The idea is to provide everything an FPI may need to trade in India under one roof, instead of making them scan through multiple platforms, one of the sources said.
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HEMANSHI KAMANI
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), along with market infrastructure institutions (MIIs), is developing a centralised online portal aimed at ease of doing business for foreign portfolio investors (FPIs), according to sources in the know.
The platform will consolidate various types of public data relevant to FPIs, such as registration procedures, settlement timelines, monitoring rules, taxation, and other operational guidelines—currently scattered across multiple market intermediary websites.
“The idea is to provide everything an FPI may need to trade in India under one roof, instead of making them scan through multiple platforms,” one of the sources said. “The discussions began in June with a push to launch the portal at the earliest.”
Centralised access
For now, the portal will only carry static and publicly available data from the websites of MIIs. This is a multi-agency effort with inputs already submitted by custodians, tax consultants, and the MIIs, which includes stock exchanges, clearing corporations, and depositories.
For instance, exchanges have submitted data on trading limits in different market segments, while clearing houses have provided information on settlement timelines and structures. Tax firms such as Deloitte have contributed details on applicable tax regimes and capital gains offsets, the source said.
Depositories have submitted simplified FPI registration processes, digital signature certificate norms, and additional disclosure thresholds. Meanwhile, the Custodian and Depository Standard Setting Forum (CDSSF) has provided standard operating procedures for client onboarding and documentation.
An email seeking comments from SEBI did not elicit a response.
Likely phase 2
Depending on feedback after the launch, another source said SEBI may add interactive functions for FPIs to view their holdings or compliance status through login credentials–as a second phase.
The vendor building the platform is now working on refining the interface to ensure ease of use and visual clarity. “The product is largely ready, and the final touches are being added to make it attractive for FPI users,” the source said. SEBI has been closely working along with the vendor and MIIs, and may launch the portal soon.
The move comes in response to long-standing complaints from FPIs about difficulty accessing consistent regulatory information. “It’s hard to find even basic documentation details…we often toggle through many sites and still come up short,” an FPI source said.
The initiative follows SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey’s recent visit to the US, where he and senior SEBI officials met with FPIs to address such concerns.
An email seeking comments from SEBI didn’t elicit a response.
Published on July 9, 2025