bonds or struggled to find reliable data, Bond Central is your solution. And when you're ready to invest, head to Equirize, one of India’s leading OBPP platforms. Equirize makes corporate bond investing simple, with user-friendly dashboards, curated bond options, and seamless transactions.

Explore the world of bonds. Use Bond Central to learn and Equirize to invest.