People who dream of getting rich quickly are also inclined towards the stock market, because the market is considered a means of earning money fast. It is a different matter that most of the people take losses. Understanding the stock market is a difficult task for the common man. Amidst this desire and confusion, a man arises, whose name is Avdhut Sathe. He announced something which touched everyone. He said- “Making money from stock market is not rocket science, I will teach you!” A story started from here, in which the hard-earned money of lakhs of people was at stake. The biggest allegations of fraud and deceit were leveled against the person who had come as a guru.
The beginning was exactly the same as that of every middle class boy. An engineering degree, a good software job abroad. Everything was set. But this slow life was not acceptable to Avadhoot Sathe. His mind was engrossed in the fast-paced world of the stock market. He traded himself for a few years, earned some, lost some, and then a new business idea came to his mind. He made a plan to teach trading.
Avadhoot Sathe: The man who sold the dream of financial freedom
There was greed hidden somewhere behind this idea. He knew that millions of people in India want to achieve financial freedom, but they do not find the right path. He started his business to fill this gap. He quit his job, left the NRI life abroad, and started Avadhoot Sathe Trading Academy (ASTA). Family and friends thought it was a risk, but perhaps they didn’t know it was a calculated move. There was a way to reach the pockets of simple and small investors.
Avadhoot Sathe course fees up to Rs. 2 lakh
Asta linked knowledge of the stock market with the dream of getting rich quickly. The fee for his course was one month’s salary of a common man or even more. It started from Rs 6 thousand and went up to Rs 1 lakh 70 thousand. Imagine, a course costing more than Rs 1 lakh! He made the training a grand event. Big halls, dancing and singing on stage, passionate talks full of passion.
Claim to become a professional trader in 2-3 days
Avadhoot Sathe himself used to show live trading and used to shout out his profits. He used to say that ‘Market is God’, and disciplined trading is the key to success. But the real objective of his show was not education, but to sell expensive courses and make people believe that they can become professional traders with a two-three day course. Lakhs of people got trapped in this marketing trap. Unemployed youth, retired people, housewives, everyone handed over their future in his hands.
SEBI investigated and all layers were revealed
The reality came to light when the market watchdog i.e. SEBI started its investigation. SEBI revealed the layers of Sathe’s business one by one. The revelations found in the investigation were very serious-
Sold ‘advice’, not knowledge: Avadhoot Sathe claimed that he was providing education, but SEBI found that he was directly providing investment advisory and research analyst services. During the training, he gave tips on buying and selling of stocks in the live market, which also included target and stop loss. This work is completely illegal without SEBI registration.
Showed only profits, hid losses: In their marketing they showed only selected successful trades and huge profits. But the truth was that most of the small investors (retail traders) taught by him were in huge losses. According to SEBI, more than 90% of small investors lose money in the market, and Sathe’s model continued to hide this truth.
Instigated to pay the course fees by taking loan: The most shameful revelation was that Avadhoot Sathe instigated many people to pay the expensive course fees by taking loan or mortgaging their jewellery. People who already had financial difficulties were put at even greater risk.
Illegal earnings worth crores: ESTA collected more than Rs 601 crore from more than 3 lakh 37 thousand innocent investors in the name of course fees. This money was earned in exchange for providing consultancy illegally.
After all this evidence, SEBI took strict action against Avadhut Sathe. This action shows that SEBI will not tolerate such finfluencers who play with the hard-earned money of innocent people.
Avdhoot Sathe: What is in SEBI’s interim order?
SEBI issued an interim order on 4 December 2025, under which-
- Ban in the market: Avdhoot Sathe, his wife Gauri Sathe, and Asta were banned from any kind of trading, investing, or advisory activities in the stock market with immediate effect.
- Rs 546 crore seized: SEBI ordered that Rs 546 crore should be immediately confiscated as illegal gains. This is one of the biggest seizures in India against a finfluencer.
- Account Freeze: All his and the company’s bank accounts and demat accounts have been frozen so that money cannot be transferred.
How is Avadhoot Sathe’s future now?
Avadhoot Sathe’s future is now in darkness. SEBI has given them 21 days to respond to their show cause notice. But if he is unable to prove these allegations wrong, then a final order will be issued against him.
Sathe may be banned forever from the market, may be fined heavily, and most importantly, he will have to return the confiscated amount of Rs 546 crore. The guru who used to flaunt his wealth and trading skills, today his financial life is completely at risk. This story is not just about Avadhut Sathe, but is a warning to all those who sell dreams of becoming rich overnight. It is important to learn the stock market, but before that it is important to know whether the person teaching you is honest and registered with SEBI or not.
