Union Minister for Corporate Affairs Salman Kurshid stated that it is important for the common man to be acquainted with the plus points of making investments in the capital market through investor education programmes.

While speaking at a one-day national summit on 'Informed Investor - An Asset to Corporate India', the minister said, "Each and every person who has household savings is a potential investor. What is needed is to make him understand the benefit of investing in the capital market by educating, motivating and encouraging him to invest in the capital market."

Mr. Kurshid also said that all possible attempts should be made to reach out to those residing in smaller towns and villages.

Various trade associations could take part in this, he added.

The Union minister said that in 2010, his department had commenced 3,000 programmes on Corporate Social Responsibility, investor education and investor protection all over India.

At the time of launching a beginners' guide on capital market in Kannada and launching a Kannada internet site on investor education and protection fund (EPF), he also said that there was a great need to introduce such guides in other local languages so that people should know more about the benefits of capital markets.

Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Secretary R Bandyopadhyay said that the administration aims to take the investor education programme to tier-2, tier-3 cities and even the villages.

A P Kurien, Chairman Association of Mutual Funds of India (AMFI), lamented despite India having highest savings rate of 34-36 per cent, people continued to put their savings in traditional sectors, including banking and insurance. (With Inputs from Agencies)