SCORES (SEBI Complaints)
SCORES (SEBI Complaint Redress System) is SEBI's centralised online platform through which investors can register complaints against listed companies, registered intermediaries, and other SEBI-regulated entities, and track the resolution status of their complaints in real time.
SCORES was launched by SEBI in 2011 to bring structure, transparency, and accountability to the investor grievance redressal process in Indian capital markets. Before SCORES, investor complaints against companies and intermediaries were handled through a fragmented combination of paper correspondence, departmental processing, and ad-hoc follow-ups, making it difficult for investors to track their complaints and for SEBI to monitor aggregate grievance trends. SCORES centralised this process and created a digital trail for every registered complaint.
The platform is accessible through the SCORES website (scores.sebi.gov.in) and the SEBI SCORES mobile application. Any investor — retail, HNI, or institutional — can register a complaint against a listed company or a SEBI-registered intermediary (such as a stockbroker, depository participant, mutual fund, portfolio manager, or investment adviser) for issues including but not limited to: non-receipt of dividends, non-receipt of allotted shares, failure to transfer shares, unauthorized transactions, misleading advice, and excessive or unauthorised brokerage charges.
The complaint registration process on SCORES requires the investor to provide their PAN, contact details, and details of the entity against which the complaint is being filed. The complaint must clearly describe the grievance and any relevant transaction references (folio numbers, demat account details, contract notes, and so on). Investors are encouraged to first approach the company or intermediary directly and await a response for at least thirty days before escalating to SCORES. This requirement for prior direct communication ensures that SCORES does not become overloaded with complaints that could be resolved bilaterally.
Once a complaint is registered on SCORES, the concerned company or intermediary receives an automated notification and is required to respond within a specified time — initially thirty days, with provisions for escalation. SEBI monitors the redressal timelines and pursues non-responsive entities through regulatory action. If the complainant is not satisfied with the response provided by the entity, they can seek escalation through SCORES to bring the matter to SEBI's direct attention.
SEBI analysed SCORES data annually to identify systemic issues — entities with disproportionately high complaint volumes, recurring nature of complaints, or patterns suggestive of investor harm — and used this data to inform supervisory actions and regulatory policy. The SCORES data was also periodically published by SEBI in its annual reports and through dedicated investor complaint disclosure requirements for listed companies under the LODR Regulations, requiring listed entities to disclose the number of investor complaints received and resolved each quarter.