Mumbai: As part of the ongoing press tour to Mumbai organised by PIB J&K, a delegation of journalists from Jammu and Kashmir visited the Indian Coast Guard Regional Headquarters (West), the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Mumbai Office, and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) to gain insights into the functioning of key national institutions. The press delegation is led by Neha Jalali, Director, PIB Jammu.
At the Coast Guard headquarters, the delegation was briefed by DIG Ajay Chaturvedi, CSO (Ops), on the multifaceted duties and operational responsibilities of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). Functioning under the Coast Guard Act, 1978, the ICG plays a crucial role in ensuring maritime security, enforcement of maritime laws, search and rescue (SAR) operations, environmental protection, and coastal surveillance.
DIG Chaturvedi elaborated that the Coast Guard also collaborates with Customs and other authorities in anti-smuggling operations, undertakes preservation and protection of the marine environment, and extends assistance to fishermen in distress at sea. The Coast Guard’s ships and aircraft conduct regular patrols to keep the Offshore Development Areas (ODAs) on both the eastern and western seaboards under surveillance, while also contributing to the collection of scientific data for maritime research, the visiting delegation was informed.
Chaturvedi further outlined the ICG’s layered response mechanism that ensures coordinated action against illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and armed robbery at sea. As the lead agency for chemical and oil pollution response, the ICG contributes significantly to disaster relief and the protection of offshore oil assets. With a record of saving one life every second day, the Coast Guard continues to uphold India’s commitment under the International SAR Convention (2001), reinforcing maritime safety and sustainable ocean governance.
The group was accompanied by Jaydevi Swami Pujari, Deputy Director, PIB Mumbai.
Later, the delegation visited the Press Information Bureau, Mumbai, where they interacted with Smita Vats Sharma, Director General (West Zone). The visit served as a knowledge exchange exercise between the two regional offices. Discussions focused on information dissemination strategies, inter-departmental coordination, and innovative communication practices adopted by PIB Mumbai.
The interaction also reflected on the successful hosting of the WAVES (World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit) recently held in Mumbai, which brought together stakeholders from the global Media & Entertainment sector to deliberate on collaboration, innovation, and India’s emergence as a global creative hub.
The day concluded with a visit to the National Stock Exchange (NSE), where Ashish Kumar Chauhan, MD and CEO, NSE, addressed the mediapersons. He emphasized the importance of financial literacy and encouraged responsible and informed participation in markets to promote transparency and economic empowerment among citizens.
Tirthankar Patnaik, Chief Economist, Economic Policy and Research, informed that the NSE is the third-largest equity exchange and the largest derivatives exchange globally for the sixth consecutive year. India is currently the fourth-largest capital market in the world, after the USA, China (including Hong Kong), and Japan.
He highlighted that no other country with a per capita income between USD 2,500 and USD 20,000 matches India’s market size, making it unique globally. It took 14 years to reach the first one crore investors in India, while the latest one crore were added in just five months, demonstrating rapid financial inclusion. Today, one in four Indian households holds shares, compared to one in fourteen five years ago. The NSE now processes about 20 billion order messages and nearly 300 million trades on peak days, with female participation at 16.3% nationwide.
Patnaik also shared that investor growth in the last six years has been four times in the rest of India and seven times in Jammu and Kashmir. The surge in J&K’s investor base has been remarkable — rising from 0.6 lakh in FY 2014 to 7.2 lakh in FY 2026, marking a 20-fold increase in the past decade. The Union Territory has witnessed a 25% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) in investor base over the last ten years, compared to the national average of 19.8%, with 5.5 lakh new investor registrations since FY 2022.
Speaking on the occasion, Neha Jalali, Director, PIB Jammu, said, “Visits like these enable media professionals from Jammu and Kashmir to gain a deeper understanding of the diverse institutional frameworks that shape India’s governance, security, and economic systems. Engaging directly with organisations such as the Indian Coast Guard, PIB Mumbai, and the NSE helps bridge the information gap and equips journalists to bring nuanced, fact-based reporting to their audiences.”
The five-day PIB J&K Media Exposure Tour to Mumbai aimed to enhance journalists’ understanding of national institutions, their operational frameworks, and their contributions to India’s security, communication, and economic ecosystems.
