Nithin Kamath Says No Reason For NRIs To Invest Elsewhere, As SEBI Simplifies Account Opening

Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath took to X to highlight a major win for NRI investors, welcoming SEBI's newly finalised rules that make opening an Indian trading account vastly simpler.

Taking to the social platform, Kamath pointed out that getting through account setup has spent years as one of the single biggest headaches for Indians living abroad who want to invest back home.

• 
  Indian Markets Turning Corner After Two Tough Years, Says Sandeep Tandon
• 
  NDTV Profit Ignite 2026: Experts See Opportunity In Equities, Stay Bullish For Long-Term
• 
  Buy Right, Sit Tight Does Not Work for Individual Stocks, Says Dinshaw Irani
• 
  'Worst Is Behind': Quant MF Sees Market Bottom, Flags 'Extreme Euphoria' In Midcaps
• 
  India's Mutual Fund Industry Could Become A $1 Trillion Opportunity, Say Fund Managers
• 
  'Foreign Investors Are Baraatis': Raamdeo Agrawal's Take On LTCG Tax
• 
  Stay Invested Through Market Cycles: Raamdeo Agrawal at NDTV Profit Ignite
• 
  Ramesh Damani Remains Bullish On India For Next 20-30 Years, Sees Bargains Amid Market Weakness
• 
  CAS Came After A Long Consultation Process: SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey AT NDTV PROFIT IGNITE
• 
  Aim To Cut FPI Onboarding Time From Mth To Five Days: SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey AT NDTV PROFI

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. For years, one of the biggest hurdles for NRIs wanting to invest in India has been account opening. 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. I've always felt that making it easier for NRIs to invest is one of the simplest ways to attract more long-term capital into India. Many of them already want to invest here, but the process has been complicated. At @zerodha, we've been able to simplify several things for NRIs over the last year, but account opening has remained one of the biggest challenges. With this change, there's no reason why you, as an NRI, should go elsewhere to trade and invest ????

Also Read | Layoffs Are Rising In Tech, But These Skills Are Helping People Unlock Better Pay

— Nithin Kamath (@Nithin0dha) November 5, 2026

"For years, one of the biggest hurdles for NRIs wanting to invest in India has been account opening," Kamath posted. "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."

Also Read | Only 10% of Option Buyers Make Money. Zerodha's Nithin Kamath Explains Why Higher Taxes Are To Blame

That tedious paper trail is finally on its way out. Under SEBI's updated framework, kicking in on Dec. 3, 2026, anyone living in an FATF-compliant country can complete their entire digital KYC and video verification right from abroad.

The regulator has dropped the requirement that kept location tracking restricted to within India during onboarding.

What used to drag on for weeks of couriering and notary visits can now be wrapped up in just two to three days.

Kamath believes cutting down this friction is the easiest way to pull steady, long-term capital into the country, adding that with these hurdles removed, NRIs have little reason to look anywhere else to invest.

Also Read | 'We Are Ants...': Nithin Kamath Says Over 13 Cr Indians Invest In Markets And JIO Played Big Part

Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.