SEBI relaxes KYC norms for low-risk foreign investors

13 Sep 2013 Evaluate

In a move to increase the overseas investment into the country, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has relaxed registration and disclosure norms for low-risk foreign investors. The market regulator SEBI also exempted the low-risk overseas entities from tedious paper work, which entail submission of various documents and disclosures to get registered and operate in Indian markets.

SEBI also classified eligible foreign investors under three broad segments as per their risk profile to make portfolio investments in the country. As per the SEBI new norms, investment by foreign investors into government and other sovereign securities will be considered in the lowest-risk - Category I. Well-regulated entities like investment trusts, mutual funds, insurers, banks, university funds and pension funds have been put in the medium-risk - Category II, while corporate bodies, individuals and family offices have been classified in the high-risk - Category III.

Accordingly, the know your client (KYC) requirements- which entails submission of various documents and disclosures to get registered and operate in Indian markets - would be eased for those with low-risk profile Category-I investors. Besides, low risk entities would be exempted from submission of the list, identity proof, address proof and photographs for their ultimate beneficial owners. The SEBI new norms are expected to make it much easier for the foreign investors to enter the country and make investment decisions.

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