In September 2025, Tamil media house Vikatan celebrated V Harish, the face of the YouTube channel Finance With Harish, as its Best Finance Channel winner at the inaugural Vikatan Digital Awards. The glowing citation praised him as an “economic doctor” who could help viewers ‘build a prosperous financial future through even a one-minute reel’.
ஒருத்தன் SEBI ல அனுமதி வாங்கி இருக்கானா இல்லையான்னு கூட தெரியாம அவன் போடுற financial advise வீடியோ வெச்சி விருது கொடுத்து இருக்க @vikatan..ஒரு குறைந்தபட்ச check வேண்டாம்? இதுல 100 வருஷ நிறுவனம் என்று பெயர் வேற https://t.co/EFRN4sNaM2
— Nordnomad (@arcot2arctic) October 20, 2026
But the controversy over Harish’s professional credentials has now exposed an uncomfortable question: What exactly did Vikatan verify before putting its name behind a finance influencer whose regulatory credentials would later come under scrutiny?
Vikatan’s Glowing Praise
Vikatan had announced 27 award categories for its inaugural Digital Awards, including Best Solo Creator – Male, Best Solo Creator – Female, Best Couple Creator and Best Finance Channel. Finance With Harish was selected as the winner of the finance category by the jury.
The other nominees included Info Mindset, Finance Boosan, Boss Wallah (Tamil), Trade Achievers, Budget Padmanabhan and Aravind Sooriya | Tamil Finance.
In its promotional write-up, Vikatan described Harish as someone known for his “kind face, friendly smile and clear words.” It said he broke down everything from personal investments, the stock market, mutual funds, insurance and pension schemes to the Union Budget.
The citation went further, praising his ability to help people secure their financial future through short-form content and declaring that Vikatan was delighted to present him with the Best Finance Channel award.
It was an unambiguous endorsement. Vikatan was not merely listing a popular creator; it was publicly celebrating his work in a field where viewers rely on accurate information and must be able to distinguish financial education from regulated investment advice.
Finance With Harish & The Controversy
The controversy surrounding Harish’s credentials came into sharper focus after YouTuber and tech executive Jason Samuel published a video examining his claims and financial-advisory activities in October 2026 following which Harish committed suicide.
Samuel alleged that Harish had offered investment advice and paid advisory services without being registered as a SEBI Registered Investment Adviser (RIA). Samuel also questioned Harish’s representations concerning his professional credentials and authorisation.
Harish had presented himself as a financial adviser and reportedly discussed providing consultations and advising high-net-worth individuals. Samuel argued that an NISM qualification, by itself, did not confer SEBI RIA registration.
There is no blanket requirement for every creator discussing finance to be a SEBI-registered investment adviser. General financial education and economic commentary are not automatically the same as regulated investment advice. However, activities such as providing investment advice on securities may require SEBI registration, depending on their nature and the applicable rules.
The central issue is not simply whether Harish possessed a particular certificate. It is whether the nature of the services he offered required regulatory registration, whether his credentials were represented accurately, and whether those distinctions were clear to his audience.
That makes Vikatan’s decision to honour him as the best finance channel worth examining.
Did Vikatan Check His Credentials Before Giving Him The Award?
A finance influencer’s popularity, presentation and ability to simplify complicated subjects may make for compelling content. They do not, by themselves, establish professional competence or regulatory authorisation.
Vikatan’s citation praised Harish’s financial content and its supposed ability to improve viewers’ economic futures. Yet the controversy over his credentials raises questions about the checks, if any, undertaken before the award was presented.
Did Vikatan establish what qualifications Harish held? Did it distinguish between financial education and regulated investment-advisory services? Did it check whether he was registered with SEBI if the services he offered required such registration? And did its coverage make any limitations concerning his credentials clear to its readers?
These are basic questions for an award that confers public recognition on a creator operating in the financial domain.
There is no publicly established finding in the material cited here that Vikatan knowingly overlooked a regulatory violation. Nor is the absence of SEBI RIA registration, on its own, proof that every piece of content published by a finance creator is unlawful. But those qualifications do not make due diligence any less important.
When a prominent media organisation publicly endorses a finance channel, it should be able to explain the standards by which it evaluated that channel.
Popularity Cannot Be A Substitute For Verification
Vikatan’s award was presented in 2025, well before the latest controversy surrounding Harish’s credentials became public. That timeline matters: the subsequent allegations cannot automatically establish what Vikatan knew, or should have known, at the time of selection.
Nevertheless, the award raises a broader concern about the way digital creators are assessed. Followers, polished videos, a reassuring manner and the ability to explain financial concepts in simple language can build an audience. None of those factors, however, answers the question of whether a creator is authorised to provide particular financial services.
The risk is especially significant when viewers may mistake an award from an established media organisation for an assurance that the recipient’s credentials and practices have been independently vetted.
The Accountability Question Remains
Harish, 27, died on 19 October 2026. His death has prompted competing claims: his father accused Jason Samuel of cyberbullying, while Samuel denied the allegation and maintained that his video examined Harish’s credentials and advisory activities. The circumstances and allegations surrounding the controversy must be assessed separately; Harish’s death should not be treated as proof for or against any claim.
But the questions about media responsibility remain.
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