The Securities and Exchange Board of India has amended its foreign portfolio investor requirements to allow custodians to accept powers of attorney digitally signed by foreign portfolio investors under the Information Technology Act, 2000. The change applies from Aug. 20, 2026, and is intended to streamline digital onboarding. A digitally signed power of attorney specifying the investor’s address may now be used instead of a document that is notarized, apostilled or consularized. This removes those authentication steps for investors choosing the digital route and is expected to reduce onboarding time.
2026-08-20Securities & Exchange Board of India
Securities and Exchange Board of India permits digitally signed powers of attorney for foreign portfolio investor onboarding
The Securities and Exchange Board of India now permits custodians to accept powers of attorney digitally signed by foreign portfolio investors under the Information Technology Act, 2000. From Aug. 20, 2026, investors using this route will not need notarization, apostillization or consularization.