The Securities and Exchange Board of India has introduced a new Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) functionality within the Common Application Form (CAF) portal to streamline foreign portfolio investor (FPI) onboarding by combining the FPI registration application and DSC application into a single process. The enhancement enables FPI applicants to apply directly for a DSC from Indian DSC issuers while submitting the CAF in the portal. SEBI noted that a March 27, 2023 circular had already permitted FPIs to use digital signatures for executing the CAF and other registration-related documents, and positioned the new portal functionality as a further step to simplify the registration workflow; process flows and FAQs are hosted on the India Market Access Portal.
Securities & Exchange Board of India 2026-01-08
Securities and Exchange Board of India integrates Digital Signature Certificate applications into the FPI Common Application Form portal
The Securities and Exchange Board of India has introduced a Digital Signature Certificate functionality within the Common Application Form portal to streamline foreign portfolio investor onboarding by integrating the FPI registration and DSC application processes. This enhancement allows direct DSC application from Indian issuers while submitting the CAF, building on a previous circular permitting digital signatures for registration documents.