On 8-1-2026, the Securities and Exchange Board of India issued a notification facilitating seamless Digital Signature Certificate Functionality for Foreign Portfolio Investors.
Importance:
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It is a key step in digiting the Foreign Portfolio Investors (‘FPIs’) on boarding process.
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A new Digital Signature Certificate (‘DSC’) feature has been added to the Common Application Form (‘CAF’) portal. It combines Foreign Portfolio Investors registration and Digital Signature Certificate application into one unified process, making Foreign Portfolio Investors client onboarding faster and easier.
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This step further streamlines the Foreign Portfolio Investors registration process as now the applicants can now directly apply for Digital Signature Certificate while submitting Common Application Form.
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Earlier, on 27-5-2023 Securities and Exchange Board of India issued a circular which permitted Foreign Portfolio Investors to use digital signatures for execution of Common Application Form and other registration related documents.
Detailed process flows and FAQs relating to obtaining a Digital Signature Certificate will be available on the India Market Access Portal-
https://indiamarketaccess.in/digital-signature-certificate.html
This step will encourage applicants to make optimal use of this enhanced digital functionality.