The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has sought public feedback by November 13, 2025, on its proposal to relax the geo-tagging requirement for NRI clients during their KYC or re-KYC process, which is conducted through digital or video identification modes.

The initiative, if implemented, would simplify digital onboarding for overseas investors. The security and verification standards would also effectively be in place.
Currently, brokers, mutual funds, and portfolio managers have to ensure that their NRI clients are physically located in India while undergoing KYC or re-KYC for verification. This process is implemented via geo-tagging features built into digital onboarding or Video Client Identification Process (V-CIP) applications.

The new draft rules allow intermediaries to verify the GPS location, without the mandatory physical presence of NRI clients during the re-KYC or modification of KYC details procedures. Even as NRIs and overseas Indians continue to invest more in Indian equities and mutual funds, relaxing the location condition eases hurdles for overseas investors.

However, applications used for V-CIP would have to include timestamping for all video sessions, and ensure the interaction was not pre-recorded. Anti-spoofing mechanisms to detect and block manipulated IP addresses or fake sessions would also have to be deployed for investor protection.

Once implemented, the revised norms can be accessed by all registered intermediaries, including stockbrokers, mutual fund houses, and portfolio management service providers. – Illustration by freepik – editor@nrifocus.com