Startup firms let Indian retail investors buy corporate debt at $130

The new start ups are seeking to reassure investors they are doing all they can to protect their clients

Start-up firms selling corporate bonds to retail investors are booming in India.
 

At least 10 new financial technology platforms have sprung up during the pandemic with the aim of grabbing a share of the $1.9 trillion market for bank time deposits. They promise much higher interest rates through putting money into company bonds, which are generally seen as riskier higher-yielding debt.

The firms are riding on efforts by the Reserve Bank of India to encourage retail investment in sovereign debt as it grapples with the government’s record borrowing plan. The risks, of course, are larger for those investors who chose