SEBI was established in 1988 as the regulator for securities markets in India. It is headquartered in Mumbai and has regional offices across India. SEBI was established to regulate stock markets and protect investors due to issues like price rigging and non-compliance with regulations. Its objectives are to protect investors, ensure fair practices, and promote the securities market. SEBI performs protective, developmental and regulatory functions like prohibiting insider trading, promoting new platforms for trading, and registering and regulating market intermediaries. It regulates entities like stock exchanges, mutual funds, foreign investments and issues rules for public offers.