SEBI has replaced paras 1.1 to 1.3 of the ISIN provisions of its NCS Master Circular to increase the maximum number of ISINs maturing in a financial year for debt securities issued on private placement basis. An issuer is now allowed seventeen ISINs maturing in any financial year: twelve for plain vanilla debt and five for structured, market linked, floating rate, zero coupon and Tier II instruments, plus six more for section 54EC capital gains bonds. The change took effect immediately on 7 October 2026.
Rule changeSource: SEBI Circular HO/17/11/24(8)2026-DDHS-POD1/I/23125/2026 dated 7 October 2026Read the full story →
SEBI has relaxed the rule that an issuer must appoint at least one merchant banker when it privately places debt securities or non-convertible redeemable preference shares at a face value of ₹10,000. An issuer may now go without a merchant banker if it meets five conditions together, covering its regulator, listing record, default history, the security offered and a rating of at least AA-. The change took effect immediately on 7 October 2026.
SEBI has introduced a Credit Risk-o-Meter, a colour-coded pictorial meter that maps credit ratings from AAA to D into six levels of credit risk. It becomes a mandatory part of offer documents, abridged prospectuses, private placement memoranda, all advertisements of issuers and Online Bond Platform Providers (OBPPs), and the web and mobile platforms of OBPPs. The circular comes into force after 45 days from its date of issuance, 7 October 2026.
NABKISAN Finance Limited, a NABARD subsidiary, listed a social bond dedicated exclusively to the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector on the National Stock Exchange on 1 October 2026. The issue was oversubscribed 1.8 times and raised ₹180 crore. The five-year bond carries a coupon of 8.10 per cent, matures in September 2031 and is rated CRISIL AAA (Stable) and CARE AAA (Stable).
SEBI has modified the system that lets a recipient check whether a letter or notice was really issued by SEBI. The ‘Subject Matter’ of the letter is now one of the mandatory fields, and the system follows the outward number format of SEBI’s E-Office. Letters issued before the revamped system went live in September 2026 can be verified by e-mail to dnvs@sebi.gov.in.
Under Project Jagrook, SEBI has directed all stock brokers to prominently display the investor awareness messages it shares. Websites must carry them from 5 October 2026 and on the landing page from 1 November 2026. On trading apps the display is voluntary till 31 October and mandatory from 1 November 2026, on alternate days with the Risk disclosures.
SEBI has issued a new Master Circular for Debenture Trustees dated 28 September 2026, compiling the circulars in force on that date in 17 chapters. The Master Circular of 13 August 2025 stands rescinded, with actions taken under it saved. Annexure 1 lists five superseded circulars, including those on issuer reporting timelines, the Recovery Expenses Fund and activities outside SEBI’s purview.
Four decisions of the SEBI Board of 24 September 2026 matter to issuers and regulated entities: Regulation 62A of the LODR Regulations will require listing only of future NCD issues; a Common Advertisement Code drops prior approval for most advertisements; Settlement Regulations, 2026 bring a new formula and a settlement notice before the show cause notice; and REITs and InvITs get Depository Receipts and easier unitholder voting.
The SEBI Board has approved four changes to the Accredited Investor framework: managers of AIFs, AMCs offering SIFs and portfolio managers may accredit investors; securities market exposure becomes an eligibility test; persons resident outside India are deemed accredited; and LLPs can qualify. It also approved extending to all AIFs the bar on a manager using fund assets for its own losses.
The SEBI Board has approved the SEBI (Portfolio Managers) Regulations, 2026 to supersede the 2020 Regulations. Portfolio managers will be able to invest client money in IPOs, foreign securities and direct plans of mutual funds through a new PRIM route, and work with Independent Fund Managers. Graduates become eligible as Principal Officer, and the rulebook shrinks from 70 pages to 33.
The 215th meeting of the SEBI Board, held in Mumbai on 24 September 2026, cleared a long list: new Portfolio Managers Regulations, new Settlement Regulations, a Common Advertisement Code, FPIs in more commodity derivatives, wider Vault Manager rules, changes for REITs and InvITs, an easier debt-listing rule and a reworked Accredited Investor framework. A fourth settlement scheme for illiquid stock options was placed before it.
IRDAI has repealed its Guidelines on repatriation of dividends by insurance intermediaries having majority by foreign investors, dated 3 January 2020, with effect from 30 July 2026. The Insurance Intermediaries (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 notified on that date removed the requirement of the Authority’s prior approval for repatriating dividends and the condition on related party payments.
PFRDA has issued the Operational Guidelines for NPS Swasthya, 2026. The scheme pairs an NPS Swasthya investment account with a mandatory super top-up health insurance policy. Minimum initial contribution is the first-year premium plus ₹200 annual maintenance charge plus ₹1,000 investment. Partial withdrawals for healthcare, up to 25% of own contributions, are paid directly to the hospital.
SEBI, in consultation with Clearing Corporations, is extending the Samuhik Prativedan Manch — the common reporting platform for stock brokers — to members of Clearing Corporations who are also stock brokers. The first phase, proposed from 30 September 2026, covers 14 compliance reports, about 60% of their reporting requirements. Around 1066 clearing members stand to benefit.
A SEBI consultation paper issued on 12 September 2026 proposes two options for the expiry-day settlement price of index and stock derivatives — a blended VWAP of the last 30 minutes of continuous trading and the 10-minute Closing Auction Session, or the earlier 30-minute VWAP for an interim period. It also proposes revised market timings and changes to auction orders. Comments were due by 3 October 2026; the window has closed.
SEBI has announced the launch of “Demat 2.0”, a pilot in which corporate bonds are created as digital tokens on a distributed ledger owned by the depositories and settled against RBI’s wholesale CBDC (e₹). REC, L&T and IIFL have issued tokenised bonds aggregating ₹1,025 crore. Credit rating, debenture trustee, listing and disclosure requirements continue to apply in full.
SEBI has revised the penal provisions for open-interest violations at client level in the commodity derivatives segment: the penalty is 2% of the value of the excess for the days it continues, or ₹2,00,000 (₹10,000 where the excess is up to 2% of the limit), whichever is lower. No additional penalty applies where the breach arises only from clubbing. The definition of “Broad Commodity” and client position limits are also revised.
Two SEBI circulars ease compliance for Foreign Portfolio Investors. From 7 September 2026, FPIs investing only in Government Securities — by any route — need not furnish investor group details. From 20 August 2026, a Power of Attorney given by an FPI to its custodian may be executed with a digital signature under the Information Technology Act, 2000, without notarisation, apostille or consularisation.
SEBI has extended the transitional period for Angel Funds registered on or before 10 September 2025 to comply with the Accredited Investor mandate. The date moves from 8 September 2026 to 31 March 2027. Until then such funds cannot offer investment opportunities to more than 200 non-Accredited Investors, and after it they cannot accept contributions from non-Accredited Investors.
A SEBI consultation paper issued on 3 September 2026 proposes to let a mutual fund scheme net its fund obligations for outright buy and sell transactions in the cash market, as already permitted for FPIs. Netting would be only at scheme level, securities would continue to settle gross, and STT and stamp duty would stay on delivery basis. Comments were due by 24 September 2026; the window has closed.
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