India Market Access is a free online portal that brings together everything a Foreign Portfolio Investor (FPI) needs to register, invest, and stay compliant in India's securities market. SEBI launched it in September 2025, developed jointly by six Market Infrastructure Institutions (MIIs): the National Stock Exchange (NSE), BSE, NSE Clearing Limited, Indian Clearing Corporation Limited (ICCL), National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL), and Central Depository Services (India) Limited (CDSL).
Why was it created
Before this portal, FPIs had to coordinate across multiple regulatory authorities including SEBI, RBI, and the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), as well as depositories, custodians, exchanges, clearing corporations, PAN service providers, banks, and legal advisors. There was no single source of truth. This made India's markets harder to access than they needed to be, especially for first-time investors.
India Market Access directly addresses this by consolidating regulatory guidance, onboarding workflows, and operational information into one place.
What you can find on the portal
The portal serves both prospective FPIs evaluating entry into India and existing FPIs looking for operational and regulatory clarity. It covers:
- Step-by-step guidance for FPI registration through the Common Application Form (CAF)
- Documentation and Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements for each FPI category
- Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) disclosure guidance
- FATCA and Common Reporting Standards (CRS) obligations
- Applicable SEBI and RBI regulations
- Taxation and repatriation information
- Investment limits and eligible instruments
- Roles and responsibilities of custodians, Designated Depository Participants (DDPs), exchanges, and clearing corporations
- Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) process flows and FAQs
The Common Application Form (CAF)
One of the most useful features the portal explains is the CAF framework. The CAF allows you to apply simultaneously for FPI registration, PAN, KYC registration, and bank and demat account opening, all through a single application. Previously, each of these required separate applications across different intermediaries, which led to documentation duplication and longer onboarding timelines.
You can learn more about the CAF registration process and eligibility in What is a Foreign Portfolio Investor (FPI) and how do you register?
Digital onboarding
The portal also covers India's shift toward fully digital onboarding. Institutional onboarding previously required wet signatures, notarisation, apostille, and physical document couriering. You can now complete the process digitally using a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC), which you can apply for directly within the CAF portal. Detailed process flows and FAQs for obtaining a DSC are available at indiamarketaccess.in/faqs-on-registration.
As an institutional broker, Zerodha can help you set up a trading account as a foreign investor:
- For foreign individuals: Procedure for a foreign national to open an account at Zerodha
- For foreign entities: Trading account for PMS, AIF, and FPI