Zerodha founder and CEO Nithin Kamath has welcomed the Securities and Exchange Board of India's (SEBI) decision to ease digital Know Your Client (KYC) requirements for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), and foreign nationals, saying the move will simplify account opening for overseas investors and help attract more long-term capital into India.
"In August, I'd written about SEBI's proposal to simplify account opening for NRIs. Good to see that the changes have now been finalised," Kamath said in a post on X.
He said account opening had been one of the biggest hurdles for NRIs wanting to invest in India for years. While those with existing KYC could open accounts digitally, anyone abroad needing fresh KYC had to get documents attested by a notary or the Indian embassy, courier physical copies to India, and wait weeks for the account to open.
"From December 3, NRIs and OCIs living in FATF-compliant countries will be able to complete digital KYC entirely from abroad. Something that took weeks can now be done in 2–3 days," Kamath said.
In a circular dated November 4, 2026, SEBI relaxed Know Your Client (KYC) requirements for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), and foreign nationals, allowing them to complete digital onboarding while residing overseas, subject to certain conditions.