&w=3840&q=100)
Sebi allows IAs, RAs to use MFs, overnight funds to meet deposit norms
Markets regulator Sebi has allowed Investment Advisers (IAs) and Research Analysts (RAs) to use liquid mutual funds and overnight funds as an additional option to the bank fixed deposit to meet their deposit requirements.
This would provide IAs and RAs an additional option, along with bank fixed deposits, to comply with regulatory requirements and help in promoting ease of doing business.
Under the current rule, IAs and RAs are required to maintain a deposit with a scheduled bank. Such a deposit is required to be lien-marked to the Administration and Supervisory Body (ASB) for IAs and RAs.
IAs and RAs, through their associations, have represented that they are facing certain operational difficulties in opening the FD accounts, such as non-uniform interpretation of third-party FD procedures across different bank branches and lien marking of the same in favour of ASB. They suggested that as an alternative to FD, units of a liquid mutual fund lien marked in favour of ASB may also be permitted.
Accordingly, the board of Sebi approved a proposal in this regard on Wednesday.
While approving the proposal, the Sebi's board noted that liquid mutual funds may be considered low-risk and less volatile instruments. Further, a lien can be marked on liquid mutual funds.
"The operation of lien and invocation of lien on units of liquid mutual fund remains within the securities market ecosystem, bringing in more efficiency," Sebi said.
Moreover, mutual fund folios can be opened and operated digitally as well as in demat mode and asset management companies provide such facilities on their websites and apps that can be accessed through the internet on mobile phones/computers.
Also, the board noted that similar to liquid mutual funds, overnight funds could also be a good alternative.
In May, Sebi floated a consultation paper proposing to allow 'use of liquid mutual funds for compliance with the deposit requirements'.
In December 2024, the regulator introduced various measures for ease of doing business for IAs and RAs. These measures include easing the eligibility criteria for qualification from post-graduation to graduation, allowing certification through a continuing professional education model, and removing the experience requirements. The net-worth requirement for IAs and RAs was also discontinued and was replaced with a requirement of deposit.
Furthermore, in the March board meeting, fee-related restrictions on IAs and RAs were relaxed to allow them to charge fees in advance up to a period of one year. The move was part of the continuous efforts of Sebi to address the genuine concerns of IAs and RAs.
Also, the board of Sebi noted the decision to introduce a one-time settlement scheme for Venture Capital Funds (VCFs) for not winding up their schemes within the prescribed time frames.
The scheme provides a settlement opportunity to VCFs who have completed the migration to the Sebi (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations.
The settlement amount consists of two parts -- Rs 1 lakh for delay of up to 1 year in winding up the scheme and Rs 50,000 for every subsequent year of delay or part thereof and an amount (based on a slab-wise structure) ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 6 lakh depending on the cost of unliquidated investments as on the date of application for migration.
Explaining the features of the scheme, Sebi said that prior to applying under the settlement scheme, VCFs should have completed the migration to AIF Regulations. The settlement amount and all expenses related to settlement will be borne by the Investment Manager/ Sponsor.
Last date for applying under this settlement scheme will be January 19, 2025.
"Migration to AIF Regulations would help the VCFs to secure an additional liquidation period to liquidate the assets and wind up the schemes. However, such migration would not absolve the VCFs from their past delays for winding up such schemes. The scheme is intended to provide expeditious settlement of the past non-compliance related to tenure of scheme only, without any additional burden to investors," Sebi said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Standard
3 hours ago
- Business Standard
Sebi plans overhaul of mutual fund rules to aid investors and industry
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is undertaking a comprehensive review of mutual fund regulations to make them more investor-centric and industry-friendly, a senior official said on Saturday. "We are reviewing the entire mutual fund regulatory framework to enhance ease of doing business for all stakeholders, including the regulator," SEBI executive director Manoj Kumar said at the 17th Mutual Fund Summit organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) here. Existing regulations governing the sector are among the lengthiest and require simplification to keep pace with evolving investor needs and industry innovations, stakeholders said. "The process has started and soon we will come out with draft regulations for feedback and consultation process before it is finalised," Kumar said without giving any timeline for the rollout of the new rules. Kumar outlined the regulator's strategic roadmap to strengthen India's securities market, with mutual funds positioned as a critical pillar in fostering inclusive financial growth and investor protection. A consultation paper on regulations which governs advisory functions in mutual funds is also in the pipeline. Addressing the event, Kumar said India has undergone major market transformations under SEBI's stewardship. These include the shift to an electronic trading ecosystem in 1998, followed by achieving 100 per cent dematerialisation of shares, making India the only jurisdiction globally to do so. "The third transformation is unfolding now through the mutual fund revolution," he said, calling it a cornerstone of SEBI's "optimum regulation" approach, one that seeks balance among the interests of the regulator, the industry, and investors. While India's mutual fund industry has crossed Rs 72 lakh-crore in AUM and monthly SIP contributions have touched Rs 28,000 crore, the investor base remains limited to just five crore in a population of 140 crore, Kumar pointed out. SEBI is also actively reviewing scheme categorisation norms to make them more intuitive for investors, while ensuring all offerings remain "true to label" to prevent mis-selling. To offer wider choice to investors, SEBI has approved a new product category, referred to as SIF, aimed at investors with ticket sizes between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 50 lakh. Mutual funds were selected to manage these products given their established governance and handling of retail flows. Parallelly, SEBI has opened faster registration windows for Portfolio Management Services (PMS) and Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) with similar offerings. Addressing industry concerns over stress test disclosures for mid- and small-cap funds, Kumar reaffirmed SEBI's disclosure-based regulatory model, stressing that informed investors are central to market resilience. While he acknowledged that some disclosure requirements may seem burdensome, he assured stakeholders that SEBI remains open to feedback and streamlining processes. He urged the industry to avoid situations that warrant regulatory intervention, saying, "Our goal is not to disrupt but to allow business to thrive." Highlighting the untapped potential in eastern India, Kumar said SEBI views West Bengal and the Northeast as strategic regions for mutual fund expansion, underscoring the need for targeted penetration efforts. Echoing this vision, AMFI chief executive V N Chalasani said India is transitioning from financial inclusion to financial well-being, where saving smartly and investing wisely will enable sustainable wealth creation. He cited the exponential growth of mutual funds post-2017, following SEBI's investor education mandate, which helped expand the investor base and improve financial awareness. However, Chalasani pointed out that India's mutual fund AUM still forms only about 20 per cent of GDP, compared to a global average of 65 per cent. He stressed the need for deeper financial literacy, especially in Tier 3 and 4 cities, where AMFI is focusing through school and university programmes, distributor expansion via India Post, and new product innovations aimed at mid-income investors. "Every Indian can evolve from a saver to an investor and ultimately a wealth creator," he said, calling for sustained collaboration between regulators, industry, educators and investors to build an empowered, financially resilient India.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Plans to make mutual fund rules more investor and industry friendly: Sebi official
Live Events The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is undertaking a comprehensive review of mutual fund regulations to make them more investor-centric and industry-friendly, a senior official said on Saturday."We are reviewing the entire mutual fund regulatory framework to enhance ease of doing business for all stakeholders, including the regulator," SEBI executive director Manoj Kumar said at the 17th Mutual Fund Summit organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) regulations governing the sector are among the lengthiest and require simplification to keep pace with evolving investor needs and industry innovations, stakeholders said."The process has started and soon we will come out with draft regulations for feedback and consultation process before it is finalised," Kumar said without giving any timeline for the rollout of the new outlined the regulator's strategic roadmap to strengthen India's securities market, with mutual funds positioned as a critical pillar in fostering inclusive financial growth and investor protection.A consultation paper on regulations which governs advisory functions in mutual funds is also in the the event, Kumar said India has undergone major market transformations under SEBI's include the shift to an electronic trading ecosystem in 1998, followed by achieving 100 per cent dematerialisation of shares, making India the only jurisdiction globally to do so."The third transformation is unfolding now through the mutual fund revolution," he said, calling it a cornerstone of SEBI's "optimum regulation" approach, one that seeks balance among the interests of the regulator, the industry, and India's mutual fund industry has crossed Rs 72 lakh-crore in AUM and monthly SIP contributions have touched Rs 28,000 crore, the investor base remains limited to just five crore in a population of 140 crore, Kumar pointed is also actively reviewing scheme categorisation norms to make them more intuitive for investors, while ensuring all offerings remain "true to label" to prevent offer wider choice to investors, SEBI has approved a new product category, referred to as SIF, aimed at investors with ticket sizes between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 50 funds were selected to manage these products given their established governance and handling of retail SEBI has opened faster registration windows for Portfolio Management Services (PMS) and Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) with similar industry concerns over stress test disclosures for mid- and small-cap funds, Kumar reaffirmed SEBI's disclosure-based regulatory model, stressing that informed investors are central to market he acknowledged that some disclosure requirements may seem burdensome, he assured stakeholders that SEBI remains open to feedback and streamlining urged the industry to avoid situations that warrant regulatory intervention, saying, "Our goal is not to disrupt but to allow business to thrive."Highlighting the untapped potential in eastern India, Kumar said SEBI views West Bengal and the Northeast as strategic regions for mutual fund expansion, underscoring the need for targeted penetration this vision, AMFI chief executive V N Chalasani said India is transitioning from financial inclusion to financial well-being, where saving smartly and investing wisely will enable sustainable wealth cited the exponential growth of mutual funds post-2017, following SEBI's investor education mandate, which helped expand the investor base and improve financial Chalasani pointed out that India's mutual fund AUM still forms only about 20 per cent of GDP, compared to a global average of 65 per stressed the need for deeper financial literacy, especially in Tier 3 and 4 cities, where AMFI is focusing through school and university programmes, distributor expansion via India Post, and new product innovations aimed at mid-income investors."Every Indian can evolve from a saver to an investor and ultimately a wealth creator," he said, calling for sustained collaboration between regulators, industry, educators and investors to build an empowered, financially resilient India. PTI
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Kalpataru sells properties worth ₹2,727 crore in Apr-Dec FY25
NEW DELHI: Real estate developer Kalpataru Ltd, which will launch Rs 1,590-crore IPO next week, sold properties worth Rs 2,727.24 crore during April-December of the last fiscal on strong demand for housing and commercial assets. The company sold properties worth Rs 3,201.98 crore in 2023-24, according to its updated red herring prospectus (RHP) filed with Sebi. The latest document has updates till the third quarter of the 2024-25 fiscal only. Mumbai-based Kalpataru focuses on the development of residential, commercial, retail and integrated township projects. It is also into the redevelopment of societies. The company has fixed a price band of Rs 387 to Rs 414 per share for its Rs 1,590 crore initial public offering (IPO), which will open for public subscription on June 24 and conclude on June 26. The bidding for anchor investors will open on June 23. The company's IPO is entirely a fresh issue of equity shares worth Rs 1,590 crore with no offer for sale (OFS) component. It proposes to utilise funds for the payment of debt and for general corporate purposes. At the upper end of the price band, the company is valued at around Rs 8,500 crore, brokerage houses said. Kalpataru Ltd Managing Director Parag M Munot expressed confidence that the company's IPO would be successful despite global conflicts and economic uncertainties. He noted that India's growth story is intact, driving demand across sectors, including real estate. Munot said the company has a huge portfolio of nearly 50 million square feet, which includes 25 million square feet of ongoing projects, 16 million square feet of forthcoming, and nearly 8 million square feet of projects at the planning stage. Kalpataru is one of the leading real estate developers in the country with a significant presence in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) in Maharashtra. Since its inception, the company has completed 75 projects, comprising 16 million square feet. While a majority of the company's projects are located in the MMR and Pune (Maharashtra), it also has projects in Hyderabad (Telangana) and Noida (Uttar Pradesh). Kalpataru Group was established in 1969 by Mofatraj P Munot. The group has a multi-national presence and has operations in EPC contracting for power transmission and distribution, oil and gas, railways, civil infrastructure projects, warehousing and logistics, and facility management. Further, Kalpataru Projects International Ltd is listed on the NSE and BSE.
