SEBI tightens reporting requirements for offshore funds

India’s market regulator has asked all foreign funds investing in the country to identify their parent financial institution to help unravel opaque ownership structures, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

India’s market regulator has asked all foreign funds investing in the country to identify their parent financial institution to help unravel opaque ownership structures, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

The letter was sent by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to custodian banks, through which funds flow into the country, earlier this month with a request for the information to be provided by September.

The move follows a regulatory investigation into suspected violations in overseas investments in the Adani group of companies. The Adani group has denied all allegations.

A panel appointed by India's Supreme Court to oversee the investigation cited difficulties in obtaining information from offshore entities as one reason the regulator has struggled to reach any conclusion.

In its letter, SEBI wrote that it has found instances of foreign portfolio investor (FPI) registration being granted to branches of banks.

"Since the branch of a bank is not a separate legal entity, (the custodian bank) shall ensure that their client is a legal entity,” SEBI said.

Custodian banks are also required to identify a senior officer of the legal entity as a beneficial owner in the case that no single investor holds more than 10% in the fund.