The Securities and Exchange Board of India has permitted foreign portfolio investors to execute powers of attorney using digital signatures in accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000. The measure took effect on Aug. 20, 2026, and is intended to shorten the onboarding process. Digitally signed powers of attorney eliminate the need for notarization, apostillization or consularization, procedures that foreign investors identified as time-consuming. The change reduces physical documentation and forms part of the regulator’s broader digitization of foreign portfolio investor onboarding.
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 foreign portfolio investors to execute digitally signed powers of attorney. Effective Aug. 20, 2026, the change removes notarization, apostillization and consularization requirements to reduce onboarding time.