SEBI digitises two links in India's foreign-investor onboarding chain
SEBI drops notarisation for foreign investor power-of-attorney
A SEBI circular effective 20 August 2026 permits Foreign Portfolio Investors to execute their Power of Attorney to custodians using a digital signature under India's Information Technology Act, 2000, instead of a notarised, apostilled or consularised paper document. The change amends the FPI Master Circular's KYC documentation requirements and follows earlier steps toward digital execution of the Common Application Form used for FPI registration.
Implications for capital — Foreign portfolio investors and their custodians face a shorter document chain when registering to invest in Indian securities, cutting the cross-border paperwork cycle that previously required physical legalisation.
SEBI links mainland KYC records to GIFT City's regulator
SEBI has designated the International Financial Services Centres Authority under a provision letting IFSCA-regulated entities access the records held by SEBI-registered KYC Registration Agencies, effective immediately. Entities drawing on this access must follow SEBI's KYC master circular, and for Foreign Portfolio Investor clients, its separate data-security provisions.
Implications for capital — Groups operating both onshore Indian entities and GIFT City-based structures can now draw on a shared KYC record instead of re-collecting client documentation for each regulator, while client data begins flowing across the SEBI/IFSCA boundary under SEBI's existing security terms.