1 week ago
SEBI Eases FPI Onboarding With Digitally Signed Power Of Attorney
SEBI is changing how foreign investors join India’s financial markets.
These investors can give their custodian a digitally signed Power of Attorney.
A Power of Attorney lets the custodian act for the investor.
The document must include the custodian’s address.
Its digital signature must follow the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Investors will no longer need to notarise, apostille or consularise the document.
This should make the onboarding process quicker and simpler.
The new rule begins on August 20, 2026.
SEBI will allow foreign portfolio investors to submit digitally signed Powers of Attorney to custodians.
The PoA must specify the custodian’s address and use a digital signature compliant with the Information Technology Act, 2000.
The change removes the need for notarisation, apostillisation or consularisation of the PoA.
SEBI expects the revised process to reduce onboarding time and improve ease of doing business for foreign investors.
The provisions take effect on August 20, 2026, as part of SEBI’s broader FPI digitalisation efforts.
- Who
- The Securities and Exchange Board of India, foreign portfolio investors and their custodians.
- What
- SEBI has permitted FPIs to submit digitally signed Powers of Attorney to custodians.
- Where
- The measure applies to the SEBI-regulated FPI onboarding process; one report gives New Delhi as the dateline.
- When
- The provisions take effect on August 20, 2026.
- Why
- To reduce paperwork and processing time while digitalising and simplifying FPI onboarding.
Key facts
- Regulator
- Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
- Affected investors
- Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs)
- Document
- Power of Attorney submitted to a custodian
- Required details
- The PoA must specify the custodian’s address.
- Digital-signature rule
- The signature must comply with the Information Technology Act, 2000.
- Removed procedures
- Notarisation, apostillisation and consularisation are no longer required for the PoA.
- Effective date
- August 20, 2026
Quotes
SEBI market regulator
Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India
“Towards SEBI’s continued digitalisation efforts, FPIs are now permitted to execute a Power of Attorney (PoA) through digital signatures in accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000”
thehansindia.com
“Digitally signed PoA is envisaged to bring down the time taken in onboarding considerably as it eliminates the need for notarisation, apostillisation or consularisation of PoA”
thehansindia.com
Sources
Sebi eases FPI onboarding by allowing digitally signed PoA
SEBI eases FPI onboarding by allowing digitally signed Power of Attorney
SEBI allows FPIs to use digitally signed power of attorney for faster onboarding; check details
SEBI eases FPI onboarding, allows digitally signed power of attorney to custodians
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