India's securities regulator has announced sweeping changes to ease foreign investment, adjust public float norms, and strengthen the IPO landscape amid global economic uncertainties.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has recently introduced a comprehensive set of regulatory reforms aimed at attracting foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) and facilitating large initial public offerings (IPOs). Announced by SEBI Chairperson Tuhin Kanta Pandey after a recent board meeting, these measures are designed to strengthen India’s capital markets amid ongoing global economic uncertainties.
One significant adjustment pertains to the minimum public shareholding (MPS) norms. For companies with a market capitalization exceeding Rs 5 lakh crores (\u20b95 trillion), the minimum public offer size has been reduced from 5% to 2.5%, with the new threshold set at \u20b915,000 crore. Additionally, if a company’s public shareholding reaches 15% or more, it will now have five years to achieve the 25% MPS, aligning with existing guidelines for other firms. This extension aims to provide firms with more flexibility in meeting public float requirements.
SEBI has also eased rules to promote foreign investments into Indian markets. A new single-window access system has been introduced for sovereign-backed and overseas retail funds, streamlining investment processes. Alongside this, a dedicated website—indiamarketaccess.in—has been launched to enhance transparency and ease of access for FPIs.
Further reforms involve the IPO share-allocation framework. SEBI has decided to increase the reserved allotment for anchor investors from one-third to 40% of the IPO size. The inclusion of life insurance companies and pension funds into the reserved category for IPO anchor allocations is also planned, aiming to broaden participation from institutional investors.
In addition, SEBI has classified Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InVITs) as equity instruments, which could influence how mutual fund distributors incentivize investments. Measures to improve market infrastructure include clarifying governance norms for Market Infrastructure Institutions (MIIs), emphasizing their roles in regulatory compliance, risk management, and investor service over commercial interests, and defining roles for key managerial personnel such as MDs and EDs.
These reform initiatives aim to simplify compliance procedures and encourage greater participation in the Indian capital markets. They have garnered positive reactions on social media, viewed as long-overdue improvements that could bolster India’s appeal to foreign investors.
While the original FPJ article does not delve into additional external factors, such as USD outflows, IPO funding estimates, RBI reclassification frameworks, or specific regulatory scrutiny like the Jane Street ban, the core reforms highlighted focus on making India’s market environment more conducive to foreign investment while streamlining domestic fundraising processes.
Source: Noah Wire Services
Verification / Sources
- https://www.freepressjournal.in/topnews/sebi-announces-sweeping-changes-to-attract-fpis-heres-5-key-take-aways-from-the-big-board-meet - Please view link - unable to able to access data
- https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/india-markets-regulator-eases-foreign-investor-entry-lowers-minimum-size-large-2025-09-12/ - India's Securities and Exchange Board (SEBI) has introduced measures to simplify market access for foreign investors and large initial public offerings (IPOs). Key changes include a new single-window clearance system for sovereign-backed and overseas retail funds, reducing the minimum share sale for large IPOs from 5% to 2.5% for companies with post-listing market capitalizations above ₹5 trillion, and extending the timeframe for companies to meet the 25% public float requirement—from three years to five years, and up to ten years for firms with market caps exceeding ₹1 trillion. These reforms aim to streamline compliance and bolster India's appeal as an investor-friendly destination amid significant foreign investment outflows in 2025 due to high U.S. tariffs, weak earnings, and relative overvaluation. The moves are expected to help maintain India's status as the world’s second-largest IPO market, projected to raise around $20 billion in 2025.
- https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/india-regulator-eases-foreign-investor-entry-lowers-minimum-size-large-ipos-2025-09-12/ - India's markets regulator, SEBI, has introduced significant reforms aimed at improving foreign investor access and easing IPO norms. A new single-window system will simplify investment procedures for low-risk, sovereign-backed, and retail overseas funds, streamlining documentation and regulatory requirements. This move could benefit nearly two-thirds of foreign investors and bolster India’s appeal as an investor-friendly destination amid outflows of $11.7 billion from equities and debt in 2025. SEBI also reduced the minimum IPO size for large companies from 5% to 2.5% of share capital for firms with post-listing market capitalization exceeding ₹5 trillion. Additionally, companies with a market cap between ₹500 billion and ₹1 trillion now have five years (up from three) to reach the 25% public float norm, while those above ₹1 trillion can take up to 10 years. In terms of corporate governance, low-value related-party transactions are exempted from disclosure, while thresholds for shareholder approval on higher-value transactions have been increased, using a scale-based approach based on company turnover. These moves reflect SEBI’s efforts to simplify compliance and promote capital market participation.
- https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/india-regulator-proposes-easing-norms-foreign-investors-buying-only-government-2025-05-13/ - On May 13, 2025, India's market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), proposed easing regulatory requirements for foreign investors who invest solely in Indian government bonds (IGBs). The suggested changes aim to simplify the onboarding process and reduce ongoing compliance, thereby encouraging greater foreign portfolio investment in these securities. Specifically, SEBI proposed that such investors no longer need to disclose details about their investor groups. Additionally, the regulator recommended allowing both resident and non-resident Indians, along with overseas citizens, to contribute to the investment corpus of foreign investors focused exclusively on Indian government bonds. These measures are intended to facilitate and increase investment flow into Indian government debt instruments.
- https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-set-double-investment-limit-foreign-individuals-sources-memo-say-2025-03-27/ - India's central bank plans to double the investment limit for individual foreign investors in listed companies from 5% to 10% to boost capital inflows. This follows significant withdrawals of over $28 billion by foreign portfolio investors since September's NSE Nifty 50 record high. The new regulations will extend benefits previously offered only to overseas Indians to all foreign investors, with an overall foreign individual investor limit increased from 10% to 24%. The proposed reforms are in their final stages but face challenges in ensuring compliance, as the market regulator SEBI has raised concerns about potential takeovers if a single foreign investor's holdings, combined with associates, exceed 34%. The government and regulators are working to address these monitoring issues before implementing the changes.
- https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-cenbank-issues-operational-framework-reclassification-fpi-fdi-2024-11-11/ - The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued an operational framework for reclassifying equity investments by foreign portfolio investors (FPI) into foreign direct investment (FDI). As per the 2019 government rules, FPI investments and their investor groups are limited to less than 10% of the total paid-up equity capital on a fully diluted basis. Investments exceeding this limit can be divested or reclassified as FDI, except in sectors where FDI is prohibited. FPIs must obtain necessary government approvals, especially for investments from land-bordering countries, and comply with FDI provisions. Without approvals, excess investments must be divested within a prescribed time. Once reclassified, an investment will remain as FDI even if it later drops below the 10% threshold, and FPIs and their groups will be treated as a single entity. This framework is effective immediately.
- https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/india-markets-regulator-looks-further-ease-regulations-foreign-investors-2025-08-12/ - India's market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), plans to simplify regulations for foreign investors to attract more long-term capital into the country. In its annual report published on August 12, 2025, SEBI proposed measures such as single-window clearance and direct access to India's securities markets for low-risk overseas investors like sovereign wealth funds and government-owned firms. The regulator also aims to streamline and remove redundant compliance requirements to reduce the regulatory burden. Furthermore, SEBI announced intentions to enhance cybersecurity to better detect trading anomalies and prevent manipulation, particularly in derivatives markets. This comes shortly after barring U.S. firm Jane Street from Indian markets over alleged stock index manipulation. SEBI also expressed concern over the high volume of index options trading—90% on contract expiry days, with 30% occurring in the final hour—indicating potential volatility and market manipulation risks. Additionally, SEBI has proposed easing disclosure norms and requiring shareholder approval for minor transactions between related parties.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We've since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score: 10
Notes: The narrative presents recent developments from the SEBI board meeting held on September 12, 2025, with no evidence of prior publication. The Free Press Journal's article is the earliest known publication of this information. The content appears original and not recycled from other sources. The presence of updated data and specific dates supports a high freshness score.
Quotes check
Score: 10
Notes: The article includes direct quotes from SEBI Chairperson Tuhin Kanta Pandey. A search reveals that these quotes are unique to this publication, with no earlier instances found online. This suggests the content is potentially original or exclusive.
Source reliability
Score: 8
Notes: The Free Press Journal is a known Indian news outlet. While it is not as widely recognised as some other media organisations, it is a legitimate source. The narrative is consistent with other reputable outlets' coverage of SEBI's recent reforms. However, the outlet's lower profile compared to major international organisations introduces a slight uncertainty.
Plausability check
Score: 9
Notes: The claims about SEBI's regulatory reforms align with information from other reputable sources, such as Reuters. For instance, Reuters reported on similar measures announced by SEBI on September 12, 2025. The narrative provides specific details, including dates and figures, enhancing its credibility. The language and tone are consistent with typical corporate communications, and there are no signs of sensationalism or off-topic details.
Overall assessment
Veredict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary: The narrative presents original content with specific details and direct quotes, supported by recent developments from SEBI's board meeting. The information aligns with reports from other reputable sources, and the source is legitimate, albeit less widely recognised. The plausibility of the claims is high, with no signs of disinformation or recycled content. Therefore, the overall assessment is a PASS with high confidence.